Get your tommy guns out of the closet

[Forward Observer]

Someone posted recently about the gangster game Mafia.

I was a big fan of the original PC version when it came out and it is still on my PC now as one of my sand box games. If you never played it, it is similar to the Grand Theft Auto games, but set in the 1930's gangster era---Tommy guns and women of ill-repute, but no drugs.

Most of the game plays like a 3rd person shooter, but you get to drive period vehicles, ride trolleys, and trains, and interact to some degree with the enormous environment. Even though it came out in 2002,---when one is driving down the street amid traffic with streetcars, overhead tains, and pedestrians it is still pretty visually impressive.

Here are a couple of shot I took from the orginal game; you can get in any of those cars and drive them if you have gas







My post is actually about a new sequel that I just read about aptly named Mafia 2. It is by the same group, and this time it is going to move into the 1940's and 50's.

Here is a link to a short preview and 5 screen shots.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com....php?id=170565

Check those screen shots out and particularly the second one inside a bar. Damn, just another game that is going to force me to buy a new rig.

Cheers

[Husar]

Don't forget to watch the GC trailer and visit the official website, which seems a bit empty though.

Edit: I just had a deja-vu, apparently you're also active on SimHQ.

[Forward Observer]

Don't forget to watch the GC trailer and visit the official website, which seems a bit empty though.

Edit: I just had a deja-vu, apparently you're also active on SimHQ.

Yeah, you caught me--I am too lazy to re-compose the entire post--lol

That clip is amazing--if it is in game graphics. It seems like every year we are moving closer to movie grade CGA graphics in games. I can only guess what it will look like in 5 or 10 years.

Maybe the Startrek holodeck is not that far away after all.

Cheers

[Crazed Rabbit]

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

Now I just need a new computer...

CR

[Geoffrey S]

That trailer is beautiful. I also still play bits of Mafia again and again. I just love driving around the city, not necessarily doing anything but just looking at all the loving details the developers included, particularly out in the countryside. It's a classic game without a doubt, with one of the best plots with the most memorable characters I've ever seen (not just in games).

Only thing that does bug me. My rig is now a fair bit better than before, but I still get a lot of popup and fog when driving over bridges in the centre. Anyone know of mods which alleviate that issue? Otherwise, it's a game that's aged very well.

[Bob the Insane]

Yeah, I was a real fan of Mafia too... Great game and almost more importantly a really great story at the center of it...

Some mad missions, remember the moonshine running?

Great to hear about Mafia 2...

[TB666]

Mafia is one of the greatest games ever made.
A mandatory game to play for anyone who considers themself a fan of PC gaming.
That there will be a Mafia 2 was to be expected and I hope they make it worthy of being called Mafia.

[Forward Observer]

That trailer is beautiful. I also still play bits of Mafia again and again. I just love driving around the city, not necessarily doing anything but just looking at all the loving details the developers included, particularly out in the countryside. It's a classic game without a doubt, with one of the best plots with the most memorable characters I've ever seen (not just in games).

Only thing that does bug me. My rig is now a fair bit better than before, but I still get a lot of popup and fog when driving over bridges in the centre. Anyone know of mods which alleviate that issue? Otherwise, it's a game that's aged very well.

There are a bunch of mod sites on the net and I found one sometime back that listed a mod to extend the draw distance. The problem was that in addtion to the mod files, you had to download a couple of editors to open the encrypted files and mod some of the files yourself. It was a bit more complex than I had expected and I ended up breaking the game. I eventually had to delete it from my harddrive and re-load it all over again.

It didn't seem worth it after all that.

Cheers

[Mailman653]

Mafia was/is an excellent game, hopefully Mafia II won't dissapoint, by those screen shots, visually it will be pretty cool.

[Geoffrey S]

There are a bunch of mod sites on the net and I found one sometime back that listed a mod to extend the draw distance. The problem was that in addtion to the mod files, you had to download a couple of editors to open the encrypted files and mod some of the files yourself. It was a bit more complex than I had expected and I ended up breaking the game. I eventually had to delete it from my harddrive and re-load it all over again.

It didn't seem worth it after all that.

Cheers

Thanks, when I've got time to fiddle about I'll be sure to have a look.

[Husar]

Yeah baby!

Anyone who liked that GC trailer can get it in it's full glory and in english from Gamershell or WorthPlaying.

[Hepcat]

Oh yeah, Mafia, haven't played it for a few months but that was a game I loved. The story is one of the best ever in my opinion and I always like the setting of 1930s America.

[Tran]

Is it just me, or Mafia is an unfinished and somewhat boring game? I mean, yes at first I could play endlessly trying to complete missions and free ride stuff. But after that, maybe only one to two hours playing free-ride with many supposedly "enterable buildings" in the mission are not available, literally no "special mission" available, and the same repeated AI scene/activity nearly all over the place...

They even took out a supposedly available "racing feature" within the game (you can view it with editor). Hope they don't repeat these again. So far, GTA looks better for me

[econ21]

Is it just me, or Mafia is an unfinished and somewhat boring game?

It's just you. To me, it was a story-driven game - with a very well done story. I agree I would not be bothered with free ride, but to me that's like saying a chocolate bar is rubbish after you've eaten what's inside the wrapper.

Maybe they could spend more time creating a "world" you can freely interact with. But personally I find that Morrowind/Oblivion style game a little empty. I'd rather have them spend the time on a strong story, characterisation and gripping missions. From the Mafia 2 trailer, I have strong hopes they will.

My only complaints are that a few of the missions were too hard (esp. the race) and the hotel assassination/mass cop killing mission seemed jarringly out of place, both in the story and in terms of the gameplay.

[Tran]

It's just you. To me, it was a story-driven game - with a very well done story. I agree I would not be bothered with free ride, but to me that's like saying a chocolate bar is rubbish after you've eaten what's inside the wrapper.

Maybe they could spend more time creating a "world" you can freely interact with. But personally I find that Morrowind/Oblivion style game a little empty. I'd rather have them spend the time on a strong story, characterisation and gripping missions. From the Mafia 2 trailer, I have strong hopes they will.

My only complaints are that a few of the missions were too hard (esp. the race) and the hotel assassination/mass cop killing mission seemed jarringly out of place, both in the story and in terms of the gameplay.

The "free-ride / free roam feature" is exactly why I bought the game in the first place, if perhaps they integrated both story mission and free-ride level it would be better. But it didn't happen. It's like you're being told that a chocolate taste nice, only to find out that it is rubbish because you had to add "some stuff" to it to be able to have a nice taste.

Never really like Oblivion anyway, it's an over-hyped game with sadly, similiar to Mafia, many supposedly in-game features removed.

GTA still rocks

[Hepcat]

I don't really understand what you mean by the Chocolate tasting like rubbish before adding to it reference. So you don't like the free ride mode because it isn't about the campaign? But isn't the campaign what you want then?
Or maybe I'm just misunderstanding you.

[Mailman653]

Put your tommy guns back in the closet till 09.
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/819/819118p1.html

[Hepcat]

Put your tommy guns back in the closet till 09.
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/819/819118p1.html

That's so depressing.

[Tran]

I don't really understand what you mean by the Chocolate tasting like rubbish before adding to it reference. So you don't like the free ride mode because it isn't about the campaign? But isn't the campaign what you want then?
Or maybe I'm just misunderstanding you.

Nah. Appearantly econ21 thought that Mafia was no different than rubbish chocolate, so I just added "my comment" to it

The delay actually doesn't surprise me, seeing as how the first Mafia was repeatedly delayed (for years), before it was finally and suddenly released.

[econ21]

Appearantly econ21 thought that Mafia was no different than rubbish chocolate,...

Not really.

To me, it was a story-driven game - with a very well done story. I agree I would not be bothered with free ride, but to me that's like saying a chocolate bar is rubbish after you've eaten what's inside the wrapper.

[Tran]

Hmm...you're so eager to defend yourself. You must be one of those scummy mafia. I say lynch econ21

[Mailman653]

Has there been any new MAFIA 2 news? It's been a while since I've heard anythiing on it.

[Kekvit Irae]

Just a quick note: Try to avoid derogatory slang.
That is all.

[Bob the Insane]

One of the things I enjoyed was that way the cops actually enforced the speed limit and red light signals. It added a little extra depth driving parts of the game (of course one persons "depth" is anothers "annoying"). IIRC the original top down GTA did that too, or at least the traffic signal part I think...

But the story and the set peice missions where really the key parts of the game. It came from the makers and engine for Hidden & Dangerous so it is not surprising that it was focused that way...

I am looking forward to Mafia 2 (whenever it turns up)...

[Mailman653]

New Mafia II trailer
The 50's never looked better.

[Mailman653]

IGN MAFIA2 preview

[Crazed Rabbit]

Regenerative health?!?!

CR

[Furunculus]

Mafia was awesome, i very much look forward to the sequel provided its made by the same developer.

[Husar]

Mafia was awesome, i very much look forward to the sequel provided its made by the same developer.

It is, but unfortunately they made it very...modern..., like a modern shooter that is, dumbed down driving, health regeneration etc. and I'm not sure that's a good thing, I'm getting a bad feeling about this.

[Mailman653]

A day in the life Scroll half way down.