Mafia II
Preview
The Mob return to your PC as well as the next-gen consoles
by Spoondan
previewed on PC
An Offer We Can’t Refuse
Back in August of last year we were offered a 30 second trailer for 2K Game’s follow-up to its critically acclaimed action adventure shoot-em-up: Mafia. Right now, there is not much known about the follow-up apart from the fact that it will be called, imaginatively enough, Mafia II. That and the fact that Mafia will have a lot to live up to. From what we've seen, Mafia II is on the right track and a worthy sequel to the original. If you have the time, take a moment and check out the trailer for yourself at the Mafia II website. For the rest of you, sit tight and I’ll explain what we already know about this gangster game.
Just When You Thought You Were Out...
The game is set around the 1940s and 1950s, with various scenarios for each. We have seen one scene that begins in a restaurant where a group of 1940s Mafia men are enjoying a meal. One of the men, who is rather sinister-looking, smokes a cigarette and tells a story about how he doesn’t mind killing animals if it’s for a good cause (in this case he is referencing the beef he is gobbling down). He then turns to a younger man at the table, who appears to be the main character that the player will be controlling, and asks if he agrees and what his thoughts were on killing the “human animal”. With that said, the action picks up with a bunch of scenes of guns, car cases and general mobster activity.
One is the Loneliest Number
This is where the gamer steps in. From what we've gathered though, it looks like you will not be going about your dirty work alone. It appears as though you'll be partnered in crime by a heavyset guy. What this means for gameplay is not entirely clear but it looks as if there will be the need for backup on your missions and perhaps the need to work as a team on several missions. This could possibly work along the lines of any number of buddy-mission games such as Conflict: Denied Ops or Kane and Lynch: Dead Men. Anyone who has played the Grand Theft Auto series may remember a few outstanding missions that included the main character and another computer controlled one to work together and that, for me at least, was among the most memorable and entertaining missions in that games. Here’s to hoping that Mafia II will have a few such missions included.
These Diamonds are Fugazi
Make no mistake from my earlier comments; this game is not a GTA clone. The original had a very well thought-out storyline with scripted moments that were professionally done and from what we've seen of the game, it shows that there will be more of the same in Mafia II. The overall cinematic feel of the trailer really puts you into the role of the 1940s gangster, mostly due to the impressive graphics that we have seen. Players will easily become engaged in the game's cinematic Hollywood movie experience with strong, believable characters in a living, breathing city. The gunplay, white knuckle driving and an engaging narrative will certainly be worth a look. The visuals certainly set the scene for that 1940s-1950s experience.
Let’s be Honest
It is still early days in the development of this instalment of the Mafia series, so there is still plenty of time for Illusion Softworks to get things just right. From what we have seen so far, the game does appear impressive and to be heading in the right direction, but how the finished product turns out could be another story. But taking into account how the first Mafia game was a very solid experience, we can be nearly sure that improvements have been made at 2K studios and that when this game hits shelves later this year (hopefully), we’ll be in for an excellent thrill ride. Until then, stay tuned for more details.
