One of my favorite games of the previous video game generation was Mafia II (2010), so after six years of waiting, Mafia III was one of my most anticipated releases of 2016.
Developer Hangar 13 choose to take a unique deviation from the common tropes surrounding mafia storytelling. Set in New Bordeaux, fictional New Orleans, in the year 1968, you play as Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam War veteran. Besides the odd setting for a Mafia game, your main character is also a black biracial orphan — not your typical mobster.
This unique perspective on a mafia story made me hesitant, but also intrigued me. Mafia III utilizes this setting to tell the story of racism in the southern United States with a refreshing earnestness — something I can’t remember ever seeing in a AAA game.
Hangar 13 takes the stance that overlooking or downplaying the historically accurate racism in the U.S. would be a disservice to past and present victims and fighters of prejudice. Rather than shoving racism in your face or trying to make some deep social commentary, the developers instead simply add to the setting and thematic feeling of the game, which Mafia III nails.
Racism not only plays a role in the story, but also in the game’s gameplay mechanics. For example, if you commit a crime in a “black” part of town, the police will respond much slower than if you committed the same crime in the high income and more “white” part of town.
After a few hours, you become desensitized to the racism you encounter as it just becomes part of the world you play in, accurately portraying life back in the ‘60s South.
With its “modern city with traditional values” style, New Bordeaux looks how I imagine ‘60s New Orleans did. In the first mission, you walk around the “French Ward” during Mardi Gras, which decently captures the craziness of the real-life celebration.
The soundtrack is fantastic, bringing in iconic names such as Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and Creedence Clearwater Revival, just to name a few
Set up as documentary telling the story of Lincoln Clay, the story of Mafia III switches between present day cutscenes and flashback gameplay. In the five hours I have played so far, the story has stayed interesting, despite its cliche rags-to-riches and revenge storyline.
For the most part, the characters are all unique and well constructed. When your main character is an African-American veteran mafioso, you have plenty of material to work with.
However, storyline and setting are the game’s only above-average qualities. After the first two or three hours, gameplay has shown most of what the game has to offer.
While this is to be expected with a large open-world game, I would have liked to see a little more variety. If you were of fan of Mafia II, you will feel right at home because the base gameplay feels the same, for better or for worse.
The graphics are disappointing. For an AAA game, they are on the lower end of what we have seen this year, and the graphical differences between Mafia II and Mafia III would not lead anyone to believe there was a six year gap. There is something off with the lighting as it frequently makes sudden changes and flickers. Hopefully this is just a bug on my end and something solvable by a patch.
Given the fact that the cutscenes are graphically some of the best I have seen to date, the disappointing graphics are even more baffling.
Bugs have also been a problem across all platforms. Personally, I had problems with my first PS4 disc, which never installed. After three days of attempting to fix that issue, I ended up refunding my copy and sending it back, then buying a digital download, which has worked.
However, bugs have still persisted into gameplay. Within the first two hours of playing, I experienced one hard crash. I have also seen several instances of buggy physics with chairs glitching out and flying across rooms when destroyed.
Ultimately, I see myself playing Mafia III more than the 20 or so hours it takes to beat the game, just based on my love of the genre and the interesting storyline. Overall though, I am disappointed there were no real strides made from Mafia II. In fact, if my current mood on Mafia III does not change after I have beaten the game, I’d go so far as to say it’s a regression from Mafia II.
While the storytelling is commendable for pushing the genre into new territory, the gameplay and graphics doom Mafia III into mediocrity and forgetfulness.

Gallery • 2 Photos

Courtesy of Hangar 13.

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