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Mafia II

Slidell

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Slidell Brigadier Grade 2

Slidell

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April 27, 2009 - When the game Mafia is mentioned in the IGN offices it receives one of three reactions: adulation, disgust or a quizzical look. The adulation comes from the few who played Mafia when it was first released on PC and remember it as a brilliant open-world action saga with some incredible moments. The disgust comes from those who played the console port, which was a bug-riddled mess that should never have been released. As for the quizzical looks, those are most prominent, because most don't know a thing about the original game.

 

It's a tall task for 2K Games to drum up excitement for a sequel to a seven-year-old game being developed more for console audiences than its PC fanbase. If our brief demo of Mafia II is any indication, console gamers shouldn't be worried and fans of actions games should be excited. Oh yeah, PC fans can be excited too, it is, after all, coming out for your personal computing pleasure.

http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/976/976670/mafia-ii-20090427080341065-000.jpgYou can't see it from a screenshot, but that glass shatters realistically.

The original Mafia focused on the classic bootlegging days of the mob in the '30s. Mafia II is set in the '40s and '50s and follows Vito, an up-and-coming wiseguy who's in it to help his family. That puts him at odds, sometimes, with his partner and good buddy Joe who does it all for the love of fame. One just wants to get the job done, the other wants to do it with a bang. Rather than follow the day-to-day events of a mobster's life, Mafia II focuses on the key moments--the big days--in Vito's life, so you'll be skipping forward in time quite a bit, exploring his rise from flunkie to made man.

 

The mission demoed, "Room Service," sees Vito, Joe and youngster Martin ordered to take out a mob boss, Clemente. Doing so won't be easy. This fat cat is at the top of the Empire Arms high rise and you'll need to find a way in. Leaving Martin to watch the car, Vito and Joe make their way inside. Just as in the original Mafia, there's more than one way to skin a fat cat. And one option, which was shown to us, was to secure disguises and pose as janitors. This makes the ascension to the top of the building much easier.

 

While it would seem reasonable to kick in a door and shoot the target in the face, Joe has other ideas. He wants to make shockwaves. You plant a bomb under a table and make your way towards the roof, where you'll access a window washer's platform to set the detonator and blow the bomb. The only catch is that there are guards on the roof.

Again, you can take this more than one way. But while you could use stealth and patience, that doesn't make for much excitement. Instead, our intrepid anti-hero decides to kill the goons. This leads to an all-out firefight on the rooftop and showcases some of the action elements of Mafia II. This is a third-person shooter and it looks pretty much like what has become the norm for these types of games. There's a cover system, regenerative health and plenty of swear-filled quips from every character on screen. That's not to say it isn't exciting, but until we get our hands on Mafia II, it's hard to say that it's going to be that different of an experience from other recent action titles.

 

Once you clear the roof and get to your position, things aren't over. You still have to blow Clemente up and escape. Of course, this isn't any tiny little bomb that blows up a table. The explosions takes out half the floor of the hotel in a glorious fireball. One that somehow doesn't kill your intended target (he was taking a crap). It also wrecks your easy way out, forcing you and Joe to go back inside and fight your way out. Here's where things get a tad more interesting. Pretty much everything in the environment can be shot to hell. And we don't just mean little chips in the wall. Take cover behind a bar and the bullets flying over your head will be shattering expensive bottles of champagne behind you. One of the rooms had some fancy glass paneling which chipped and shattered realistically. There is no co-op (or multiplayer of any kind), but at least Joe's AI is solid. He can hold his own in a fight and there are scripted moments throughout that you'll catch out of the corner of your eye. Like when you're shooting some bodyguards and Joe grabs a dude and throws him out the window.

 

Even after shooting your way to the parking garage, things aren't over. Clemente is on the run and you have to chase him down. Follow him and get close enough for Joe to pop out the window with a Tommy gun and shoot out the tires and then shoot out Clemente's face.

http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/976/976670/mafia-ii-20090427080311316-000.jpgNothing to see here. Just two guys washin' windows and blowing up buildings.

Though the demo didn't have us sweating the cops, they are a major factor in Mafia II. While the wanted system wasn't fully on display (and the open world city was not explored in the demo), we did get some idea of who things will work. The AI is programmed to respond appropriately based on the illegal activity. Run a red light and the cop will put on his lights and try and ticket you. But he's not going to go to the ends of the Earth to catch you and switching cars or even turning down the right alleyway is enough to make him give up. Blow up part of a building and the cops are going to be calling in for backup and pursuing for an extended period. Fortunately, there are no police choppers in this era, so it may be a bit easier to escape pursuit than in GTA IV.

 

What we saw of Mafia II was just a small taste. However, 2K Czech (formerly Illusion Softworks, the developers of the original game) promise that everything people loved about Mafia on PC is part of the fabric of the sequel. That's why there is no dynamic weather or day/night cycle. 2K Czech wants to create a specific atmosphere for each moment, just as with the original, and for that they need to control the time of day and weather so as to create the proper mood.

http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/976/976670/mafia-ii-20090427080303472-000.jpgThey're rolling down the street, but are not smoking endo or sippin' on gin and juice.

What should be interesting is seeing how the city changes over the course of a decade. It's not unusual to see the main character in a story-driven game change through major events, but rarely do we see games set in large cities evolve over the span of ten or more years. And the change from a city celebrating the end of World War II to one that is seeing "the birth of the cool" in the '50s is pretty significant.

 

Mafia II is set for release this fall on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. And whether you were a fan of the PC original or one of the many who played the epic fail console version, Mafia II is definitely worth keeping an eye on.

 

 

 

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/957837/mafia-2/videos/mafia2_e32009_52809.html

 

 

Damn,those pics wont center screw it.

 

May 26, 2009 - As part its second fiscal quarter earnings report today, Take-Two announced it is delaying Mafia II until 2010. The games were originally expected to ship later this year. Take-Two said the games need a little more time on the burner in order to maximize their potential.

 

 

June 4, 2009 - Sad news: Mafia II isn't coming until early 2010. Good news: It's looking like it will be worth the wait.

 

2K Czech's mobster epic covers ten years in the life of would be Goodfella Vito. The E3 demo is set a few hours into the game, when Vito is earning his way into the organization. It's February 1945 in Empire City. The world is at war and the city is blanketed in snow. War propaganda is plastered on the side of every building and Empire's citizens have had to make sacrifices for the good fight. Empire City is a large open world full of life.

 

The mission is to kill the Fat Man. No, not Santa Claus. The Fat Man owns a distillery on mob turf, but has refused to give kick backs. And you know what happens to folks who don't pay protection money to the mob. Your job is to send the Fat Man a message (with a bullet to his brain). Assisting you are Henry and Joe. Henry's the made man and leader of this small troupe, with Joe as the upper-and-comer with dreams of money and fame.

 

The gang has set up an ambush for the Fat Man in a window overlooking the distillery. Vito mans the mounted gun and Henry and Joe have their own Tommy guns for additional firepower. When the Fat Man's entourage pulls up, Vito fires. The machinegun is incredibly powerful, laying down the Fat Man's hired guns in seconds. It tears through the Fat Man's car, blowing it to hell. The Fat Man escapes, though, running into the distillery.

 

What ensues is a lengthy chase sequence through the distillery. There's nothing here that we haven't seen before. Mafia II utilizes a very familiar cover system and battles are mostly stop-and-pop affairs. The combat looks cool, but it's not particularly original. What stands out are the numerous cut-scenes, which pop up throughout the mission. The story elements are strong and the presentation is certainly Mafia II's big selling point.

 

Visually, Mafia II has taken a step up from the previous build we saw. The frame rate still dips at times, but is more consistent than before and there are some nice visual effects (like when the Fat Man sets the distillery ablaze).

 

Eventually Vito and crew track down the Fat Man. Henry steps to him and shoves his gun in the Fat Man's mouth. A shot is fired, but the Fat Man is still alive. He holds a small pistol in his hand. Henry crumples to the ground as Vito and Joe step up to the Fat Man and take him down.

 

Henry needs a medic quickly. He'll die if he doesn't get to a doctor soon. You help Henry out of the distillery, fighting more enemies along the way and avoiding the rubble of the burning building. Once outside, you need to drive quickly to the "family" doctor. Since the E3 demo lacks a HUD, it's unclear if there will be a timer on screen. But regardless, you can't waste too much time getting Henry to a doctor. This is made more difficult by the icy roads and cops giving chase.

 

Just as the trio appear to be escaping, they run into a roadblock. Trapped on a bridge by the cops, it appears Vito has nowhere to go but jail or the grave. And where he goes must remain a mystery for now, because that's where the demo ends.

 

Mafia II looks like a worthwhile sequel. Hopefully the extra development time allows 2K Czech to lock down the framerate and add some fun things to do in the sandbox world.

Edited by GMOF Slidell♥
  • 2 weeks later...

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