Now dont get me wrong fellow nawaao peeps! Im a serious fella but certain
things can take away my attention a lot from serious issues... for example
Music. I love music with a passion, Reggae, Rock, Alternative, R&B,
Soul and a bit of Jazz!!! Basically anyffin that would make me me go "
damn dats some good sh*t"
I love food and i have mad love for gadgets you have to peel me away from
any gadget i lay my hands on or my sights!
One thing i would never ever ever get tired of is VIDEO GAMES!!!! Yeah there
i said it, shoot me!
Last nite was definitely a wonderful night for me as i got to try my hands
on a new game a friend just got: MAFIA II
Dats what dis blog is all about!!!! But then again im going to be dropping a
couple of stuff on various issues and i would let you know what my take is on
each issue.
So lets start off with this game MAFIA II!!!! Its going to be an energetic
bloody ride!!!!
Set in the 1940s and '50s, "Mafia II" (2K Czech) is a violent,
historical, and definitely exciting journey through the mob world in the United
States -- featuring a great story, accurate artwork and music for the time
period, and gameplay that isn't overly complicated.
The tale begins with a streetwise kid from Sicily named Vito Scaletta, whose
parents immigrate to the United States and Empire City, a sprawling metropolis
based on New York, Chicago and San Francisco.
It ends with Scaletta as a "made man" for the mafia. But along the
way, he goes through many scenarios involving theft, betrayal, stealth and
murder.
Much of the action takes place with Vito's childhood friend, Joe Barbero.
Barbero is a nonplayer character who helps spur the action along and also helps
out in some of the more wild firefights.
There are plenty of opportunities for classic gun battles in iconic
mafia-story buildings like a bourbon distillery, a dock warehouse and a Chinese
restaurant. Some scenes can end in total bloodbaths after the player has mowed
down dozens of other mobsters and gangsters.
Conflicts with police (and there will be many of those) can be resolved through
bribery, or, for a more exciting option, car chases and gunfights rolling
through the city streets.
Despite a free-roaming city that spans 10 square miles, the story is a linear
one. Each episode flows directly into the next in a series of events that
doesn't require side missions. There are plenty of shops dotted throughout
Empire City, but they are visited on an as-needed basis for guns, clothing or
food.
This is not a GTA (Grand Theft Auto) game. There is nothing out there like it.
There is so much more you can do.
The game is an authentic '40s and '50s-era experience -- right down to
historically accurate cars (which players can customize), the music on the
radios, the billboard ads, and the buildings.
In the '40s, the buildings are mostly brick with very few skyscrapers. Once we
get to the '50s, there is more glass in the building and more skyscrapers in
the skyline.
Different cars behave differently on the road and under changing weather
conditions. Each vehicle has its own speed and handling specifications, which
can make some chapters more challenging depending on which getaway vehicle the
player decided to bring.
"Mafia II" is not without some bits of controversy. The game is rated
"M" for mature and it earns that rating fairly. There is a lot of
coarse language befitting the time period. Know the old saying, "Use it
like a comma?" In "Mafia II," it's more like "Use it
instead of spaces between words."
There is also some nudity sprinkled through the game in collectible Playboy
covers and centerfolds from the 1950s. It's part of a licensing deal that ads a
bit of authenticity to the game, but isn't overly front and center in any of
the game play.
The one glaring drawback to the game was the ending. Yes you can ask me
"Wale u don play d game reach d end already?"Without giving anything
away, the finale feels abrupt -- like the ending of the middle movie in a
trilogy that really doesn't resolve anything, but seems to be setting up the
next movie.
Ending aside, "Mafia II" is a fun, energetic, sometimes bloody game
that steeps the player in the alternate world of the crime families from the
'40s and '50s. There are 15 chapters, with each taking anywhere from 45 to 90
minutes to play.
Once you start, it will be hard to put down. The flow and story of the game
really pull you along. There are two downloadable content packs that introduce
a new character with a storyline separate from the main one.
"Mafia II" is on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.