• Mafia II (PC)

    Mafia II (PC)

    Roydon Cerejo, Sep 04, 2010 1000 hrs IST

    The game's got superb graphics, gameplay mechanics and a solid story, but it ends too abruptly

    Good graphics, cover system works well, scalable engine, engaging story, authentic 1940-50s atmosphere, missions are tense and action-packed

    Story mode is short and incomplete, turning on APEX Physics hampers performance badly

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One of the most anticipated games of 2010 is finally here. We were simply thrilled to have the sequel to one of the most impressionable games that simply wouldn't leave your memory if you've ever played it. Mafia wasn't like any other game at that time and even today, in its new avatar, retains that exclusivity and charm we fell in love with many years ago.

Mafia II opens up a new chapter in this crime drama set in the 1940-50s, ten years after the events of the first game. The set for Mafia II is Empire Bay, a bustling multicultural city that's home to three major Italian mobs. As a war veteran you come to Empire Bay during one of the coldest winters the city has ever faced. The game starts in the 1940s and the cars and clothing reflect this very well. This continues for the first few chapters in the game and then there is a gap of seven years where your protagonist, Vito Scaletta returns to Empire Bay and it's now the 50's after a short stint in the slammer. This gives the game a bit of variety and keeps things fresh.



Vito is relieved of his duty, thanks to your best friend Joe Barbaro who calls in some favors as he currently works with the Clemente family, one of the three mafia gangs in Empire Bay. In typical Hollywood fashion, Vito learns that his mother and sister are stuck with his father's debt and the only way to come up with that kind of money is to join the mob. Thanks to your buddy Joe you are quickly accepted into the Clemente family where you start-off with small time jobs like stealing cars, etc.

As you progress in the game you are finally accepted in the family and become a 'Made Man' which means you're no longer a freelance thug but a part of the mafia family. The story has some interesting missions like planning an assassination of the head of one of the families, breaking into a bank while remaining undetected, going all guns blazing in Chinatown as you fight your way to eliminate the head of the Chinese mafia (which was my favorite mission) etc.



The missions aren't too complicated and thanks to the cover system you can easily finish them off quickly. That's the first bit of criticism I have for this game. Although the mission may seem big, most of it is just driving to get to some place and then driving back home where you save your game. This is fine initially but after a while it gets a bit mundane. As a side quest there are Wanted posters and Playboy magazine's to collect. The Wanted posters are a bit tricky to find but many of the Playboy magazines can be found in the palaces you visit during a mission. So once you're done with a mission don't just drive away, take some time and explore the place a little, you'll be rewarded well for your effort.    


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Tag keywords
Mafia II PC games 2K Games Empire Bay Vito Scaletta Joe Barbaro



Discussion Board
(9) Comments
aaron
,thiruvalla, on Dec 03, 2010 09:05 PM
ive got this game, its good yeahh good graphics ... why didnt they rewived the battlefield bad company 2 yet??
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pradeep
,kanpur(u.p.)india, on Nov 15, 2010 03:52 PM
my name is pradeep
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shagy
,ahmedabad, on Sep 18, 2010 03:34 PM
Its good
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xylosx
,New Delhi, on Sep 05, 2010 09:05 PM
Played through Mafia 2... One of the best games of 2010!! Engaging storyline, great atmosphere, level of detail, cover system. As far as the PC is concerned, this is Game of the Year for me. Starcraft 2 loses out due to Activision/Blizzard's greed. And BTW, this game proves that PC gaming isn't dying!! Try playing this game on a Xbox or PS3 and see how shitty the graphics/level of detail/frame rate there is.
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rattle
,chennai, on Sep 10, 2010 07:10 PM
one of the best games? maybe..GOTY? no. Mass effect 2 n starcraft 2 are serious contenders. let's face it- missions just similar to gta 4 with few changes but yes it was better optimized for pc than gta 4. also despite being an open world game there aint much to do after the story. actually there's no free roam. the 360 n ps3 have fps locked at 30/60. if u have a dx11 card maybe u l have better graphics.
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Kiran
,Bangalore, on Sep 04, 2010 08:43 PM
Doesnt this game feature the Free Ride n Free Ride Xtreme like the 1st one did?
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ganesh
,Chennai, on Sep 04, 2010 07:25 PM
good job that u reviewed an Game exclusively for PC which is also ported to consoles. Pc isn't dying in spite of piracy. Live long Pc gaming.
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Kushal
,Pune, on Sep 04, 2010 06:55 PM
funny my PC's config. is exactly the same as above..!!
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evil_sars
,India, on Sep 04, 2010 02:26 PM
"turning on APEX Physics hampers performance badly " I dont think so. I had it on high all the time and i was getting decent 40+ fps all the time with a mid level card.
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