Mafia II is Not a Game

[pepitko]

I tend to side with Russ rather than the critics on this one. The game really does feel like a "mature" gamer can enjoy it more as it really isn't an cause-the-most-mayhem-you-can vending machine like the GTA IV. Actually even in GTA IV, I liked the story missions the most. Hell, some of the side missions can be a chore, for instance, remember San Andreas where you HAD to go to a gym? Things like these are just distractions for people with ADD who can't focus on a single story for more than 10-15 minutes.

 

[Woodsey]

Loved Chapter 14 though.

I disagree, simply because Chapter 14 included the fight at the docks. That enraged me so much it took me a day and a half to calm down enough to give it another go.

Have you played the first Mafia?

And the fight wasn't that hard. Took me a couple of goes on easy, and then again on hard. The dock workers die so bloody fast though - they only make it out of the door and then they're all dead!

So I returned to Vito's home, went to sleep and started the next chapter of the story, at which point the game took away everything else.

I've been thinking about it, and I can't help but wonder if Frankie's abandonment of Vito would have been more powerful if they'd let you keep all your stuff. They'd of had to do things differently (perhaps a scene with Joe where Vito starts to examine what his way of life is costing him), but I think that saying: "These are all the things you can have, and this is the price you've got to pay," could have worked better.

They needed to show more of Frankie though, and Vito should have tried to say something on the phone. I don't think we even hear her hang up on him, he just puts the phone down - that sort of killed it a bit for me. I can accept it as a sign that Vito's losing his self a little, but I still think it could have been done better.

I think the story hits all the right notes for the most part, it's just that certain events could have had more impact if we'd spent more time with certain characters.

 

[Celtic_Kerr]

Lots here seem to think very highly of M2, but after looking at other reviews, this game seems pretty average. Nothing to get too worked up about.

Thats because they compared it to GTA, and bashed it for not having as much freedom. which is odd since freedom was never really the point of this game, or the first Mafia game.

I imagine it's like the Yakuza game and how some writers met with real Yakuza members to find out how accurate the game was. One of the members said that the main character running around and causing shit was something likely to get the character whacked, since he was giving the family a bad name.

Mafia tries to steer you away from this with the storyline, and succeeds. rather than driving around and picking off Pedestrians, you go for the missions, and only do a few odd jobs now and then (though only two out of mission objectives exist)

 

[Zhukov]

Y'know, I think it says a lot about the average quality of video games that something like Mafia 2 can make a jaded editor gush like a fire hydrant.

Sure, it's pretty good, but hardly worth frosting one's trousers over.

Then again, I haven't finished it yet. Maybe it gets better later on.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I loved the game, but at the end I couldn't help but feel that something was missing...
Compared to Mafia 1, this sequel felt like half a game... And it would appear that it was, due to the amount of pre-order bonuses, console exclusives and forthcoming DLC.

It really annoys me when stuff is made DLC and it feels like it should have been in the game at retail.

 

[Phase_9]

A spoiler warning would have been nice

 

[Javex]

Well, I'm sold. Gonna go buy this, now.

 

[Jiki]

I get the jarring feeling that mister Pitts hasn't heard that many stories in his life time. At least not good ones.

 

[The_Spirit_of_Epic]

so how much gameplay makes a game... a game? and also, what makes gameplay gameplay? would you consider Point-and-Click games not games becuase the only gameplay is indeed pointing and clicking? I, myself, am not saying these games aren't games, for i love these games.

im just asking, what defines gameplay and how much of it makes a game?

 

[veloper]

Lots here seem to think very highly of M2, but after looking at other reviews, this game seems pretty average. Nothing to get too worked up about.

May I ask what reviews you were reading? The game bases most of it's gameplay on the story, which happens to be absolutely phenomenal and is almost worth it just for that.

1UP; 7.5/10
Xbox Magazine; 8/10
Destructoid; 6.5/10
IGN; 7/10
Around average

I don't know about 1UP, XBOX Magazine, or Destructoid, but you're insane if you seriously think IGN is a credible review source. Hell, I doubt many professional review sites are any credible anymore.

Try looking at user scores instead.

Destructoid is pretty decent. If a bad game gets a low score from an online gaming mag, it's probably Destructoid.
They were the only mag who dared to give C&C4 a low score for example.

Sure they dole out plenty undeserved 9s too, but it's when they don't, is when it's worth reconsidering about getting the game.

I found metacritic user scores to be a decent indicator also, for me atleast. You just wouldn't guess from crap most of the users post on there.

 

[Russ Pitts]

I get the jarring feeling that mister Pitts hasn't heard that many stories in his life time. At least not good ones.

Add "in videogames" to the end of that post and you'll have nailed it, Spunkmeyer.

 

[nackertash]

Honestly? Sounds like pretentious wank to me.

 

[cerebus23]

shakespere is rolling in his grave that this game was compared to his work.

the pacing and the acting is great no doubt, but there is no plot thread in the entire game that was not ripped off from the godfather, goodfellas, scarface, and 4 or 5 other mob movies.

then there are the plot elements that just make you go "huh and wtf?" like the guy that supposedly is working for the feds. now look at the stuff he has you do, look at whos idea it is to get into the thing you get into, and the way you get into it. it just makes little sense that he is what they claim to be, why drag you into the life and talk you into it? not like you had not done enough to land in jail for the rest of your life already.

then there is the things you get away with, i mean you kill one guy that is probably a made guy, you are sent there to do some work for him and low and behold he ends up dead along with all his guys, now is all the bosses in the mob stone stupid? killing a guy in his position would get your brains blown out for random freelancing.

you lie constantly to your higher ups, and a few time even they are like wtf are you feeding me this bs for and yet you keep skating along body count rising the entire time.

the ending would have been more realistic when our car blew up with you in it, or you opening the door to a gun and your brain all over the wall, about halfway through the game.

 

[searanox]

This article has quite possibly the most unwarranted hyperbole of anything ever written. Comparisons to Shakespeare and Picasso? Really? Really now?

Oh, and apparently the author has never seen a single Mafia-related film, since by all accounts Mafia II steals nearly every single thing it does from every other gangster genre film ever made (mostly The Godfather and Goodfellas).

And I guess there's the issue where the author starts the article saying that Mafia II is "interactive theatre" (it's not, and it's clear he's never participated in interactive theatre before merely by him saying this), only then to change his mind and praise it as an amazing game. When you write something, it's a good idea to at least have some sort of consistent thesis, but alas, the author is too busy endlessly championing Mafia II's story as damn near the second coming to ever actually explain this inconsistency (my guess: he just forgot).

Of course, this still leaves the question of why having a good story is able to render Mafia II such a fantastic videogame (or "more" than a game, or... whatever). Is it because a good story makes a good game? Because the story overshadows the gameplay issues it has? Are we just so depraved that we'll take any decent story we can get our hands on? Because the author had a deadline and was, like, totally crunked last night? What's clear is that this article does not provide us with any answers - certainly not any sort of framework for better understanding or evaluating games, heck, not even a few criteria to put us on the right path.

I can't believe that people get paid to write this sort of crap. I'll give the author some credit: he's got one hell of a job if he's able to get away with this silliness and make money doing it. Almost makes me feel bad for trying to write decent stuff on my own time.

 

[Dhatz]

it's supposed to bo twice as long. just look at all the vids and screene that were cut out just to make room for DLC.

 

[ImprovizoR]

The problem I have with Mafia 2 story is that Vito's voice actor doesn't really show any signs of emotions. It's just so bland and boring. He didn't do a very good job voicing Vito. And that makes the whole story suffer because players should have an emotional response when something bad happens to Vito, yet I don't give a crap about Vito. I did feel bad for other characters though. And then we have Joe and Henry's voice actors who did an amazing job. Especially the guy who voiced Joe. You can't separate the voice from Joe. You hear Joe talking and it feels so natural, like in a movie.

 

[Zanaxal]

nvm

 

[BloodSquirrel]

shakespere is rolling in his grave that this game was compared to his work.

the pacing and the acting is great no doubt, but there is no plot thread in the entire game that was not ripped off from the godfather, goodfellas, scarface, and 4 or 5 other mob movies.

I find this juxtaposition amusing, seeing as Shakespeare mostly used already well-known stories as the basis for his plays.

 

[Mysnomer]

Russ Pitts: Untalented hack who uses his authority to get his articles published? Master-level troll? Or is he just guilty of getting too worked up over things and posting before thinking them over?

(For perspective, check out his RealID [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/smile_nod/7940-Smile-and-Nod-RealID-and-Why-Hate-Speech-is-the-Least-of-Our-Worries] post as well)

 

[searanox]

My guess is that he fits in perfectly with The Escapist's "more videos and more controversy = more hits, more money" strategy. Good thing that I don't have this site on my Adblock whitelist anymore.