Mafia II

Pros

• Storyline - As mentioned above, this video game feels like a Hollywood movie, but a good one. The different scenes are all well designed and realistic looking. The characters also have moments where the look like and act like real gangsters instead of video game characters.

Cons

• Variety of Action - While the character drives around looking for trouble, the reality is that all the gamer gets to do is shoot and hide. That isn't going to appeal to experienced gamers.
• No Multiplayer Mode - The game would have been better had the developer set it up as a first-person shooter and allowed multiple players to jump in on both sides. As it is now, it is just another run-of-the-mill, third-person shooter game.

Software developer 2K Czech finally released the sequel to the company's very popular Mafia video game. The result is another violent, third-person shooter game that will thrill gamers of all skill levels who enjoy this genre. The problem would seem to be that it is unclear that 2K Czech really intended for either of these games to be third-person shooter games, at least not entirely.

The real value of this game comes from its story line. The setting is a Chicago-type city (Empire Bay) in the 1940's or 50's. In fact, the gamer may get the feeling they are stuck in the middle of a Hollywood gangster movie. Of course, mafia families are fighting each other as well as law enforcement. The biggest problem is the game seems to be playing the player instead of the player playing the game. Everything is vanilla. Shooting people, committing crimes and going to whore houses is all there is to do despite the wonderful settings.

Even the fighting action tends to get a little boring. It becomes more of a 1990's shooter game where the player shoots at people, then ducks behind some big object to keep from getting shot. This same sequence is performed repeatedly until all the opponent's guys are dead or until the player's shooter is eliminated. There is just no depth to the action. As the player moves through each level, it begins to feel like the sole goal of the game is to simply stay alive.

As for what is good about the game, the graphics are first class. Everything is very slick and stylish including the costumes and settings. Even the characters, Vito and Joe, have their charm as they cruise around the city conducting their style of business. This video game would have been a perfect venue for a multiplayer feature. Since there is nothing more involved other than driving around, ducking and shooting, the game controls are very easy to conquer. The sound quality is very good and the soundtrack is perfect at helping to set the mood. Of course, the mood is all about Mafia guys breaking the law and killing people. This game is compatible with most Microsoft operating systems.

Pros

• Storyline - As mentioned above, this video game feels like a Hollywood movie, but a good one. The different scenes are all well designed and realistic looking. The characters also have moments where the look like and act like real gangsters instead of video game characters.

Cons

• Variety of Action - While the character drives around looking for trouble, the reality is that all the gamer gets to do is shoot and hide. That isn't going to appeal to experienced gamers.
• No Multiplayer Mode - The game would have been better had the developer set it up as a first-person shooter and allowed multiple players to jump in on both sides. As it is now, it is just another run-of-the-mill, third-person shooter game.