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Mafia II Hands-On Preview for Xbox 360

Mafia II Hands-On Preview for Xbox 360

Moving up in the Family

April 5, 2010 – The original game in the Mafia series was actually a somewhat underappreciated title. Granted, the console versions weren’t amazing, but the PC version, when played on a suitable rig, was actually quite good. In its time it was written off as a Grand Theft Auto 3 wannabe, but 2002’s Mafia delivered fairly well on the relatively brand-new genre of sandbox action games.

Mafia II screenshot

Nearly eight years later, the gaming world is readying itself to finally get a sequel that 2K is putting their full weight behind. In both the real world and the game world, time has moved forward quite a bit and everyone has had to adapt to new conditions.

The last game was something of an homage to the early era of the 1930s, and it’s aesthetic and culture was clearly defined by the movies, which makes perfect sense considering the team in the Czech Republic would most likely have been influenced most by American films. This same influence is obviously apparent in the sequel. This time, however, we’re in the 1950s and 1960s, in much the same world as Godfather 2, Goodfellas, and Casino.

The influence of these kinds of films can’t be understated. Everything from the cinematography of the cutscenes to the exaggerated accents drips with the invisible sway of Martin Scorsese.

This game, however, seems to be much more cliché-driven. Our entire demo of the game seemed to be essentially a long battle against the “greasers”. In the beginning, the main character is sent to go help a friend sell a truckload of cigarettes, stolen or legal, we’re not really told. It’s not long, though, before the greasers show up and demand that we leave their turf and stop taking away from their business. After a moment of disagreement, the greasers toss a molotov cocktail into the bed of the truck, incinerating the cigarettes and of course, ruining the car.

It seemed a bit over-the-top, but hey, they’re the bad guys. If they were rational, they’d be on our side, right? This event, of course, leads to retribution, and since we’re the guys on the scene, it’s our job to take revenge and teach those no-good greasers a lesson.

After meeting up with some of the other members of our gang, we drive over to their headquarters to teach them a lesson. We stop off to riddle one of their businesses with bullet holes, and then it was time to whack about two dozen of their guys. Maybe it seems an unjust solution, but this is street justice. There’ll be no cushy three-square-meals-a-day penitentiaries for these criminals. We’ve got a reputation to maintain.

Mafia II screenshot

Mafia II does a pretty good job of putting you in the setting and into the mood of the characters with which you’re controlling and interacting. Our demo was only fifteen minutes long and we were already quite drawn in by the convincing landscape. Not everything is where it should be quite yet, though. There were some really strange lines of dialogue that popped up occasionally.

For instance, when we were sneaking into the enemy headquarters, one of the fringe characters on our side grabbed an enemy (in a cutscene) and killed him while shouting, “follow the ****** yellow brick road!” Wait, what? Did we miss something? We’re the first to admit that we’ve killed likely hundreds of thousands of digital bad-guys, but never once have we shouted quotes from the Wizard of Oz while doing so.

We were similarly unsure of how to feel about the combat and gunplay. On the one hand, the mechanics are pretty loose, and shooting is definitely much more difficult and less accurate than most gamers are used to. However, it was actually a little bit refreshing. Every indication leads us to believe that shooting people in real life is actually kind of tough (though we promise we’ve never tried it before), and many games with pinpoint accuracy seem somewhat disingenuous by comparison.

Mafia II screenshot

So, while it may not make for the most satisfying gameplay, here’s hoping that this wasn’t just a mistake, if only to keep Mafia II from blending into the herd of sandbox action games like its predecessor.

Between the original PC version and the console ports, the original Mafia sold over two million copies. It was a smash hit, though it was probably not all that surprising to 2K given the immense popularity of its subject matter. The real question is whether or not the sequel will interest gamers enough to have the same kind of popularity in an already extremely overpopulated 2010 release schedule.

Game Features:

  • Gangster-Movie Experience: Through strong, authentic characterization and compelling narrative, the mature storyline will make you understand the pull and impossible escape of life in the Mob.
  • Empire City’s Lush Authenticity Breathes Life into the Golden Era of Gangland America: Discover the beautiful and breathtaking world of Empire City and explore a dense and vast landscape filled with skyscrapers, landmarks, and residences that reflect the style of America’s most recognizable cities.
  • Action-Packed Gameplay: Take part in heart-stopping car-to-car gunfights, white-knuckled hand-to-hand combat, and scintillating gunplay, all of which come to life through the magic of next-generation technology.


  • Reintroducing the Family

    July 3, 2009 – Although 2002’s Mafia flew directly under the radar, it was greatly praised for its sandbox-style of gameplay and dedication to period aesthetics. Although the first title may have gone largely unnoticed by the general public, it has still gotten the sequel treatment. Mafia II is a game that is all about telling a story, and we recently got to see a live demo of a key sequence early on in the game.

    Mafia II screenshot

    Mafia II is set up like most gangster movies, with the main character, Vito, coming from a poor immigrant family and wanting to escape his squalid past. He has just returned home from fighting in the Second World War, and since he has become accustomed to killing, the mob scoops him right up to join their ranks.

    The game’s format will be a lot similar to other sandbox-style games, and you will have to run around to various mob bosses and perform missions for them. The mission we saw demoed involved an overweight hoodlum known as “The Fat Man” who was running an illegal distillery on mob turf without paying his protection money. Vito and the gang are called in to dispose of the guy, but as is often the case, the job is not as simple as shooting someone from a nearby window.

    The action sequences in Mafia II are all handled through a third-person system, and the shooting mechanic works very similarly to that seen in GTA IV. Taking down enemies is fairly easy, but finding cover is also very important to make sure Vito stays alive. In the demo, the Fat Man ran into his distillery, and we watched as Vito shot his way through tens of enemies who were tasked with protecting the Fat Man.

    Mafia II screenshot

    However, once our man and his two associates caught up with the Fat Man, it was game over for him. But in true mob style, before the lights went out, the Fat Man had one parting shot for one of our companions, and he ended up shooting him right in the leg. The mission then evolves beyond killing the Fat Man, as now we must get our associate to a special gang-related doctor.

    This is where the presentation ended. There were a lot of things that stood out about the game, but I have to say that I was most impressed with the game’s period aesthetics. The portion of the game we were watching took place in the years following World War II, and everything from the car models to the design of the architecture exuded the post-war era. As Vito’s story progresses, we will also see the world of Mafia II evolve and change, and it was clear that great pains were taken to ensure that this game’s look represented the historical setting.

    Mafia II screenshot

    The gunplay also looked very solid, and the 2K representative executing the demo showed off how easy it was to take out enemies with basic shooting skills. There was also a decent cover system that allowed Vito to hide behind crates as well as other small objects. The one thing noticeably missing from the gameplay demo was an in-game HUD identifying enemies, but we were told that the game was not far enough in development for a real HUD to be displayed.

    From what we saw, Mafia II is coming along quite nicely, and the engaging narrative looks like it will definitely be the centerpiece of the title. However, the open-world level design as well as historically accurate setting will really add to the deep immersion value of Mafia II. Though the game looks promising at this stage, unfortunately there is no firm release yet, and we won’t expect this one to drop until at least next year.

    Game Features:

  • Immersive Gangster Experience: Through strong, authentic characterization, compelling narrative and stunning presentation, the mature storyline will make players understand the pull and impossible escape of life in the Mafia
  • Action-Packed Gameplay: Take part in heart-stopping car-to-car chases, visceral hand-to-hand combat and intense gunplay, all of which come together to form a deep and engrossing gameplay experience Illusion Engine™: 2K Czech’s proprietary Illusion Engine, allows gamers to explore Empire Bay’s 10 square miles while transitioning from beautifully rendered outdoor environments to intricately designed interiors seamlessly without the need for loading times
  • Authentic Portrayal of Mid-20th Century America: Experience an epic story set across two decades where the clothing, cars and advertising are meticulously created to replicate the feel of a 㣌s and 㣖s American city; as players progress through the eras the city and its elements will change to reflect the time period.
  • Soundtrack Reflects the Mood of the Era: Players will be immersed in the Golden Era of America as Mafia II features tracks from some of the era’s most influential artists

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