I was hesitant because, well, Mafia. You aren't really in the mafia in this, not even really the Dixie Mafia... which would also not really work.
But on the other hand, it's the 1960s. And the thing that I loved most about Mafia II was the world of the 40s and 50s it created.
Unfortunately, as much as it does a GREAT job depicting the 60s... it depicts the 60s in the South and you kind of take on the role of an African-American Dukes of Hazard character... with gangland ties.
Lincoln Clay oscillates between looking too much like Vin Diesel to really get the feel that he's a Black man living in the segregated south, to actually feeling like a Black man living in the 60s south, and it's all dependent on lighting, which is a shame that they couldn't exactly get his skin tone to stay consistent.
Moving it to somewhere that the culture clash and the hippie movement was a bit more profound would have been more of what I wanted.
HOWEVER, instead you get the Civil Rights movement and fights along those lines and, honestly, I can't complain about that either. It was true to the era and made for a moving story line even if the characters are bad guys and not too sympathetic on either side.
It made for a compelling and fun story that I don't think I'd trade... even if I wanted Italian Mob and more Hippie culture. It was completely enjoyable.
The shooting certainly improved from Mafia II... the story is just as great. The exploration of post Vietnam America is pretty freaking fantastic, especially with the Civil Rights Movement thrown in there to spice it all up.
But, unfortunately, like Mafia II, it's just too darn short given the world they throw you into and how much effort they took into making it look period and beautiful.... so where it's a little longer, the lack of side missions, the lack of length, means that you only really experience it for a weekend. And that is a shame.
I went back and revisited it and GTA 5... and the navigation system is far and away better than the GTA series, this time incorporating street signs that allow you to play without wrecking because your eyes are on the little mini map in the corner.... and again the speedometer is something GTA has always lacked. And the addition of a rear view mirror also promotes better driving and less GTA style navigation crashes.
The music is a great selection for the period... car theft, however, is much more difficult and annoying, especially given all the classic cars that litter the game... the cars that you always wanted and could never afford... they are there, in the game, and pilfering them for a joy ride results the police being instantly alerted, even if they are out of view... and the noise they make is ridiculously loud. So the first thing you want to do is tone down the SFX audio.
But on the other hand, it's the 1960s. And the thing that I loved most about Mafia II was the world of the 40s and 50s it created.
Unfortunately, as much as it does a GREAT job depicting the 60s... it depicts the 60s in the South and you kind of take on the role of an African-American Dukes of Hazard character... with gangland ties.
Lincoln Clay oscillates between looking too much like Vin Diesel to really get the feel that he's a Black man living in the segregated south, to actually feeling like a Black man living in the 60s south, and it's all dependent on lighting, which is a shame that they couldn't exactly get his skin tone to stay consistent.
Moving it to somewhere that the culture clash and the hippie movement was a bit more profound would have been more of what I wanted.
HOWEVER, instead you get the Civil Rights movement and fights along those lines and, honestly, I can't complain about that either. It was true to the era and made for a moving story line even if the characters are bad guys and not too sympathetic on either side.
It made for a compelling and fun story that I don't think I'd trade... even if I wanted Italian Mob and more Hippie culture. It was completely enjoyable.
The shooting certainly improved from Mafia II... the story is just as great. The exploration of post Vietnam America is pretty freaking fantastic, especially with the Civil Rights Movement thrown in there to spice it all up.
But, unfortunately, like Mafia II, it's just too darn short given the world they throw you into and how much effort they took into making it look period and beautiful.... so where it's a little longer, the lack of side missions, the lack of length, means that you only really experience it for a weekend. And that is a shame.
I went back and revisited it and GTA 5... and the navigation system is far and away better than the GTA series, this time incorporating street signs that allow you to play without wrecking because your eyes are on the little mini map in the corner.... and again the speedometer is something GTA has always lacked. And the addition of a rear view mirror also promotes better driving and less GTA style navigation crashes.
The music is a great selection for the period... car theft, however, is much more difficult and annoying, especially given all the classic cars that litter the game... the cars that you always wanted and could never afford... they are there, in the game, and pilfering them for a joy ride results the police being instantly alerted, even if they are out of view... and the noise they make is ridiculously loud. So the first thing you want to do is tone down the SFX audio.