“I dreamed of money, cars, women, respect, freedom. I think that I got all this … more or less " – these words of Vito Skletta, the main character Mafia 2 , The essence of the game is best expressed. Let not so much (or rather, not at all) freedom, but women, money, good music, enemies, and especially cars – at least cargo wagons – at all).
It's time to get used to it
Probably, this is how to lay out Mafia 2 in the components is the most unworthy thing that can be done with the sequel of the most cinematographic game on PC. But the truth is that after passing in the soul there is nothing left, which would allow seven more years with a breath of waiting for the next part. I hardly recall in a month what was the name of the main character’s sister there, or I suddenly want to collect all the photos from the Playboy magazine scattered from the game. Oddly enough, but Mafia 2 fails precisely in what they expected the most from her – she does not touch; there is no one to empathize, there is no one to accompany the house under the moon and there is absolutely no one to mourn. A person who watched to the end “Once in America”, “Glorious Guys” and “Godfather”, will hardly discover something new here for himself. In addition to a disappointing, but of course bearing the conclusion that life is short, absurd and too much in it does not depend on us.
In the life of Vito Skletta, the main guide force was always the best friend of Joe, with whom they beat windows in youth. He met him at the station after returning from the war (where Vito was sent instead of a prison term for theft), and together they went all the short way along the crooked criminal path. The heroes do not have much time (all fifteen chapters pass a maximum of 10 hours), therefore, it simply does not remain for moral torment. Unlike taxi driver Tommy Angelo with his honest-prominent blue eyes, Vito is a real punks and does not hesitate to fulfill Tolstoy’s dirty orders, like a dung beetle, chairman of the working trade union, and at some point easily agrees to participate in heroin trade. All this, of course, diverges with the image of a non -pound son from a religious family, which can arise after the first few chapters of the game. But in Mafia 2, not only at gas stations and stores, exactly the same characters work – here even the main characters are written out of hand badly. Vito does the whole game with a stone face only what they say (once, however, breaks up to save the life of the old mafiosi, whom he was obliged), Joe never goes beyond the rustic playboy, a lover of bright shirts and brothels, and the rest of the characters die or disappear even before you have time to remember their names.
Mambo Italiano
At the same time, the first and second half of the game is strikingly contrast with each other in terms of study and immersion. At the very beginning, Mafia 2 looks like the best game in the world – you love it in advance, despite a simple and axial military episode in the style of Call of Duty, which you want to squeeze as quickly as possible. Winter Empire-Bay in Christmas garlands, snow slowly falling to the music of Dean Martin, and Vito in a military overcoat, returning to his native Italian quarter-you want to stretch this scene so much that you involuntarily reduce a step and willingly speak with random passers-by. An old girlfriend is entangled in the eatery near the house, who to the question “How are you doing?»Replies that he is going to prepare dinner for her husband and two children. Listening to her stupid chirping in the spirit of “Naturally, I got married, because I am already 21 years old! ", You feel especially acutely that Vito, with your military awards and an overcoat, alien to this holiday of life.
The second time enlightenment occurs only approximately in the middle of the game, when, having thundered to prison in one unsuccessful operation with state property, Vito spends six https://gamblii-casino.co.uk/ years there. He is not even a member of the mafia, but just a small gangster, which at one side to participate in the affairs of large people. No one knows his name, will not hide him an omnipotent lawyer and will not arrange an escape from prison. Having been released, Vito discovers that during his absence in the world they managed to invent rock-roll, young people who grew up in peacetime walks in bright vests and with embarrassed hair and hugs in rapid chrome-lacked lashcaps that replaced with a slow luplain predatory machine. If in the first part of the years they flowed unnoticed, and only cars changed around us (and even then gradually), then here the instant transition from the gloomy, snowy 40s in the screamily bright 50s simply blinds with its surprise. In addition, this is preceded by an unbearably long episode held in the prison corridors painted with a nasty-green paint (who has been to the Russian military registration and enlistment offices and hospitals, it will understand what I mean), which only enhances the effect. At this moment, I just physically want to breathe deeply, turn on the radio, get behind the wheel and drive, drive to the fullest to meet a new life.
Just a routine
Moreover, the ubiquitous Joe just promises to arrange it – he takes a friend to the brothel, introduces one of the influential families with the Caprah, thanks to which both of them are admitted to the mafia. Vito acquires a new house and a car, lies with money, and we are happy ignorance that all previous events were only a large, big prologue, but now a real game will begin. With interesting characters, unusual plot turns and various missions. But when for the tenth time you wake up from the cod of the phone in the hallway, you dress, grab the car and after a long, long stage and a pair of static cat-scenes you get the next order to eliminate a person’s objectionable family with an Italian surname (as it is there-Chipollino, Celentano, Berlusconi?), slowly understand that this is the whole game. Unlike the first part, which constantly betrayed something unexpected, offering either to participate in real races, then to take a pretty daughter of the bartender to the house, Mafia 2 almost does not know how to surprise.
Seventy percent of the game occupies simple distillations from point A to point B (chases happen a couple of times per game, the police do not particularly annoy), sometimes accompanied. Well, the remaining thirty is quite simple, even primitive by today's standards from a third person with shelters and a complete lack of pleasure from shooting (realistic physics of the bodies would not have prevented the enemies, and the weapon – normal return). From comparison with some Kane & Lynch 2: DOG Days It only saves that in important places for the shootout are still very coolly directed: the shot enemies fall through the railing (all animations are calculated in advance), the columns fly into pieces, and the cars take off from one hit in the gas tank.
Badge Motor, Vito
This alignment is explained very simply – the cars in the game are made almost better than anything else. In addition to the fact that the era itself has this (be sure to look at our material with a comparison of game models and their real prototypes), so to control them is a pleasure. Slicking on a slippery road on slow and heavy machines is somewhat reminiscent of balancing on the rope: it is a little mistaken-and the uncontrollable suitcase has already been on the oncoming lane. Of course, in order not to deprive yourself of this pleasure, it is necessary to include “simulator” physics in the game settings. This time there are not so many models of cars – only 37, but each is worked out with manic attention to the details (there is not enough view from the cabin) and is recognized even by sound. In a word, if we consider Mafia 2 as a simulator of machines of the era of the 40-50s, then there are no equal to it in this.
As, however, in attention to the details. Some for some reason put the play for the full absence of activity and side tasks in the city, but who needs to engage in a block of stolen machines and robbery of stores, if each gateway, each facade in Empire-Bay, are manually flooded manually? During the missions, you look around every now and then, amazed at the details of the interiors, and going down the stairs, you can find a cleaning lady listening under the door, which is immediately embarrassed by our appearance. It is clear that all these scales are calculated in advance and occur almost exclusively on our path, but 2K czech meteys do not cease to be surprised even for the second and third time.
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Only a typical Eastern European approach to polishing the game gives Chekhov – in this regard, Mafia 2 differs from GTA 4 approximately like "Skoda" from "Volkswagen". The camera in the rooms instead of the hero’s back often shows only a piece of ceiling, the checkpoints are arranged so that the same mission has to go through several times due to a stupid designer error, but they are killed quickly and unexpectedly (enemies are often not visible because of shelters ). It is a pity that the huge Take-Two Interactive budgets were spent only on the creation of the beautiful world, amazing machines and licensing all the best musical compositions of the 50s. We would prefer a normal screenwriter and director.
Grade: 7.5
Alternative opinion is the magazine "Gambling"
“… In Mafia 2 there is no scope that the creators of competing games are chasing. But she is not bought for this. I want to live in the world of this game, and the word "live" here should be understood not in the sense that Gothic or Oblivion games usually invest in it. You won’t stay here for a long time, but the few days that we spend with Vito and Joe have been standing for many months of wandering in fantasy forests and eighty -level elves hunting. It will not be possible to exist peacefully here, here they offer to live a whole life-rich, stormy, sometimes tragically cheap, but invariably interesting … "
Rating: 9.5