This writer was given the opportunity sit down with Mafia II at an event here in NYC and quite simply, it is shaping up to be a fantastic game. 2K Czech is doing its best to cram every classic gangster film archetype into one highly polished, story-driven, mission-based game. Mafia II is a very promising title, and one you should definitely keep your eyes on.
Mafia II will inevitably be compared to Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV, and while the two games share many of the same gameplay elements, they are very different beasts in execution. Mafia II's focus on story, detail, and authenticity put it on a different level entirely compared to GTA.
Aside from being a graphical powerhouse, the attention to detail in Mafia II is astounding. The vehicles (while not authentic) are all designed after classic cars from the 40s and 50s, and the licensed music only adds to that detail. Outfits, ads and signs, interior design, hell even the streets and buildings have a very distinct, "oldies" feel to it.
Combat in Mafia II stands apart from GTA as well. Melee combat, for example, is more challenging and less button-mashy than the punch-outs of Grand Theft Auto. Shooting in Mafia II also carries much more weight compared to GTA. Protagonist Vito Scaletta can't take too many bullets before kicking the bucket,(shocking, I know), so sharp shooting and taking cover are heavily emphasized. This in turn makes the shooting feel more precise and refined than GTA's.
The only issue I have with Mafia II is cosmetic: the characters faces are under-exaggerated. The models look great, there's no doubt about it, but facial expressions are lacking, and characters look like doll/dummies mumbling as they talk. Maybe it's trivial, but it rubbed me the wrong way.
Gameplay-wise, the only real "flaw" I can think of is the game's linearity. There is clearly a great amount of detail that has been poured into the game, from the classic-looking cars and environments to the vintage Playboy magazines scattered throughout the city. Mafia II is obviously being designed to be as realistic and faithful to its time as possible: however, it is also obviously not an open-world sandbox game, despite taking place in a sandbox environment. Sure, some side-missions have been mentioned in an interview or two, but what is the extent of the optional content? What else will Mafia II offer it's players aside from the - substantial and awesome - story? We'll just have to wait and see.
Mafia II is scheduled for release on August 24, 2010. If you're not quite sure whether or not Mafia II is your kind of game, a demo will be made available in a few weeks (August 10th, to be precise). Download the demo and judge for yourself.
NY Console Games Examiner articles ©2010 by Gabriel Zamora; reposts permitted with link back to original article. All other rights reserved.
Comments
The character is called Vito Scaletta, not Scarletta.
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