Mafia II

As a long-time fan of the original Mafia game, which I have played through numerous times, I had high expectations for the long-awaited sequel. I'd like to start off by saying I wasn't disappointed.

Graphically, Mafia 2 can boast some of the finest the Xbox 360 has seen to date. The new city, Empire Bay, is very atmospheric and bustling with life, as a fairly wide range of civilians window shop, commute and interact with one another. There are points in the game where you simply have to sit back and admire the level of detail that the developers have achieved, particularly the landscape views of the city. The cars accurately reflect the wear-and-tear that the player has made them endure, with the paintwork scratching, headlights smashing and windows cracking. Barring the odd graphical glitch, the game is a visual treat, with a wide range of textures which are never drab. The transition between the 40s and 50s is also very satisfying, as the cars, costumes and feel of the town dramatically change.

It is worth noting that the soundtrack to the game is fantastic - the music is varied and has a large catalogue of classic hits, and it is refreshing to hear voice acting pulled off how it should be; there are rarely cheesy moments in the dialogue and it is, more often than not, very humourous - particularly the exchanges between Vito and Joe.

A lot of reviews I have read particularly focussed on and criticised the fighting system. I personally didn't find too much wrong with it, barring the fact that it seems essential to stay in cover at all times otherwise you'll be backtracking to the last checkpoint, some of which can be incredibly frustratingly far back. You do get a feel for the weaponry almost instantaneously though, and the game has some of the nicest physics you can find, bits of wall breaking off and obstacles literally being destroyed in front of you. As for hand-to-hand combat, I was quite disappointed to see a lack of melee weapons after the popularity of the baseball bat in the first game. Vito seems to prefer using the same combinations and animations over and over again, which are fine once or twice, but do get repetitive very quickly.

However, one of my major gripes with the game is the linearity of it. At times you do feel as if you're on a set path to accomplish goals, while you can see the city around you just waiting to be explored. I know this is the same model as the first game, but with the influx of free-roaming sandbox games you would have expected a little more freedom. When you do break off from the main storyline, which is not often, it is usually just to return to your home and sleep, which can get very repetitive. It also seems as if the developers had an obsession with phones, as everytime Vito tries to sleep he is awoken by a phonecall telling him he needs to be in a certain place with a car and a weapon. Not that this is a particularly big issue, but it would be nice to see the formula mixed up from time to time.

Overally, Mafia 2 is a brilliant homage to the gangster genre, with an excellent soundtrack and graphics. However, it does seem to lack a certain something that the first game had, and I can't help but feel a bit disappointed that after a ten and a half hour playthrough there is virtually nothing to do other than replay chapters or find collectibles which seems essentially pointless. The first game had excellent free ride and free ride extreme modes, and I was quite saddened to see that they haven't made a re-appearance. I would definitely recommend this game, but don't expect the world as you will be slightly disappointed. If you're after a game that can keep you engaged for a period of time, this is the game for you, but once it's over, that's pretty much it I'm afraid. The real reason most players should purchase this game is the storyline, which is highly impressive. With a fair amount of unexpected twists, references to very popular Hollywood gangster films and characters who are both believable and with whom you can relate to, it is one of the best and most polished scripts I can recall seeing in a video game for a long time.

I'd give it 8/10, but if only the developers had made more available to do it would definitely be a 9 or even a 10. Still, with the crazy modern world of downloadable content, who knows?!

Like the original Mafia this game is more suited to a mature audience, not a 14-year old with an attention span of 5 seconds. The car handling is better than most racing games (with simulation physics), the gunplay and cover system is fantastic (again better than most shooters), music is great (no hip-hop, just the good classics :P). The game is rather realistic so your character can't take too many bullets, another feature reviewers rated as a flaw.

Some reviews claimed this game has unskippable cutscenes, which is untrue. You need to press start to skip cutscenes.

This is not really an sandbox game like some have mistakenly believed, it's an action adventure which takes place in an open world. This means there isn't that much to do outside of story missions, but the game still clocks in at a reasonable 10 hours. Everything good has to come to an end, but at least in this game you don't need to go bowling every 10 minutes.

Ok, firstly lets look at the positives -

1) Graphics: graphically this game is fantastic and is definitely up there with some of the high end graphic games that have graced our beloved consoles. It boasts excellent character detail and well thought out environments which really immerse you as a citizen of Empire Bay.

2) Story line: Mafia 2 provides the player with a truly engrossing plot and story line which introduces many interesting scenarios and characters. One of the most telling factors of a good game story line is its ability to make you feel connected to the main character. Such a factor is certainly present with Mafia 2 and you really feel a bond to the main character, Vito Scaletta.

Ok... that's it for the positves...yes there are only 2! Lets go into the things that make this game a disappointment:

1) Length - It's a shocker! Although Mafia 2 provides an engrossing story line I expected a little more story for my money. I completed the game on medium (recommended) difficulty in 10 hours.

2) Lack of side missions and no free roaming - this game is totally story line heavy and has no facility for side missions. Unlike say Red Dead or GTA where there are many many activities to take part in if you don't feel like carrying on with the story. Such a factor can leave you satisfied with hours upon hours of gameplay and a real immersion into the gaming world. Mafia 2 simply fails to do that. Which is very odd - after all, like GTA and RDR it is a game set in a world with an AI populace that can walk, drive, shop and interact with your character freely. The fact that you are not able to free roam feels like you've been cheated out of a potentially great game.

3) Monetary value - One minor qualm that I have with Mafia 2 and a few other games recently is the sheer lack of point in earning money. There are very few outlets for you to spend your hard earned dollars in the city. You can purchase new weapons, upgrade/paint your car, buy a new outfit or buy a coke but none of it feels fulfilling, and is, on the whole rather cheap. I should be straining to earn mountains of cash so I can afford new houses and cars and gold plated tommy guns! There is simply no value in earning money as it has little value in the game, which, for a genre that echoes the sentiment 'get rich quick or die trying' is truly baffling.

4) "Play-back-ability" - The first 2 faults I have mentioned here are hugely disappointing. The linear nature of this game, with it being based solely around the story line with little or nothing else to do with your time and absolutely no quarter for free roaming means that I am unlikely to pick this game up and play it again in the near future if ever. I fail to see what going through the same, very memorable story line, with no chance of deviation or change to plot will accomplish and as such my copy is resigned to the pile of games marked 'trade-in for something better'.

All in all Mafia 2 is an acceptable absentee on your game shelf rather than a must buy. Which, for me is a real shame. I've been eagerly anticipating this game since the day I completed its predecessor and I feel nothing but disappointed. It could have and should have been so much more.

I genuinely thought it was impossible to go wrong with this genre because the possibilities are truly endless. As much as I hate to say it, 2K Games and their offering of Mafia 2 have proven me wrong...If I had the choice to buy it again i'd save my £40 for Halo Reach in a couple of weeks...