2k Games allows players to experience the heydays of the Italian Mafia with the recent release of Mafia II.
Walking to a mission in a tailored suit holding a tommy gun is a lot of fun.
Mafia II takes place between 1945 and 1951 places players in the shoes of Vito Scaletta, a World War II veteran and son of Sicilian immigrants as he enters world of the Italian Mafia in the fiction city of Empire Bay. The game plays like a third-person shooter, using a variety of 1950s guns and a snap-on cover system. The controls are tight and work well for the game and the guns, while inaccurate, feel like guns from that era should. It is incredibly fun to walk around the city dressed in a tailored suit robbing stores with a tommy gun.
Graphically, the main character models are incredibly well detailed. As the game plays out like a Mafia movie, expressions on character faces help pull the player into the world. Most characters have such vivid facial features it is almost like watching real actors on the screen. However, some model details, such as money or wallpaper are not as well done. To the point where it may distract players from the details that actually look good.
One thing that may turn potential players off is the fact that he game advertises itself as an open world games, but this is not entirely the truth. While the player can drive around the entirety of Empire City between missions, however there is almost no point to this other than to buy new clothes from a shop or upgrade your car at a mechanic. While the open city is a living entity in itself, driving from one end of the city to simply go to a shop at the other can get a bit annoying at times. Especially since there is no “auto-drive” option, which most open world games lately include.
Just because the police have Vito surrounded does not mean you can not shoot your way out. Or bribe your way out.
Overall, Mafia II is an incredibly fun third person shooter. The cover system and weapon-based combat work very well for the game. While some graphical details may not be up to par with most games of this generation, the main character facial features help to bring players into the interesting world. For anyone looking for a great third person game, this is a great choice.
