Review "Mafia 3": Enormously atmospheric gangster spectacle with somewhat monotonous missions
11.10.2016
Translation: machine translated
We have been waiting a long time for the sequel to the gangster epic. Six years after the last instalment, we can once again flout the law and found a new mafia dynasty in a new city, a new decade and a new protagonist.
"Mafia 1" and 2 are among my absolute favourite games despite their flaws. Outlaw mafiosi, intrigue and wild shootouts set to orchestral music make for an excellent cocktail. "Mafia 3" is in the same vein, but now set in the late sixties amidst racial unrest and Vietnam War issues. Fittingly, the main character is no longer an Italian mafioso like the Godfather, but a black war veteran bent on revenge. The perfect prerequisite for an explosive gangster spectacle.
Story: Tried and tested fare, excitingly told
"Mafia 3" tells a classic revenge story. After the protagonist Lincoln Clay's friends and family are brutally murdered, he swears revenge. To this end, he gathers a number of other criminals around him - including Vito Scaletta from the last instalment - and sets out to dismantle Mafia don Sal Marcano's rule piece by piece. Racism, the Vietnam War and communism are omnipresent and make for an extremely exciting scenario.
Atmosphere: thicker than the smoke in the airport fumoir
The game is set in 1968 in the fictional New Bordeaux, which is modelled on New Orleans. The area stretches across ten districts, from the swampland with alligators to the thriving city centre and run-down tin shack districts. The lovingly designed city is enormously diverse and looks much livelier than its predecessors. The atmosphere is unique. The flair of the sixties has been perfectly captured and it is a pleasure for players to race through the different areas in the stylish cars. Speaking of driving: Finally, someone has invented an intelligent navigation system. Instead of constantly staring at the minimap to see where you have to go, traffic signs pop up regularly to show you the way. So you can concentrate on the traffic, enjoy the scenery and never miss a turn. The characters move just as smoothly as the vehicles, which also ensures credibility.
The textures, on the other hand, could be a little sharper, but the pretty lighting effects and excellent level design still make a trip to New Bordeaux worthwhile. If you are playing on a PC and have a suitable RGB keyboard, you can also look forward to situational lighting effects. For example, if you are being chased by the police, the entire keyboard flashes red and blue.
The mood is also created by the numerous magazines and album covers that you can collect. From original Playboy issues (including nude pictures, ooooh) to car magazines and iconic record covers, you hit the brakes every time a blue collection symbol appears on the map.
Soundtrack: One catchy tune chases the next
Publisher 2K must have shelled out a lot for all the rights. Over 100 licensed classics ensure that you are constantly tapping your feet and humming along. This contributes massively to the atmosphere of the game. Just like in "GTA V", James Brown, Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Rolling Stones are regularly interrupted by radio presenters who report on current events and topics in an entertaining way.
The gangster life: Didn't I just do that already?
"Mafia 3" is an open-world game. This means you have a huge area with various activities at your disposal. Once you have added three lieutenants to your own gangster family, they will regularly provide you with new, often optional, missions. By completing them, you expand your area of influence and at the same time increase your influence over the person in question. This gives you new bonuses such as more health points, reinforcements when things get dicey or the option of interrupting telephone lines - handy if someone wants to call the cops again. You can decide for yourself which of your subordinates you want to transfer an area to.
Unfortunately, practically all missions boil down to the same thing. You drive somewhere, kill all the enemies and steal or destroy something. Although an interesting story is told around this, the tasks could have been a little more varied. Especially as the game is not one of the shortest. At least the main missions become a little more original as you progress, and as the side missions are optional, you can simply choose the ones you enjoy. Personally, I didn't dislike the game mechanics even after several hours. Even the planting of bugs, which gives you more information about an area and is somewhat reminiscent of the occupational therapy of Ubisoft titles, didn't bother me.
And action: Shoot everything that moves
The problem-solving process in "Mafia 3" is simple. You quietly snipe enemies until you are discovered and then shoot around in the best Wild West style until nothing moves. Sneaking is almost a little too easy and you can sometimes even disable enemies while another one is standing next to you - I've never come across a more extreme case of blinkers. More fun than close combat anyway are the numerous firearms, from shotguns and sniper rifles to grenade launchers. The handling of the shooters is very successful and really fun. It should be mentioned here that "Mafia 3" is pretty bloody. Especially when you're using the knife to spread new nostrils in close combat.
The car chases are also great fun. Especially when you get into trouble with the police. As in "The Blues Brothers", it doesn't take long before you have a whole swarm of wailing sirens behind you, which become increasingly difficult to lose. For most people, this should also be the moment when you switch the driving behaviour from simulation back to normal.
Conclusion: Great fun despite obvious flaws
I had a lot of fun with "Mafia 3". The atmosphere of the sixties was captured perfectly and I really liked the mixture of gangster story, racism theme and Vietnam War. The graphics could have been a little more detailed and the mission design a little more creative. Despite these not insignificant flaws, I can recommend "Mafia 3" to anyone who wants to really let off steam in America in the sixties.
"Mafia 3" was provided to us by 2K. The PC version was tested. The game is also available for PS4 and Xbox One.
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.