A decent portrayal of life in the Mafia.
The story begins in earnest once Vito returns to the U.S. on a medical leave.
Overall, I found the game quite enjoyable to play. The storyline was excellent, and the voice acting was superb for the English version. There's a lot of opportunity for hand-to-hand melee in the game, and it's fun to use. You are even supplied with on-screen cues for finishing moves. You do have to be careful however, as too much fisticuffs can attract the attention of a policeman on foot patrol or a passing cruiser - and the police presence is heavy in Mafia 2.
Ah, the police: they'll chase you if they know you stole a car, if you speed, hit a pedestrian or another vehicle (especially theirs). You're safe if they are the ones that hit your car while driving normally. If they pursue, you have two options - either a ticket or arrest. You pay the ticket on the spot if you stop, then they leave you alone. Arrest is a different story - either bribe them or run if you don't have enough cash or don't want to pay.
If you have a nVidia GPU, you have the option of using Phys-X, which adds some great ragdoll physics to the experience. Your vehicle sustains real damage in collisions, so you see things such as paint and metal flakes flying off, the hood popping up and down while driving (or flying off altogether), pedestrians reacting as in the real world if they were struck by a moving vehicle. Even your character can sustain damage in a collision, and as an added bonus, if your car becomes airborne in a collision, it is shown on-screen.
I rather enjoyed the gunplay in Mafia 2. Weapons selection was quick, and aiming was easy. I did think the reloading sequences were a bit drawn out, as a soldier such as Vito should have been able to reload much quicker than a civilian.
One drawback to the game is that there's an overabundance of driving, almost to the point where it could become a tiresome chore. Cars always start by burning rubber, and you're forced to upgrade your vehicles in a body shop, unless you want them all to act as though roads have perma-ice on them.
Another glaring flaw is the lack of things to do to react with the environment. There are a lot of businesses you cannot enter - I would have liked to have gone into a car dealership and shopped around. You cannot make a phone call unless the script says you need to.
And the worst flaw of all is for car buffs - there are vehicles such as the Chevrolet Corvette in this game - and the Corvette wasn't on the road in 1951. And I do recall seeing what appeared to be a '57 Ford Fairlane. Sure would like to know how the police got them so many years earlier than the assembly line put them out.
The storyline of two friends' dealing with the Mafia is very well-done, but the ending - although realistic - was unexpected and saddening.
The game is worth more than one playthrough, especially if you enjoy earning achievements.