Review: Mafia II

Hollywood has always glamorized the gangster lifestyle. Hot women, fast cars, and dirty money. Throw in some gratuitous violence and the storylines are virtually endless. The model would make for a great videogame don’t you think? 2K Czech is releasing the follow-up to its 2002 hit Mafia. All the signature (and cliche) trademarks are here. The game is filled with loose women, paid hits, family favours, and zoot suits. Yet Mafia II seems to lack something…

The Story

Mafia II follows the story of Sicilian immigrant Vito Scaletta. Even though the game starts out with Vito as a toddler, you actually won’t get to play him until much later in life when he’s enlisted in the army and smack dab in the middle of World War II. Yes, an interesting way to start a gangster-style game. Eventually Vito returns home to find his mother and sister on the hook with a loan shark. Vito decides to save his family and find the cash to clear their debt. If only he could find a way to make cash quickly… you know where this is going.

The Gameplay

Mafia II is similar to many sandbox titles currently on the market. You are handed task after task which you must complete. If you want to progress in the story mode, you must finish the mission you have been handed. Unlike other open-ended titles, Mafia II does not allow the player to bypass certain missions which is a huge disappointment. The city, some 10 square kilometres of it is rather large and appears to be bustling with life. Too bad you don’t really get to interact with much of it.

There are certain shops you can visit and interact with the folks inside. Clothing stores allow you to dress Vito up so he fits in with “the family.” Being chased by the police? Simply drive to a mechanic and have your plates changed or repaint your vehicle. There is also a gun store which you can visit to upgrade your arsenal. Other than that, you’ll be focusing strictly on the tasks assigned to you.

The thought of sticking to one main story may sound dull and boring, but the game is actually quite entertaining. You’ll be so busy burying bodies and visiting brothels you’ll forget about just how linear the game really is.

Transportation plays a major part of the game since the city of Empire Bay is so large. Although you are handed your first few rides, it will be up to you to steal other vehicles to ensure you get to where you need to be. You can either pick the locks to quietly steal a vehicle, or simply smash the window and take off like a bat out of hell. The choice is yours. Familiar songs of the ’30s and ’40s will play on the radio as you go about your business. You are offered a handful of radio stations, but most sound very similar to one another. Many of the songs are licensed classics making your frequent jaunts about town that much more enjoyable.

For those who like side missions, you do have the option of scouring the city for wanted posters and Playboy centerfolds. Finding all of them will net you achievement points and trophies as well as put a smile on the face of prepubescent gamers. The Playboy posters show actual nude women which means the kids should not be in the room with you as you play this. Then again you’ll come to that conclusion long before you see your first nudie pic as every third word in this game is an f-bomb. Mafia II wears its mature theme proudly on its sleeve.

The Graphics

Mafia II is a beautiful game appearance-wise. The skin textures are amazing and the characters are very lifelike. The environments of Empire Bay looks just as nice as the characters. Buildings, vehicles and pedestrians are all given a high level of detail, even if you can’t interact with your surroundings as much as you’d like.

Voice acting is top notch, which is important in a game like this. The characters are believable which gives some nice realism to the overall story. Unfortunately the words don’t always match up with the lips 100% of the time, but it’s by no means horrible.

The Downsides

With such a large city, you want to be able to go out, explore, and interact with it. No such luck. Although it sure looks pretty, Empire Bay is mostly a facade, there to be looked at and not touched. That in turn makes the game very linear. You can’t stray off course on your missions or you will fail to progress through the game.

The game also has very strange pacing. It starts off quite slow forcing you to watch long cinematics which introduce your character. Eventually the action begins and you start having some real fun. Memorable highlights include a rowdy trip to the brothel and shuttling two drunk buddies who sing at the top of their lungs in the back of your car as you haul an overly-decomposed body to dispose of in a park. Then moments later you’re forced to watch an unbearably slow paced dialogue play out on screen. Just when the game starts to gain momentum, the action always seems to get cut short.

Although this is a small note, it’s worth mentioning. Police AI? Not the best. You can run a red light in front of a police officer, they will not pursue you. You can smash into a vehicle next to a police cruiser, they will not follow you. Heck, I found you could even at times run over a person next to a police cruiser and they will not follow you. But speed behind a cop car and look out! They will slow right down, wait for you to pass and go after your ass. Weird.

The Bottom Line

Although the game has many minor flaws, surprisingly the overall experience is still quite enjoyable. Sure the pacing seems off, it’s quite linear and the police AI may be out to lunch, but the bottom line is the game is still fun. The voice acting and entertaining story carry this game through making it an overall enjoyable experience. While I’m not convinced many will play through the game a second time (even if it is littered with hidden Playboy centerfolds), Mafia II is an enjoyable ride. Even if it’s only a one time deal.

The Good

Beautiful graphics
Great voice acting
Enjoyable storyline

The Bad

Strange pacing
Very linear
Poor police AI