Tag: Hanger 13

‘Mafia 3’ Is 2016’s Biggest Gaming Tragedy

by Josh Jackson

Sequels often have the well earned reputation of being more of the same, rarely treading new ground while instead opting for something stagnant. Mafia 3 goes in the opposite direction, shifting its focus from a Godfather inspired crime story about a grunt’s rise through the ranks of organized crime, to a man’s quest for revenge against the Italian mob for killing those he called family. As a former member of the black mob in 1968 New Bordeaux, (a not so subtle take on New Orleans), Lincoln Clay has more than just criminals, assassins and the most ruthless bosses the city has ever seen. He also has to deal with the horrors of segregation, institutionalized racism, and a section of the city that sees him as less than human based on his skin color.

Mafia 3‘s setting, story and acting are some of the finest I’ve ever seen in a game, with an amazing soundtrack that places you right in the era. But more than any game I can think of, it does its best to take full advantage of the interactive medium, placing us in an ugly period of American history and making us feel the anxiety of what it means to be an “other” in such a hostile environment. Yes, the game pales in comparison to the feeling in real life, but being put in the shoes of a character going through these experiences was eye opening as I pushed through this tale of vengence. Traversing black neighborhoods leads to people greeting you and wishing you well, while whispers of what that “boy” is doing here can be heard from the NPC’s in the white neighborhoods. Missions that require you to enter certain buildings that are marked as “Whites Only” will lead to the police being called to attack and arrest you in the same way as being caught fighting or shooting would. Committing crimes in white neighborhoods will also result in the cops responding much faster and aggressively, while they might not even show in the bayous occupied by the poor black citizens. Encounters with the KKK, underground “jungle fights” where whites gamble on black men fighting, and the justification of murdering black men via talk radio segments round out everything you need to know about the world Mafia 3 creates, which is one I’ve never come close to encountering before.

To top off the period piece that the game works towards being, the story is framed as a documentary. Cutscenes flash back and forth between present day versions of characters you interact with in the main game explaining the events you’re about to play, and playing as Lincoln carrying these events out. Whether or not he ends up as a savior or a monster depends on your choices towards the end, but every twist and turn that takes place justifies each possibility. Each character feels like they could have been a real person, adding gravitas to the events that create your story. This leaves us with the most unforgettable campaign I’ve ever played, possibly ranking as my favorite narrative after 25 years of gaming.

But the real tragedy comes with the fact that despite the top notch presentation, the meticulously crafted recreation of 1968 as a black male, the expert voice acting and its overall uniqueness, Mafia 3 isn’t a very good game. Missions are repetitive, essentially filling its 30 hour play time with the same six or so missions repeatedly. The amount of bugs I came across were appalling, which ranged from enemies getting stuck in the environment to my map becoming a giant white line and textures completely vanishing. I also don’t think I got through more than two hours at a time without the game completely crashing, kicking me back to the Xbox One home menu before having to sit through the very long initial load screen. The AI is as dumb as it can get, with stealth missions dominating the game when patrolling guards will literally line up to “investigate” the guy who was stabbed two feet in front of them, only to walk into a knife in the throat. Lather, rinse and repeat. That’s Mafia 3.

And you know what? That’s horrible. Because everything that was so great about the game deserves better than what essentially amounts to an even glitches and more drawn out retread of the original Assassin’s Creed. So I’m not going to dance around the issue. Mafia 3 is one of the worst high profile games of the year from a pure game play standpoint. It feels unfinished, clearly needing a few more months to add more content and fix up the technical issues. If you’ve read my previous reviews, editorials and lists, you know that game play is what matters most to me, since without that, the story might as well have been a movie. But despite these issues, I urge anyone reading this to give the game a chance anyway, even if you put it down long before the credits roll. Running around New Bourdeax alone is worth your time. Even outside of the main story, moving around in this environment is a truly valuable form of interactivity in a way that no other game before, which I hope starts a trend for designers to use games to help us visit more realistic depictions of our history.

It’s just tragic that the first game of its kind has to play so bad.

E3 2016: ‘Mafia III’ Aims To Deliver A New Type Of Crime Drama

by Josh Jackson

*WARNING: POTENTIAL EARLY GAME SPOILERS*

 

As fun as open world crime games can be, I’m kind of over the typical formula that most of them take. From Grand Theft Auto III, The Godfather: The Game and the first two Mafia games, each of these are examples of a title that asks the player to go through the motions as a low level mobster who climbs through the ranks to become one of its top members. This fatigue left me skeptical of Mafia III‘s ability to change my mind, figuring that it would be more of the same. One look at 2K’s Mafia themed E3 booth told me otherwise, which was only furthered by the details that would be revealed over the course of the conference. Once my time seeing the game in action was over, I went from having little interest to seeing it become one of my most anticipated games of 2016.

E3 2016 Mafia III Screen 2

Yes, at the start of the game, you’re a low level member of a mob. Except this time, instead of joining the Italians, you’ll be part of the black mob in the fictional town of New Bordeaux, (inspired by 1960’s New Orleans). At least, that’s the plan. But it’s clear early on that the Italians are just as vicious in 1968 as they were in previous decades, wiping out their supposed allies in the process. As Lincoln Clay, the sole survivor of the black mob’s eradication and a Vietnam veteran who had just found a place to call home with the group, he’ll gather the enemies of his friend’s murderers and embark on a quest for revenge that will see the Italians get taken down piece by piece.

Even without all the details though, you’ll know you’re right outside of the 1970’s with an authentic feel, which includes speedometers, interiors and architecture that feels right out of the era. Serving as a mostly untapped time period within this genre, watching Mafia III in action felt instantly compelling because of it, not shying away from some of the more controversial topics at the time. With Vietnam being a guaranteed theme thanks to Lincoln’s background and hints at civil unrest due to the anti war sentiment rising throughout the country, at least one of the Italian lieutenants that you’re asked to take down was even hinted at being part of the Ku Klux Klan, showing in game renderings of a cross burning. As a black character, it will be interesting to see how far the game is willing to delve into the dark side of history at the time, especially while being fresh off of the Civil Rights movement.

E3 2016 Mafia III Screen 1

But history aside, the reason why most of us play these games are to shoot up hundreds of bad guys and feel like a bad ass while doing it. New Bordeaux is divided up into districts, each of which is controlled by a different lieutenant that’s responsible for a different racket. Much like the early Assassin’s Creed games, Lincoln must gather information across a variety of missions before he can approach each target. Allowing players to choose between using stealth, starting shootouts or going in with a group of loyal AI partners to help you fight off enemies and escape with your life, we’re promised multiple ways to approach the same situations.

Once the territory is taken however, that’s where the real fight begins. It’s up to Lincoln to divide up the claimed parts of the city between his own three lieutenants, each of which have as much of a grudge against the Italians as you do. Cassandra, the leader of the town’s Haitian gang, Thomas Burke, who runs a local scrapyard when he’s not leading the Irish gang, and Vito Scaletta, the Mafia II protagonist who is aiding Lincoln after another stint in prison, (and an attempt at a normal life), each give you missions and support when out on the field, which can be called upon at various points in battle. At the end of the day though, they want power just as much as you do, which is why intense negotiations take place once each district is completed. The three underbosses will plead their case as to why you should give them your newly claimed land, each with different in-game benefits to go with the choice. The characters will remember what you’ve picked in the past, guilt tripping you for neglecting them while using their past success to convince you to pile more on top of them. Keeping in mind that you’re working with criminals, shunning one too many times can lead to them turning on you, unlocking bonus missions where you have to put their potential coup to an end before it gets started. Your choices will determine if you’ll ever come across one of these scenarios, but it’s definitely looking like the game will be worth playing multiple times to see the various scenarios play out.

E3 2016 Mafia III Screen 3

A new setting, a new time period, a new approach to taking on missions, and a new level of consequence that comes with your choices. After learning what we have, is there a reason NOT to be excited about Mafia III? Check out the E3 trailer below and get up to speed, then let us know in the comments what you’re most looking forward to when the game releases for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on October 7.