Mafia II Ending *Spoilers*

[Zing]

So what are peoples thoughts on the ending to this game?

Honestly I was extremely impressed with the story up until the ending, it was very well written, but I was so let down by this ending, it seems like they rushed it or something and just ended the game there because of time or budget constraints. I was looking forward to rising through the ranks and becoming a Don and owning Empire City...but it just....ends.

Apart from that I thought the whole thing with Joey was pretty powerful, Vito just couldn't do anything about it since that's how things are done in the family.

In any case, apart from the ending, this game surprised me a lot, it captured the time perfectly, the cars were flash and the clothes were flashier.

 

[Zing]

Why is it over already? Did you just play non-stop like a maniac or is it truly short?

It's not that long, 13 hours 19 minutes played according to the statistics. I also played it through on Hard my first try.

 

[Mister Six]

So what are peoples thoughts on the ending to this game?

Honestly I was extremely impressed with the story up until the ending, it was very well written, but I was so let down by this ending, it seems like they rushed it or something and just ended the game there because of time or budget constraints. I was looking forward to rising through the ranks and becoming a Don and owning Empire City...but it just....ends.

Apart from that I thought the whole thing with Joey was pretty powerful, Vito just couldn't do anything about it since that's how things are done in the family.

In any case, apart from the ending, this game surprised me a lot, it captured the time perfectly, the cars were flash and the clothes were flashier.

Do you honestly think this story could have ended any different? Mafia 2 billed itself as being more *realistic* then other mob games and the no name schmuck rising up through the established ranks of any family is pretty unrealistic.

Spoiler

As for what happened with Joe, he had it coming. Every single instance of Vito's life going wrong once he got back from the states is Joe's fault. Joe made Vito's life hell and nearly got him killed with his stupidity repeatedly, it was only Vito's luck and skill that kept him from ending up like Marty.

In all honesty I felt that the ending fit the story perfectly, it wrapped things up nicely and had that touch of realism that was present in Mafia 2.

 

[Zing]

Do you honestly think this story could have ended any different? Mafia 2 billed itself as being more *realistic* then other mob games and the no name schmuck rising up through the established ranks of any family is pretty unrealistic.

Why is it unrealistic? It's basically the plot of Goodfellas. Vito could have risen up, that's why I thought the game ended prematurely, it could have kept going.

As for what happened with Joe, he had it coming. Every single instance of Vito's life going wrong once he got back from the states is Joe's fault. Joe made Vito's life hell and nearly got him killed with his stupidity repeatedly, it was only Vito's luck and skill that kept him from ending up like Marty..

I agree.

 

[Mister Six]

Do you honestly think this story could have ended any different? Mafia 2 billed itself as being more *realistic* then other mob games and the no name schmuck rising up through the established ranks of any family is pretty unrealistic.

Why is it unrealistic? It's basically the plot of Goodfellas. Vito could have risen up, that's why I thought the game ended prematurely, it could have kept going.

Perhaps unrealistic was a poor wording of my problem with having the story continue with Vito taking over. I should have gone with cliched, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but pretty much every single mob/crime game ends with the protagonist taking control/becoming the only remaining crime family. For example the Godfather 1 and 2 games, pretty much all of the GTA games, hell even the first Mafia if I recall correctly had this kind of ending, so it just seemed to me that for Mafia 2 to do something different was not only refreshing but seemed to fit Vito's story better.

 

[Woodsey]

I'M NOT GOING TO BOTHER WITH SPOILER TAGS. IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED IT THEN WHY ARE YOU ON HERE?

Anyway, just finished the game myself as it happens.

I'm still running through my thoughts on the ending. In it's favour, from the time Joe shows up to the time he's driven away I felt betrayed (initially), then a great sense of actual friendship, then joy/satisfaction, then concern (when we're in separate cars), then sheer fucking horror.

Whilst it's abruptness didn't ruin it, I did feel that it weakened it in comparison to the delicious moral contemplation that took place at the end of the first game. Ironically, I think I like M2's ending less because I liked Joe and Vito so much. I mean, they're a pair of arse holes really, but they're relatable and I think they put each other above almost everything else, and that really adds to the despair I felt at the end.

 

[Uber Evil]

The ending was kind of cheap, and I was spiffed off by it, and it left me confused, but I don't see any way it could of continued without becoming, as Mister Six said, cliched. I want to know what happens to Vito now. Kind of sad Joe got whacked. I actually kind of liked his character, even if he was an idiot.

I'm still running through my thoughts on the ending. In it's favour, from the time Joe shows up to the time he's driven away I felt betrayed (initially), then a great sense of actual friendship, then joy/satisfaction, then concern (when we're in separate cars), then sheer fucking horror.

Whilst it's abruptness didn't ruin it, I did feel that it weakened it in comparison to the delicious moral contemplation that took place at the end of the first game. Ironically, I think I like M2's ending less because I liked Joe and Vito so much. I mean, they're a pair of arse holes really, but they're relatable and I think they put each other above almost everything else, and that really adds to the despair I felt at the end.

This man tells the truth! This is exactly how I felt.

 

[butterkniferampage]

I think what ruined the ending somewhat for me... was that i was looking forward to kicking some more ass. I enjoyed it immensely... but was very let down that it just ended. I felt like the story never really reached it's true potential. It just kind of ended at the beginning of the 3rd act.

 

[SovietSecrets]

I hated the ending. It just felt so wrong to see Joe killed(?) after all that time you spent with him. Its all like YAY they are both going to make it and then Vito is told "deal is only for you" and then I got all sad...and angry the game ended.

 

[The Lunatic]

Eh. Frankly, I thought Borderlands had a better ending than Mafia II.

 

[Gethsemani_v1legacy]

My first reaction upon seeing the ending was "This isn't as powerful as the first games ending". But then I started thinking about it, the first game really rubbed the moral of the story into your face, that Tommy couldn't escape his past and couldn't just up and leave. That sooner or later, Tommy had to attone for his sins.

The second game in comparsion is much more subtle in how it gives away its' moral lesson. Before the last chapter starts Vito says that he got all the things he wanted; money, cars, women and the like but that it was at the cost of going to jail and his friends blood. The ending just takes this a step further, Vito gets another chance at living the good life as a mobster but the price for it is the death of his best friend.

After having had some chance to digest the ending, I have to say I really like it.

 

[Tattaglia]

In my opinion the ending was crap. I fully understood that Vito wasn't going to become an all-powerful gangster and that something terrible had to happen to him at the end, but all-in-all the ending was poorly executed.

Vito's face was barely animated with emotion - we all assume he was sad, but I honestly can't tell if he's feeling guilty, or horrified with himself, or angry at Leo, or confused, or if he was simply wondering what he had for breakfast by reading his facial expression. It would also be insanely powerful for the player to see Vito crying or something as well. Think about it! How would watching a violent, cool-headed, yet likeable character who has been gunning down enemies left and right throughout the entire game break down into tears due to his own mistakes feel?

Then the reveal that Joe was going to die was simply told to you by Leo. Uh, what? You see Joe's car pulling away from you and that's it. This could have been changed to a much stronger emotional punch. I was thinking that maybe the camera could cut away from Vito to a shot of Joe gradually realising his death was imminent, and perceiving this as the ultimate betrayal from Vito. Hell, anything could have been better than what was shown.

Instead, we get none of this and the camera pulls away to a scenic shot of Empire Bay. This game is up there with Borderlands in that I had such fun with it until the ending, and was then immediately turned off by it. Although I don't think I'll be replaying this, unlike my experience with Borderlands. Oh well, at least Henry's death was fantastically done.

/rant

 

[Rshady]

I thought the ending was brilliant, it emphasised the general message within the game and connected emotionally with the player (I was gutted when I realised they were going to whack Joe). The only issue I have is that I wish it was longer, this whole DLC thing is an utter ***** I paid for the game... I want all the content without having to spend extra money or pre-ordering it at certain stores.

 

[The Zango]

I saw Joe's death coming from the first ten minutes of the game, but it didn't make it any less shocking or painful to see the car take that turn. Sure it was a little abrupt, but it was still amazing.