The mechanics of Mafia II are pretty much those of a basic third-person shooter. I felt like everything between the cutscenes, which usually is shooting or punching people, was just something to get through to reach the next story bit. Trouble is, the story is the most entertaining part of the game. There are over-the-shoulder angles you don't normally see and little touches that make the movies visually entertaining. On top of that, Mafia II uses some cinematic tricks to really up the production value on the cutscenes. I love gangster movies such as Goodfellas and Public Enemies, so watching the exploits of Vito and his best friend, Joe, as they go from job to job, party with the ladies, and put the screws to people is an enjoyable experience. That's a shame, because what I dig about Mafia II is its story and the way it's told. Empire Bay is like an empty playset, and that hurts the believability of being Vito's world. There isn't that "a-ha" moment seen in other games where you realize there's stuff going on in these massive metropolises.
You cruise the streets and see other people and cars, but it feels like The Truman Show. Problem is, because there's only the task at hand in Empire Bay, the place feels awkwardly empty – it doesn't feel alive. Is this a bad thing? Of course not – it's just something worth pointing out, seeing as it'd be easy to look at this game and think there are hours of freedom in it. You're not going to wander around the streets of Mafia II picking up odd jobs and meeting strangers this is a world built around the missions you're doing. Cops on your tail? Go pay to have the license plate changed on your ride. Outgunned and dying a lot? Buy better weapons after restarting.
All the icons on the map – clothing stores, gun stores, and so on – are just ways to enhance that mission. You'll have one mission at any time and it's always one that drives the story forward. Now, at first glance, Empire Bay looks like an open world – one teeming with missions and quests for you to take Vito on. Play All of this is going on in Empire Bay, a New York-esque town packed with people, cops, cars and collectable Playboy magazines.
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