Now I must admit that I am not the most avid gamer out there. The genres I play mostly include action-adventure and racing games. So naturally it is quite possible that I might have not played a game belonging to the other genres which might have been better than my selection while following my criteria.
Given that we have that disclaimer out of the way, let me point out three things that matter to me most as a gamer. I would like to establish that I play games mostly for fun, as a way to relax, ease my mind. Hence my criteria of judgement might be different than most other pro gamers out there.
Given the three criteria I think Mafia III is the best game I’ve played so far. Let me explain why by comparing it to GTA V which is a similar game but a very different vibe to it.
The simplest way of putting how good it really is, is that if I ran a playthrough of the game without telling you what you were watching, you’d think you’re watching an unedited version of a Martin Scorcese movie. The story is set in 1968 New Orleans. The storyline follows Lincoln Clay who is an African American who was abandoned by his mother when he was two year old. He is eventually picked up by and orphanage but grows up under the influence of an African American gang which owed money to the Italian mob. In order to escape his criminal Lincoln goes to Vietnam and is awarded the purple heart for bravery. Upon his return, he meets up with the leader of the African American mob. As they are celebrating, they are attacked by the Italian mob over owed money and his entire gang is wiped out. Lincon luckily survives and is nursed to health by a priest. The story then follows his redemption arc as he takes over the entire city for himself. The first few mintues of the gameplay are enough for you to fall in love with the game. The story is narrated after the events have occured in the form of a congressional investigation following the rise of Lincoln Clay along with witness accounts from some of the people who knew Lincoln Clay most notably Father James who was the one who nursed Lincoln back to health after the mob attack.
Mafia III has graphics which are comparable to GTA V which was released around the same time. Both have similar level of detail in their potrayal of the real world. A lot of it actually can be said to be inspired by if not copied directly. It is to be noted here that Take-Two Interactive are the owner of Rockstar Games (the studio responsible for developing GTA V) as well as 2K Games (the studio responsible for developing Mafia 3). However, some of the real world simulations are arguably better in Mafia III than in GTA V. The overall look and feel really immersive and you feel as though you have been transported into the 60’s. Everything looks and feels retro without being over the top. The main thing that impressed me was that the old cars in the game actually handle like old cars and American cars handle differently as compared to the European ones. The architecure and the road markings are spot on. Everything feels authentic and real even though it is a fictional version of New Orleans.
They do not make music as they used to make back in the day. I will leave this for you to enjoy.
This somehow ties in to the storyline as it is very linear and progressive. It is decently easy and makes for a very relaxing play. It doesnot have the overall chaos of GTA V. As I said, the story progresses well. You make allies over time who unlock special features for you. But overall that doesnot affect the game too much. The story is quite consistent except maybe the final decision similar to that in GTA V where you can either kill your allies or let them live.
Words can only describe so much but the best way to experience the game would be to actually play it. It is available for both Xbox and Playstation as well as on Steam. The game itself doesnot work well on all PCs apparently but I never found any issues with it.
