*****Official Mafia II Thread*****
- Thread starter Th3D0n
- Start date
Soldato
- Joined
- 12 Feb 2006
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- 17,705
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- Surrey
ugh! why did i order from amazon???? my pc version hasn't come today and now i'm peeved as i pre-ordered it and i expected it to be here by now. does post still come on saturday? damn this was the perfect weekend to play this game as well.
I got mine from Amazon today, so I'm sure you'll get yours tomorrow
Well I've been playing for the past few hours and so far my verdict is mixed.
First the good. It looks great, runs great, the story is interesting enough, the cinematic quality of the whole thing is fantastic and the atmosphere of the city really draws you in with such attention to detail. I'm aware that some have criticised driving sections between missions, but honestly I feel the city has such a great atmosphere that I really enjoy these sections. The characters are well acted and well scripted too. Firefights are exhilarating and the cover system works really well.
Now the downsides. My biggest gripe so far are the fist fight sections. I don't know what the hell 2k were thinking including these in the game, or rather I do because there were several in the previous game - and in short bursts, they're fun. However I've just played through a section where about 3 or 4 missions in a row are compulsory fist fights (without going into detail about the story) and this entire chapter/section just felt like a really poor beat-em-up game, and it's infuriating too because you can't help but feel the fist fights don't quite work as well as they should and you (or I anyway) have to retry a couple of the fights several times (especially on hard) which becomes extremely tedious.
Another gripe would be that I want to have mafia shootouts, and they are few and far between. I'm a couple hours in and really have only had one or two firefights. The firefight sections are so enjoyable and really work well that I have to wonder why 2k decided to include so many poor beat-em-up sections rather than just replace them with great firefight sections.
One more thing would be the cars. They handle nicely enough when you're cruising around and you really get the feel of a 1950's heavy car. However when you're being chased through the city by several police, the handling of the cars inhibits you so much that you end up raging whilst you're trying to escape.
At first I wanted to come and proclaim that all the complaints were simply from overexpectation and dissapointment after the game not being the game people had in their heads. However, my experience is that the longer I play the game the more I forget about the good things as more tedious and frustrating things rear their head.
After an hour my score was 9/10, now after about 5 hours and a really dissapointing chapter of poorly implemented beat-em-up sections it has to come down to about 7/10. I'll report back later if it can redeem itself. I hope it can.
First the good. It looks great, runs great, the story is interesting enough, the cinematic quality of the whole thing is fantastic and the atmosphere of the city really draws you in with such attention to detail. I'm aware that some have criticised driving sections between missions, but honestly I feel the city has such a great atmosphere that I really enjoy these sections. The characters are well acted and well scripted too. Firefights are exhilarating and the cover system works really well.
Now the downsides. My biggest gripe so far are the fist fight sections. I don't know what the hell 2k were thinking including these in the game, or rather I do because there were several in the previous game - and in short bursts, they're fun. However I've just played through a section where about 3 or 4 missions in a row are compulsory fist fights (without going into detail about the story) and this entire chapter/section just felt like a really poor beat-em-up game, and it's infuriating too because you can't help but feel the fist fights don't quite work as well as they should and you (or I anyway) have to retry a couple of the fights several times (especially on hard) which becomes extremely tedious.
Another gripe would be that I want to have mafia shootouts, and they are few and far between. I'm a couple hours in and really have only had one or two firefights. The firefight sections are so enjoyable and really work well that I have to wonder why 2k decided to include so many poor beat-em-up sections rather than just replace them with great firefight sections.
One more thing would be the cars. They handle nicely enough when you're cruising around and you really get the feel of a 1950's heavy car. However when you're being chased through the city by several police, the handling of the cars inhibits you so much that you end up raging whilst you're trying to escape.
At first I wanted to come and proclaim that all the complaints were simply from overexpectation and dissapointment after the game not being the game people had in their heads. However, my experience is that the longer I play the game the more I forget about the good things as more tedious and frustrating things rear their head.
After an hour my score was 9/10, now after about 5 hours and a really dissapointing chapter of poorly implemented beat-em-up sections it has to come down to about 7/10. I'll report back later if it can redeem itself. I hope it can.
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Finished the game earlier today after @7-8 hours of play and the best way to describe this game is, 'it is a very rough diamond'.
**** Possible spoilers ahead (quick pros and cons at the bottom)****
****But then again, I could be saving @6-8 hours of your life, tough choice?****
It has the potential of being a great game but it has fallen flat on it face to its major flaw which becomes very apparent once you finish the main story line, CONTENT, CONTENT & CONTENT (lack of)! Oh and lets not forget VARIETY (is the spice of life).
I really was drawn into this beautifully dressed up game right from the start. The graphics, environment and the atmosphere within @10 minutes of playing, it all felt so right! It was like love at first sight and I so wanted this 'love' to become the 'Charleston Heston's Ben Hur' of video games. The initial few hours of playing made this gem look so promising, so beautiful and appealing but then again, so did the awesomely wrapped Christmas present I got from my granny when I was @8 years old, only to find out it was an ugly knitted sweater, something you sorta appreciate cause it keeps you warm but you can already start to hear the abuse you're gonna get from all the other kids.
At around Chapter @7-8 I started to realise things were going downhill, things were just repeating themselves, the environment (although very beautiful if you can push the gfx up) felt so very underused, all you can do really is drive or walk around in it. Apart from the main story line there is nothing else to do or to strife for. The whole thing was and is now looking so very linear, one direction, no choices, no point really in exploring and replay value, what replay value? (unless your internet is stuck in the same era as this game and thus unable to find any good pictures online of near naked ladies so you do want to replay this game a few times just to find all those hidden playboy pics). After a while the story line and the characters that were acting in it, was like watching a very bad version of 'The god fellows (getting out of bed, dressing, running downstairs and to the garage, driving the car, watching a cut-scene, punch or shot a few dudes, watching another cut-scene, driving back home, running back upstairs, getting straight to bed while not undressing hoping that in the morning you can skip the dressing phase but alas all becomes 'deja vu' and all the while your character is moaning about his) good father ' movie. Please let me not talk about the ending as that felt as painful as watching the ending to Inception (great movie but it really did not need that type of ending!). The way the main story line ended (the game's ONLY very LINEAR objective) was like opening the door which Neo opened in Matrix, the one to get him to the architect, except when I opened this particular door, it had a brick wall behind it. I wonder what would have gone through Neo's mind if after all he had been through, was then faced by a unbreakable (cause he could smash it otherwise) brick wall!
Anyhow, I really do not want to sound over negative or trash this game, cause I still stand by what I said in my opening sentence, it is a very rough diamond, it has the potential to become precious and valuable, but boy, does it need a lot of work! I think most people like myself, will love the first few hours (@6-8 chapters) of this game but will then start to see its major flaw, there simply ain't enough content and variation, which really feels like this game is rushed out. Yes its looks nice on the surface but if very shallow once you take a dip.
I for one certainly hopes that over the coming months there will be lots of 'FREE' DLCs and patches to increase the potential of this game and please folks at 2K, for the love of god, make more use of your amazing environment and awesome graphic engine. Look at GTA, drive a cab to make money, get a cop car to chase crooks or disguise as cop to do criminal stuff, have side missions, have a larger variety of characters in the streets (several times now I have seen Joe's red haired call girl walking in the street with 3 of her twin sister walking right behind her) and be able to have random conversations with npcs, buy stuff at news agents (not just food/drink but newspaper/bubblegum etc), large variety of food/drink & clothing, the ability to use and board the trains/metro, repeat mission but as a different character perhaps even become a cop, these are just thing at the top of my head, the list is nearly endless but basically more CONTENT and more VARIETY will make this rough diamond turn into a real 'cost 6 months worth of wages and a live time of miser.... happiness' diamond!
My 2 cents.
Quick Pros & Cons
Pros: Great engine, excellent gfx (at least on top settings, can't vouch for low end PCs but I heard it runs pretty good), great great period music selection I really like the way the music contributed to the game's atmosphere), one of this game's highlights is that it runs over 2 decades which means there is a complete change in scenery(gfx) cars/clothing/weapons & music, I felt that was a really nice touch, plus the initial 'feel' of the game is really really positive and it looks and feels polished too (didn't notice any bugs apart from a few graphical anomalies)
Cons: The biggest is easily (yes you guessed it) CONTENT and VARIETY, main story line is very good at the start but after a while it becomes repetitive and the story plus the actions of many character either don't make sense or are simply become unbelievable. No replay value IMO unless they add lots lots and lots more content. No multiplayer, that is another big handicap, in many of the missions you could easily have coop. The ending is simply one of the worse I have seen in a game. You are left with the feeling that 2K simply ran out of time and/or money and gave us a half finished game or something that simply does not reach its full potential (YET - or so I hope)
**** Possible spoilers ahead (quick pros and cons at the bottom)****
****But then again, I could be saving @6-8 hours of your life, tough choice?****
It has the potential of being a great game but it has fallen flat on it face to its major flaw which becomes very apparent once you finish the main story line, CONTENT, CONTENT & CONTENT (lack of)! Oh and lets not forget VARIETY (is the spice of life).
I really was drawn into this beautifully dressed up game right from the start. The graphics, environment and the atmosphere within @10 minutes of playing, it all felt so right! It was like love at first sight and I so wanted this 'love' to become the 'Charleston Heston's Ben Hur' of video games. The initial few hours of playing made this gem look so promising, so beautiful and appealing but then again, so did the awesomely wrapped Christmas present I got from my granny when I was @8 years old, only to find out it was an ugly knitted sweater, something you sorta appreciate cause it keeps you warm but you can already start to hear the abuse you're gonna get from all the other kids.
At around Chapter @7-8 I started to realise things were going downhill, things were just repeating themselves, the environment (although very beautiful if you can push the gfx up) felt so very underused, all you can do really is drive or walk around in it. Apart from the main story line there is nothing else to do or to strife for. The whole thing was and is now looking so very linear, one direction, no choices, no point really in exploring and replay value, what replay value? (unless your internet is stuck in the same era as this game and thus unable to find any good pictures online of near naked ladies so you do want to replay this game a few times just to find all those hidden playboy pics). After a while the story line and the characters that were acting in it, was like watching a very bad version of 'The god fellows (getting out of bed, dressing, running downstairs and to the garage, driving the car, watching a cut-scene, punch or shot a few dudes, watching another cut-scene, driving back home, running back upstairs, getting straight to bed while not undressing hoping that in the morning you can skip the dressing phase but alas all becomes 'deja vu' and all the while your character is moaning about his) good father ' movie. Please let me not talk about the ending as that felt as painful as watching the ending to Inception (great movie but it really did not need that type of ending!). The way the main story line ended (the game's ONLY very LINEAR objective) was like opening the door which Neo opened in Matrix, the one to get him to the architect, except when I opened this particular door, it had a brick wall behind it. I wonder what would have gone through Neo's mind if after all he had been through, was then faced by a unbreakable (cause he could smash it otherwise) brick wall!
Anyhow, I really do not want to sound over negative or trash this game, cause I still stand by what I said in my opening sentence, it is a very rough diamond, it has the potential to become precious and valuable, but boy, does it need a lot of work! I think most people like myself, will love the first few hours (@6-8 chapters) of this game but will then start to see its major flaw, there simply ain't enough content and variation, which really feels like this game is rushed out. Yes its looks nice on the surface but if very shallow once you take a dip.
I for one certainly hopes that over the coming months there will be lots of 'FREE' DLCs and patches to increase the potential of this game and please folks at 2K, for the love of god, make more use of your amazing environment and awesome graphic engine. Look at GTA, drive a cab to make money, get a cop car to chase crooks or disguise as cop to do criminal stuff, have side missions, have a larger variety of characters in the streets (several times now I have seen Joe's red haired call girl walking in the street with 3 of her twin sister walking right behind her) and be able to have random conversations with npcs, buy stuff at news agents (not just food/drink but newspaper/bubblegum etc), large variety of food/drink & clothing, the ability to use and board the trains/metro, repeat mission but as a different character perhaps even become a cop, these are just thing at the top of my head, the list is nearly endless but basically more CONTENT and more VARIETY will make this rough diamond turn into a real 'cost 6 months worth of wages and a live time of miser.... happiness' diamond!
My 2 cents.
Quick Pros & Cons
Pros: Great engine, excellent gfx (at least on top settings, can't vouch for low end PCs but I heard it runs pretty good), great great period music selection I really like the way the music contributed to the game's atmosphere), one of this game's highlights is that it runs over 2 decades which means there is a complete change in scenery(gfx) cars/clothing/weapons & music, I felt that was a really nice touch, plus the initial 'feel' of the game is really really positive and it looks and feels polished too (didn't notice any bugs apart from a few graphical anomalies)
Cons: The biggest is easily (yes you guessed it) CONTENT and VARIETY, main story line is very good at the start but after a while it becomes repetitive and the story plus the actions of many character either don't make sense or are simply become unbelievable. No replay value IMO unless they add lots lots and lots more content. No multiplayer, that is another big handicap, in many of the missions you could easily have coop. The ending is simply one of the worse I have seen in a game. You are left with the feeling that 2K simply ran out of time and/or money and gave us a half finished game or something that simply does not reach its full potential (YET - or so I hope)
Last edited:
Soldato
- Joined
- 24 Nov 2002
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- 16,379
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- 38.744281°N 104.846806°W
Well I caved and bought it, full Steam price as I'm impatient. Should have it in <1hr.
Soldato
- Joined
- 7 Dec 2005
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- Wiltshire
It's nothing like GTA so don't know how you came up with that conclusion.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 33,188
It was never ever meant to be open world and to go around just shooting people.
Mafia 1 is an immense story linear, that happens to let you experience it in a large city, you can anywhere but the goal is to get to the next part of the story, not to gain a billion quid, or killing some prostitutes.
Too many people will play it wanting GTA4 and not getting it, though personally I don't think this one is particularly good, the first one would have left people similarly pee'd off if they were expecting lots of collectibles and jumps and people to run over.
It needed an infinately better story to be a "great" game like the first. ITs such a shame because the city, the general game mechanics are fine and could have been used SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better.
Its incredibly dissappointing that with the same guy behind both games, what seemed to be the absolute top priority, the story, took the back seat in this game. We went from original and truly fantastic, to truly generic and nonsensical rubbish.
First game you play though a guy in a tough spot, gets incredibly good at his job but realises its wrong and does the right thing, the character grows. In this one, he's dumb to start with, screws up every single thing he does, continues to be dumb, and ends up a dumbass, theres no growth, I don't like the character, he's got no charisma, he's not a nice good guy and a funny/charming bad guy, theres no reasoning, the characters are just empty shells of generic stereotypes.
Astmospher wise, i didn't think the city had it, the first game with far worse graphics, it felt better somehow, more realistic. From recollection theres at least two missions, the cafe at night, rain pouring down, and the farm area, atmospheric is how I'd describe them, those sections are amongst the best in any game ever made. Not a single section of this game had that feel to it
the gx engine shows gtaiv up to be a ugly fugly mess.
i cant bring my self to play gtaiv anymore after seeing mafia 2's engine.
just needs more content if the devs release modding tools the game could be epic but i doubt they will
That done the trickChange your location, Norway always seems to have fast download speed.
arrrrrrrrgghhhhhh .... from the 1st WW2 scene where you climb through the window into the house i am getting 10FPS ..... with my specs i expect to play to this game at 1920 X 1080 at max settings ... also exiting the game makes my desktop go dark (fixed by pressing ctrl/alt/del .... so i take it this game is bugged to bits?
What cats version? i am using 10.8s and haven't encountered any issues at all.
Also you got PhysX feature turned on? if so turn that off as your fps will drop an awful lot in shootouts....even down to 10fps.
...omg ... so instead of going through the window in the 1st scene , if i run to side of the house and up the road to the people who are on their knees blocking the way and then turn around and run back towards where i am meant to be , the ground disappears and i fall through it and i have clouds and blue sky as i fall - like I'm parachuting (without the chute opening).
I have captured it using FRAPS and I'm going to upload to YouTube tomorrow...
...WTF have i just wasted my money on?
I have captured it using FRAPS and I'm going to upload to YouTube tomorrow...
...WTF have i just wasted my money on?