What do you get when you mix a little Mississippi Burning with a touch of A Time to Kill, scrambled with a taste of Dead Presidents and a dash of Carlito’s Way?
You get the ambitious, controversial and bold story of Lincoln Clay, the protagonist in 2K Games’ Mafia III
This a classic story of revenge, but it’s unique because of its setting, character complexity and heavy racial themes. Clay is a bi-racial orphan who was raised by Sammy, the head of the Black Mob in New Bordeaux (a fictional recreation of New Orleans).
The story takes place in 1968 after Clay has returned from the Vietnam War (although there are flashback sequences). Ultimately, his surrogate father and family are killed by the Italian Mob. The Italians, led by Sal Marcano, betrayed the Black Mob, killing them all except Clay, though they thought they had murdered him as well.
That bit of the story was revealed prior to the release of the title. I won’t go any further than that to keep from spoiling the significant events of this well-told tale.
However, I will say: this is easily one of the most compelling journeys I’ve come across in a video game. Just as easily, it’s the most decadent and depressing.
If you’re reading this and wondering if you should allow your child to play it, my answer would be a definitive no.
The themes, language, graphic violence and mood of Mafia III made me feel dirty. I’ve played games that received the M-17 rating in the past, and I’ve not felt startled by the content.
Mafia III takes things to another level. Sure, we’ve heard vile language in games before. Playing Grand Theft Auto is like listening to a rant from the love child of Andrew Dice Clay and Richard Pryor.
We’ve seen sexually explicit and mature topics covered as well.
This is different in that it presents characters, situations and a vibe that is so realistically negative, its uncensored decadence leaves more of an imprint. Racial slurs, sex talk, you name it, like Ragu, it’s in there.
At a time where racial strife is at the forefront of the news, it’s quite possible a game with this type of content is even more eye-popping than it would be if our racial sensitivity antennas weren’t as high.
Looking for a good guy? Good luck. There are no straight protagonists; even Clay is an anti-hero.
You will get to know the main players thanks to the solid character development, but you may not find one you could root for without hesitation.
This might sound like a slight toward the game; it’s anything but. I’m sure it’s the feel the developers and artists from Hangar 13 were going for when they crafted the latest version of their gangster franchise.
As good as it looks, it sounds even better. From the crackling rocks under the tires of vintage vehicles that are turning on bumpy pavements, to the voice acting and the perfectly curated soundtrack, Mafia III has little room for improvement as it pertains to audio and graphical presentation.
Clay will find himself in some pretty hairy situations with other members of organized crime and the police. Angling and fighting your way to safety, or positioning yourself for an assassination is a rewarding experience.
In many ways, the action/missions are a lot like Just Cause 3, only Clay doesn’t have over-the-top gadgets and he isn’t anywhere near as invincible as Rico Rodriguez.
That slight bit of realism actually helps to keep the characters a bit more human.
Clay and Rodriguez’s tasks are similar when it comes to the mechanics of completing missions. The checklists don’t vary much from area to area, or boss to boss.
In Mafia III, you are either murdering a boss, interrogating someone (with the option of having them work for you or offing them) or in some fewer instances, you’re asked to retrieve an item.
If you recruit or force someone to work with you, there are benefits to these partnerships. Some of them are monetary, others will unlock the access to in-game perks such as: on-call arms dealers and a flunky in charge of delivering you vehicles from your garage.
Very few missions are memorable, though. The assassination of the Haitian drug lord Baka stands out to me the most, but I mostly remember the cut scenes in between the missions.
The early missions don’t feel much like an open-world adventure. The action is very pointed and your missions and objectives are clear.
To be honest, that’s when the game is at its best. The huge, sprawling world of New Bordeaux was a large undertaking by the development team, but once you progress deeper into the story and begin to have more free reign of the city, the game partially loses its way.
The complete toolbox of options, such as wire taps, consigliere, informants and captured enemies-turned-partners makes things more complex, and dare I say crowded.
Part of the appeal of Mafia III is its tradition-rich and highly-detailed recreation of the late 1960s vibe. I believe that could have been captured in a stage-based format similar to what we see with Uncharted.
The open-world concept sounds great and can be amazing when it fits properly, but not every sprawling story is best suited for a chainless adventure.
I applaud the concept of opening up more of the world and options in a piece-by-piece style. This was done to help keep you focused on the story. However, the deeper you get into the game, the more you begin to feel conflicted.
Do I take time to explore the world or continue to uncover the layers of this increasingly intriguing story? It can actually be a little frustrating.
Is the gameplay fun? At times, yes. Are there major structural issues with the combat system? No, but there’s definitely an internal struggle that can be felt by the gamer.
If you approach Mafia III as an interactive journey, then you probably won’t have any issue with it overall. If you’re looking for a fully fleshed out title akin to GTA, then Mafia III could come off as a shallow release.
