GDC 2010: Mafia II
- March 10, 2010 14:07 PM PST
Released on the PC in 2002, Mafia garnered almost unanimous high praise from game critics, with many citing the realistic nature of the world and spot-on production as high points of the game. Unfortunately for console gamers, the PS2 and Xbox versions suffered from numerous bugs and glitches, and didn't provide the same level of polish that the PC version presented. Fortunately, developer 2K Czech is already on the right track to deliver an equally impressive sequel not only on the PC, but on the Xbox 360 and PS3 as well with Mafia II.
Mafia II begins with leading man Vito Scaletta returning to his hometown of Empire Bay from World War II in 1945, reconnecting with his family and checking in on a few friends who've become embroiled in Empire Bay's underground crime ring. Here 2K producer Denby Grace rattled off the usual numbers: Empire Bay is twice the size of the city of Lost Heaven from the first game; the city features 20 distinct neighborhoods; the city itself could be mapped realistically over 10 square miles. That said, once we took control of the game ourselves it was immediately apparent that 2K Czech has built a real living, breathing city, a sprawling metropolis that was almost intimidating in its size. More importantly, Empire Bay looks and feels closer to a real American city than the many real-world environments found in games that have already been released. After a short section of gameplay debuting the cover system (which the development team is vocal about being inspired by Gears of War and Uncharted 2), we were given the opportunity to get some hands-on time with the game.
At the start of the hands-on portion of the Mafia II demo Vito is called on by his friend Joe to help in moving some stolen cigarettes, but things go south fast. A rival gang shows up, claiming that Joe and Vito are selling the stolen cigarettes on their turf. Joe shoots and kills one of the leaders, and then the two chase one of the remaining members through a large section of Empire Bay's highway system. Cops attempt to pull you over if you go over the speed limit, and unlike games like GTA it's much harder to shake them. We had quite a stash of cash on us so we pulled over and bribed the cops. Unfortunately we lost the rival gang member, so we regrouped with Joe's friend Eddie and a few of his cohorts to shoot up a building owned by the rival gang. Here the game showed off its impressive destruction mechanics; as we unloaded our Tommy Guns on the building it fell to pieces, and throwing a few Molotov cocktails in for good measure sent it ablaze.
One thing we noticed during our hands-on time was that unlike Mafia the cars move along at a speedier clip. It makes sense, as the game is set roughly 20 years after the original, and the faster cars make it easier to get from one place to another in the sprawling city. Though the cars handle more realistically and slower than in other open-world games, it gives the opportunity to see some of the more detailed locales and neighborhoods 2K Czech has created in Empire Bay.
The original Mafia gave players an opportunity to live the life of a gangster, and its sequel looks set to provide an even better crime experience for would-be mobsters. Gamers can look forward to exploring the WWII-era world when Mafia II releases in the fall 2010 on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
