Mafia II Review - "Family" is Thicker Than Blood

Mafia II is the long-awaited sequel to Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. It comes from the same studio at the first but under the new moniker of 2k Czech and launched on PC, PS3 and XBOX 360 the week of August 24, 2010. Mafia II holds to many of the traits that made the first game such a memorable experience.Mafia II is about Character

As discussed in the Mafia II Preview - Made Men of Empire Bay article, you control the game's protagonist, Vito Scaletta, fresh out of World War II. Actually, you get to experience some of Vito's time in the war in-game. The scenes serve as an introduction to some combat and movement functions. Once home, Vito is greeted by his old friend Joe Barbaro, who quickly re-introduces him to the life of crime which began in their youth and led to Vito's arrest and enlistment into the war. Joe is a strong character and partners well with Vito throughout the game.

But, the real character of this game is the environment itself. A large part of the beginning of the game takes place in winter time and this is some of the best weather in a game ever. At night-time the street lights reflect off of the ice and snow-covered roadways cautioning you almost as much as the slipping of your tires on every acceleration and turn; warnings that your ride could get a little dicey. You will feel the weight of your car in all types of weather.

These details continue throughout the game. You will find yourself traversing a lot of the same routes throughout and finding new details each time. Some particularly well done areas to watch out for are the abandoned factory inhabited by the greasers and the Chinese restaurant. The texture work and lighting really get a nice showcase in the latter area. The music, both original and licensed sets the time and pacing of the game just right.A Story of Made Men

This game, like its predecessor, is about the story. All of the detail, character and wonderful period-authentic music are to the service and benefit of a strong narrative. You are going to experience and hear portions of stories that you may have heard before but perhaps from a different perspective. Part of The City of Lost Heaven's charm was the many moments where it paid tribute to some of the most memorable parts of the gangster genre and its history. And there are connections to the first game; one very strong connection in fact.

There is plenty of action throughout the game, but there are just as many sequences of story and dialog. Do not expect the free running and gunning of the GTA series. You can roam about the city when traveling to the mission area (except when on a time limit), but the pull of the story may be so strong that you simply continue on just to see what happens next. Some Mafia 2 reviews seem to want this to be GTA in the 40's. It is not that. What this game is, is a truly worth successor to the first which was well worth the wait. Mafia II definitely deserves a higher rating than the recent Kane & Lynch 2 Dog Days release has received.

Future DLC packs promise to open up the world in a more free-roaming and arcade style and I can't wait to experience more of the world Mafia II has built. Mafia II is available on console for $59.99 and PC for $49.99, the collector's edition which comes with some free DLC, a soundtrack, art book and collectible steel case is $20 more. You can find this game at all major in-store and on-line retailers.

Mafai II - 2k Czech

Mafia City of Lost Heaven - Wikipedia

Mafia II - Wikipedia