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Mafia 2

Mafia 2

The life as a brand new gangster in 2K Czech's sequel is hard - something that an euphoric editor has learned when he in the role of a well-dressed small time criminal has tried to turn himself into a fully fledged mafioso...

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I've had a dream about a game, about fancy 50's suits and the life as a gangster during the Rat Pack-era. That game is here now. The expectations were high and Mafia II manages to live up to them, offering a journey through beautiful vistas, filled with beautiful ladies and shining handguns. Welcome to Empire Bay.

Mafia II has left a hole in my soul, cut out with a razor sharp stiletto, in the shape of a trenchcoat. I miss it already and the longing for a sequel is already overwhelming. I miss Vito, Joe and Henry. 2K Czech didn't kid around when they said that they had worked hard at creating human, believable characters that the player could relate to. Mafia II is the most cinematic action game I've ever played and worth every penny. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Mafia 2

Vito is tired of war, death and destruction after two years of fighting against Mussolini's troops, but he needs money. Quickly. Soon he finds himself on the criminal path, again, and before he knows it he's made more money in three months than his late father did in a lifetime. Then the house of cards starts to fall apart. Loyalties are tested, friendships are torn apart and Vito gets to experience the darker sides of the life as a gangster. The hunt for happiness and success becomes a violent affair, without the cozy humor from the first game. 2K Czech paints the picture of a sunny and swinging 1950's, with a darkness behind the facade so black that even Riddick himself would take a step back.

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It would be easy to dismiss Mafia II as a linear Grand Theft Auto-clone without any real substance. In theory, a 13 hour short adventure without multiplayer wouldn't stand a chance against Rockstar's celebrated gangster epic. Mafia II could have been a shrug, lacking any worth except for the visually impressive and perfectly designed American city in the 50's. But here's so much more than that.

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Mafia II starts slowly, carefully. A bar brawl here, a car theft there. Structurally, 2K Czech has made a wise decision to focus the story much more than Rockstar does. Every cutscene is like a reward, the directing great and dramatically it's probably only the cutscenes from Uncharted 2: Amongst Thieves that even stand a chance against the ones in Mafia II. The voice acting is great and the dialogue is masterfully written and delivered in a way that might make Scorsese himself green of envy.

It's hard, exciting and challenging. Mafia II has the best controls ever in a sandbox game, including games like GTA IV, Just Cause 2 and Red Dead Redemption. You don't need a honeymoon period before you're able to navigate Vito through the game's firefights. The car physics are just as well made, even if you have to set it to "simulation" in the options to be able to fully experience their brilliance.

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The missions in Mafia II is of course similar to those in the first game, as well as those in all the Grand Theft Auto-games. Sure, we don't get the skydiving from The Ballad of Gay Tony or the bank heist from Grand Theft Auto IV. But instead we get a more laid back, exciting and believable story about friendships and loyalty, something that suits Mafia II all much better.

Mafia 2

Everything is wrapped in incredibly beautiful graphics that convey the sense of hopefulness that swept across the US after the end of the war. To cruise down Brewer Street in a stolen cab, listening to Dean Martin on the radio, is a wonderful experience only trumped by the time I shoot my way through a Chinese restaurant filled with Triad-gangsters to find out which of my fellow gangsters works as a FBI-informant on the side.

The characters are really well made too. Tons of polygons, nicely animated with fantastic clothes and lit up by a lighting system that will make most action games on PC cover in shame. When the sun stands in zenith and the neighbourhood of Little Italy (where Vito lives during the first half of the game) bathes in the summer sun the game is so pretty that I almost start to cry. The atmosphere is amazing and the illusion of moving through an old city is complete.

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It should be noted that the game does have some texture issues that pulls attention away from what would otherwise have been a perfect graphics grade. They don't have as high resolution as those in the PC-version of Grand Theft Auto IV and in some places they start to flicker. Otherwise the PC-version of Mafia II is incredibly polished with a silky smooth framerate and functionality.

If I wanted to I could punish Mafia II for a couple of weak points. Yes, it's too short and yes, it doesn't come with much replay value and finally yes, sometimes the transportation times get a bit too long. At the same time it has some incredible storytelling, it's exciting, fascinating, varied, addictive, incredibly beautiful and almost unbelievably atmospheric. If you own a fast gaming computer this is the late summer's must buy.

09 Gamereactor UK
9 / 10
+
Almost unbelievably atmospheric, incredible graphics, well-written story, great game mechanics, varied
-
Too short, no multiplayer mode
overall score
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REVIEW. Written by Petter Hegevall (Gamereactor Sweden)

The life as a brand new gangster in 2K Czech's sequel is hard - something that an euphoric editor has learned when trying to turn himself into a fully fledged mafioso...



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