Early Mafia 2 Impressions and HD Gameplay Videos

By on August 11, 2010

The (future) Mafia series has always has the unfortunate comparison of the Godfather games. Or the Grand Theft Auto games. Take your pick. And most of the comparison is well deserved. The games take the tried and true open world slash story mission formula and run with it. The games don’t do anything revolutionary because if it ain’t work, don’t fix it.

Mafia 2 comes out in a couple weeks and we got a look at an early build. So far, the game doesn’t do anything you haven’t seen before. It focuses on the story of Vito (not Corleone) as he rises ranks in an Empire City crime family. The game is very linear and pushes you along a path. You can do some roaming and have some fun but it’s very clear that you have to follow along with the story.

The game has a really great sense of atmosphere. The 1950s are rendered wonderfully with great music and art styles and even an old time Playboy magazine collection. Yes, there is digital nudity of the Playboy ilk. And no, that’s not the only M rated material, the game drops F bombs like they are going out of style.

We tried out a story mission and it felt pretty standard. Running after guys, ducking behind cover and shooting. The new physics engine really shows off well here with semi-destructible environments and nice fire effects. The AI is a little slow but it could be honed for release. Of course, it could be by design, making you the badass gangster we all dream to be. The only truly annoying thing about the story mission was how much the NPCs told me to do. Vito do this. Vito do that. Vito cover me. Vito push the button. The guy runs into an elevator, stands there and tells me to push the button. What a lazy ass.

All in all, the game is shaping up nicely and should be a nice play once it releases. Again, it’s nothing more than a well made game by a good developer. It’s not a huge splash in the pond but it is a lot of good things done right. Check out a couple HD gameplay videos below and if you are ready to preorder this game, head over to Das Cheap for the lowest prices on the net.

About David Scarpitta

I am a critical guy, and love to review and give my professional opinion on just about anything. Though have a love for tech/gaming and music alongside the cinema. You can catch me consulting and developing the net any day of the week.