


The cash for cars deal seemed nice on the surface, but Vito's finances tend to be directly determined by the plot, so the only real function of that extra money was to attempt to get me absorbed into the world of a game that doesn't care about anything besides its main story.īut, like I said, that story is quite appealing, especially to people like me - a guy with dozens of films pertaining to the mafia or crime in general at his disposal. Collectibles are for completionists and the only thing Mafia II made me want to complete was its main story to see where Vito's choices took him. It's always fun to drive around cities in games like this and the music was a nice change of pace over the typical video game fare, but overall, those activities just feel pointless. And, uh, you can drive around while listening to three or so radio stations and the collection of 40s and 50s tunes they'll play. You can steal cars to deliver to a pair of locations for additional cash that can be used on fancy clothes and more weaponry. You can scour every nook and cranny of the city of Empire Bay to find a bunch of collectibles, such as Playboy Magazine centerfolds and wanted posters. Other than playing through one chapter after another, your options are amazingly limited. In this game, you have the main plot and very little else. While, on the surface, Mafia II superficially resembles a Grand Theft Auto clone, that isn't exactly the case and players looking for that sort of thing will likely feel a bit let down. Vito's induction into the world of organized crime and the decisions that leads him to make essentially composes the entire game. Spanning 15 chapters, you'll get to experience the dizzying highs of criminal life, while also enduring minor bumps in the road such as your house getting burned down by vengeful thugs or having what might just be an entire city's worth of criminals out for your head. Telling the story of Vito Scaletta as he transforms from a juvenile delinquent to a soldier in the mob, this 2010 2K Games game tells an engaging tale that'll hit the right notes for fans of mafia films. Mafia II is essentially a one-note game, but that note is good enough to at least make it worth playing.

"A pretty good movie stuck in a very linear game."
