Reviews// Mafia II

Despite every character being stolen from various different gangster movies, you find yourself falling in love with them all. Vito himself is somewhat shallow, but the way his actions affect the people around him makes you interested as to where his story is heading. This game isn't about Vito, it's about the people he meets.

However, it's the combat system where Mafia II really shines. Every gun seems powerful and is fun to use. Enemies aren't bullet sponges with one carefully-aimed shot taking out your unlucky opponents. You never feel as though you are fighting against a never ending band of idiots and when you are battling alongside gang members you really do feel the part. Characters bark orders to each other, fling themselves behind cover and peak around corners without prompt and the shootout seems natural and very un-game-like. Backed up by a basic but expanding fist fighting system, killing someone doesn't get much better than this.

Driving around Empire Bay is fun too. Cars are responsive and you'll never find yourself skidding completely out of control into a stray policeman walking the streets. You have to think about your driving a lot more in this than you do in, say, GTA. The feds are a lot more jumped-up in this world and even breaking the speed limit will make you a wanted man.

Once your car is wanted by the police, it will stay this way until you change the plates or steal another vehicle. Thankfully losing the cops is far easier than it is in Liberty City so you don't get bogged down in meaningless car-chases during missions, despite constantly feeling like the old bill would love nothing more than to see you behind bars.

With all that in mind, it really is the setting here that makes the game. Lets face it, we've all wanted a decent mob game ever since we saw Joe Pesci sink a pen into someone's neck. This game pays homage to every blinkered thought we've ever had about the mafia. It's an exciting experience to find out that the boss of whoever you're working for at the time seems to like you and there is no cooler way to spend your gaming hours that walking into a bar and sitting down with a bunch of guys who are planning a hit.

You can always see the next step up for Vito and that is what counts. The mafia has always been known for it's elitism and you really feel as though you are climbing to the top here. The guys you fear at the start soon become the people you look down on, and completely forget as you undertake much larger jobs.

The music fits in perfectly too. Not only with the subject matter but also with the setting around you. Dean Martin's 'Let It Snow' sends shivers down your spine as you drive down the icy streets, on your way to a victims home. Some songs do grate though, if someone tells me to 'Straighten up and fly right' one more time, I'll go mental, but I'm sure this is more down to personal taste than anything else.

Conclusion

So, we're back to my original question. I've made some pretty flattering points in this review but I have to ask myself; Was I making the most of an average game, or does it more than make up for its faults in other areas? The only way to come to a conclusion is to tell you how I personally received the game. If you fail to give yourself to the setting, characters and direction it goes in, all that is left are the glaring mistakes made by the developers and artists. You'll shake your head at some design choices and laugh ironically at every bumbling line delivered by each two dimensional character. I went the other route. I got lost in the atmosphere of Empire Bay, wrapped up in the characters relationship and as a result fully enjoyed the game from start to finish. There wasn't a moment I would have cut out or that I thought was over-played.

I gave myself to this game and found that it gave me even more back.

SPOnG Score: 82%