Mafia II (Review)

Mafia II is the belated sequel to 2K Czech's classic gangster romp Mafia. Released in 2010, it follows the tale of Vito Scaletta, a man of Sicilian decent who moved to the fictional Empire Bay (a stylish, heavily influenced American city) at a young age with his family to escape a life of poverty. They prove unsuccessful, and as Vito ages he becomes acquainted with Joe Barbaro, his future best friend and partner in crime. After a failed robbery, only Vito is caught and he is forced to either go to prison, or join the US Army and aid them in their fight in World War II.

Picking the latter, he serves time fighting in Sicily, before having to return to the States after receiving a gun wound. To his surprise, he is discharged from the services as a result of his pal Joe's Mafia connections. From this point begins Vito's tale as he becomes entwined with the shady criminal underworld of Empire Bay. Controlling Vito through fourteen chapters, you drive, shoot and run your way through missions. The gameplay is the typical fare of a sandbox third-person shooter, and due to the fact that it doesn't really break out of that mould, a lot gamers will label it as yet another GTA clone. But get into the meat of the game and you'll find that it doesn't really matter- for the majority of missions, it's exciting, fast-paced and very enjoyable. The driving mechanics are very polished, making every chase scene and even just standard cruising exciting. Cars are varied, with plenty of different types to keep things fresh, and the garages located around Empire Bay provide the tools to redesign, repaint and upgrade any vehicle of your choice. Despite the fact the the shooting system looks visually dated and horribly cluttered, it works well and the weapons are satisfying, with a wide array of pistols, shotguns, machine guns and explosives at your disposal.

One fantastic thing which improves these aspects is a story element which divides the chapters. Without spoiling anything, a certain event progresses the story from the mid-1940s to the early 1950s, and the way this major period change affects just about everything you've experienced so far is brilliant. You'll notice the city is brighter than before. The pedestrians are wearing bright shirts and sharp suits, long since abandoning their dull trench coats of the last decade. The cars have evolved, beckoning in faster, more stream-lined vehicles. Weapons are faster and more damaging than ever before. Your buddy Joe now wears a hilarious bright red Hawaiian shirt. Okay, perhaps the latter isn't such a ground-breaking change, but the fact that the game world evolves and develops after a number of chapters adds even more character to Empire Bay. It makes you wonder why more games don't do it- similar things may have been done before, but never to an extent where it changes and expands everything you've experienced so far.

Empire Bay is a mash-up of classic American cities and imagery.

The story which I touched on lightly at the beginning is very interesting. Whilst you'll find that some characters are forgettable, there are some very memorable characters who you'll grow to love. Joe Barbaro, the over-sized best buddy of our protagonist adds the comic relief to the otherwise gritty and violent story of a young man trying to ascend the steep ladders of the Mafia, with explosive consequences, touching on betrayal, revenge, loss and so much more. It feels just how you would expect a gangster tale in this era would- it's clear the writers at 2K Czech have been watching their fair share of classic Mafia gangster films. Vito himself is a tough as nails star of the title, but manages to avoid the generic land mines which many games this generation manage to steer their characters into so frequently. Mafia II is a typical gangster romp, but despite that, the cast is genuinely funny, interesting and some are memorable. Vito is an excellent protagonist who narrates the opening of each chapter (accompanied by a stylish cutscene, each with superb visuals), guiding the story along. Chapters get longer and longer the more you progress through the game, eventually spiralling to explosive heights, with a few top notch twists chucked in for good measure.

Mafia II does have a few issues- shooting, for the most part. There's a few dud missions too, and some glitches, but the most harrowing issue is the lack of anything to do in the city. Despite being a sandbox game,  you never really get a chance to free-roam. Whilst the story is interesting enough by itself, it would have been great to have some extra side missions with branching story lines, as well as races and the like to stir things up a little. Empire Bay is a gorgeous looking city- but what good is that when there's nothing to do? It works perfect as a backdrop for the riveting campaign, but giving players a few extra things to do in order to break up story missions and lengthen your play time wouldn't have gone amiss.

Nothing like a good ol' car chase - especially in Mafia II.

Overall, Mafia II is a refreshing action-adventure game that will be enjoyable for fans of the genre. It never really does anything the genre hasn't seen before, but instead uses the best of the best and embellishes it with a fine character of its own. In most areas of the game, it's a very polished product. The story is clearly the shining star of the game, with heaps of creativity oozing out from every corner, just like the city and cast. It's just a shame 2K Czech couldn't have provided us with a few more things to do during our stay in Empire Bay.

8/10