Mafia 2 - what a frustrating game!

[Xyphon]

There are checkpoints.
I don't know why the OP didn't get any.
It's mystifying.

I got checkpoints, I just felt they were missing at very important parts, like at the mid-point in the long firefight down at the docks before you enter the molotov-hell warehouse to

Spoiler

kill Derek

.

God DAMN that pissed me off so much. After the 15th time, I just said fuck it, ran up the staircase to the left and blitz'd his cheap ass.

I agree only with the checkpoint system. Whoever was in charge of that needs to be kneecapped.

I had no problems with dying while en route to a mission. I only got killed by a collision once, and that was out of sheer stupidity.

Checkpoint system tended to be a fucking ***** at times, but I didn't have too much trouble other than that fucking retarded ass dock mission.

Very rarely was I ever killed in a single shot. The times I was, though, were from a shotgun-toting bastard who had unbelievable range with it.

Cops rarely harassed me. Only problem I had with them was escaping. I would get SO CLOSE to losing my wanted level, but then a cop spawns on foot around the damn corner and fucks it all up.

 

[thahat]

actually, i only agree with you on the checkpoints, and, i shall ad other stuff 'IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SANDBOX i mean, seriously? now it up to the modding commumity to mak that game fun XD'
they put so much potential in it, an entire world.. the mood, the weather, EVERYTHING...and they dont use half of it, and only let you save after or sometimes at the start of a mission or when you find a playboy. ( isent there a console command for saving?, i know the commands are in lua so i should be able to figure them out..ish )

 

[Mr. Grey]

Anyways... sounds like you wanted a sandbox out of a narrative. Not that I disagree, I'd love the same engine made for a sandbox. It's just this is a narrative, very close to a movie. The realism in this game isn't too far fetched when you consider it. I think Mafia II wants you to take it seriously unlike Saints Row, that's the way I see it.

Actually I loved the narrative in the game. To me it was the best part. In fact, I felt the repetitive, drive across the map like a yo-yo mission structure was at odds with the lofty aspirations of the story and way it was told.

If all the missions were as fun as the ones with the window cleaning bomb, the brewery shoot out or the drunken ride home listening to the guys singing, then I would have loved the game a whole lot more. And all of those missions helped develop the characters too, which made them even better.

It just seemed that far too often the game fell back on 'drive slowly to point b while avoiding police'.

I do agree that a sandbox built in that world would be fantastic. It's a hell of a game engine they have there (the destructability in certain missions was very impressive)

Ah, kay. I see where you're going with this now.

The way I see it, those missions were really the best they were because we had the monotonous ones. It's the whole straight man scenario. Because if we kept getting the fun missions like those, they wouldn't be as special to us and may very well drag down the whole game. If it was a real sandbox, however, then Mafia II could get away with it. Which is why I think they had the whole stores and gas stations for us to mess around with inbetween drives.

I agree though, the drives could get boring and the missions get that sense. So I won't argue against it.

And I hated the mission that you pointed out, also, all five times I had to repeat it. Damn those Molotov Cocktails of Doom...

 

[thahat]

[

yes and i beat it. the cops having intelligence makes it more fun. granted i don't get chased because I KNOW HOW TO DRIVE. seriously unless your reflexes are so piss poor you slam into every object on a ROAD they don't bother you.

So... basically you're using the old 'you suck at the game' argument.

And making your other point with a video meme.

Not really much point continuing this exchange as we won't see eye to eye.

-takes hat off to mature response- ( i know one when i see onee )
buuut, unfortunatelly he's kinda right. im the WORST video game driver EVER.
and even i got around in mafia 2. the limmiter is your friend. so are allies. the police dont drive into allies. XD

 

[MrShowerHead]

There are checkpoints.
I don't know why the OP didn't get any.
It's mystifying.

I got checkpoints, I just felt they were missing at very important parts, like at the mid-point in the long firefight down at the docks before you enter the molotov-hell warehouse to

Spoiler

kill Derek

.

Ah yes, I hated that too. I had to repeat that dock fight part 7 times.

OT: Yeah, the last few chapters were kinda annoying to me too. Especially the ending. It was just bad.

 

[Communist partisan]

all i hear is is crying and balling over insignificant things. the heavy would like a word with you.


it ADDS to the fun. clearly you want a low-brow shooter so why not buy halo instead?

I'm totally on your side comrade.

 

[greenyboy27]

Personally, the only part that annoyed me was the damn multistage shootout, when you get locked in. DAMN MOLOTOVS ¬_¬

 

[Snor]

actually I had no problems with all that you mentioned XD although they could have made a better free roam with stuff to do, instead they made a linear game which is a pity considering the great cut scenes etc. It could have been a gta beater

 

[HerrBobo]

Mafia II is a good game, not a great one. It is not as good as the first game. Mafia 1 had better cars, better missions. Mafia2 has as good a story as Mafia1, but has way better music.

I know what it irking me about the game though. It is boring. The missions are too short and too easy, some of them are not even missions! Sorry but driving to a cat house then watching a cut scene then driving to the woods and watching another cut scene then driving home is not a mission!! At least three missions have little or no shooting.

I see what the game is trying to do. Show the othert side of the Mafia life, show the "job" side of it. Its telling a story, and thats great, but it just come across as and interactive movie. I mean do I really need to see Veto get up and answer the phone every time?! Do I really need to drive home, every time?! Most times driving home, I try and get chased by the cops, just to have something to do.

It looks amazing, this huge open city, but there is nothing to do in it. There is no reason to explore, there are no ramps, or cool extra cars to find.

The story is pretty good, but it is the usual Mafia fare. That said there was one park scene that really got me!

Over all it is pretty good, but it should be called Mafia: The Movie.
__________________

 

[procyonlotor]

Having read OP's post, I have to say I in no way identify with him or his problems with the game.

My only problem, in fact, was that the AI controlled cars seemed to go on their projected paths regardless of whether there was a speeding maniac on their lane or not.

So that was kind of annoying from time to time.

The game has different problems, folks.

 

[Scobie]

DELETED

 

[Iwata]

One of the reasons I liked the first Mafia when everyone else was playing GTA III was that Mafia forced you to think and not go on a rampage.

I bought the sequel expecting that very same style of gameplay, and I'm not disapointed.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I will admit that the game has its problems. I agree on the fight with Derek - it was a fucking joke. I tried it about twenty times, then switched the difficulty down to easy and went through the chapter again, because it wasn't fair and it wasn't fun. At all.

I actually found a pretty solid way to do it... sprint in under the balcony he's on as soon as you get in, he can't hit you with the molotovs. Just run and gun the two guys downstairs and slowly take out the others as they come to find you, then chuck a frag up at the prick!

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Your problems?

I had no issues. Except with that fucking boss. I ran under his area, and waited for his goons to come down. Then through grenades and molotovs of my own, and then ran to safety back under the boss platform.

And I did HARD mode for my first (and only) run.

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

I didn't experience any of these problems with the game and i have completed it twice. I liked the cops chasing you if you ran a red light or caused a car crash because it added some realism into the game. Also i didn't think the map was huge either, if anything i thought it was to small.

 

[Geekosaurus]

I don't accept 'realistic' as an excuse for these issues either. Screw realism, it isn't fun.

It basically comes down to this quote. The game didn't cater for your tastes, which is a shame. But realism was clearly their intention right from the beginning, otherwise they would have made the police more lenient, given your more health and would have given you more cover.

Oh, and as for the 'I changed the plates on my car but the police are still after me' thing, did you change your clothes too? Because police recognize you by your clothes, even if you're sat in an un-wanted car.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

It basically comes down to this quote. The game didn't cater for your tastes, which is a shame.

In many ways it did... I just found that these particular things frustrated me a lot.
The story, atmosphere, visuals, music, characters and overall 'feel' were some of my favorite things from any game.