Mafia II

 PC
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2462 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,897 out of 2462
  2. Mixed: 447 out of 2462
  3. Negative: 118 out of 2462
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. JohnnyOnTheShot
    Nov 24, 2012
    6
    This game was either rushed through production or the money to produce it ran out... because the game is phenominal at first but way, way, way too short. It seems like they put every mission as far away from the others as possible so you spend more time driving than playing the game, but the story line is solid and give a wonderful cinematic feel. It's really too bad that the game is tooThis game was either rushed through production or the money to produce it ran out... because the game is phenominal at first but way, way, way too short. It seems like they put every mission as far away from the others as possible so you spend more time driving than playing the game, but the story line is solid and give a wonderful cinematic feel. It's really too bad that the game is too short. The DLC does not really fix this problem as Jimmy's vendetta lacks all of the cinematic cut-scenes that made the main game good and Joe's Adventure starts off right, with the great cinematic storyline, but sputters out too soon... just like the main game.… Expand
  2. AWG
    Aug 11, 2013
    7
    Mafia II has great things in it: a stunning set of renderings, an interesting story, well-built characters, funny lines, nice guns and cars, awesome musics... This game would easily be a solid 9 if it wasn't for its big design flaws. What's the point of a dodge system like this? Why the open world if there's no side quests? What's with ALL that driving around? Why does the Police chase meMafia II has great things in it: a stunning set of renderings, an interesting story, well-built characters, funny lines, nice guns and cars, awesome musics... This game would easily be a solid 9 if it wasn't for its big design flaws. What's the point of a dodge system like this? Why the open world if there's no side quests? What's with ALL that driving around? Why does the Police chase me for miles if I slightly touch another car but totally ignores the fact that I'm driving full-speed, wrong-way on the highway?
    I loved this game, but I also hated this game.    … Expand
  3. MysteriousRage
    Jul 29, 2013
    7
    A well written story with well written characters with some memorable moments and a fantastic set location that suffers from
    A.) Linearity- In this massive open world of 40s-50s New York, all you do is relatively linear missions.
    B.) Repetitive missions- Generally it consists of you going to Point A, get a cutscene, go to Point B, do some cover based shooting, go home and go to bed and    A well written story with well written characters with some memorable moments and a fantastic set location that suffers from
    A.) Linearity- In this massive open world of 40s-50s New York, all you do is relatively linear missions.
    B.) Repetitive missions- Generally it consists of you going to Point A, get a cutscene, go to Point B, do some cover based shooting, go home and go to bed and wake up and start it all over.
    C.) Nothing to do- With a world like this, there's nothing more to do beyond the campaign. Unless you want to deliberately dick around.

    Still for what's it's worth, it has a great story too it (if you want to put up with the large amount of cutscenes) with a some good characters (including a likable protagonist) and a couple of memorable set pieces/ missions and of course 40s-50s NY always looks good.    … Expand
  4. WillKill
    Dec 2, 2010
    7
    BETTER THAN GTA! I really love the whole Mafia idea. This game steals all the cliche you can imagine from The Godfather, but that's what I would really like anyways. It plays surprisingly linear for an open world game, but the story is fantastic. There are many surprises and jaw dropping moments. Not to mention the cars are loads of fun to drive. The DLCs (I have them all) are great also.BETTER THAN GTA! I really love the whole Mafia idea. This game steals all the cliche you can imagine from The Godfather, but that's what I would really like anyways. It plays surprisingly linear for an open world game, but the story is fantastic. There are many surprises and jaw dropping moments. Not to mention the cars are loads of fun to drive. The DLCs (I have them all) are great also. "Jimmy's Vendetta" is, well, crap- but it lets you roam free world and collect cars. I highly recommend this game to anyone of mature age.… Expand
  5. Metalhead11
    Oct 28, 2010
    7
    I think that the story is really good, The Mafia games have the best stories I've every played. Mafia 2 is an excellent game with fun missions, but it's really short and there's really nothing to do when you're done with the game. It's an incredibly good game with amazing graphics and fun missions, but the story is short and there isn't any end-play.
  6. jangers
    Dec 20, 2013
    7
    Fantastic climate of USA 40 and 50 years, interesting characters, great visual binding, great developed storyline but very linear. Driving, shooting & cover model was well made but melee fight was poorly done. The game is nice, but the game does not offer such freedom.
  7. csabber
    May 11, 2014
    7
    Mafia II brings a great city and gorgeous graphics, but sadly the lack of content and other serious flaws don’t allow the game to live up to the expectations and for that matter to its prequel.

    MORE ON: http://prosncons.22web.org/ + Mafia II is one of the best looking games that was released in the year 2010. Characters and facial impressions are especially great, but the design of    Mafia II brings a great city and gorgeous graphics, but sadly the lack of content and other serious flaws don’t allow the game to live up to the expectations and for that matter to its prequel.

    MORE ON: http://prosncons.22web.org/

    + Mafia II is one of the best looking games that was released in the year 2010. Characters and facial impressions are especially great, but the design of Empire Bay and all the little details like cars or clothes are all authentic.
    + When it comes to open world games it’s always a breath of fresh air when the devs change the game’s setting from a modern day metropolis to the wild west or in this case: the fifties.
    + Motion cap and truthful facial expressions wouldn’t sell the story by itself, but the voice cast is also excellent. Voice actors of the game, especially of those of Vito’s and Joe’s give great performances to elevate the scenes.
    + While in most of the similar open world games, like GTA, the police are there just because they have to be, in Mafia II they actually do their job. When you break the speed limit, pass through a red light or crash a car in the traffic, they will pursue your car and arrest or fine you. Based of the seriousness of the felony they will intensify your pursuit. And actually they can remember you clothes or the plate number of the car you were driving. It’s not perfect, but at least it tries and succeeds in many ways.

    ~ The chapter-based progress of the game isn’t the most suited for and open world game. This type of mission structure simply discourages the player to roam in the city.
    ~ While the voice work and animations are great, you simply can’t connect with the characters. They act, most of the time like droids without any morals. Killing a dozen people? Sure. Betraying a friend? Why not. At the end of the game you’ll look on Vito as he is soul-less bastard…which he is, based on his actions.

    - At first sight Mafia II reveals itself as an open world game, but honestly and sadly it’s not true at all. It has a very linear mission design that leaves no room for exploration. You always have a task to do or a place to go leaving no room for exploration. Creating a great city and not use it properly is a major overkill.
    - Simply put: it’s too short. There are fifteen missions of which only a couple last longer than an hour, stretching the game time to around 9 hours total. That wouldn’t be THAT big a deal but…
    - …there are no side activities to speak of. It’s an abuse to this great city. When you finish the campaign, you are done with Empire Bay sadly, and there’s nothing to come back for.
    - The story isn’t the strongest either. It’s full of clichés and stereotypes. At one time it seems that it’ll try to explore different routes, but soon after goes back to the overused formula. War between families and gangs, everybody is betraying everybody else, and latter is portrayed even at the very end of the game.

    Time to beat: 9 hours
    Replay Value: 1/5
    In one word: Step Back
    On P’n’C scale: One Timer
    Must give points: 70

    MORE ON: http://prosncons.22web.org/    … Expand
  8. jamesphillip198
    Sep 14, 2013
    7
    I like the game, I haven't enjoyed it as much as Mafia I, but still enjoyed it pretty much. Just didn't like that they didn't include Free-Ride and Free-Ride Extreme. After you complete the game, there's nothing else you can do. Mechanics, soundtrack and graphics are nice, but the soundtrack and vehicles doesn't match to historical date (maybe for the sake of gameplay.) I prefered Mafia 1I like the game, I haven't enjoyed it as much as Mafia I, but still enjoyed it pretty much. Just didn't like that they didn't include Free-Ride and Free-Ride Extreme. After you complete the game, there's nothing else you can do. Mechanics, soundtrack and graphics are nice, but the soundtrack and vehicles doesn't match to historical date (maybe for the sake of gameplay.) I prefered Mafia 1 story, but this one is well-written as well. Good game.… Expand
  9. dandalis
    Oct 24, 2016
    7
    Really engaging Mafioso story, setting and main characters, suprisingly good gunplay, nicely detailed world that never gets used to its fullest being mostly boring and empty when youre off missions, driving mission to mission takes away too much time you could have spent on something else in your life, driving mechanics themselves are trying too hard to be realistic but can become annoyingReally engaging Mafioso story, setting and main characters, suprisingly good gunplay, nicely detailed world that never gets used to its fullest being mostly boring and empty when youre off missions, driving mission to mission takes away too much time you could have spent on something else in your life, driving mechanics themselves are trying too hard to be realistic but can become annoying as hell in the end, i think they should have made the game linear in nature because its clear that this is a inferior open world experience compared to original Mafia. Overall flawed game, but flaws can be overlooked if a great story is what youre after.… Expand
  10. Magnanimous_j
    May 6, 2011
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Long story short: Its a B- game that is very disappointing to anyone who loved the original. The first Mafia was a love letter to really old cars. You had a huge garage (which somehow made sense) where you collected them, start to finish. Mafia II, cars, even though a good chunk of your time is spent behind the wheel, you could drive the first car you get through the whole game and not miss much. Most of the cars handle the same. The story in Mafia II is a MESS. It starts out really promising, establishing characters, motives, etc, then falls apart. It feels like the game was originally twice as long and they edited out major scenes to save length or something. By the climax, you have no real idea why your shooting it out with the guy your fighting. Speaking of combat, the same problems in the first one crop up in the sequel. Combat in Mafia II is really fun, I won't take that away from it. But in such a story driven game, its problematic. Accidentally killing a minor character in one part of the game spawns a whole mission where you have to sneakily dispose of the body and smooth things over with the powers that be. Fine, that's Mob Movie 101: The old guard doesn't approve what the reckless cowboy young gangsters are doing. The problem is that one mission earlier, you wasted 30 guys in broad daylight and never heard about it again. The biggest complaint: No free ride, WTF?… Expand
  11. masteratt
    Sep 2, 2010
    7
    First of all: All comparisons to GTA (and any other game) are moot in my opinion, they are not even trying to do the same thing, not even close. And on the game: If you are looking for a story driven game (story is good but not super amazing), that is strictly mission based (missions are mostly good), then this game is for you. It is nothing more, nothing less.
  12. Air
    Aug 27, 2010
    7
    If you're looking for a good third-person cover shooter with some minimal open world elements, then Mafia II is surely the game for you. However, should you be looking for anything more than that, then you might play this game feeling unfulfilled. The high point of this game is in its presentation, where it truly immerses you into the 1940's, and you could tell that it really tookIf you're looking for a good third-person cover shooter with some minimal open world elements, then Mafia II is surely the game for you. However, should you be looking for anything more than that, then you might play this game feeling unfulfilled. The high point of this game is in its presentation, where it truly immerses you into the 1940's, and you could tell that it really took advantage of this era when it provides 40's music (whether you like it or not) all the way to the clothing styles. It's all very intricate and nice to look at, even if there are some elements that seem to be added in with no purpose (such as the ability to turn on sinks and flush toilets).

    However, apart from this, Mafia II is a pretty average third-person shooter. Nothing prolific, but still fun to play. Don't expect a fun open world game such as Grand Theft Auto, because Mafia II seems to really discourage you from toying around in the beautiful New York rendition they had crafted. For example, there are no side missions, few enterable buildings, and your time to explore is limited to a few sections during missions. And as such, Mafia II doesn't feel like a Sandbox game, but rather a third-person shooter taking place in a somewhat open-world environment.

    Gameplay consists of shooting from the third person perspective, cover playing a large role. Most cover can be destroyed easily, which adds a cool perspective to combat. Weapon selection is standard, and there really isn't anything here that hasn't been done before in other third-person shooters. When you are not participating in these gunfights, you will often be doing some tedious driving missions which are long-winded and unnecessary.

    However, the story is what is really going to hook people in to buy Mafia II. So, is it any good? Well, if you look at it by itself without any knowledge of other mobster films, then I suppose it is an alright story, but since I'm sure we've all watched Goodfellas and The Godfather, then Mafia II seems unoriginal and downright boring at times, but does have some very cool moments amidst the tedium.

    I had really hyped up this game due to its predecessor being groundbreaking and great fun, and Mafia II was slightly disappointing. But in its own right, its a fun game; nothing special. You'll likely be hooked to it until the finish, don't expect a clean resolution. The setpiece battles can be quite visceral at times, and everything in the game works with few bugs.

    Overall, I don't think you should go into this game with the high expectations that the original Mafia may have brought, but as a third-person shooter with nothing to hide, Mafia II is a good game. Even without a true open world structure, the world still manages to feel massive and alive, and the 40's environment is used to its fullest potential.    … Expand
  13. wordy_actions
    Aug 23, 2011
    5
    A beautiful game filled with nothing to do. The game developers have crafted a large and well-designed city. However, there's almost nothing to do beyond driving from mission to mission. The combat is a generic third-person cover based shooter which we've all seen before. The game's pace is slow, and with nothing beyond doing story missions there's little depth here or free-roaming. TheA beautiful game filled with nothing to do. The game developers have crafted a large and well-designed city. However, there's almost nothing to do beyond driving from mission to mission. The combat is a generic third-person cover based shooter which we've all seen before. The game's pace is slow, and with nothing beyond doing story missions there's little depth here or free-roaming. The story and voice-acting is fine, but it's not enough to prop up an ultimately boring game.… Expand
  14. grandpajoe6191
    Nov 8, 2011
    7
    "Mafia 2" is a good game to enjoy. If you can live on with a 8 hour campaign and a linear story driven story, you'll love this. The graphics are undeniably sweet as well as the keyboard controls. If you have time to spare, try playing it.
  15. CastleFox
    Jul 23, 2011
    7
    Review REVISITED:

    I finished the Mafia II game. The in-game stats said I played 16 hours. I'm really on the fence with this one because there are so many things I like but a few things I really don't like. I'll categorize my Pros, Cons, and Recommendations to the developers. PROS 1. Great story line that draws you in. Good Cut scenes. 2. Great Graphics and design 3. Great sound tracks    Review REVISITED:

    I finished the Mafia II game. The in-game stats said I played 16 hours. I'm really on the fence with this one because there are so many things I like but a few things I really don't like. I'll categorize my Pros, Cons, and Recommendations to the developers. PROS
    1. Great story line that draws you in. Good Cut scenes. 2. Great Graphics and design
    3. Great sound tracks from the 40's and 50's. I LOVE THE 1950's time period. You feel like you really are in the time period. 4.Weather and Lighting - Amazing job with the lighting. Morning feels like morning with the sun light correctly highlighting on buildings and cars. Evening feels like evening. And night is night. The Snow and Ice is a nice change from dry pavement in so many games. 5. Audio Design is great! Good sound effects and top quality sounds. 6. The story really pulls you in and you keep playing to see what happens next. I actually cared about what was happening to the characters in the game. I found myself saying (WTF) a few times out loud as the story progressed and a few surprises popped up I didn't expect. 6. Shoot Outs. I love the shoot outs! The Duck and Cover ability and the weapons. You feel like you are really in an action movie in a gun fight. The PhysX are great too with bullet holes, breaking glass, sparks and fire. Awesome! Over all the feel and design was a #10. But I only gave it a 7 due to the CONS listed below. CONS.

    1. Too short. (Play on at least Medium or HARD level to extend the playability of this game. It's only about 15 chapters long and it ends fast. It's way too short for $30 dollar game.
    There is content you can download like cars and clothes, but half the time you spend changing your clothes because you are wanted by the police, or using different cars anyway. For a game that has very little RE-PLAY value, it doesn't make the extra content worth having. (Yes, I purchased 2 content packs) 2. MOST of the driving physics are modeled very real. However the control of the cars is frustrating and not that fun. It feels like you are always fighting just to drive the car. For a game that is centered so heavily around DRIVING it's a real CON. But not bad enough to not play. Just annoying. 3. Vehicle Views is another huge CON for me. The 3rd person car camera RESETS to a default position every time you try and get a different angle or view while driving. It's very annoying. (Developers, it should be more like GTA4 where you can keep the camera position where you want it when driving. The second CON is when using the HOOD CAM or Full View Driving Cam you can't move your view to check for traffic when crossing streets or making turns. This is a HUGE problem. It makes the other views pretty much worthless. If you are going to have so much driving in a game, you need to make sure these issues are FIXED!

    Over all I loved the feel and style of the game. It ended a bit abrupt as if the developers wanted an excuse to create Mafia 3. It leaves you saying..."Eh, What? That's the end?" If the game wasn't $30 bucks, it wouldn't be a huge deal since there are other Downloadable missions and content. I didn't pay full price ($7 bucks on Steam) but for a $30 dollar game it needed more. And idea would be to sell the BASE GAME and Story for a lower price of $9.99 and then sell additional story packs for $5 bucks. You would make more money and players would get more game time and not feel ripped off. Just an idea. I'd buy extra story packs if the base game was cheaper and a bit longer. Hope this helps the creators as well as the potential players of this game. (LOVED THE 1950'S MUSIC AND THEME! A great and refreshing change!)    … Expand
  16. Reize
    Jan 3, 2011
    6
    I bought Mafia 2 expecting an epic open world gangster game, this is clearly not the case. The story, voice acting and cinematics are outstanding, but the grand city of Empire Bay feels rather hollow and empty. There are a couple of clothing stores to customize Vito Scaletta's appearance, and some body shops to paint and upgrade your cars, but soon you realize that you can do just as wellI bought Mafia 2 expecting an epic open world gangster game, this is clearly not the case. The story, voice acting and cinematics are outstanding, but the grand city of Empire Bay feels rather hollow and empty. There are a couple of clothing stores to customize Vito Scaletta's appearance, and some body shops to paint and upgrade your cars, but soon you realize that you can do just as well with a dusty old family car as an upgraded 50000 dollar sports-car, and that the clothing options are rather thin. And if you want to go out and explore the city you will have to do so in between two checkpoints in a mission. The whole city feels like a big tease. Now, the game itself is good, gunfights are entertaining (though certainly not challenging, even on the highest difficulty) and the overall game mechanic is good, but it doesn't reach higher than that. Mafia 2 is a game you will play for the story and the atmosphere. Simply put: Good but not great.… Expand
  17. huevosbenedicto
    Feb 21, 2011
    7
    'm a big fan of what Mafia 2 does. I really am. The game provides an excellent story with solid graphics and gameplay, but it doesn't provide a bang for your buck at all, in fact it feels unfinished, and for this I wouldn't recommend a full purchase. Let's start with the good points, of which there are many of. The main draw of the game is the plot, which, while being the standard'm a big fan of what Mafia 2 does. I really am. The game provides an excellent story with solid graphics and gameplay, but it doesn't provide a bang for your buck at all, in fact it feels unfinished, and for this I wouldn't recommend a full purchase. Let's start with the good points, of which there are many of. The main draw of the game is the plot, which, while being the standard 8-10 hours, is one of the better of 2010. You play as Vito Scaletta, who came to America with his family when he was a child, and soon fell into small time crime with school buddy Joe. Until, that is, when Mafia 2 takes an unexpected twist, before you've performed any actual gameplay. They show you being arrested and, as the year was 1943, put into the army, to fight with the army in Italy. It's here where you have the tutorial level, in what's a surreal experience, a third-person World War 2 level. After you finish, Vito explains that he got shot a couple of years later, and comes home to Empire Bay for a month's leave, where he meets with Joe and his mother and sister. Joe throws you a solid and orders a forged doctor's note explaining you can't fight anymore, through his connections with the mafia. It's here you begin doing a few errands for the family he's with. After a few levels doing this, Mafia 2 throws unexpected twist number two: you get thrown in the big house. A federal big house, to that. And you actually play some of this time, to which I laughed and made a joke about a mission involving you trying to not drop the soap, something which almost came terrifyingly true. Anyway, you get out 6 years later, meet up with Joe again, and work from there, not giving anything away. Safe to say, the ride you do take is a great one. As mentioned in the intro, both gameplay and graphics are stellar. The shooting controls are mainly Grand Theft Auto style, except with no auto aim, which isn't all too bad. However, sprinting is performed by L1/LT, which has no stamina limit. For actions such as opening a door or jacking a car, there are two options; a quiet option where you either open or pick the lock (a cool new feature) and don't gain attention easily, or a fast, loud option, where you smash everything, which will gain attention. Driving is also GTA-esque, with heavy mid-century cars handling pretty well (and reach impressive 125 mph+ speeds) , although there is no option to perform a drive-by, which is sorely missed. The graphics are very good, with faces looking realistic, but there isn't much chance to appreciate it in the open world. There is, however, one draw back, which drags it down severely: the lack of extra things to do and re- playability. The game is a linear game, i.e. not open world like GTA, which isn't bad by any means, but limits your wondering around. Also, there isn't a "free-roam" option at the end of the game. This makes it quite hard to gauge when to do things in Empire Bay. There are 2 collectibles during the game; wanted posters, which you don't know when to go finding, and there is no incentive to do so. There also isn't a gameplay incentive to collect the Playboy magazines, but you will. You can also buy various clothes, which add to the feel of the game, and some of the suits are pretty sweet. To gain money to do this you can crush or sell cars, apart from completing missions. And that's about it. No multiplayer, which is fine, in fact I prefer single player-orientated games. But there aren't any side missions either, which isn't fine. Why? Because this is an unfinished game. Two contacts appear early in the game; Mike and Derek, and they appear in Level 2. After this, their icons appear on the map, and you can go talk to them, to which they say something on the lines of "Sorry kid, there's nothing for you today." There never is. Ever. Why would they put this in if there aren't any? Because they planned on having some, but then took them out, probably because they ran out of time, for a game they spent a long time working on. And on the internet, I've watched an entire, working level, which didn't appear in the game. Why? Because of creative purposes, I hear you say Take 2? Of course not, because you ran out of time to integrate it , or you couldn't be bothered. And that's what's annoying. Overall, rating wise:
    Gameplay: 8.5
    Graphics: 8.5
    Story: 9
    Lasting Appeal: 5    … Expand
  18. joemama
    Jan 7, 2011
    7
    Graphics : City beautifully rendered, high attention to detail with good variation. Effects well done.
    Sound : Good with excellent voice acting. Awesome music. Story : Average - This is where the game starts to show some cracks in the armor. Imo, 2K should abandoned the strictly linear, movie-style gameplay that worked so well for Mafia. The only way to really capture an audience is with    Graphics : City beautifully rendered, high attention to detail with good variation. Effects well done.
    Sound : Good with excellent voice acting. Awesome music. Story : Average - This is where the game starts to show some cracks in the armor. Imo, 2K should abandoned the strictly linear, movie-style gameplay that worked so well for Mafia. The only way to really capture an audience is with some sort of engaging/interactive gameplay with repercussions to the story.
    Bottom line - for as much as 2K raved about how great the story was going to be, it really wasn't . The suspense/excitement was minimal. I really looked forward to this game coming out ever since they announced, but unfortunately I was left feeling a bit disappointed overall. Maybe the hypothetical Mafia 3 will make amends.    … Expand
  19. MustisTheCat
    Jun 26, 2014
    6
    Painfully mediocre TPP story shooter.
    The main singleplayer took 10 hours to beat, that is good. This game is very uneven in such a way that in some areas it is very nice, in others sub-mediocre. The DLCs are totally worthless.
    STORY Pretty standard Godfellas stuff. Few plots orbiting around one main plot but none of them goes on its own. Some chapters were good whereas some sucked    Painfully mediocre TPP story shooter.
    The main singleplayer took 10 hours to beat, that is good. This game is very uneven in such a way that in some areas it is very nice, in others sub-mediocre. The DLCs are totally worthless.

    STORY
    Pretty standard Godfellas stuff. Few plots orbiting around one main plot but none of them goes on its own. Some chapters were good whereas some sucked royally (example : jail chapter). I was left wanting for more as the story ends abdruptly. I liked the main characters, others were just believable. Pretty good storytelling and dialogues. Enjoyable but way too short.

    GAMEPLAY
    This is where this game underdelivers. There are many bad limitations to the way you get around with your character (example : can`t shoot while in car) and with really no excuse. It feels unfinished because you cannot do what you are normally used to in a TPP sandbox game. There is no ranged melee (you can`t use a club, a knife). Moreover, there isn`t too many types of missions you do, most of them are just go here, wack this guy, go there, deliver this package, rinse and repeat. Some more variety would really be welcome.
    The shooting and guns is very good here and saves the gameplay just enough I could get through the whole game. Nice variety of guns, each gun is different and suitable for different type of engagements. So the shootouts are very nice, it`s just that you don`t get too use them too often (I was hoping for a bank robbery mission but no).
    Also, the cars are very nice. Very fun to drive. Again, each car is little different in a noticeable way. Just not many of types of vehicles so you see the same ones over and over.
    Sadly, the AI buries the shootouts. Your teammates are unable to getby on their own, they do a terrible job of helping you. The enemy AI is super accurate with guns, has flash-like reflexes. As in the Mafia game, the cops are really strong, take three or more bullets to put down. And they appear out of nowhere carrying Thompson machineguns. They act like military veterans, charging you from every corner. They make getting around the town a really frustrating time, and since this is a sandbox type game, you get a lot of coppers shooting you when for example you have 1 minute to perform a bombing mission. So in between taking up assignments you are forced to deal with them when they interfere and it is just very frustrating.
    The customisation options are there, but they leave a lot more to be desired.
    In addition there are some noticeable bugs that took me out of the experience.
    Also, the checkpoint system instead of saves is just horrid. The checkpoints are too far apart in time. So few times I lost about 90 minutes of gameplay because one cop shot me and I had to repeat it.

    GRAPHICS
    Very nice most of the time. The town looks ok, inanimate objects are well detailed, people look good from afar. Interiors of some of the apartments look very cool and detailed. It is the cutscenes that show the weak sides - the complexion on the characters looks nothing like real skin, more like orange couloured concrete.

    Overall a very mixed experience. Was fun in some areas, in others left a bad taste. Not the Mafia game I was hoping for.    … Expand
  20. Edvin048
    Aug 13, 2011
    7
    Mafia 2 is a good game,but it's kinda let down to all "Mafia" fans who waited for this sequel to be longer and better.
    The story is good,but it's kinda short for a Mafia game.The graphics are good but not what was expected to be.Finally this is a pretty good game,but it's kinda bad that it is too short...
  21. sinadoom
    Dec 1, 2013
    7
    Mafia II is a great game, let me just start with that. The guys at Illusion Softworks have done it again. The game engine is fantastic, and makes everything feel realistic. The driving (in simulation mode), the combat, the cover system,the guns, the AI, the lighting, the textures, cutscenes, animations and of course, PhysX are all brilliant. I'd go as far as saying that this game'sMafia II is a great game, let me just start with that. The guys at Illusion Softworks have done it again. The game engine is fantastic, and makes everything feel realistic. The driving (in simulation mode), the combat, the cover system,the guns, the AI, the lighting, the textures, cutscenes, animations and of course, PhysX are all brilliant. I'd go as far as saying that this game's visuals and physics programming are superior to that of GTA IV. On top of that, the game is of good length and has decent characters and a nice story. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE this is not even in the same league compared to the original. The first game really had it cracked the pacing, the level design, the variety, the characters, the story, the soundtrack, the realism etc. Mafia II is still a Mafia game it's not a generic third-person shooter and is character driven, so don't expect much free-roam. I'm glad that this isn't a GTA clone, but in some aspects it has tried to be to appeal to a wider crowd. I felt like this game was heavily influenced by Grand Theft Auto IV. The story and missions aren't anywhere near as special as The City of Lost Heaven, and the characters are more shallow. Joe is almost a clone of Roman from GTA IV. There's also no Free Ride mode as in the first game either. However, what this game manages to do is make you feel like you've actually lived a day in the life of the main character, because each chapter Is packed with content and is of perfect length. Overall the game is a bit more predictable and more generic, and does nothing new. It's pretty much a combination of Mafia and GTA IV, which isn't a bad thing but the story isn't as good as in Mafia 1 and there's no extra content such as multiplayer or free-roam and side missions. It's worth playing if you liked GTA IV but if you're expecting it to even come close to touching the first game on any department, you're gonna be disappointed.… Expand
  22. gilas18
    Oct 20, 2011
    7
    I found the game quite on the awesome side but only for people who likes cars because this game has lots of driving around. Also has very nice graphics if you have a nice PC to play on and the music is simply the best. The downside of this is that the game is too short and to be an interesting game you have to buy all the DLCs which is almost 30â
  23. NShep53
    Jun 2, 2016
    7
    Mafia 2 bills itself as an open-world game. It even has an open-world. But it is not, in fact, an open-world game. A huge negative of this game is besides the story and some of the characters, this game feels lifeless. Yes, there are many different shops and restaurants to go to (hell you can rob them if you want) but there is nothing much to do. The story is the main driving force the ofMafia 2 bills itself as an open-world game. It even has an open-world. But it is not, in fact, an open-world game. A huge negative of this game is besides the story and some of the characters, this game feels lifeless. Yes, there are many different shops and restaurants to go to (hell you can rob them if you want) but there is nothing much to do. The story is the main driving force the of the game. The game is actually a very linear, story based action adventure, that just happens to be set in an open-world.

    The shooting and melee combat are fine. Nothing to write home and about. They certainly do get stale after a few hours. Don't expect anything great here.

    But don't get me wrong, Mafia 2 has positives. The best part of this game is it's atmosphere. It totally looks and feels like you are in 1940s-1950s. The soundtrack is also top-notch with some great songs from the era (though I do not like how most of the songs were actually from the late 50s, while you are in fact in the early part of the decade for the game). If this game did anything right, it was nailing the that old vibe. Because I really felt I was there, blasting some Dean Martin while blasting some mob thugs. It's too bad that everything is just so barren.

    Vito as a main character is great but he does have a few flaws that detract from the experience. For the sake of spoilers though, I'll just say he goes along with everything ALL the time, which seems dumb. It seems like he really doesn't have a mind of his own. But, I still like him as a character (great voice acting).

    So, the story. Every review I have seen says the story is great, the story is amazing, the reason to get this game is the story (aka the point of the game). So how is the story?

    It's the same old mobster story you have heard a million times.

    I know. I can hear the people yelling at this review now. But seriously, if you have seen The Godfather, Goodfellas or any other mob movie, you have already seen this one. EXCEPT one thing, which is the ending (and again no spoilers). All I will say is the ending of this game floored me. Totally unexpected.

    Do I recommend Mafia 2? It depends. If you are a sucker for the time period or Mafia/Mob games, then I will say Yes, go buy it now. But if you are expecting a true open world experience set in the 1950s (like I was) then I would probably say no. It is not that at all. I would advise the people to look up how much cut-content there was for Mafia 2 because there was a lot. This game was going to have over 180 missions and it definitely does not have that. I beat the game in around 10 hours.

    So Final Breakdown:
    +40s-50s Atmosphere
    +Soundtrack
    +Voice Acting is good
    +Graphics are nice for the time
    +Vito as a main character

    -... even though he has questionable character flaws
    -An open-world that is dry and bare bones as it can get
    -cliche'd ridden story (aka every Mob movie ever)
    -3rd person shooting gets boring after a few hours along with its melee fighting    … Expand
  24. natty637
    Oct 16, 2016
    6
    Not a bad game. Pros without a doubt are great story and characters. Really liked the one part where this game connects to it's predecessor. The biggest con for me with this game was lack of additional side quests after completing the main story, which offered little replay incentive. Still recommend giving this game a chance.
  25. Yaz
    Sep 5, 2010
    5
    This game looks good and the general atmosphere is pretty sweet. However, that doesn't make up for poor gameplay: repetitive driving (literally driving across town, watching a short cutscene and then back across town the other way is not fun), whack-a-mole cover-based gunfights, nothing to do except follow the ridiculously linear missions and general lack of depth. When you first startThis game looks good and the general atmosphere is pretty sweet. However, that doesn't make up for poor gameplay: repetitive driving (literally driving across town, watching a short cutscene and then back across town the other way is not fun), whack-a-mole cover-based gunfights, nothing to do except follow the ridiculously linear missions and general lack of depth. When you first start the game you'll be excited to explore the city. Then you will realize that the city is dead beyond a few hat stores.
    The story is fine, not great. The ending isn't as bad as some people would lead you to believe. But in general this a great looking game that has hardly any substance. It's like the developers were told to make a 50s version of GTA, but then halfway through they ran out of money and shipped what they had.    … Expand
  26. NeonAnderson
    Aug 28, 2010
    7
    Having pre-ordered the Digital Deluxe Edition on Steam for this game, my expectations for this game were extremely high. A few months later we received a demo of the game and my expectations remained very high.

    Sadly though the game wasn't quite able to deliver a fully rounded experience. The game comes off at first as an open world sandbox experience, but you shall soon learn that all    Having pre-ordered the Digital Deluxe Edition on Steam for this game, my expectations for this game were extremely high. A few months later we received a demo of the game and my expectations remained very high.

    Sadly though the game wasn't quite able to deliver a fully rounded experience. The game comes off at first as an open world sandbox experience, but you shall soon learn that all the shops in the entire world are just there for no real specific reason!

    This game lacks side quests, the open world free roam is non-existent and if you do decide to free roam a bit and buy some guns, steal a car and buy a new suit. To save all of this you have to actually go and do another entire mission (or part of a mission, till the next save point) just to get all of this saved!

    Since all the game pretty much has is the missions (I would call them main missions, but there are no side quests so they are the only missions) one would expect for them to be top notch. Sadly this is not always the case. The game starts off very slow and it isn't really till after 6 hours into it that it finally picks up, which is most disappointing when the full game is only 13 hours long (on medium difficulty)!

    Story wise it is very emotional and will probably touch your heart at some points, however it never really goes as deep as other experiences do in other games (even GTA 4 has some much more touching moments than Mafia 2 and GTA 4 overall is a pretty far fetched story that is more hilarious than it is serious).

    As to be expected with any Mafia game, people die... even some of your character's best friends. The bummer is that you never really cared much for most of these characters in the first place since you hardly know them!

    One of the main disappointments of this game is that upon finishing chapter 9 you suddenly get greeted with a montage and then when chapter 10 begins the story has skipped quite a lot, this is one of the reasons the game has absolutely no character development. During the main years where you would actually have gotten a chance to work with these characters and get to like them and care for them it just suddenly skips it all with a cheap (and not to mention poor quality pre-recorded) montage!

    Sometimes you have to wonder why game developers chose to use pre-recorded videos instead of in-game cutscenes, especially when the pre-recorded video is just using the in-game engine anyway! This game has some amazing in-game cutscenes using motion capture, high quality voice acting and amazing graphics. Sadly though this game also has pre-recorded cutscenes that are blocky, low quality and look downright awful.    … Expand
  27. Achtung
    Sep 1, 2010
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Grand Theft Mafia.
    The game world is smaller. The story is shorter but better. It is a lineare game. Gameplay is close to ok.
    Graphics are good sound is ok. The songs on the car radio's are nice but after an hour you already heard them all. It is fun to play but no classic.    … Expand
  28. lach1223
    Jan 7, 2014
    7
    This game is pretty solid, and in alot of ways is a toned down version of GTA. The main problem of the game though is that it feels a bit empty and lifeless. Although the city is large, it does feel a bit lacking in substance as there are not many interactive locations like those in GTA. Some of the missions are also very dull, such as going to the fridge to get something to eat orThis game is pretty solid, and in alot of ways is a toned down version of GTA. The main problem of the game though is that it feels a bit empty and lifeless. Although the city is large, it does feel a bit lacking in substance as there are not many interactive locations like those in GTA. Some of the missions are also very dull, such as going to the fridge to get something to eat or answering a call on the telephone. It seems very strange to see exciting shooting missions and then get to the "get something to eat" objectives in between the good missions.… Expand
  29. bdp2166
    Aug 25, 2010
    6
    Alright so pretty much the best things this game has going for it have been said. Beautiful graphics, exciting story, and a great open world. The game really fell short to me on two accounts the first being that the missions dont have any real variety. Its really just run around from cover to cover and shoot people. The second and biggest negative to me was the ending. I wont give anythingAlright so pretty much the best things this game has going for it have been said. Beautiful graphics, exciting story, and a great open world. The game really fell short to me on two accounts the first being that the missions dont have any real variety. Its really just run around from cover to cover and shoot people. The second and biggest negative to me was the ending. I wont give anything away, but you can see that they tried to make a cliffhanger ending but just leave you saying what the hell? I wouldnt mind it so much if you could continue playing from the ending on. You cant, the game is over, no more side quests, no more exploration, after the story is over you cant play again unless you start from a point further back. In an open world game its ridiculous to not allow your character to continue exploration. If the release some FREE DLC within the next month allowing you to explore, I could recommend this game at the 50 dollar price, as it is id wait until it drops to 20 bucks.… Expand
  30. Fr0s7y
    Aug 27, 2010
    5
    I've followed the development of Mafia II for some time now, and I have to say the product that I received wasn't quite as I imagined or had been led to hope by the developers. First, the good.. The graphics are absolutely amazing, I dare say that this is the most beautiful game I have ever played on PC. I definitely loved the setting, and being able to explore a city set in the 40's andI've followed the development of Mafia II for some time now, and I have to say the product that I received wasn't quite as I imagined or had been led to hope by the developers. First, the good.. The graphics are absolutely amazing, I dare say that this is the most beautiful game I have ever played on PC. I definitely loved the setting, and being able to explore a city set in the 40's and 50's, and the developers certainly did a good job of immersing you into that era. Now, the bad.. The story, while quite good, is absurdly short. I think I clocked in at about 9 hours when I finished the game, nevermind the fact that the ending is probably the worst I have ever seen in a game. The city around you seems enormous with a great deal to explore.. But it doesn't take long before you realize the only things to do in the city outside of following the very linear mission path is rob stores or crush cars for money.. Money that really serves no purpose in the game whatsoever aside from a single mission. Another thing I was looking forward to was a free-roaming aspect where I could explore the city at my leisure.. Unfortunately, no such system exists in the game, and you spend the entire time playing being on one mission or another, with no side-missions to speak of or really any choice in what you get to do. To me, this game still needs a lot of work, but I don't regret my purchase. I do have some confidence that 2k Games can release some quality DLC that might fix some of the aspects of the game that are sorely lacking, but unfortunately I know that's going to come with an additional price tag.… Expand
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

56
#56 Best PC Game of 2010
8
#8 Most Discussed PC Game of 2010
6
#6 Most Shared PC Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 46
  3. Negative: 2 out of 46
  1. Video Game Talk
    Jan 12, 2011
    70
    The combination of the ancient control mechanics, odd pacing and lack of real world entertainment drag the game down and seriously decreased my enjoyment of Mafia II. Still, it's worth a playthrough if you just adore mafia games and have a solid PC build to take it on.
    Read full review
  2. Game Chronicles
    Dec 20, 2010
    97
    I walked into my experience of Mafia II with no real expectations other than hearing my colleague's praise. What I walked away with after playing through the story was a sense of awe and amazement that I haven't had since Alan Wake.
    Read full review
  3. PC Format
    Dec 20, 2010
    81
    A well-rendered world, with a well-realised story, though without as much actual gaming as we'd hoped there'd be. [Issue#244, p.81]
See all critic reviews »