Mafia Series

So, seeing as I couldn't find a thread for the Mafia games, I thought I'd make one! As the third game is launching:

Things to note:

- Apparently the PC version is locked at 30FPS - there's a patch coming out that alleviates / corrects that - Lots of downvoting on steam due to the restrictions on graphics - Initial feedback seems to indicate it's got a strong plot and open world

edited 7th Oct '16 6:40:42 AM by JerekLaz

This game's got a huge soundtrack to complement its setting. The devs seem to have collaborated with the website Genius to produce some detailed liner notes on various tracks from the soundtrack, complete with some quotes from the devs and links to certain annotations.

Most of what I know about the Mafia series is how much content was ripped out of Mafia II, leaving it a shell of the game it could have been.

I'm not buying the third installment because I don't trust the makers not to repeat that act.

I mean, so far, Mafia 3 is pretty solid. I don't have much knowledge about the last two games, but this one seems good.

Though, speaking of, does anyone know at what point in the game that the radio stations decide to actually work? I just got out of the prologue, and the prompt telling me about the radio came and went, but each station plays exactly nothing.

I love the first game, had a much more vibrant period setting than LA Noire certainly.

Never tried the second but I heard how it was basically a linear game with token open world.

So far, feedback seems to be that this game is overall good, but has Ubisoft Bloat in terms of activities and typical GTA "fun times" and Tower Climbing equivalents.

So a lot of busy work.

The world appears to be pretty livable though - whites only bars, good handle on the realities of racism and a bit more of a realistically reactive world. So I probably will pick it up as a trade in. I'm a bit burnt out on massive open world games of late. I never seem to finish the buggers (Mad Max I never completed, for example)

So. Did ya all calls or walk away?

Here's Joe Vargas, AKA Angry Joe's take on the game:

He's not too impressed.

And apparently the opening part of the game is now out as a demo - I may give it a whirl as I like the look and concept but I'm a bit burned out on open world / linear story / seize territory games.

So, my "3 in the morning sleepiness fumes" made me play Mafia III for a bit.

One of the first things I did was accidentally knock off a man tied to a chair with a bag on his head.

...Whoops! Found my characterization, though: cautious to the point of ruthlessness.

A video game that has changed my opinion of considerably with recent events is MAFIA III, that I no longer think of as a game with a somewhat quirky premise but a game that actually has a lot of cultural importance to it—at least in the context that what I thought was an exaggeration or at least a relic of the past is an unfortunate truism.

The premise of the game is that Lincoln Clay, a biracial man [though the time period and Lincoln's associates all treat him as all black—as would plenty of places in America would do so today] who gets his family murdered by the Italian mob. Lincoln goes on a roaring rampage of revenge and must make the choice of whether or not to take over the criminal enterprises of New Bordeaux (New Orleans).

The thing about Mafia III's gameplay is the fact that it actually systematizes racism. Lincoln Clay gets the cops called on him for no reason [other than being black] if he wanders around white neighborhoods, goes into the "wrong" establishments, and even if he's just driving around too nice of a car. I used to think that was exaggerated for effect but not so much. Lincoln can in fact get gunned down by the police for just being "suspicious."

The systematization of racism goes beyond just how it interacts with Lincoln too despite his being the main character. The police don't bother to check out crimes commited in the black part of town while the other, richer, parts get much better treatment. I feel like this bit of game design really feels uncomfortably accurate now.

There's even more interesting racial subtext to the fact that one of your underbosses, Cassandra, is an advocate for black power and believes that the only way is through violence. The game implies that this just results in a losing game because it draws down even harsher retaliations from the system than they can survive. On the other hand, Lincoln's father figure tries to work in the system and it just ends with him betrayed as well as murdered.

"Native Son" was created as a parody of Right Wing talk radio but it's actually pretty indistinguishable from the real thing, in something that makes me feel like I've woken up in Grand Theft Auto's universe.

https://www.theverge.com/2016/10/13/13263008/mafia-3-racism-shooter-opinion

The Verge says that Lincoln's story accidentally is TOO good and ultimately undercuts the main story because a game tackling racism as well as life in the 1960s South as a black man is a better story than the tired revenge fantasy that makes its primary campaign.

I've got to say that Mafia III: Definitive Edition is awesome. I was a big fan of the original but it ended up being so buggy it was constantly crashing and I had to rage quit at the very end. That's enough to sour me on the entire experience. Thankfully, they've fixed enough of it that. You can also adjust your mirror. Some things I'd like to comment on:

1. The DLC is great: The three DLC are great for breaking up the repetiveness of the main game as you have one where you investigate crimes committed by a Manson Clan EXPY, deal with a crooked Sheriff in the Bayou, and also one where you have to deal with a rogue CIA agent out to smuggle a nuclear bomb to terrorists. The latter is totally inappropriate for this game but it's still fun as hell.

2. There's racing now: Which is another way to break up the repetitive murder of the previous game.

3. Alternate Costumes: There's nothing more enjoyable than driving around dressed as a Black Panther, Disco Dan, or 70s porn star. I had a lot of fun with these and the other costumes that make Lincoln look more than just his army fatigues.

4. Lots of New Cars: You can also customize them and I made all of them look like the Dukes of Hazard for maximum irony.

5. The bugs are mostly fixed: At least I can actually beat the game without it crashing now.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Jul 12th 2020 at 6:34:45 AM