A-Z Backlog challenge: Mafia 2

With Mafia 3 being such a high profile release recently, it seemed like a good idea to finally play through it's predecessor to see how it holds up after 6 years. I was pleasantly surprised as I was expecting a low budget version of a GTA series type game.

In Mafia 2 you play the part of Vito Scallone. Most of the game is set in the fictional city of Liberty bay although you spend some time in Italy during World War 2 (which plays out as a kind of tutorial) and later in a prison outside of town when one of your crimes catches up on you.

I like that it not just all out excitement and a meteoric rise which seemingly glamourises the lifestyle. It feels more realistic with the early part of the game including mundane tasks such as selling stolen food ration stamps and even mid game you are taxed with selling a truckload of cigarette cartons bit by bit.

Later as you move up the ranks you will have rivalries with other families and other gangs which will become increasingly violent. Even then there are few times when the missions throw so many enemies at you that it feels over the top.

Although technically it is an open-world games it is a lot more mission based with not a lot to do outside of them. You can steal cars and rob stores but there is not a lot of incentive to do so. All you have to spend money on is clothes which are purely cosmetic, guns and ammo which are plentiful to be picked up in missions that require them, and engine tuning for your car which is not very expensive. I don't really see it as a downside as the story and missions are good and long enough to not require filler to pad out the game.

 I think the shooting in the game is very well done. The cover system works well and enemies use it more intelligently than in most games. They don't act completely predictably. Some will pop there head out every few seconds, others may be more cautious while others charge at you. When you have a number of enemies who could use by using a mixture of these tactics it can become tricky. There's a decent variety of guns such as pistols, revolvers, shotgun, smgs and rifles. All are useful at different although shotguns feel a bit OP, being useful at medium to long range when they should only be used at close range.

Some missions require a little less blood shed so you need to best adversaries using your fisticuff skills. The melee combat is not particularly good but not so bad as to annoy you. There are also some missions which require stealth and there is a stealth kill system.

Finally there are missions testing your driving skills. Driving is particularly unresponsive using mouse and keyboard. It's a little better using a controller but still not great. One thing that makes up for it is the radio playing classic songs from the 40s and 50s. It's also nice to see a number of different cars which look like cars from the period in real life. The damage model of the cars is also pretty cool with smashed windows, bumpers flying off or even engines completely giving up on you. Most environments are also destructible both when engaged in gunfights and chase scenes.

There's good variety in terms of locations such as warehouses, alleys, bars and hotels. It's nice to see the city change while you were in prison and there's also changes in day/night and weather although this is based on the mission you are doing not on a cycle.

 I think this is a game that most will enjoy . It's got a well told story, interesting characters with good voice acting and fun, varied missions. It's also a bargain at just $5.99 when on sale.

Release year: 2011
Rating: 85
Normal price: $29.99
Best sale price: $5.99