With 2K Games set to strong-arm Mafia II into stores on August 24, I had the opportunity to play a demo of the PS3 version at Sony's Holiday showcase in NYC. The build had a brief taste of game's driving and shooting mechanics and featured spectacular visuals, deadly enemy AI, partially destructible environments and some excellently acted and voiced cinematic sequences. So far, 2K's Czech studios has crafted a dynamic, violent crime saga with what's looking to be a richly developed plot. Granted, a great deal of what's here is clearly inspired by Rockstar's epic GTA juggernaut. However, the time period and overall visual quality of Mafia II's Empire Bay looks as it will be a bit more realistic in some aspects.
The demo was in two sections: first an intro to main character Vito with a quick tutorial on movement and driving as he had to head out of his apartment and drive to a warehouse location after receiving a phone call. The second part of the demo was action-packed with bullets flying and bodies dropping, showing off the excellent targeting system and the aforementioned enemy AI. Poor Vito got killed twice during my hands-on, once as I rushed past an enemy I thought had fallen over after I took him down and the second time from a surprise shotgun blast from a stairway. These guys don't stand still and wait around once you start shooting. Enemies will head for and use cover, try to flank you and in general, make every shootout a workout. I didn't get to try the hand to hand combat in the demo, but I have high hopes that it's as fun as the gunplay.
2k Czech's proprietary Illusion Engine can render some amazing character models and environments complete with plenty of lighting, weather and other realistic effects. The game actually uses two different color palettes to separate its post-war 40's and 50's settings. the early portions of the game have a more nostalgic, almost muted scheme while the 50's are brighter and almost cheerful, reflecting America's more optimistic consumerist mood. Of course, an arty guy like me picked up on this just by watching the trailers and gameplay footage after the demo, but the game also has some really snappy, really funny literate writing. One example: after a certain character is shot in the groin (ouch) there's a hilarious exchange afterward about getting him to a doctor that's priceless and made me want to get a copy of the game script so I could read more prime lines like that.
The demo ended on a very cool cliffhanger on a bridge as Vito and his crew are trapped by the police that I hope is continued in the final version. As a fan of the first game, it's really nice to see the same developer take what worked and improve on it so greatly for the sequel. Then again, that's to be expected with something like seven years between chapters. Overall, Mafia II is looking very much like a solid and engaging experience definitely geared toward a more mature gaming crowd that appreciates the big picture rather than pieces of a whole. Of course, 2K also plans to support the release with DLC packs, but more on those later. Now, I just need to make time to review the final version. Schedule, consider that hole definitely punched. Mafia II will hit stores on August 24 for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.
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