Mafia 2

[Dave White]

Its set in 50's nyc

the guns go bang and make a mess

you can chin someone in slo mo whilst watching their lip explode.

The ladies dress nice

i like the cars

im in

[Cuttooth]

That last section on rdr hearding fucking cattle and catching horses was like root canal surgery minus the novacaine

Surely that was the point? You've just spent twenty something hours fighting for your family only for what you were fighting for is mundane and trivial compared to what you had to endure to save it. That's why the train robbery came up as an escape from the dull farm work and as a player you're willing for something exciting to happen, when it does it kills the person you spent all that time playing as. Rockstar unfortunately simply rushed the ending completely.

Anyway Mafia II. I've only tried out the 360 demo and felt the gunplay was all over the shop with unresponsive aiming. The low scores are probably going to be a little harsh when the game is directly compared to the darling that is GTA IV but all the indications from the demo and previews always suggested something little better than average to me.

[BrerLappin]

Surely that was the point? You've just spent twenty something hours fighting for your family only for what you were fighting for is mundane and trivial compared to what you had to endure to save it. That's why the train robbery came up as an escape from the dull farm work and as a player you're willing for something exciting to happen, when it does it kills the person you spent all that time playing as. Rockstar unfortunately simply rushed the ending completely.

Anyway Mafia II. I've only tried out the 360 demo and felt the gunplay was all over the shop with unresponsive aiming. The low scores are probably going to be a little harsh when the game is directly compared to the darling that is GTA IV but all the indications from the demo and previews always suggested something little better than average to me.

Yo Cutty

[Wickedkitten]

I don't know how he can say the checkpoints are harsh either. Obviously there is a disclaimer at the beginning that states the level doesn't appear in the final game, but I thought that the checkpoints were pretty bloody forgiving really.

[Sergeant Squid]

I've cancelled my preorder. I'm getting married and going on honeymoon in 4 weeks and between now and then I've got 2 stag do's away from home and my cousins 21st birthday, so I was umming and ahhing over whether I could afford to buy Mafia 2 anyways, but the general concensus from the reviews is the same no matter the score it is eventually given: a lot of style, not much substance. I'll wait for it to be cheaper methinks.

[exwhyzed]

The demo mission is in the full game, it plays a little differently though.

[Okotta]

From the Eurogamer review:

"Then it's time for the guessing game that every Mafia II player will learn to hate: "Where's The Checkpoint?" Let's play a round right now.

The scenario: The start of a new "chapter" in the game. I get into a gunfight outside my home. I fend off the attackers. I'm told that I must drive to Joe's place (since every problem in this game can be solved with driving). I arrive, climb the stairs to his apartment, ring the doorbell, and wait. He eventually lets me in. A long chat. Two cut-scenes. We drive somewhere else. (Naturally!) As we near our destination, I get cut off by a truck turning into my lane, my car slams into a telephone pole, and I die.

OK, your turn: Where's the checkpoint?

If you guessed, "all the way back at the beginning of the freaking chapter, before the cut-scenes, driving, gunfight, and everything else," then apparently you have also experienced Mafia II's sadistic autosave stinginess. I feel your pain. I'm thinking of forming a support group."

This is the kind of game I don't need.

[Moz]

Sounds like someone at Eurogamer is trying to make a name for themselves again.

I bet the people who paid lots of money to get a giant Mafia 2 banner on the Eurogamer site are happy at the moment

[Dave White]

if the game has all the useless fat trimmed off that wil do me, i find as i get older I get bored of the round the houses minigames and tasks.

[MK-1601]

Some of the stuff in the EG review, personal opinion aside, just doesn't ring true at all. Like his criticism of interiors being samey and boring and undetailed, or the combat being crap. Unless the mission in the demo is an absolute stand-out high point of the game, then that's bollocks.

I know it's a very apologist sort of thing to say, but I do wonder how long they spent with the game. The fact that they barely mention the story or the content of the missions (you know, the stuff that anyone who had played the first game would want to know about, not whether you can cause GTA style mayhem) suggests that this might have been an 'hour at the publishers' offices' job.

I'd be interested to know what the writing is like as well, seeing as it stood out as one of the best features of the original game.

[Strangelite]

if the game has all the useless fat trimmed off that wil do me, i find as i get older I get bored of the round the houses minigames and tasks.

I'm with you, what with kids, wives and houses, actually spending 40+ hours on a game nowadays is unlikely. I want games to "get on with it" - This was my problem with RDR, there were a LOT of characters who simply were pointless and felt like filler. (There were some characters I just didn't like working for, like the Doc, jesus christ I hated him and in the end his missions all amounted to squat) - the cack handed way Penny McFarlane just simply disappears from the story for 75% of the game, it's something that's always sat wrongly with me in R* games.

I'd prefer the main story to move onwards each mission, I'm not that bothered about irrelevant side quests unless I'm extremely bored or am chasing an achievement.

Seriously, the perceived depth in RDR "Collect Every Fricking Flower" challenges bored the hell out of me, and if Mafia 2 doesn't have these shit fetch quests, chin chin.

On Topic: I generally agree with EG's reviews, but sometimes they do read like someone's missed the point by comparing it to something else, (instead of just reviewing what's in front of them)

[Wickedkitten]

From the Eurogamer review:

"Then it's time for the guessing game that every Mafia II player will learn to hate: "Where's The Checkpoint?" Let's play a round right now.

The scenario: The start of a new "chapter" in the game. I get into a gunfight outside my home. I fend off the attackers. I'm told that I must drive to Joe's place (since every problem in this game can be solved with driving). I arrive, climb the stairs to his apartment, ring the doorbell, and wait. He eventually lets me in. A long chat. Two cut-scenes. We drive somewhere else. (Naturally!) As we near our destination, I get cut off by a truck turning into my lane, my car slams into a telephone pole, and I die.

OK, your turn: Where's the checkpoint?

If you guessed, "all the way back at the beginning of the freaking chapter, before the cut-scenes, driving, gunfight, and everything else," then apparently you have also experienced Mafia II's sadistic autosave stinginess. I feel your pain. I'm thinking of forming a support group."

This is the kind of game I don't need.

I'm still doubting this because in the mission that is in the demo, there are at least 4 different checkpoints and I can't imagine they would take them out of the mission structure in the full game.

[Mr. Gerbik]

I'm still doubting this because in the mission that is in the demo, there are at least 4 different checkpoints and I can't imagine they would take them out of the mission structure in the full game.

Exactly why I'm doubting their review too, I mean there are checkpoints all over the place in the mission in the demo and you could skip every cutscene, including in-game events like the telephone conversation at the start. Did they really take all of that out for the final game? Really?

[exwhyzed]

You can skip cutscenes in the game, at least all that I have tried have given you the option.

[Okotta]

GameSpot loves it.

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/mafia2/review.html

Reading it, it's like it's a complete opposite of the Eurogamer review

[Mr. Gerbik]

GameSpot loves it.

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/mafia2/review.html

No mention of checkpoints straight from the anus of Satan, and they specifically mention the shooting, the combat, the storyline, and the set-pieces as outstanding features. Who to believe, eh?

[Rudi von Starnberg]

The bit about the 1940s winter setting sounds amazing.

[FuzzyDunlop]

I know it's a very apologist sort of thing to say, but I do wonder how long they spent with the game. The fact that they barely mention the story or the content of the missions (you know, the stuff that anyone who had played the first game would want to know about, not whether you can cause GTA style mayhem) suggests that this might have been an 'hour at the publishers' offices' job.

I'd be interested to know what the writing is like as well, seeing as it stood out as one of the best features of the original game.

I guess I'd re-evaluate their opinion if the entire structure of the game doesn't revolve around driving/riding from A to B for a firefight. Which is,annoyingly, what every single Rockstar open world game seems to revolve around.

Definitely not worth a day one purchase though.

[JPR]

PCGamer gives it 78%, which by the magazine ranking is good, enjoyable, well built just falling short of greatness. Love the sound of the city, I'd much rather have something like that which feels more alive and I can make my own fun in than something lifeless full of minigames.

In ten hours of criminality, 2K Czech have made the perfect elegy to the mafia movie. Could have been more of a game, though.

[Shevchenko]

http://www.next-gen.biz/features/mafia-ii-review.

6 from Edge. I'd think I will wait till it drops half price in a few weeks.

[Vulgar Monkey]

I'll wait to see what the day one purchasers here say about it, since I have to wait for a new telly to be delivered anyway.

However, having played and loved the original, I too feel they're missing the point entirely. Mafia 1 had exactly the same structure as this one, by the sounds of it, and it worked fine. The key thing for this game is to get the story right, it needs to be suitably epic. But if anyone involved in the originals story is in on this, again it should be ok.

I do agree the lipsyncing is less than stellar, though.

The comba in the demo took a little getting used to for me, but once I had it was fine, by no means spectacular but certainly not 'bad'.

[Dave White]

condensed action with a great story is all i ask for and the gunplay, combat, driving and even stealth are all sound it seems.

[mr_woo]

Fuck reviews, I'm really looking forward to this after playing the demo. Is it bad of me that I'm interested in the 360 version so as I can trade it in later since I'm low on the monies ? The PC version is undoubtedly the one to get as it looks lovely but then it might be in a sale later on this xmas....... I'll be getting it either way though.

[KriessG]

Fuck Eurogamer. I know this bad boy has a great story, epic setting, characters, atmosphere, car handling and for what it was aimed to be (a fun single player jaunt) this is definately an 80% game. Wankers.

[Vin]

The screen tearing in the demo was fucking abominable, though.

[mr_woo]

The screen tearing in the demo was fucking abominable, though.

I watched the Giantbomb quicklook which was on the 360 and fuck that, I'll be getting the PC version for definite now, even if I can't trade it in.

[sofasurfer]

Twice I have tried to order this off of Gamegears whilst they had it on the 360 for £31.50 and twice they have said my payment failed. Funny how none of my other items I have ordered over the last few days have had any problems. Oh well......I suppose I will just wait until it goes nice and cheap. A shame really as I quite enjoyed the demo.

[Rudi von Starnberg]

So hey guys anyone else pre-ordered this on Steam? Don't want to wait for the Friday release date?

Install Mafia II from this link: steam://install/50130

Then create steam_appid.txt containing 50130 to steamapps\common\mafia ii\pc and start from Mafia2.exe.

I can confirm that this works like a charm. I just played the first hour and a half of the game while having lunch.

I really love it so far. Even though it's obviously a super-controlled environment initially, the illusion of life in the city is superb. The walk home from the taxi blew me away.

The game isn't afraid to build up the characters and world, and I really like that. It nails the atmosphere, and the little combat there was so far - in the very beginning of the game - was pretty damn nice.

[Mr. O]

Twice I have tried to order this off of Gamegears whilst they had it on the 360 for £31.50 and twice they have said my payment failed. Funny how none of my other items I have ordered over the last few days have had any problems. Oh well......I suppose I will just wait until it goes nice and cheap. A shame really as I quite enjoyed the demo.

GameCollection have it for £30.99 for 360 and PS3

[BrerLappin]

So hey guys anyone else pre-ordered this on Steam? Don't want to wait for the Friday release date?

I can confirm that this works like a charm. I just played the first hour and a half of the game while having lunch.

I really love it so far. Even though it's obviously a super-controlled environment initially, the illusion of life in the city is superb. The walk home from the taxi blew me away.

The game isn't afraid to build up the characters and world, and I really like that. It nails the atmosphere, and the little combat there was so far - in the very beginning of the game - was pretty damn nice.

you bloody beautiful bastard!!!

Gonna try this tonight!