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Back in 2007 when the first trailer for Mafia II debuted, I said to myself this looks awesome.
I played the first one and thought it was one of the best PC Games ever made, So I was looking forward to this game since it was announced. I was blown away by the demo despite it having a 12 minute time limit. It wasn't long into my Mafia II playing experience that I realized I enjoyed playing a 12 minute demo more than playing 2 hours of the actual game.
I was very disappointed in this one.
The game is set in a fictional called Empire Bay (Based heavily on 1940's-50's era New York City)Taking place after World War 2 and beginning in 1945 when The main character Vito, returns home from serving in the US Army. We are introduced to Empire Bay and the games characters. The vintage cars & Well put together oldies soundtrack add to the overall feel of the 40's and it certainly feels authentic. However This all provides a facade for a game that lacks much substance and leaves the player craving for any kind of excitement. This game reminds me of a beautiful woman, appealing and seductive at first glance, but you find she's as dumb as a bag of rocks.
Mafia II is similar to it's predecesor. The story is really the only thing that makes this game interesting but it's dense plot and predictable outcome really make it just as dull and boring as the gameplay. The voice acting is certainly one of the few postitives of the game, featuring the voices of TV stars Rick Pasqualone & Sonny Marinelli. The Cinematics really make you feel like your watching a Scorcese flick, sadly this isn't enough to mask the insipid world around the player.
The map itself isn't very big to begin with, Despite having an open world with seemingly limitless possibilities, The game feels more like a dictator forcing you to rush through the game and beat it as quickly as you can. For instance,
when Vito completes a Chapter/Mission he is always told to "go home" and "sleep" this leaves the story to proceed to the next chapter. I'm not saying it should be like GTA, But it would have been better if you could space out your story progression and do side-missions for different characters at your own leisure, rather than just go straight up the gut with the story. Perhaps 2k Czech did this purposely to hide what awful non-linear activities they have spread throughout the map
To put it blatantly there is really nothing outside the linear plot that can keep you occupied, The car customization option is a really cool feature and I'm sorry to say is perhaps the highlight of the game, allowing you to get a fresh paint job, new rims, and engine upgrade. Unless you enjoy robbing stores, Bringing stolen cars to a chop shop for money, Getting drunk or buying clothes this game is not for you.
There is no free roam save feature the game saves automatically when you advance to the next chapter, this really cripples the open world, sandbox type game I was expecting it to be. Mafia II lacks the diversity of the other mafia themed video games such as The Godfather. The Godfather allowed you to run a vast criminal empire of rackets, store fronts and prostitution rings, why wouldn't The people at 2k Czech realize that's what being in the mafia was all about and what makes the game fun and interesting. 2k Czech must not have played this game after they made it because they would realize how dull and un inspiring of a game it was, Which makes me wonder why they even delayed this game for as long as they did. It didn't improve anything. The map is consists of only 3 islands which are all clones of each other with simlar buildings, shops and streets.
If anyone played the demo, somewhere along your torturous experience in this game you'll notice the subtle differences like the bridge cincematic in the demo is not even in the game at all. I feel 2k sucker punched us and made us look like fools.
This game had alot of potential. It wasn't long into my Mafia II playing experience that I realized I enjoyed playing a 12 minute demo more than playing 2 hours of the actual game. My advice to those interested in purchasing this game, don't be decieved by the trailers, gameplay footage or what favorable reviews you may come across, This game isn't half bad however I would not reccomend buying it there is no replay value at all. It's the ultimate game designed to look good in Trailers, Posters, etc. and set us up for a high expectations and HUGE letdown. Perfect example of style lacking substance.
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Mafia 2 is a fun 3rd-person action game. It's not a GTA clone nor is it up there with Gears of War or Uncharted as far as shooting and covering go. It does however have a great story to tell with well-staged cut-scenes and some of the best graphics I've seen on a console.As I said before the story of Mafia 2 is excellent and VERY much carries the game. You play as Vito Scalletta, a poor Italian-American in the 1940's who, after fighting in WWII, finds himself drawn into the world of crime. Every character in Mafia 2 is well developed and well voice-acted and the story plays out very dynamically (starting in WWII Italy to a prison stretch to being a mafioso on the streets on Empire Bay) but is easy to follow.
The graphics are also excellent in Mafia 2 and really bring the world to life. Snow and leaves fall, birds and cats move around on stoops and in alleys, and people go on about their daily lives while you are on a mission. The building interiors look especially good like they were taken out of an episode of 'Mad Men'. The character models are surprisingly detailed as well.
While the presentation of Mafia 2 is a wonder to behold, the gameplay is very disappointing. The controls are shaky when you're just walking around. Driving around takes some getting used to but is fun overall, same with hand-to-hand combat. Shooting and covering however is lacking: namely you can't blind-fire from cover. Normally I wouldn't mind (I mean you can't blind-fire in Mass Effect either) but when your enemies CAN blind-fire from cover and with some of them trying to rush you, gun-fights can get frustrating.
Mafia 2 is also very linear. I don't mind that there's no side-missions (which I rarely partook in games like GTA or Red Dead Redemption) but the basic story-missions almost never have alternate paths. This is a shame because there's a couple really good stealth-missions thrown into the mix that could've benefitted from non-linear solutions. In fact I think the game needed more stealth missions because I had more fun on those than the actual gun-fight and chase missions (or at least have a stealth optional solution to most missions, I mean I ASSUME the criminal underworld doesn't want this much attention drawn to itself!).
Despite my complaints Mafia 2 is still a worth-while game. It took me about 10 hours to beat which is average for a linear action game. If you love good gangster stories like I do you'll love the narrative of Mafia 2. If you're looking for a more well-polished gaming experience best to save your money.
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Story has often been a minor addition to video games. Recently it has been coming into it's own with some previous and next gen games really pushing the limits of digital storytelling. When you play Mafia 2, you'll realize you have have one example of excellent story telling in a game to tell your friends about.The game begins with an introduction of the character you will be controlling, Vito. Vito's story begins in Italy as he is part of the US Army forces tasked with invading Sicily. In this level you will get a feel for the gameplay and be introduced to the extremely intricate character that is Vito. Over the next 10-15 hours, you will take part in a story that rivals some of the best mob movies ever made. Vito's story is so compelling that you will find yourself looking forward to the next cutscene. Your friends in the game will really tear at your heartstrings at different moments and you will really feel for the characters.
So, the story is fantastic and hits a homerun, but for most, this isn't enough. Luckily, the gameplay isn't too bad. Shooting is and movement in the game is basically what you would find in any other game out there. If you have played other third person shooters then you will feel right at home with Mafia 2.
The sound is a homerun as well. The sound of the city and characters is extremely well done. Along with the sound, the graphics are top notch in some places. Occasionally you won't be wowed by the graphics but then you will see the city skyline and your jaw will drop. It's a mixed bag but one that is perfectly capable in a game of it's caliber.
The only drawback to the game is the open world. The open world is great, it just feels empty. There's nothing to do but go in some random shops and drive around. You will spend your time in between missions driving to the next story mission and nothing much else.
All in all, Mafia 2 is a great game you should check out if you like a great story in your video games.
Honest reviews on Mafia II
I am quite the fan of GTA style games. Not just the storyline but the way the game plays as far as controls etc. This game while somewhat predictable because of who made it, is exactly the kind of game I like. The graphics are fabulous. They have a somewhat dark feel to them without actually being "dark". The missions really fall into being predictable but again, fun. The camera controls are also predictable which is a good thing. I hated Alan Wake for the reason of the camera control being absolute crap, those in this game are what I am use to and gives you the ability to really look around and watch where you're going and what's going on around you.Edited to add that the soundtrack is simply amazing. I'm not old enough to remember music from that era so I forget that there were alot of good artists back then.
Editing a second time now that I have finished the game. Wow! The ending comes fast. I wasn't expecting it when it came. I had a feeling the mission I was on might be the final mission the way it was playing out but was still surprised. The fact that there is no free play after the final mission is bad. If you wanted to collect all the collectables in the game you'd better do it before you get sent to the Observatory. There were so many open ended things in this game that they could have expanded on but didn't.
Overall this was a fun game but not worth the $60 paid for it. This was shorter than most EP's/ports for GTA games. I've said that just to give you a reference to how short this game really is. There really is little replay value in this game. Play it once and you're done.
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