[Review] - Mafia II

The Important Stuff

Mafia II will suck you in from the very start of the game. The atmosphere in the game is done very well. From the style of the buildings, down to the music and cars. Add in the AI banter and the cutscenes, and it will have the hours ticking by without you even realizing it.

The game uses a chapter system, which you can choose to complete after fulfilling a mission duty. Of course, you don't have to end the chapter. You can use that time to tune up your favorite car, buy some new clothes, grab some food to refill your health meter, or even take some time to hunt for collectibles. By now, most know that the game uses actual vintage Playboy photographs, as an in game collectible. These can be found most anywhere, but beware! Mafia II tracks statistics. That's right, Mafia II knows how long you've been staring at those centerfolds, and proudly displays it in your statistics sheet found in the game's menu. There are also wanted posters found throughout the city, so be sure to check back alleys, if you're collecting those. Nabbing all the Playboy mags and wanted posters, will net you two separate achievements or trophies. There are also other various unlockables in the game. All can be viewed from the main menu, after unlocking or collecting them. I especially liked the posters.

Mafia II does a good job of mixing up the missions. It's not always about go to point A and kill X amount of people. It's not a brainless third person, sandbox style shooter. You can use stealth in Mafia II. Not always, but some missions may turn out better if you do. The choice is yours, though. Another nice touch, were some minor events many might miss. You may see an AI person squabbling, or someone whose car is broken down. If you take your time soaking in this great game world, it may pay off in achievements or trophies. Take time to smell the roses.

The music in Mafia II, is great. There are three radio stations in the game. Each one plays a different style of music. The track list is enormous, but with only three stations, you may hear several songs a bit too often. There are two different decades of music in the game, and the choices for both was done very well.

Full track list

You can't talk about a mafia game, without talking about combat. There are a handful of different weapons, and a fairly impressive melee system. While a similar style game uses a snap on locking mechanism for its shooting, Mafia makes it a bit rougher on you. That's good, though. The cover system works well, so you don't need to lock and pop through the missions. You won't go far in Mafia II, if you try that. Instead, if you're aiming close enough to an enemy and then zoom in, you may get lined up for a shot. Not always, but it makes the gunfights and the use of cover, much more interesting. Hand to hand combat is almost worth it. Whether it's a from behind stealthy neck snap, or a bare knuckle brawl. You can kill with your hands and feet in this game. Remember that, when you're walking around town, and you bump into a stranger on the way to buy some clothes. There are short cutscenes when you pull off certain moves, but the novelty somewhat goes away when you've fought a few times. It is an improvement on what we've seen in the past, but I only brawled when I was forced to.

This is not a Grand Theft Auto clone. While they do share similarities, they are different games. That needs to be said, since people you run across will tell you otherwise.

Tips and Tricks

If you're wanted by the police, check above your compass. If it displays a license plate, buy new ones at an auto repair shop. If it shows a wanted poster, buy or change clothes, so you're not recognizable. If it was a simple hit and run, pull over and pay the small bribe. It's sometimes better than running away. I've ended up dead, just trying to lose the police. Apparently, seat belts weren't always used back then.

Use the A button accordingly while driving! It inhibits the speed of your car and will keep you within the speed laws. Without the speed inhibitor in place, these era cars are pretty difficult to control under great speed. If you're driving without it on, you can still use it for cornering, before you reach your turn. You'll be under greater control. Also, using the hand brake without the speed inhibitor, is a recipe for disaster. You will lose control.

If you find yourself in hand to hand combat, learn the enemies pattern. You can hold down the A button (dodge) for as long as you like, and not take damage. If the pattern is two swings, come out of dodge on that second punch, and light him up with a flurry of short punches.

Reaction

I had never played the first Mafia game, and didn't have any sort of reference if this sequel would be to my liking. I had known that it wasn't a typical sandbox, free roam type of game, and that sort of bummed me out. While I do wish this game had a multiplayer component to it, I still enjoyed Mafia II a lot. It sucked me in so badly, that I stayed up until 7:00AM one morning. I could not put it away. One more chapter! The story and the world itself, draws you in quickly, and never lets go. If I had any qualms about free roaming in single player, it was answered with the chapter loading in the main menu. I can revisit any chapter I completed, and do what I wish.

There were a few odd occurences that happened in my playthrough. In one cutscene, my jacket flipped out and stretched about 4 yards in front of me. I looked like a 1950's Stretch Armstrong. Another time, I exited a vehicle wearing a raincoat, and the back was all bunched up like I was still sitting. The worst, however, was when I was going to a cathouse. I pulled up in my car, and was treated to an endless loading screen. I ended up installing the game to my hard drive, and that sorted it out. There are a few that will bring up clipping, or jaggies. You won't notice any of it. Only if you're looking for imperfections.

I am looking forward to the DLC Mafia II has in store for us. I am hoping beyond hope, that 2k Czech considers a multiplayer component to Mafia II. Even if it's just some co-op missions. This game is ripe for it. There are many places in the game world, you don't even visit via missions. With an open multiplayer free roam, all those areas they built would definitely be visited and seen. It's a beautiful game world, too.

If you're into mafia style or even era type games, you already own this and are enjoying it. If you've never played a Mafia game before, like me, I still think you'd enjoy it. As hard as it is for me to say this, though, you may want to rent it. It's a great game, but without any real reason to replay it after your 10-15 hours in it, I wouldn't feel right recommending it for a buy at $60. Not unless the DLC interests you, or a multiplayer element is added down the road. If it had multiplayer, it'd be a definite buy. The game is begging for it. So are the fans of the game, me included.

I don't score games. If you skimmed to the bottom looking for a rating, sorry. What you seek is within the words I wrote.