Every now and then, Bad Moon Rising re-enters my head and I have a flashback to Lincoln Clay cruising through the rural roads around New Bordeaux. The aesthetic of this game is incredible. Despite quitting early, moments like these stuck in my head. The story was promising too, and the gang set-up with 3 underbosses was a good idea.

Unfortunately, Mafia III goes hard away from the open world of its predecessor (I haven’t played II). Where the pacing and structure of Mafia: Definitive Edition overrode my apathy towards it, pulling me through the game, the severe repetition of III drove me away. When I was in the empty parts of the world, I loved it. When a mission was more handcrafted, I enjoyed it well enough. But its just such a slog of an open world.

I would love a version of Mafia III that actually told me Lincoln Clay’s story, that leaned in to the vibe of driving through sad streets to the sound of contemporary rock. But this game wants you to check off a lot of lists.