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Mafia II - first details!

Egg Shen

Member
This looks great...what are the differences between this series and the GTA series??
IIRC from when I played it, Mafia concentrated a lot more on the story and wasn't as much of a sandbox experience that GTA is. You couldn't just go out and start a cop rampage, raid speakeasies, or steal cars and store them in your garage at will, for example. It wasn't about getting to the top, just about one guy trying to make it in the Mob.

It also had that damn race car mission. If you think the race missions in GTA suck, try Mafia's without the patch.

EDIT: Still had a lot of fun with the first game, though. I loved the whole 1930's vibe that they had going with it, the story was very good, and on the PC end, you've got mods. The sequel looks incredible, but 2009?!
 

i was liek wtf

Neo Member
first game was so full of win, xcept the racing mission. all the extras etc were very fun to play. also i can easily see the benefit of geow like cover system in this game. would definitely work better than just crouching.
 

isamu

OMFG HOLY MOTHER OF MARY IN HEAVEN I CANT BELIEVE IT WTF WHERE ARE MY SEDATIVES AAAAHHH
Should I play the first Mafia? I only want to play it if it has a quick save/quick load feature. Does it have one?
 

Kobold

half-wit retard monkey's ass
isamu said:
Should I play the first Mafia? I only want to play it if it has a quick save/quick load feature. Does it have one?
Only if you want to? It's a great game!

But would be rather dated by today's standards. I'm sure you don't really need to play it to follow the story.
 

Laeth

Neo Member
Wow, Mafia 2 is looking great! The first one is one of my favourite games; so this is a must have *nods*. I really hope the story is of the same calibre as the first.
 
Endless said:
mafia223.jpg
Oh man! Featuring Kris Kristofferson!?

Anyway this is the game that'll get me to upgrade my PC.
isamu said:
Should I play the first Mafia? I only want to play it if it has a quick save/quick load feature. Does it have one?
Drop what you're doing and start playing it now.
 
Jason's Ultimatum said:
As long as the game isn't as big and annoying as GTA4's world, then I'm happy. Is it a bit more linear?
The first one was much more mission focused than GTA, you have the whole world there at all times but you're always doing a story mission. You could however pick a Freeride option to play around in the world with stuff you unlocked in the main game.
 

830920

Member
Jason's Ultimatum said:
As long as the game isn't as big and annoying as GTA4's world, then I'm happy. Is it a bit more linear?

First game is basically all linear, the open world serves an entirely different purpose than GTA's.
 
Danne-Danger said:
The first one was much more mission focused than GTA, you have the whole world there at all times but you're always doing a story mission. You could however pick a Freeride option to play around in the world with stuff you unlocked in the main game.

Ugh. I might pass on the game, but since the game seems to focus more on missions and story, then I may reconsider. I just can't sandbox games after playing GTA4. With such a huge city and a lot of detail on every corner, you feel like you have to explore every bit.
 

Ghost

Chili Con Carnage!
Red Blaster said:
Mafia II has a pretty good shot of being a better game than GTA IV. At least there wont be as many scripted chase missions.


...in Mafia? yeah i think there might be.
 
isamu said:
Should I play the first Mafia? I only want to play it if it has a quick save/quick load feature. Does it have one?

Since no one responded to the second part of your question, the answer is no. Despite that, the game has a fairly competent checkpoint system and I would highly recommend giving the game a spin. It's definitely one of my personal favorites. It's also extremely cheap. I picked up my copy for 10 dollars around a year ago.
 

Xater

Member
Jason's Ultimatum said:
Ugh. I might pass on the game, but since the game seems to focus more on missions and story, then I may reconsider. I just can't sandbox games after playing GTA4. With such a huge city and a lot of detail on every corner, you feel like you have to explore every bit.


Do you have OCD?
 

Egg Shen

Member
isamu said:
Should I play the first Mafia? I only want to play it if it has a quick save/quick load feature. Does it have one?

Awesome game, well worth. I'd recommend the PC version (it still has a dedicated modding community out there), but you can find it for the PS2 and the Xbox as well. I think you can save in between missions, but not during them, though, and it's a lot more about shooting and firefights than it is about racing and chases...not that it's a bad thing.

Jason's Ultimatum said:
I just can't sandbox games after playing GTA4. With such a huge city and a lot of detail on every corner, you feel like you have to explore every bit.
Lost Heaven is pretty much window dressing for the main story missions, or for if you want to just drive around in Free Ride mode with the cars you've unlocked. No need to explore, really, but it looks good anyway.
 
Xater said:
Do you have OCD?

I'm borderline. I just haven't crossed the border (and yes I'm being serious), but honestly, it's like reading a book. You don't want to skip through any pages. I don't mind big environments but still keeps it linear, like in Half Life 2.
 

Variable

Member
Did you know you could put holes in gas tanks in the first Mafia game? This would cause gas to exit your vehicle very quickly and basically make you lose all your gas in a few min. I hope they have small touches like in this one.
 

Xater

Member
Jason's Ultimatum said:
I'm borderline. I just haven't crossed the border (and yes I'm being serious), but honestly, it's like reading a book. You don't want to skip through any pages. I don't mind big environments but still keeps it linear, like in Half Life 2.

Well Mafia is definitely more linear than GTA. I don't remeber playing any side missions in it. The city is more a great setpiece for the great storyline.
 

MSUSteve

Neo Member
You've gotta be kidding me with having to stop for gas. I mean...really? Are they trying to make "Family Vacation: The Game"?
 
From an older preview, but sounds crazy.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=188221&skip=yes

To this often-touted end Mafia II's pedestrians have had a disproportionate amount of thought put into them. As unbelievable as it sounds, any member of the populace will have an observable routine, such as leaving their home, hopping on a bus, getting off at a clothes shop, trying on and then paying for a suit, before finally returning home by bus again.
Oblivion started it and some city-builders have similar systems, but Mafia II is going to new extremes.
 

Amarox

Member
Xater said:
Well Mafia is definitely more linear than GTA. I don't remeber playing any side missions in it. The city is more a great setpiece for the great storyline.
You could get some better cars through the side missions, but those were the only side missions in the main game. There was Free ride extreme, though. That was the mode were you started off trying to run down a super fast man in his underpants in order to win a hippie's van.
 

Xater

Member
Amarox said:
You could get some better cars through the side missions, but those were the only side missions in the main game. There was Free ride extreme, though. That was the mode were you started off trying to run down a super fast man in his underpants in order to win a hippie's van.

Yeah I didn't do those. Th story was way more compelling.
 

Sule

Member
Kobold said:
Only if you want to?... ...But would be rather dated by today's standards. I'm sure you don't really need to play it to follow the story.
Do not listen to this man.
Danne-Danger said:
Drop what you're doing and start playing it now.
Listen to this man.
proposition said:
Looks awesome. I never played the first Mafia, should I?
yes.
Yes.
Yes!
YES!
YES!!!

also...
Danne-Danger said:
Drop what you're doing and start playing it now.
Blakero said:
Does this use the same engine as GTA4?
No. Most probably a new in-house engine.
Variable said:
Did you know you could put holes in gas tanks in the first Mafia game? This would cause gas to exit your vehicle very quickly and basically make you lose all your gas in a few min. I hope they have small touches like in this one.
30lnl9g.gif

MSUSteve said:
...stop for gas.
30lnl9g.gif

"Family Vacation: The Game"?
30lnl9g.gif

Amarox said:
Free ride extreme, though. That was the mode were you started off trying to run down a super fast man in his underpants in order to win a hippie's van.
30lnl9g.gif

Confidence Man said:
To this often-touted end Mafia II's pedestrians have had a disproportionate amount of thought put into them. As unbelievable as it sounds, any member of the populace will have an observable routine, such as leaving their home, hopping on a bus, getting off at a clothes shop, trying on and then paying for a suit, before finally returning home by bus again.
Oblivion started it and some city-builders have similar systems, but Mafia II is going to new extremes.
30lnl9g.gif

Xater said:
Yeah I didn't do those. The story was way more compelling.
You, my friend, have missed out on some serious awesome. Freeride extreme adds a whole new experience to the main game which you should experience. It gets hard at times but it's worth it to keep trying to get them all.

Sorry for shitting up the thread. As you can see I kind of liked the first Mafia and am somewhat excited for the second installment :)
 

Mrbob

Member
Mafia is one of my guilty pleasures on the PC. I will have to replay it again before Mafia 2 is out!

aznpxdd said:
Consoles as leading platforms...sigh. How many franchises have to be killed that way?

Killed? Without a 360 and PS3 version Mafia 2 wouldn't be made. It is the way the gaming world works now.
 

Amarox

Member
aznpxdd said:
Consoles as leading platforms...sigh. How many franchises have to be killed that way?

It doesn't sound so bad. This is from the PC zone preview Confidence Man posted:

PC Zone said:
There are some things to worry over. The reticule system has an assisted-aiming feature designed for controllers, leading your shots towards enemies in a way that's unnatural - 2K would do well to let PC gamers turn it off. That isn't to say Mafia II will be a console-led title, as everything else at the presentation suggested heavily that the PC version will, yet again, be the definitive one.
 

RotBot

Member
* Not only you'll have to stop at gas stations for refueling your car, but you'll also be able to undergo a car wash and hence get rid of all the dust that your car has been picking.
I hope this doesn't mean cars are going to have fuel capacities as low as the flashlight battery capacities in most FPSs.
 

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
Jason's Ultimatum said:
Ugh. I might pass on the game, but since the game seems to focus more on missions and story, then I may reconsider. I just can't sandbox games after playing GTA4. With such a huge city and a lot of detail on every corner, you feel like you have to explore every bit.
You won't want to miss it. Mafia was absolutely not a sandbox game. It was almost completely story driven and focused on high quality missions. The large city simply served as a background for it all (giving the game a sense of scale).

Most of the missions took place within special areas designed specifically for that mission rather than within a sandbox environment.

I do hope they make some improvements to the game. 3rd person action games have become much more refined since the original title. They absolutely need a cover system (the first game really could have used something like that), for instance.
 

woobit

Member
Mafia was indeed not a sandbox game, totally story driven. Freeride Extreme was kinda sandbox mode, but atleast I did the missions instead of just running around
 
dLMN8R said:
All the screens have probably been from the PC version, that's why.

Wouldn't this have any effect on what screens are being shown?


* Lead platforms X360/PS3, while the PC version should launch supposedly weeks or months afterwards, although this too could change depending on the current state of the gaming market.
 

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
I don't know if I missed this, but I would like to state that Take-Two has confirmed with me that a simultaneous launch is being set for all three versions. And there is NO lead platform for development, either.
 

G7Ga7

Banned
It needs various gameplay elements ...
'Couse I think we already know that strong Graphics , without a solid gameplay = fail !!
 

DoubleFang

Neo Member
The graphics looks very good this time.
However I hope they have improved the enemies and citizens AI ... they were so stupid in the prequel =P
 

isamu

OMFG HOLY MOTHER OF MARY IN HEAVEN I CANT BELIEVE IT WTF WHERE ARE MY SEDATIVES AAAAHHH
neuroticphil said:
Since no one responded to the second part of your question, the answer is no. Despite that, the game has a fairly competent checkpoint system and I would highly recommend giving the game a spin. It's definitely one of my personal favorites. It's also extremely cheap. I picked up my copy for 10 dollars around a year ago.


Thanks neuoticphil I appreciate you replying and answering my question. I will consider buying the original Mafia. Gotta get a bigger hard drive first.

I know you said there is no quick save feature, but is the checkpoint system fairly frequent? Like in Gears of War where they don't make you back track a LONG way back to restart the mission? Or is it annoying as fuck like in GTA IV?
 

Ventrue

Member
isamu said:
Thanks neuoticphil I appreciate you replying and answering my question. I will consider buying the original Mafia. Gotta get a bigger hard drive first.

I know you said there is no quick save feature, but is the checkpoint system fairly frequent? Like in Gears of War where they don't make you back track a LONG way back to restart the mission? Or is it annoying as fuck like in GTA IV?

The checkpoint system is okay. Some time it can set you back a fair bit in a mission, but I don't remember any phase of the game where it really annoyed me. It's not extremely difficult anyway.
 
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