Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)When the first Mafia title was released way back in 2002, it was somewhat lazily described as "GTA set in the twenties". While I'm a big fan of GTA's particular brand of gaming, Mafia was another brand entirely. To be fair, the description was partly accurate, as the game does present a sandbox-style world to explore, but Mafia was much less cartoonish than its over-the-top counterpart. Not only that, the game told a gripping, realistic story with a deadly serious tone. A story that still ranks among some of the best writing we've seen yet for a video game, a ranking that stands more than eight years after its release.
Now, with the release of Mafia II, the bar has been raised a notch higher, but it's not without its considerable faults. First of all, let's start with the bad. Many were initially excited to note that Daniel Vavra, who wrote the original game, returned to write the sequel. Unfortunately, however, the new player character of Vito Scaletta is nowhere near as complex or sympathetic as Tommy Angelo from the first title. Tommy was a conflicted character that only fell into the gangster lifestyle because he found he was good at it and it beat driving a taxi for a living.
In Mafia II, you're something of a loser who seems blissfully unaware throughout the game that he's not a very good gangster. Vito is, in fact, really only good at killing people. But even in the mob world that can only get you so far. I did like the character's matter-of-fact "I don't care what I have to do so long as it makes me money" personality, but the game doesn't cast you as a Tony Soprano type, you're more of a Matt Bevilaqua type (the wanna-be gangster who tried to kill Christopher).
So, unfortunately, you don't rise through the ranks and eventually buy one of those sweet mansions in the hills. Instead, your career flatlines and eventually collapses. Which is realistic, I guess, but not the most entertaining character to play. The ending is really quite abrupt, too. For all the focus the developers placed on the storyline, the end product feels somewhat rushed.
Not only that, the story isn't quite as original, either, it's layered with tropes and cliches as if the entire script was cobbled together from a half-dozen mob films. Still, the game sells the story well, and the voice acting is top gear. The cutscenes themselves are rendered so masterfully that, after awhile, you care less about the flaws in the story and more about discovering what'll happen to Vito next. There's also a killer mission near the end of the game that fans of the original will absolutely love.
Most of the criticism you might have read already about Mafia II from professional reviewers is quite true, even if they are much too hard on the game. Many have derided the lack of side missions and mini-games, claiming the sandbox world isn't particularly worth exploring because there isn't much to do anyway. It's true that the game could've benefited from something along those lines. Frankly, I found most of the side missions in GTA to be pointless busy work. Still, I admit I'd take pointless busy work over nothing at all anyday. And there's no question it would be extremely cool to play a game of pool at Freddy's between missions.
The lack of extra material is softened by the free "Betrayal of Jimmy" DLC for PS3 owners. It's just a series of simple arcade-style missions, but that's the same sort of side missions we see from other sandbox games like GTA or RDR. Even without the DLC, the much complained about linearity of the game didn't bother me at all, because I respect a game that's devoted entirely to weaving a compelling narrative.
On that note, I might add that there truly is quite a bit to do in Empire Bay. You can eat at the diner (which also refills your health), have a drink at the bar, fill up your car at the service station, buy new outfits, buy some new weaponry or ammo, and - best of all - pimp out your ride. The player can change the color, add new wheels and rims, and enhance the engine for better performance. Because of the way certain missions are scripted, you may have to abandon your precious creation from time to time. Not to worry, as long as you've placed it in the garage at least once, it'll return to your garage for the next mission. Also, you can rob stores for a little extra cash. You'll need to do this often, because of the way the game is scripted you're constantly having your fortune taken away from you.
One thing every critic agrees upon is that the game world is absolutely beautiful. No effort was spared in created a living, breathing metropolis of the forties and fifties. Towering skyscrapers, impressive municipal buildings, classic fifties diners, period-themed billboards, homes nestled in the mountains - the attention to detail is truly impressive. There's a sequence at the very beginning where you're being driven down a hill with huge skyscrapers in the background and a light snowfall all around - quite simply, it looks amazing. Gallons of digital ink have been spilled recently over the fact that the PS3 version is the technically "inferior" version as far as graphics are concerned, but you'd never know it playing the game.
Also, everyone agrees that the licensed music tracks (of which there are over 120) are absolutely killer. The game has songs ranging from Bing Crosby to Chuck Berry and even includes cuts from the original game as well. The songs are spread throughout three radio stations, interspersed from time to time with the occasional newscast and advertisement. Many times I've stopped my car just before a mission checkpoint so a song I like could finish (two of my favorites are the cleverly written "Held for Questioning" by Rusty Draper, and "You Can Have Her" by Roy Hamilton).
The original score is serviceable, though the soundtrack disc included in the Collector's Edition is a bit disappointing. There are nearly fifty tracks, but all of the cues are only 1-2 minutes in length, so none of them have any room to grow. A better video game soundtrack example would be the "Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty" disc, which includes the epic title track spanning over seven minutes along with other more expansive songs.
Speaking of which, the Collector's Edition is still worth the extra expense, with the included art book being the true outstanding collectible for fans. Interestingly, there are a few screenshots in the book of a scrapped main menu design which I loved ten times more than the final version. I always love a steelbook case, as well, I wish every Blu-Ray came in those. The "Made Man" pack is a nice bonus as well, it gives Vito a tux, a fancy suit replete with sunglasses, and two sweet sports cars. Rounding out the set is a very nice fold-out map of the game world. A more casual fan will be more than happy with the standard version, however, as it includes the always useful map as well.
Back to the game, while the core gaming experience is solid and a great deal of fun, there are other slight complaints: the game is a bit too short (most complete it in only 10-12 hours), the checkpoint system can occasionally be frustrating, most don't like dying in every single high speed crash (true to life, but not much fun), and most think the police are simply too easy to escape from. Especially with minor infractions, the easiest method is to simply stop until the officer exits his car, and then floor it. He'll never get back in his car in enough time to pursue.
Still, there's so much more the developers nailed. There is a mission selection screen for completed missions, the gun combat is well-realized, and while the melee combat is very simple it's still a blast. Plus, there are in-game collectibles to be found, including over 150 wanted posters and 50 Playboy centerfolds. Strangely enough, some critics even whined about that. The Destructoid reviewer said he felt no incentive to collect the centerfolds because he was an "adult" and he had "seen a nude woman before". Yeah, okay, wouldn't you like that guy to plan your bachelor party?
There are other little bonuses that unlock as you play the game. For instance, the game includes the "Carcyclopedia" like the original did and there's more production artwork that unlocks as you complete the game. There's even status screens to display which wanted posters and Playboy centerfolds you've collected so far. Most welcome is a GTA-esque statistic screen, which has the typical fare one expects from this sort of thing (your playtime, how many miles you've driven, how many bullets you've fired, etc).
Despite its faults, I offer a sincere recommendation to check Mafia II out. Of course, the best advice is to simply try out the free demo for yourself. That'll sell more copies of this game than any review will. You can see for yourself how rich the game world looks, try out the gun combat on at least four different weapons, and drive around a section of the city. You can even test out the melee combat by picking a fight with a random stranger.
UPDATE 8/30 - Apparently, thus far, Mafia II isn't meeting US sales expectations. It seems that, judging from the myriad of reviews I've read over the past week, the major flaw that's scaring away gamers is that, for a sandbox-style game, it doesn't allow much freedom at all. You cannot save whenever you want, you cannot continue playing after the final mission, and the only way you can do whatever you want is to simply ignore the current objective. There's really no motivation to accumulate money because the storyline is constantly taking it away from you, and you can't save whatever you earn anyway.
I appreciate that they wanted gamers to focus on their storyline, but it just seems a bit counterproductive to limit the...Read more›
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Product Description:
Mafia IIis a third-person, sandbox shooter that provides a look into the darkand unforgiving world of the Mob. Expanding on the original hit, Mafia,that captivated more than 2 million gamers around the world, thisnew incarnation takes players even deeper into the Mafia with a matureand exciting experience that allows players to explore the gameworldas they wish and immerses them in it like never before. Features includea complete gangster movie experience, a wide variety of combat--includingvehicular--a mood setting soundtrack and much more. This collector's edition contains a variety of additional items. See the complete list of its contents below. Story
Born the son of a poor immigrant, Vito is a beaten down Italian American who is trying to secure his piece of the American Dream. Looking to escape the life of poverty that consumed his childhood, Vito is soon swayed by the lure of power and wealth that a life of Organized Crime can bring. A petty criminal his whole life, Vito, along with his childhood friend, Joe, will descend into the world of organized crime. Together, they will work to prove themselves to the Mob as they try to make their names on the streets of a cold and unforgiving city.
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