MAFIA II: the short review

     Mafia II is in its most basic form a grand theft auto set in the American Mobster era. To compare it to GTA however would be the stereotypical game journalist approach - in which every open world game with cars and guns is suddenly the new Grand Theft Auto spin off.
     Mafia II is the brain child of 2K Czech studios, and stays very true to its setting in every aspect. The vehicles are mostly the hulking monstrosities you would expect from this era, yet every now and then you will come across a piece of art with a roaring engine and murder doors thrown in for good measure. Driving through the streets of empire bay, you are pleased to hear a soundtrack that wouldn't be out of place in films such as Goodfellas and the Godfather. In the skies above the air force are off overseas to fight the axis threat. The classical architecture sits comfortably against streets filled with men in: suits, shirts or overalls and women in: dresses and fur coats.
     This is truly a game in which no stone is left unturned to make sure the player feels totally immersed. You are quickly drawn back into the story with stories (from the lips of your best friend Joe) of what has changed since you have been at war. This is a sign of things to come, as throughout the game you find very little time to explore; always wanting to hear play the reach the next chapter of the story. The narrative is sublime, it has it all: twists, turns, murder, revenge and dark secrets. Surprisingly upon checking my statistics, upon completion, I had only killed a mere twelve civilians, who were most likely the victim of stray bullets or the odd road accident (the typical cars' handling is not exactly first class). The reason I bring this statistic forward is to demonstrate how little time I spent off mission, showing how brilliant the story really is.
      In summary, this is definitely a game worth a play through, the story is perfect if short (10 hour campaign in a rush) and lacks in its replay value, there is very little in the way of side missions or mini-games. Unless, you are someone who loves this period of history, or has the ability to replay a game over and over (in the same way some people can watch the same movie week after week) then I would recommend this game as a rental, or title you buy and trade in after completion.