Customer Ratings & Reviews

Mafia II is set in 1943 to 1951 in a fictional city of Empire Bay, USA, a city so familiar with crime, you'd assume Congress vacations there after time spent in Washington D.C.. There's definitely crime afoot in Empire Bay. The city is controlled by three families, and the question is who are you going to befriend and who are you going to kill? You play as protagonist, Vito Scaletta, a Sicilian immigrant who doesn't understand his father (who drowns when he's a younger age), loves his mama, and loves making money. Vito is injured in World War II and is released home for a bit. His best friend, Joe Barbaro, is involved in the mob and does his friend a little favor by getting Vito out on permanent leave. From there, Vito slowly and surely gets involved in the mafia himself, giving you all the ups and downs of the 1940s/1950s and the life of a mobster. Anyone familiar with an open-world game knows how the game pans out. You travel a lot, you can do what you want, and you complete story missions. This game isn't as open as others in some regards. For instance, beating the game doesn't allow you to just continue in Empire Bay. As a matter of fact, the only way to get back in the game is to jump into a previous chapter or to start the game over again. It feels a little behind the times, especially since the original Mafia allowed a free-roam mode. There's really not much to do outside of the main story. The side quest you pick up are strictly just thing to unlock Trophies, which is a bummer since I'm sure the Red Dead Redemption system of hunting down criminals (or in this case, taking jobs to put hits on random people) would have made the experience a little more lengthy. The game does go for a 10 hour run, and while the entire 10 hours is exciting, the game feels like it just ends. It's length isn't the only issue. On my run-through, I played on hard mode and really, the game is quite easily beaten in this mode. Sure, I died a few times, but it really never even turns into a challenge until the last three chapters of the game. The cops are completely pointless in the game. They're idiots. They loose you at any turn, they hardly put any pressure on you, and it feels like 2K Czech wanted the game to be 'fun' instead of a challenge. The cops rarely pull you over for anything, which I was highly disappointed in. I've ran past cops going 120 MPH on several occasions, only to have them swerve out of the way. The system is very broken. The combat is a bit generic, but it works. It's the cover system, where you pop out and shoot the ducks that appear before you. Sadly, you can not do a drive by on pedestrians, cops, or rival gang members. Vito likes to keep his hand on the wheel. The guns are fun to play around with. They range from a variety of pistols to the infamous Chicago typewriter. Mostly, you'll end up using the same weapon throughout the game. I used the shotgun more than any weapon. The only time I really needed to switch was if there was a crowd of mobsters or they're just too far away. There's also fist fighting, which leads to a game of jabbing a guy in the face over and over until you can finish him off. I didn't enjoy the fighting as much. Most of the time, you're going to just use the jab button instead of just opening fire on the guy with full force. It's fun, but it would have been nice to see counter-moves in some fashion. Driving is unrealistic in some manners, and I'm thankful for that. There's also no 'racing missions'. The only race you have to do is a race against the clock during one mission, and it's pretty easy. There's a ton of cars, and what's cool outside of collecting them, is the cars change according to the era you're in. Newer models will appear, older ones become more rare. I also liked fixing up my cars and the need to get gas. There's just something about running out of gas in a video game that feels refreshing. Mafia II is definitely a title you'll remember, but much like a movie, when you're done, you're done. The DLC looks promising, but it's all a matter of time.

It feels like GTA San Andreas And Many Other Great Games but with better graphics and much more!!! Awesome story!!! Lots of excitement!!! It will keep you awaken for several days!!! I already played the full game 3 times!!! You must own it!!! Cheers...

'Mafia II' is of a rare (and possibly, sadly dying) breed in the realm of video games: That of the 'pure' gameplay experience. One with an objective in mind, doing what it can to keep you focused on solely that, instead of what so many other titles do. Throwing lots of extras the player's way in the hopes that they will overlook the shortcomings of the main foundation (I'm specifically thinking of the sixth-generation 'Grand Theft Auto' games). Unfortunately, a large majority of gamers (likely THE majority) are fine with this, and have even turned on those titles which DON'T try to distract the player with a lot of inconsequential content. Having said that, it should be no surprise that many have been disappointed by 'Mafia II' for putting virtually all of it's focus on the storyline and next to none on outside activities (one can sell any vehicle to a certain character or collect high-end vehicles for another, as well as gather collectibles, but these neither add or detract anything substantial from the main game). The story, characters and the city (Empire Bay) itself are the real stars of the game (though the open world allows for very diverse gameplay, which is also highly polished, fortunately), so if you're a gamer looking to dive out of helicopters or drive tanks thru city streets, you had better look elsewhere. The plot is majestic overall, and even takes some unexpected turns which work in it's favor. It tackles a lot (at a mostly wonderful pace) and surprisingly nails most of it, though a few notable events are either left open or brushed over, unfortunately. Another unexpected disappointment is that 'Mafia II's predecessor contains a lengthier storyline than it (by approximately 15%). This doesn't mean the game is short, as the first game's storyline could be compared to the length of 'Grand Theft Auto IV's, but it is surprising to see a sequel like this not last as long for a single playthru. The script is great, and the actors really bring out the characters. My only gripe here is the heavy reliance on expletives to get points across. Characters curse so much that it dulls their usage of the words most times, and they sometimes curse so much that important dialogue can get lost in the midst of it. And the characters themselves are extremely interesting. Now, I'll admit that I'm a sucker for nearly any type of gangster fiction, but usually when I think back and evaluate the characters, most of them not only commit despicable deeds but are in fact outright despicable people. And while there are definitely some of those here, only one is glorified in any way (much to my annoyance), and it's made clear that such people are the greater evil even amongst hardened criminals. But aside from the aforementioned character's seemingly sympathetic portrayal, the single gripe I have in this section is that several characters need more development, in my opinion. They're well-written enough to make themselves feel quite established, but some more time with everyone would have been great. Now onto Empire Bay. The fictional city 'Mafia II' is set in is not only gorgeous, it's filled with tons of atmosphere, from the snowy days of the second World War when you're likely to hear 'Praise The Lord And Pass The Ammunition' on the radio to the rock 'n' rolling 50s when Buddy Holly will probably be blaring on car stereos. Of course there's always room for improvement, and some have made known their belief that Empire Bay was under-utilised, despite the gun stores, body shops, gas stations and other (non-essential) locations that take up a great portion of the map. The gameplay features much of what one would reasonably expect: Lots of shooting and driving. But as stated before, 'Mafia II's open world allows the game more diverse objectives (sneaking items out of a government building, selling items to specific individuals within a limited amount of time, winning a fist-fight tournament, ditching a corpse, and more I won't spoil), which keeps things more interesting than most story-driven games. And it should be noted that the gunplay is one of 'Mafia II's greatest strengths (though you can tweak the sensitivity and toggle auto-aim if you're struggling), with fairly realistic reactions from enemies, a great assortment of weapons, and some downright iconic set-pieces for the shootouts. The driving is awesome, in my opinion, as vehicles actually handle very appropriately, according to their make and model (again, players can toggle between 'Simulation' and 'Normal' modes of driving if they don't care for the more realstic aspects). All in all, I would say this is a classic title on par with it's predecessor (a now-recognized classic which doesn't measure up to 'Mafia II' in many ways, but still excels in ways that the sequel didn't quite live up to) that should not be missed by any fan of story-driven games.

I was looking forward to another game similar to the godfather or saints row........WAY OFF. Very few things about this game were good. Once you start the story you are stuck in the story and have very little chances to do some free roam. Also, the story mode is it, there are no side missions or extra's like in GTA or Saints row. I enjoy buying property and owning several safe houses in free roam games. In MafiA 2 you dont have a choice what or where your safe house is. What i really hated was that, after you completed a mission the game saved and did not save again until you completed the next mission. So if you are able to do some free roam, you cannot save anything you do until you do the next mission....in other words if you get killed by the cops between missions you start over to where the last mission ended and you loose everything you did. Dont waste you money.

I love this game, by driving in some of these nice old cars and listening to the music that my parents liked. You can say the gameplay was similar to GTA, but at the end I was really disappointed when it came back the main menu which made me think there was no free roam. Now the DLC they have keep busy with this game and now a new DLC coming soon! This game has really easy trophies if you don't mind re-playing it. I LOVED the collections (not the wanted posters)!

i just got facinated with the 1st one (though the pc version was way better than the ps2 one) the plot, story line, the guns everything about it was awesome, even the voice acting so im really expecting the same for this one but of course in HD, so im counbting my days to the release date and i hope they dont moce the release date again

I won't be someone who compares this to any GTA game, because that would be insulting the iconic franchise. Mafia II is boring in almost every aspect. Average gameplay, terrible car handling, boring characters. The only thing redeeming is the graphics and the ending. Everything else is meh.

Having purchased Mafia II PS3 game as a Christmas gift for myself, I am so far very satisfied with it. The first thing I liked about the game was that I could choose the level, from beginner to advanced, and this defined the difficulty of the missions making the game interesting for a wide range of players. Secondly, the character's environment is very detailed. You get to grab a bite or a beer at a diner, open the water in the kitchen and even flush the toilet, which I thought was cute. There is a variety of missions you can take upon, although you might also wander around the city driving your car and exploring New York after World War II. The storyline is consistent, and you feel like you are taking part in making a movie, as the character's life unwraps in front of you. Take all that and price it at $19.99 - what else could you wish for? I love the game, and I would definitely recommend it.

Overall the game is very fun. It does have some challenging missions. It's a little slow at times with the story line, but that is me comparing it to GTA.

I have loved this game from beginning to end. It keeps you guessing all the way through. It also was a very fun game. You will love this game and love the cars and the guns and all the action. great game

Warning ! Not appropriate for kids !!! This game has it's style like GTA. Nicely done. If you don't like playing old days (1940's - 50's), driving antiq cars, having gameplay with lots of cutscene, lots of F word, violence, than this game is not for you. Personaly I realy enjoed this game. Gimme Mafia 3 !!!!!!!!!!!

Everything about the game was good, except that it was too short. At least with the PS3 edition, you get the free add on content. I expected a more open gameplay, like in GTA, but it had a more linear storyline. Where you basically go from one mission to the next.

My fiance said he really loves this game. He started playing it as soon as it arrived in the mail.

Make sure you buy the Book otherwise it is tough finding all of the Playmate Books. The one issue with the game is it freezes once and a while. A fun GAME!!!

I was told this game was going to be better than GTA4 and Saints Row 2. It was not. The game was just a huge rip off of all the mafia movies like Godfather and Goodfellas. Very little in the game was original. I beat the game in about 4 hours. Once I finished the game I could not continue to play my saved file. There is no freedom in the game, your stuck doing the main story line and thats it. There was almost no challenge in the game. I was not happy with this game at all, if your looking to buy it, just wait till they drop the price. I am sure that wont be to long.

grate game have not yet played it but me and my brother looked at everything about it and we cant wait to get it we have grand theft auto 4 we think this is a better game

This game was a complete ripoff by the developer. Only about 10 hours of gameplay and there is no free roam after completing the game. Most of the missing features are part of the add on you are expected to buy Jimmy's Vendetta. So in essence you are paying for half of a game and being extorted to buy the second half. Great game but a complete rip off. Buyer beware.

Was a good game until coming to the end, then I found out I could not 'complete' the game because there is a 'slight' bug in the game. Had to redo the entire 2nd last chapter in order to be able to get the game to load the last chapter. 2K claims they will make a fix available but that has been a while now....disappointing and must say never had such a problem with a PS3 game in the past Also, graphics are much poorer than the PC version.

this game is slooped together like my food in the cafeteria. its not finished and i didn't bother finishn it. And where is Joe pesci or pepsi ? he is in all the good mafia movie, why not here ? When i started playing i threw up. thats how bad it was

Very good video game i recommend for all people...