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 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.… Expand

This is a great game with a compelling story with entertaining missions. The graphics are great and even though there are no side quests the story and gun play will keep you busy.

Not sure where all these negative reviews are coming from, I'm having a great time with the game and looking forward to any DLC that they are going to do...great story and characters, I want more Mafia II

Immersion and story are big selling points here. However, that being said I found the gun-play extremely satisfying. Guns are punchy and their slight accuracy and recoil differences mean you'll be debating whether to use a zippy colt 1911 or a beefy magnum. The cover system works very well and does not make you invulnerable, enemies will take advantage if your arm is sticking around a corner and will tear your cover to shreds if they can thanks to the physics system, making fights intense. Critics are complaining that the open world aspect of Mafia 2 is empty and that there are no side missions, however this is meant to be a more linear story based than GTA, as was the original Mafia, and the city still feels alive with its impressive attention to detail. Whereas the original Mafia was a romantic crime epic, taking notes from films like the Godfather, Mafia 2 has a more gritty and streetwise style, heavily influenced by Scorsese's Goodfellas and to an extent The Sopranos. Mafia 2 is slowly unfolding and the high notes are therefore more significant. My only gripe is that I finished the game wanting more, but that could also be seen as a good thing. Not a game for everyone.… Expand

This game is great (I havent played the original Mafia so im not biased). The story is good from start to finish and it ends perfectly. The game looks great but does feature the occasional bug and glitch. The melee combat is a little poor but the gun play is great and fun to play. I enjoyed it a lot.

Just finished playing Mafia 2 for the first time and i am truely immersed into it, i am a big fan of gangster movies (casino, goodfellas, the sopranos etc) and after playing the original mafia i was hoping Mafias sequel would justify the franchise. Mafia 2 is a more story line based game it draws the gamer in and gets you eagerly awaiting the next cutscene the voice acting is Supoib! and it really gets you immersed into the story. The first few missions are set in a winter wonderland and visually its beautiful, also i liked the fact that your cars handling is greatly affected by the icy roads you gotta take care driving round empire city or you may catch attention of the fuzz! i also noticed how the pedestrians adjusted there clothes depending on the weather its little details like this that you have to appreciate they all create a truly immersive setting for the story to unfold, so far i am oving the game and i cant wait till i get myself higher up the crime ladder an start whacking some spaghetti eating fools!!… Expand

Mafia II is such an impressive package :) like one guy said here amazing story, and lots of things to do around the city. I am so addicted to this game and it seems to be very well thought out. This game is awesome.

The Mafia 2 is way better then Mafia one. I know many people won't agree. Mafia one was unique, but it's hard to be unique in mafia world if there is first game. M2 has great graphic and animation and the feeling you get from the game is amazing. And for those who compare with GTA... please, stop doing that.

Brilliant,brilliant,brilliant.I only have two beefs with this game.One is that the driving in this game gets annoying and could of been a better experience.Two is that the replay value isn't very good.Yes I will play this game in 5 years but most gamer's will not.The world is so big it could of easily been opened up more to add more replay value- and that's it.Everything else is A+!The game play,graphics,world of Mafia 2,emotional connection.While Heavy Rain on the PS3 is a movie like game and while different, this is the definition of controlling a movie gaming experience.While I said different the emotional factor is pure cinematic genius.It is very linear but that's what makes it such a WOW experience.I would rather have a solid 10 hour main game then 30 hours of crapola.I give this game a 9.5 rounded to a ten.I counted only 10 reviewers that gave this game 90% or higher well I guess only 10 reviewers really invested quality time in this game for a real,complete review.… Expand

It's not game of the year(Mass Effect 2 is) but Mafia II has a great story and has a cinematic style. The fighting mechanics are simple and it is fun to play. The cops are easy to get rid of which is ok with me because I hated the cops in the first game. Even though the story was short, it was very "cinematic-al". I don't care how long it is, it just has to have a great story. Which Mafia II delivers. Mafia II is a good game but not nearly as good as GTA IV but way better than The Godfather II.… Expand

On a personal note THIS is my most anticipated game of recent times, and now I have finally had a chance to play it I am pleased to say I am not disappointed. Graphically it is awesome, and you find yourself drawn into the atmosphere and the storyline of the game and the era very easily. It is fairly brutal, but this does add to the sinister /dark feel of the game.
I disagree with the negative comments made in another review in respect of driving from A to B during the game. I feel the drives are an integral part of the build of the game.
One thing I must add as a positive comment is in respect of the the Soundtrack., which is excellent, and certainly compliments the whole gaming experience. Excellent game 2K!… Expand

Mafia 2 is what it's all about! Fantastic graphics, story line and game play/controls is excellent. It's a story based game so you really get in to it and I found it very hard to stop once I got going. Always wanting to know what's going to happen next! I think all the negative comments come from people who just want to run around freely blowing stuff up with no direction or plot to follow (see Halo). This is a wicked game that will entertain for a long time!!… Expand

I've been so hooked on this game I've totally neglected my niche hobby of putting cats in wheelie bins; thankfully I got a discount so I was able to pay a middle aged woman to do it for me. The shooting mechanics are well designed, precise and lots of fun; you and your on-screen buddies exercising your second amendment rights like they're going out of fashion. Thankfully there's no bloody liberals on hand to protest as that's what the TERRORISTS WOULD WANT YOU TO DO. It's a linear, story driven game with intelligent writing and high production values. As an experience it's ambitious in narrative scope, with consistently entertaining gameplay and set pieces to hook you in. I won't go into detail as some of the other reviewers have already done so, but I also don't really agree with some of the criticisms here, despite being well expressed by their authors. Do you know who else didn't like this game? Hitler. Yes, HITLER. And he was EVIL remember? You wouldn't want to align yourself with HITLER would you?… Expand

I love this game. Fun gameplay, amazing story, and lots of things to do around the city. I am so addicted to this game and it seems to be very well thought out. This game is awesome.

mafia 2 is a great game so far. i've been playing it for about 4 hrs and it really immerses you in the 1940-50's. The graphics are great and the story can be compared to a best-seller. From my personal point of view, i'm glad that mafia 2 doesn't look like gta or red dead(these are great but way too long) so i can finish it in the days to come.
A definite buy for me.
well done 2kgames

Very addictive game with some super character voices and superb city scenery, giving a great gaming atmosphere to go with the compelling story. Loving it so far, no complaints.

Good points-Incredibly well articulated world Engrossing storyline and characters Shocking attention to detail in game's presentation

Bad points-Minimal reasons to deviate from main story and explore Empire Bay Stop-and-pop combat grows tiresome Some character rendering poorly done, pulls you out of the experience

Simply Amazing, right from start to finish. Amazing graphics with a brilliant story line. Been Waiting for this game for ages and when i finally got it today, it blew my mind. One of the best games I've ever played. beats GTA 4 by a mile and SaintsRow By Lightyears, hands down. However there are a few flaws with the movement and crouching isn't actually crouching. . . Despite all that, an amazing game and A must get for all you mafia fans out there. This is a game like no other, Made to perfection.... Almost.… Expand

Just finished playing the game on the PS3. A series of things are striking in this game: - the attention to details in reproducing a 50s era atmosphere. The city looks amazing and is filled with period details. The sound track is amazing, you will drive your way through town listening to Dean Martin or Louis Prima's standarts. It makes for a trully immersive experience
- story and characters are great. Story is mature and gritty but some of the dialogue is hilarious. My favorite character is definitively Joe, the main character's buddy, whose witty on liners are worth Joe Pesci in movies like Casino or Goodfellas

- gameplay mechanics are very well rounded, driving and shooting are very satisfying. Period inspired cars look great and you car customise and upgrade them in garages throughout town.


That is for the main story mode. I am now about to start the Jimmy's betrayal dlc, looks like a couple dozen smaller GTA like missions. Review to come later

Have fun - Josh… Expand

Mafia II is a flawed masterpiece, meaning it's not without its fair share of problems. Most notable is the combat mechanic, firing a shot that hits its target is a struggle and lock-on targeting isn't the most responsive at times. While the hand-to-hand combat doesn't have much depth it is solid. Character animations are an eyesore at first with everyone looking like their made out of plastic and movements seem stiff. All of this becomes easily forgettable once you become immersed in the remarkably detailed world of Empire City and a deep storyline with plenty of twists. Gameplay is varied between missions keeping is from being repetitive. The whole game lasts about 14 hours with some replay for collectibles and achievements.… Expand

Mafia II refuses to follow the crowd of open-world games by putting authenticity at the head of its agenda instead of sheer scale and off-the-hook action. Empire Bay is a fantastic embodiment of the 1940s/'50s; really sharp cinematography and mostly solid voice acting; well-built experience with a handful of notable moments. Most exciting moments in game are seen and not played; superficial narrative fails to explore briefly mentioned themes; streamlined campaign lacks side missions or exploration.
Game duration 8 -10 hours depending how slow/fast you play… Expand

At first I found this game even better then GTA 4. Better PC optimisation, very smooth graphic, nice characters animation. Comparison of GTA 4 and Mafia 2 as compared to those of your children better looking, terribly hard to say this.

The game has its fair amount of technical flaws, like the annoying screen tearing that occurs a bit too often and the occasional framedrops during intence action. Other than those unfortunate flaws, the game is pure awesomeness. The story is great and it is related to historical events and I, being an italian person, appreciated it. Some people complain because of the missions you're given to do, like go from point A to point B, but I don't get why it is a bad thing; you can free-roam, too, when you don't want to do missions. My other complaint lies in the character models, often they're just copied and pasted people, it's like you live in a world full of twins. The combat system is okay and the AI decent. There's nothing to wow about those aspects, but you won't be disappointed. The most fun I had was stealing the cars and let the police run after me, it's a real satisfaction when you leve them behind!
The night effects are fantastic, you should definitely get this game!… Expand

la verdad este e e un juego al que yo admiro por su graficas tan realistas ,las bandas sonoras son espectaculares .lo efectos de sonido son de lo mejor , la inteligencia artificial muy buena. las cosas malas que se sacan de este juego son pocas como las fallas que no tuvieron respecto al movimiento de los ciudadano ,a que es un mapa muy pequeño , no tiene misiones en linea ni interconexion pero vale la pena el jugar este gran titulo y no defrauda y que buena historia a la que jugaron.… Expand

good......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................… Expand

what a beautiful period piece, everything looks and feels so right in this game. the only thing that bothered me was how sad the ending made me, almost broke my controller XD

1. 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 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… Expand

Loved it Mafia 2 deserves so much more than 74. Almost everything about it is superb. The compelling storyline, the awesome characters. Gameplays great it suits the style Mafia 2 offers. The cusomisation of cars is great, something you don't get often in games. Empire Bay is a beautiful city despite being a bit empty. The ending is something different that gives it a fine edge over other games. I hope they make a Mafia 3. They better...… Expand

How in the world did this game get rated so low by fans and critics? Its awesome. Great story that ends perfectly, Very likeable characters, Lengthy campaign, No replay value sadly. Still great though.

decently long game especially if you put it on hard, a little too much driving but I do like the driving, fun combat with a great story and characters, I love the story and it would drive me to keep playing even though I should have gone to sleep. Fun achievements integrated into the story and some doing certain chapter very well and other in different ways. You can also go back to specific chapters to replay them in order to do them different ways. Very good game.… Expand

Mafia II really surprised me with how good it actually is, while it borrows elements from GTA 4, from what I've played of GTA 4 (a little over an hour) this is a lot better, while it is an open world game, it ditches things like side quests, for a more story based approach, which in my opinion made all of the difference, the story is fantastic, do to enjoyable characters, and fantastic voice acting, and while the graphics aren't the best some times, it can still have moments where it looks great, ,y only complaints are that the camera can give you trouble in small areas, some timed missions (which aren't that bad I just don't like being timed), and the annoying cops, this is a fantastic game and one I highly recommend, one of the best games of 2010 for sure.… Expand

This is a great game Since I can't make this comment short I'll just extend a word... It's PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Yeah, pro!

Amazing game,i waited for this game for a long time since Mafia 1,the strong point of Mafia 2 is its story,its drags you in,dont expect many side missions.The game has great graphics,nice atmosphere in the city,great music.The driving is pretty nice,shooting is simple and the cover up system is easy to learn..The City is not very interactive as Liberty City in GTA IV,of course you can buy clothes,food,guns,tune cars etc..the city is like museum with a little interaction..but its not very negative for me,neither mafia 1 when it came up had the GTA 3 style or side missions,its strong point was the plot,the story,the cinematics,and some game mechanisms.So to sum up,if you loved Mafia you will love Mafia 2,but if you play Mafia 2 to compare it with games like GTA,RDR you will be a little disappointed..but surely the game is 8/10 for me and more,i just had seen 5 or 6 from users..and i dont understand it..… Expand

This game is great in every way. Underrated to say the least and it's a shame it didn't get a nomination for game of the year. Great graphics, great game play, and even a decent story. Thought it was a great game and am looking forward to Mafia III.

A fun shoot'em up romp with a classy feel and a great story! And I don't usually care but OMFG THE GRAPHICS, THE GRAPHICS!!!!! I never knew how fun it would be to drive a hot rod through a department store while running from the cops until I played this! It's a 7/10 FPS, a 10/10 driving game (better level of car detail, customizing, and damage than I have ever seen, and I don't even usually like racing games!), and a 8/10 movie combined into an amazing gaming experience. Buy it, and if you just want to play a mindless shooter, buy the Jimmy's Vendetta DLC too.… Expand

Before I say anything let me just say that Mafia 2 is not like GTA. I personally am not a fan of single player, campaign only games but this game I picked up for 50 bucks at its release and then played the first level and decided it was bad and returned it. NOW STOP! PLAY THE FIRST LEVEL and you will see how amazing the game is. I dont even know how to describe the game, it was honestly the funnest game I've ever played and now its only like 15$ so it is definitely worth getting. I would recommend it to pretty much everyone. solid 10/10 for sure… Expand

Before i got into the mass effect series, mafia 2 was my favorite game. The amazing cinematic quality of the cut scenes to the gripping well put together story. I found my self flying through levels fully enjoying myself. Their were countless parts where i was laughing out loud, nervous, pissed as hell, and sad. I played and beat the game numerous times. Its no RPG different things don't happen every time that's just how good it was. I was attached to the characters and very involved with the story. It's well worth the money and i pray their is another one coming out. I give Mafia 2 a 9/10… Expand

This game is highly underrated. You got beautiful graphic ( physics ), amazing sound ( atmosphere ), one of the best 3rd person shooters I played, typical mafia story and very realistic car driving. I really enjoyed this game in every aspect and simply cannot understand that someone thinks it is a big disappointment. The only problem I see is game length.. Main story should be longer and there is a lack of side missions, but that upgraded with DLC mission. So, all in one, Mafia 2 is very quality game with unique soul inside.… Expand

This Game is super if you loved Mafia 1 you have to play this game. Its different then Gta i love the story telling, yes there is not much to do after you finish game but that was the same with mafia 1 its not a gta clone. GET THIS GAME you wont be dissapointed!

Graphics: 8/10 Gameplay: 8/10 Story: 9/10 Voice Acting: 9/10 Enjoyment: 9/10 = 8.6 (Excellent)
Game Of the Year 2010. Enough said. Under rated. The story was the most thrilling experience I dare to say of all my gaming history! Humor, Badass bits and sad parts! Maybe it would of got PERFECT but it could of been longer.
Thanks for reading and I'll JackYaLater.