The first two games in the Mafia series centered on the Italian Mafia
and were set in the 1920’s and 50’s respectively.
Despite having open worlds,
they were primarily focused on rich narratives, characters, and settings.
Now, six years later, Mafia III looks to shake things up
with a new protagonist and a much larger emphasis on the open-world,
but does it sacrifice quality for quantity?
The story centers on Vietnam War veteran Lincoln Clay in 1968
as he returns home to New Bordeaux, a fictionalized version of New Orleans.
Lincoln is a biracial orphan that was adopted by the black mob,
with their leader Sammy acting as his father figure.
He soon learns that Sammy is in debt to Sal Marcano of the Marcano crime family
and vows to dismantle their entire operation.
The story and characters are where Mafia III excels.
Lincoln delivers a sympathetic performance
during this tumultuous era of racial inequality
and his friend within the CIA, John Donovan
is equally gripping and charismatic.
There are also the three underbosses, Cassandra, Burke,
and returning character Vito Scaletta,
whose stories can be further fleshed out through side quests.
The last time we saw Vito he was being shuffled away
in a car separated from his best friend Joe,
so thankfully his reason for being in New Bordeaux feels natural.
The city feels like a character itself
thanks to authentic architecture and culture.
The music helps breathe life into New Bordeaux
with licensed songs from Creedence Clearwater Revival
and the Rolling Stones,
to original jazz and blues performed in bars and nightclubs.
Even radio broadcasts reflect on real life incidents
focused on communism, racism, and the Vietnam War.
Small details like the radio static in tunnels
or police officers setting up crime scenes after a robbery
further add to the illusion that New Bordeaux is a real place.
There’s also no fast travel option, prodding players to respect the world
and get completely immersed in its beauty.
While not every building can be entered
there are tons of diners, liquor stores, and bars that encourage exploration.
It seems like a misstep however
that some key open world features are missing
like the ability to customize Lincoln.
Environmental interaction is also limited.
The simple act of Vito drinking a beverage in Mafia II helped fuel immersion,
but despite how beautiful the interiors are in Mafia III,
there is little to do but stand and look.
To bring down Marcano, Lincoln needs to eliminate his lieutenants and capos
one district at a time.
You lure each of them out of hiding by attacking their criminal rackets.
This is where Mafia III becomes a treacherous slog
through soulless, repetitive missions.
For twenty plus hours you smash boxes, steal cargo, and eliminate targets.
These missions have no creativity and no stakes.
It’s so monotonous that at times
it’s easy to forget what you’re ultimately trying to accomplish.
When it’s finally time to take down a lieutenant or capo,
Mafia III serves its best missions, but these are so rare
that by the end of the grind even these moments are hard to enjoy.
There are two ways to approach each combat scenario,
guns blazing or stealth.
The stealth mechanics work well
and each brutal melee kill with Lincoln’s signature knife
is reminiscent of Rambo.
There are also brutal takedown combos that can interrupt an enemy’s attack
and scare their nearby comrades.
When you decide to go in loud, your arsenal includes weapons from the era.
Shotguns are appropriately devastating at close range,
pistols are solid in nearly every situation,
and machine guns can suppress groups of attackers.
Even late in the game, Lincoln can only take a finite amount of damage
before going down, so staying behind cover is always advised.
Despite some solid combat mechanics,
the AI is Mafia III’s most egregious flaw,
reminiscent of something you would have seen a decade ago.
You can take out an enemy right next to someone,
and they'll still wonder what's going on before reacting.
In open combat, they will funnel towards you
or casually peek out from cover fully exposed.
The horrible AI coupled with the repetitive mission grinding
makes the vast majority of Mafia III a complete chore to get through.
There are countless collectibles on the map
including the return of the Playboy magazines
along with records and communist propaganda.
Wire tapping a section of a district
not only reveals the locations of collectibles,
but also lets you recruit racket bosses for additional income.
Money can be used for standard upgrades
like Lincoln’s health, weapon accuracy, and vehicle handling.
When a district is finally taken over
it’s up to you to decide who takes control of it.
The three underbosses Cassandra, Burke, and Vito
offer varying rewards and may become angry if ignored for too long.
At first these are very tense decisions
as each character tries to manipulate you,
but it quickly becomes apparent
that rotating control between the three of them makes everyone a winner,
making the whole procedure feel artificial.
As mentioned earlier there’s no fast-travel, so prepare to drive.
Muscle cars offer raw power at the cost of control,
while smaller faster cars have increased handling.
Additionally, rain and mud effects the way cars feel,
but once again the AI destroys any hope for excitement,
making car chases inconsequential.
It’s so easy to escape that over the course of the entire game
there was only one time
that we felt like we were actually in a high speed pursuit.
Throughout the twenty to thirty hour journey,
we’ve encountered numerous bugs and crashes
ranging from excusable to frustrating.
Floating objects and weird clones are all fun and games,
but when Mafia III crashes during an emotional climax it’s unacceptable.
Additionally, driving all the way out to the bayou
only to see your objective fly away is a tiresome venture.
Mafia III offers a rich narrative set in an authentic open-world.
However, its memorable protagonist Lincoln Clay
and beautiful setting in New Bordeaux are squandered
by menial, repetitive tasks, annoying glitches, and inexcusably daft AI.
When the credits roll, there are surely moments to look back fondly upon,
but it’s hard to recommend sifting through the trash to find them.
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