Most of my issues with Mafia II come down to this:
As a movie, it does a decent job of integrating various influences into one without making the beats feel stale. As a game, it gives those influences a little more time to shine than a movie would, but, more often than not, it fails to use its medium to deliver something that a movie could not.
This is not a criticism delivered at the feet of Mafia II so much as it is an indictment of almost every Open World crime game in the wake of Grand Theft Auto III, including Rockstar's very own. While comparisons to L.A. Noire are more apt in this case with the historical setting and uneasy mixture of linear and open world designs, it's undeniable where it gets many of its ideas for gameplay. Especially where structure is concerned, Mafia II is nearly as linear as a Rockstar game; it just lacks the unintentionally hilarious strictness. However, as with L.A. Noire, this is an especially relevant criticism, given that the subject matter opens itself up more to non-linearity. If an espionage-themed RPG could work, I fail to see why one centered around gangsters can't. Hell, a version of Cyberpunk 2077 that drops the cyberpunk setting in favor of 1930s Chicago would be fucking GOATed. Mafia III almost counts, and had its development been less troubled, I might consider it a worthy successor. Other than that, I guess Empire of Sin gets close, kind of?
Judging Mafia II on the merits of what it is and not what it could be, this is a pretty solid game all around! It's decently atmospheric with great period-appropriate music, its visuals have mostly (surprisingly) held up, vehicles feel fun to control, and outside of how tiresome cover shooting can get, combat is really fun! All the weapons pack a punch, but the revolver and shotgun steal the show here. Hands down, this probably has one of the best shotguns I've ever seen in a game. It is incredibly satisfying to wipe out waves with that thing. The one thing that I do sort of have to note is that the aim assist can sometimes be too lenient on a controller, to the point where the difficulty in some setpieces becomes absolutely trivial. But damn if it doesn't feel good in conjunction with that boomstick. When you aren't shooting at guys, the melee combat system is actually a blast to use. If I were to make a serious Grand Theft Auto comparison, I'd say that this has a more punchy, less janky fist-fighting system than any of those games. The melee system is put to use pretty brilliantly in a prison-themed chapter—which is also a good springboard to talk about something less positive. Some of the stuff in Mafia II is YIKES. Being truthful and unsentimental about history is a balancing act that, when done well, can bring a surprising amount of insight and revelation into a time period. If you want a fantastic example of this, Mafia III is one of the ballsiest fucking big-budget games ever made, and it will probably remain that way for at least another decade. Mafia II, on the other hand, struggles to teeter the line between showing intolerance for the sake of historical accuracy and uncomfortably indulging in it at times. Racial stereotypes stand out the most, but I'd argue that the women in this game's cast aren't spared, either. If there's a woman that's not a motherly figure to your main character or your sister, she's a sex worker. I would almost consider this critical of the lifestyle portrayed, pointing out its shallow nature without saying too much. But the game also lets you collect Playboy pin-ups with the intent of them being 'cool, vintage collectibles!' without a hint of irony or self-awareness, and I'm... conflicted. If the treatment of women in Mafia II is supposed to highlight criticisms of its male characters, it only ends up coming off as slipshod in execution. If nothing else, I can at least say that I'm glad that the team that remastered this was conscious of these mistakes, and put a disclaimer about it in their version of the game. If none of this bothers you, or you're able to appreciate a fine game while staying critical of its more scrupulous aspects, go have fun! But if any of what I've described puts you off, I don't blame you.
Other than that, though, I had a lot of fun with this! I've technically played through its first half more than once, but that gives me all the more reason to say that I still enjoyed what was here. Again, I wish it played to the strengths of the medium a little more, but whatever.
As a movie, it does a decent job of integrating various influences into one without making the beats feel stale. As a game, it gives those influences a little more time to shine than a movie would, but, more often than not, it fails to use its medium to deliver something that a movie could not.
This is not a criticism delivered at the feet of Mafia II so much as it is an indictment of almost every Open World crime game in the wake of Grand Theft Auto III, including Rockstar's very own. While comparisons to L.A. Noire are more apt in this case with the historical setting and uneasy mixture of linear and open world designs, it's undeniable where it gets many of its ideas for gameplay. Especially where structure is concerned, Mafia II is nearly as linear as a Rockstar game; it just lacks the unintentionally hilarious strictness. However, as with L.A. Noire, this is an especially relevant criticism, given that the subject matter opens itself up more to non-linearity. If an espionage-themed RPG could work, I fail to see why one centered around gangsters can't. Hell, a version of Cyberpunk 2077 that drops the cyberpunk setting in favor of 1930s Chicago would be fucking GOATed. Mafia III almost counts, and had its development been less troubled, I might consider it a worthy successor. Other than that, I guess Empire of Sin gets close, kind of?
Judging Mafia II on the merits of what it is and not what it could be, this is a pretty solid game all around! It's decently atmospheric with great period-appropriate music, its visuals have mostly (surprisingly) held up, vehicles feel fun to control, and outside of how tiresome cover shooting can get, combat is really fun! All the weapons pack a punch, but the revolver and shotgun steal the show here. Hands down, this probably has one of the best shotguns I've ever seen in a game. It is incredibly satisfying to wipe out waves with that thing. The one thing that I do sort of have to note is that the aim assist can sometimes be too lenient on a controller, to the point where the difficulty in some setpieces becomes absolutely trivial. But damn if it doesn't feel good in conjunction with that boomstick. When you aren't shooting at guys, the melee combat system is actually a blast to use. If I were to make a serious Grand Theft Auto comparison, I'd say that this has a more punchy, less janky fist-fighting system than any of those games. The melee system is put to use pretty brilliantly in a prison-themed chapter—which is also a good springboard to talk about something less positive. Some of the stuff in Mafia II is YIKES. Being truthful and unsentimental about history is a balancing act that, when done well, can bring a surprising amount of insight and revelation into a time period. If you want a fantastic example of this, Mafia III is one of the ballsiest fucking big-budget games ever made, and it will probably remain that way for at least another decade. Mafia II, on the other hand, struggles to teeter the line between showing intolerance for the sake of historical accuracy and uncomfortably indulging in it at times. Racial stereotypes stand out the most, but I'd argue that the women in this game's cast aren't spared, either. If there's a woman that's not a motherly figure to your main character or your sister, she's a sex worker. I would almost consider this critical of the lifestyle portrayed, pointing out its shallow nature without saying too much. But the game also lets you collect Playboy pin-ups with the intent of them being 'cool, vintage collectibles!' without a hint of irony or self-awareness, and I'm... conflicted. If the treatment of women in Mafia II is supposed to highlight criticisms of its male characters, it only ends up coming off as slipshod in execution. If nothing else, I can at least say that I'm glad that the team that remastered this was conscious of these mistakes, and put a disclaimer about it in their version of the game. If none of this bothers you, or you're able to appreciate a fine game while staying critical of its more scrupulous aspects, go have fun! But if any of what I've described puts you off, I don't blame you.
Other than that, though, I had a lot of fun with this! I've technically played through its first half more than once, but that gives me all the more reason to say that I still enjoyed what was here. Again, I wish it played to the strengths of the medium a little more, but whatever.
Reviewed on Feb 13, 2023