Mafia II

 Xbox 360
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 79 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 79
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 79
  3. Negative: 5 out of 79
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  1. Eurogamer
    40
    Mafia II gets the last word by destroying the myth that the mafia is interesting at all. It contends that the mob world is a hell of boredom populated by aggressively stupid automatons. These drones wake up each morning, carry out a series of repetitious tasks, and return home.
  2. Gameblog.fr
    40
    Here's how to sum up Mafia II : 12 hours of repetitive, linear missions, with but a few gameplay mechanics. Shoot, drive, punch, a tiny little bit of stealth, that's it. There's nothing more to be done than to follow the unfolding of the plot, which is clearly sub-par, especially when considering how easy it is to watch a rerun of The Godfather or a season of the Sopranos instead. Replay value is nil, there's no multiplayer. You can't even roam freely in the city after the ending (what for anyway, one may ask). Combat is way to easy, cars don't provide much thrill. In the end, Mafia II is a very pretty box, but an empty one. 80% of what has been developed doesn't serve any real purpose. The rest isn't enough to make a great game. If you're a die hard fan of the 50's atmosphere (nicely rendered), and the Mafia genre, you might still enjoy it. Otherwise...
  3. Metro GameCentral
    40
    Another big budget game more obsessed with impersonating its favourite films than creating any genuinely new script or gameplay ideas.
  5. GameCritics
    35
    Mafia II is every bit as soulless and dull as its bland sociopathic protagonist
  6. The A.V. Club
    33
    Unfortunately, aging gameplay mechanics and weak plot turns make the game's magic peel away faster than a bank-job getaway car.

Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2010
11
#11 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2010

User Reviews

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User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 751 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 550 out of 751
  2. Mixed: 145 out of 751
  3. Negative: 56 out of 751
  1. pots555
    Sep 11, 2010
    10
    This is why I don't get most of the reviewers out there. Mafia 2 is an absolute blast to play IF you enjoy an amazing story with greatThis is why I don't get most of the reviewers out there. Mafia 2 is an absolute blast to play IF you enjoy an amazing story with great characters. The gameplay works very well in every aspect of this game. The driving was the part I enjoyed the most. Different cars have different feels and the town is gorgeous. It took me around 14 hours to complete the game. Sure, I took my time, but it was worth it. I cannot wait for Mafia III.… Full Review »
  2. raefon
    Aug 24, 2010
    6
    Although Mafia 2 has been anticipated and will obviously do well I have to ask myself why. Having played through the first and made theAlthough Mafia 2 has been anticipated and will obviously do well I have to ask myself why. Having played through the first and made the obvious comparison with the Godfather competition I cant really see any redeeming qualities that make the game stand out. Yes it is linear and of course this hold true to it being a story driven FPS rather than a Sandbox that kind of rings through in its portrayal and hype surrounding its release. Although I wasnt expecting it to be so much sandbox and GTA style unless they were really going to remove themselves from how the first game played out, I would have expected some more depth and scope to actually play as a character that had a wide range of choices and could move freely around his environment with something to do rather than live out a one dimensional story line.

    But hey, linear is not always bad....unless you were really expecting something different. So here I am to tell you done and you wont be disappointed.

    However the game really has nothing more to offer than the same graphics, gun play and some witty dialogue if you can be bothered not skipping the ever so endless, and I mean every time you fart or want to take a **** up pops some more dialogue. God seems like you cant take a dump without the game wanting to tell you some back story about wiping you ass. If you into that then hey enjoy.

    Overall the game does nothing to move the genre ahead, offers nothing more than some reasonable game play and dialogue, but with so much more that could be done with consoles, and PC's alike, none of the new game titles are pushing anything ahead. Yet they just seem to be treading water and offering a graphics upgrade.

    If your bored and have the extra cash by all means go ahead and buy the game, but dont expect anything new, exciting or markedly different. It all been done before. Nothing new to offer.    … Full Review »
  3. Gypsor
    Aug 26, 2010
    10
    This game is not GTA(which is a good IMHO). GTA/RDR/etc are completely different games. I liked both of those games, but I had a lot moreThis game is not GTA(which is a good IMHO). GTA/RDR/etc are completely different games. I liked both of those games, but I had a lot more fun playing Mafia 2. I'm going to compare it to GTA because that seems to be the popular counter example on the internet, and we all know the internets never lie. And someone needs to stand up for a good game where the moronicons come out of the wood work screaming "NO BLIND FIRE, NO EUPHORIA!!! NO 100 HOURS GAME SUCKS MY B's I GIVE IT A SCORE OF TOO!!"

    What Mafia 2 tries to do, is to put the player in an immersive, realistic environment + story/narative + fun gameplay = Great Game!

    The city, and the people in it, are a set piece more than anything else. It is highly detailed and visually/audibly rich. The voice acting is great, the story is great, and the movement feels real. As a result you care about your character and the people around him and the actions he takes. It's linear, but it's good(by the by GTA IV and RDR are linear, with passable story lines). The characters are rich and serious, which is refreshing after all the rockstar games were every character is a trite pulp fiction type who makes 1000 pop references a second.

    There's really no free roam or anything like that, although you can do whatever you want in on the way to missions/home. I just mean there's not a lot of side content, and consequently the game is shorter. However, that being said, since the story missions were so tight, I had a lot more fun playing this game then most. Less messenger boy, chores to do.

    I think why I like this game the most, is that it is a little more realistic. Gun fights are quick and deadly, car crashes are the same. And maybe it's just me, but in GTA IV, I wasn't even worried about cops until 4 stars, but in mafia 2, I find myself super tensed up when the cops get involved. It actually takes a level of skill to lose them.

    This is a really good game. I like the cinematic look and feel, I like the game play. GTA IV(and by extension all open world games) is a totally different animal. That being said. You get more for your money with GTA, but If I think back, I actually had more fun playing Mafia 2, and consequently, think it's a better game. Graphics, open world, linear/non linear, blind fire, etc doesn't matter. If you have fun playing a game, then it's a good game. I had more fun in Mafia 2 then GTA IV.    … Full Review »
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