Mafia 2 time period full#
Mafia 2 time period ps2#

Playing on Hard can be frustratingly difficult in later missions, but creative solutions are required to surmount the increase in challenge (like stopping a garage door by jamming a car beneath it), and therefore add to the feel of realism and freshness.ĭo note that this game will require a lot of driving.

If you’re looking for a more run-and-gun experience, you can always set the difficulty to Easy, but I would highly recommend playing this game on the hardest difficulty because it’s a pretty easy ride to begin with. The cover system is easy enough to use and get used to, but the reliance on cover both for the player and for enemies does dissolve almost every armed conflict into a stop-and-pop shootout which gets a bit old. In terms of mechanics, Mafia II plays well but not perfectly. My particular stance is that while the length of the game feels appropriate, the finale hardly offers the resolution you are yearning for throughout the entire game, and is basically just a big flashing neon sign that shamelessly shouts, 'Buy Mafia 3.'

Mafia 2 time period full#

My one grievance with Mafia II‘s story, and it’s a big one, is the ending, which will likely garner a dive bar full of contradicting feelings. The characters are well acted and believable and the ebb and flow of conflict, resolution, surprise, and climax are artfully weaved into an emotionally charged and comfortably familiar struggle. I’ll sidestep any specific details in favor of preserving the freshness of the narrative, but it’s a damn good time. Similarities and direct nods to famous Mafioso media entries abound, though more closely align with 'GoodFellas' than anything else. Players jump in the shoes of Vito Scaletta, motivated by love for his family and his best friend Joe Barbaro, his fluctuating moral convictions, and every gangster’s dream of being 'somebody' in America. Suffice it to say that story is Don in Mafia II, from the few segments that take place outside the city, Empire Bay, to the very apparent lack of incentive to do anything else besides story missions throughout. It pushes the envelope of how developers can think about atmosphere and immersion, served up with a heaping helping of booze, babes, wise guys, and of course calzones. While this poses an obvious risk as an affront to the freedom and player-driven creativity of the open-world genre, I believe the return more than compensates for the sacrifices. Simply put, everything in Mafia II is about the story it tells.

Mafia 2 time period ps2#

Mafia 2, 2K Czech’s long-awaited sequel to the cinematic, story-driven, PS2 mob drama, Mafia, rethinks open-world games, likely to the frustration of gamers looking for Grand Theft Auto 4 meets The Godfather. Games that defy the expectations of a genre shouldn’t be applauded just because they contradict preconceived notions, but they should be applauded if they do it well.