An extremely underrated game that is a must play.
Graphics: 9.0/10.
Mafia 2's graphics are amazing at times and at other times they will let you down. They shine most when you are viewing a huge scene of New York and they shine least when the game views close ups of people face sand other items. These amazing far away graphics make New York City look extremely realistic and every major building and structure looks perfect. It truly is a shame that the game can look so good from a far and at medium distances and then not be as amazing when you view things up close.
Story Mode: 8.5/10.
The story mode is another area were Mafia 2 succeeds. The premise of the story mode is that you (Vito Scholeta) have the chance to enter the Italian mob if you prove yourself worthy. It sounds simple but it ends up turning out to be a lot harder than you would think. At times in the story mode things will be going very smoothly and you will be rolling in cash and then just when you think it seems too good to be true something goes wrong. Whether it is a plan that ends badly or a night that just does not go the right way, Mafia 2 story mode thrives most when it brings you up and down the rollercoaster of Mafia living. However there is one big problem with Mafia 2's story mode. The problem is that despite having an amazing up and down story mode, Mafia 2 also has one of the worst endings to any game I have played. The game's story mode is so amazing and perfect up until it's extremely unsatisfying ending and this may leave many people depressed and wanting more, just like me. But even with the terrible ending Mafia 2's story mode is guess and I guess you could argue that the ending is a perfect way to lead and build of so that they can make another Mafia game.
Online: N/A.
Game play: 8.0/10.
This is yet again another area were Mafia 2 almost does perfectly if not for a one big mistake. I will get to the mistake later but for now let me talk about the game play. Mafia 2's game play has amazing shooting, amazing stealth action, fun fight scenes, and amazing driving. The guns in mafia 2 feel realistic and it is loads of fun to hide behind an object and then jump out and blow a few guys heads of. The stealth action is also just as amazing and there are many sneak moves that Vito can do many moves behind guys to kill them. Also, do not forget the fist fighting which is loads of fun and can leave you wanting more. The last type of game play is driving and the cars in Mafia 2 so much fun to drive. Each car drives differently and it is fun to speed and have the cops chase you as you try to lose them. The big one mistake that Mafia 2 made is that they focused on little side missions instead of focusing on were t succeeds most. There are not enough scenes were you can stealthy kill people and there are not enough scenes in general were you can shoot people. The way this game rewards you though for waiting for these scenes is by making them absolutely a blast and every scene you'll wish you could play multiple times through.
Immersion: 9.0/10.
I hate being repetitive but this is truly once again an area were Mafia 2 almost gets perfect if not for one mistake. Mafia 2 of course has a large amount of immersion because of the fact that it is set up in New York City and that the game is open world based. The game feels absolutely massive and New York City is an ideal place to explore. The feeling is also amazing because Mafia 2 really succeeds at making this game looks like the 1940s and 1950s. As you walk down the streets everyone is smoking freely and everyone dresses completely different. This really adds to the immersion level because it makes the game feel more realistic and it makes the game feel like how it should. The problem is that besides mains tory missions Mafia 2's well sized open world does not offer you anything else to do. It is a letdown but Mafia 2 still boasts amazing Immersion so don't get all upset just yet.
Voice acting and characters: 10/10.
Now Mafia 2 might have messed up here and there with the other sections but it made no mistakes with its characters. Each character in the game is extremely unique and different from the last one. The best character is of course Vito Scholeta but there are many other amazing side characters such as Joe, Vito's best friend. Joe to say the least is a loose cannon and Vito to say the least is the calmer one. The two of them are a dynamic duo and they keep each other in line multiple times during the story mode. Now as far as voice acting goes, Mafia 2's is pitch perfect. There is not one scene in this whole game were a line is messed up and every line sounds perfect for the situation.
Sound: 10/10.
Sound is a fairly easy category for a game to do well on but it is much harder for a game to do amazing on. Mafia 2 is one of those few games that actually succeeds in sound and does not mess up once. Mafia 2's soundtrack is probably one of the best soundtracks for any game. With songs from that time period and even a song from Fallout New Vegas, Mafia 2's soundtrack is a well-combined work of art. As far as the sounds of the game play, the cars, the guns, and the voice acting goes there is not a single sound out of place. Everything in the game sounds amazing and this just adds to the totals games atmosphere.
Biggest Pros:
-Amazing game play when there.
-Many awesome cars.
-Great characters and voice acting.
-Amazing sound track.
-Amazing up and down story mode.
Biggest Cons:
-Not enough game play.
-Bad ending.
-Little to nothing to do besides main story line.
Final Verdict:
Mafia 2 is a game I liked to call extremely underrated. When I saw reviews that gave this game anything below a 9/10 I was shocked. It is a true gem and you will love this game from the moment anyone starts to play it. The amazing story mode will suck you in and Vito Scholeta will grow on you until you want to know him in real life. Now to sum it up overall, Mafia 2 is an awesome game that I want to play again just because it was that good, do not let critic reviews tell you otherwise because all I have to say is that Mafia 2 may be the best game of 2010 and it is definitely the most underrated game I have played in a long time.
Final grade: 9.0/10.