Welcome then to Mafia II (2K Czech) - a game that promises a classy, cinematic open 1950's world in which to explore, and instead delivers a standard, linear, repetitive cover based shooter filled with characters that like to swear, collect porn and be as stereotypical as possible.
I'm Going to be a Contender...
I'm Going to be a Contender...
 |
| The graphics of Mafia II are very impressive. |
Although reeking of stereotypes, Mafia II begins very promisingly. The introduction cinematics and tutorials are beautiful, and really begin to immerse the gamer into 1940's (and later 1950's) New York City. The player is introduced to Vito's mother and sister, and there is a very touching relationship between the three poor Sicilian immigrants (Vito's father was killed a few years before when the game is set) and the debts that the family have provide a decent motive for Vito to turn to unpleasant characters in the hope of making a quick buck.
Grand Theft Gangster?
Grand Theft Gangster?
Additionally, the seemingly open world of Mafia II seeks to provide a more realistic and mature experience than more arcade sandbox games such as Saint's Row II and Grand Theft Auto IV. Cars handle a bit more like one would expect for a 1940's car to handle, and police will now enforce speed limits if they see you breaking them, and will fine you if they catch you. The game provides an optional speed limiter, which allows one to stick to the speed limit without too much effort. The effect is a nice one, meaning that the player can cruise around the environment, taking in the view and enjoying the excellent soundtrack on the way to the next mission. Considering that every day (for the game is set in terms of days) Vito must leave wherever he is living, and drive across town to wherever the next meeting is, it is a good thing that the the drive is so enjoyable.
 |
| It certainly takes a leaf out of GTA's book. |
It is here where Mafia II is at its best. The graphics are of top quality, and although the city isn't quite as bustling as it could be, there is a real sense of life to it, and the atmosphere it evokes is commendable. From there, leaving your vehicle and going into an apartment block where people are having rows, where music is playing etc, all gives the impression that you are entering a living breathing world.
However this is where the immersiveness ends. The world invites you to explore it in between the linear missions, and yet doesn't actually give you anything in return for doing so. There is almost nothing to do in the open world of Empire Bay, except for drive around, select from the limited range of clothes (three items in varying styles), eat at a diner, fill up on gas and that's it! There are no side missions to speak of, no way of purchasing buildings or making more money. Sure, you can technically rob a diner or a store, but for what purpose? So you can go back a day later and buy yourself another jaunty hat, this time in light gray instead of black? I think I'll pass...
Working 9 to 5.
The problem with Mafia II is that it somehow manages to make the gangster world seem strangely dull. For not only is the world itself without variety, the same can be said of the missions. While the actual story is fairly involving, the missions eventually resort to "Go to place X, engage in dialogue, indulge in some cover based shooting, then drive home." Although the cover based shooting is extremely well done - with powerful sounding guns and some really hairy moments - it is overdone so that towards the end of the game it feels very much like simply going through the motions with every mission.
The plot is similarly clichéd. Although well told, and with some interesting characters, the plot is fairly standard gangster fare and will not exactly have you itching for a sequel, even with the ending that leaves nothing particularly resolved. The relationship between Vito and Joey is hilarious at times, but most of the other characters are so clichéd with their dialogue that it will make your ears bleed.
Yet it did not always have to be this way. The first few missions are highly original, and the plot is well written early on. An example of this [SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT] is when Vito is sent to prison about an hour or so into the game, having been caught for committing various crimes. This leads to an interesting hour long sub plot where Vito must make friends and survive in his new world. While the whole thing reeks strongly of The Shawshank Redemption, it is an area where the game distinguishes itself from other GTA-clones. A moment that stands out is where Vito reads that a close member of his family has passed away. As he learns of the news, he cries in agony at the knowledge that he was unable to help because of his misdemeanors, at which point the lights go out and he is plunged into darkness. The moment is powerful, and could have been used by the game developers for significant character development.
Yet once Vito is released from prison, he immediately jumps straight back into the life of crime that he was used to before his incarceration. Vito appears not to have learnt anything from his time in prison, and it becomes harder to relate to him as a consequence. His lack of moral questioning of any of the acts he is committing makes him a difficult character to empathise with (although the game obviously wants you to) while at the same time, the brief moments he does question his role in the Mafia sound disingenuous and annoying.
As an example, about three quarters of the way through the game, I had just mowed through yet another warehouse of gangsters. Having committed a hectic mini genocide, I leant back in my chair to watch the cut scene. Imagine my surprise then, when the next mission is a mission involving delivering drugs and Vito begins to get fidgety about the moral implications when he realizes that his actions may lead to people taking drugs! Apparently being a mass murderer is fine, but good old Vito draws the line at dealing drugs! Of course, Vito didn't actually draw the line - he just moans about it for a bit, and then does it anyway.
A Good Catholic Boy?
As you might be able to tell, this game is not a particular winner from a Catholic perspective either. Granted, a game about the Mafia is probably not going to earn itself a Catholic recommendation, but I was hoping that perhaps there would be an ending (as in many gangster movies) where the main protagonist would come to his senses and turn his back on the evil lifestyle he had taken on. Not to give away the ending, but if this is the ending that you are looking for, Mafia II is not for you. Let me just say that there is no reason that there could not be a Mafia III, with the same character doing the same thing. Vito's moral jitters are reserved for rare moments where he does not have a lot of money - only then does he consider what he is doing may be wrong. But when the going is good, Vito has no problem killing more people than a tinpot dictator. Although there are a few plot twists towards the end, the message is little more than "If you are going to be a bloodythirsty gangster, make sure you pick the right people to work for."
Additionally, Mafia II has the strange achievement of attaining the Guinness World Record for the most uses of the f word in a video game. Having played the game, this news was not a surprise to me. Again, while one can expect that a realistic gangster game is not going to be swear free, Mafia II makes a Quentin Tarantino movie look like Bambi. Every conversation and shootout is suffocated with constant expletives, so that it goes well beyond what one would realistically expect from a gangster situation and mars the supposedly immersive storyline by being atrociously laughable.
The final nail in the coffin for Mafia II from a Catholic perspective is the seedy little pornographic minigame that the designers have thrown in. This involves the gamer having to go around searching for various Playboy centrefolds littered around the environment. Some you will bump into when completing missions (which flash on the floor like they are radioactive), others you are supposed to go on long treks in search for. The centrefolds are real centrefolds from the 40's, 50's and (oddly) the 60's, and therefore involve upper frontal, and lower rear female nudity. The idea that gamers would be prepared to go sleazing around a dull city for hours on end on the off chance of getting a flash of breast is insulting not only to Catholics, but to gamers as a whole. It also shows that, for all their talk of creating a mature cinematic experience, they are in fact quite happy to ditch the whole "cinematic realism" thing as long as it allows them to squeeze some naked flesh in there by hook or by crook. Add in a pretty foul scene involving strippers and oral sex, and you have some content that has made even secular game reviewers comment on its crassness, and that is quite clearly morally offensive for any Catholic.
Conclusion
From a technical perspective, Mafia II is standard. The graphics are top notch, as is the 40's and 50's soundtrack, but when one scratches the surface, one will discover a fairly clichéd gangster story, mixed in with competant cover based shooting and a few car chases. A normal gamer will breeze through the game in a weekend due to the shortness of the campaign, and a lack of side missions (apart from collecting porn) or any multiplayer features, making it little more than an add on pack dressed up as a full game. Although Mafia II shows glimmers of originality and excellence, it is buried within a dirge of repetition and mediocrity.
From a Catholic perspective, the game's limited attempt to play with morality falls flat on its face. Although there are bad consequences to Vito's actions, he is never shown to be seriously doubting his decision to enter the Mafia. Additionally, the game's presentation of Vito as just a normal guy caught up with the wrong people comes across as highly insincere considering the enormous body count that Vito racks up. Mafia II includes significant gore, rear and upper frontal female nudity, constant uses of rough, crass, crude and profane language, frequent racist slurs, and a scene of graphic prostitution. With this cocktail of vulgarity, the few touching moments with Vito's Italian Catholic family fade into the background of what is a thoroughly morally offensive title.
The technical rating for this title is 6/10
The Catholic rating is O-- morally offensive
However this is where the immersiveness ends. The world invites you to explore it in between the linear missions, and yet doesn't actually give you anything in return for doing so. There is almost nothing to do in the open world of Empire Bay, except for drive around, select from the limited range of clothes (three items in varying styles), eat at a diner, fill up on gas and that's it! There are no side missions to speak of, no way of purchasing buildings or making more money. Sure, you can technically rob a diner or a store, but for what purpose? So you can go back a day later and buy yourself another jaunty hat, this time in light gray instead of black? I think I'll pass...
Working 9 to 5.
The problem with Mafia II is that it somehow manages to make the gangster world seem strangely dull. For not only is the world itself without variety, the same can be said of the missions. While the actual story is fairly involving, the missions eventually resort to "Go to place X, engage in dialogue, indulge in some cover based shooting, then drive home." Although the cover based shooting is extremely well done - with powerful sounding guns and some really hairy moments - it is overdone so that towards the end of the game it feels very much like simply going through the motions with every mission.
The plot is similarly clichéd. Although well told, and with some interesting characters, the plot is fairly standard gangster fare and will not exactly have you itching for a sequel, even with the ending that leaves nothing particularly resolved. The relationship between Vito and Joey is hilarious at times, but most of the other characters are so clichéd with their dialogue that it will make your ears bleed.
 |
| The police mechanics are done very well in Mafia II. |
Yet once Vito is released from prison, he immediately jumps straight back into the life of crime that he was used to before his incarceration. Vito appears not to have learnt anything from his time in prison, and it becomes harder to relate to him as a consequence. His lack of moral questioning of any of the acts he is committing makes him a difficult character to empathise with (although the game obviously wants you to) while at the same time, the brief moments he does question his role in the Mafia sound disingenuous and annoying.
As an example, about three quarters of the way through the game, I had just mowed through yet another warehouse of gangsters. Having committed a hectic mini genocide, I leant back in my chair to watch the cut scene. Imagine my surprise then, when the next mission is a mission involving delivering drugs and Vito begins to get fidgety about the moral implications when he realizes that his actions may lead to people taking drugs! Apparently being a mass murderer is fine, but good old Vito draws the line at dealing drugs! Of course, Vito didn't actually draw the line - he just moans about it for a bit, and then does it anyway.
A Good Catholic Boy?
As you might be able to tell, this game is not a particular winner from a Catholic perspective either. Granted, a game about the Mafia is probably not going to earn itself a Catholic recommendation, but I was hoping that perhaps there would be an ending (as in many gangster movies) where the main protagonist would come to his senses and turn his back on the evil lifestyle he had taken on. Not to give away the ending, but if this is the ending that you are looking for, Mafia II is not for you. Let me just say that there is no reason that there could not be a Mafia III, with the same character doing the same thing. Vito's moral jitters are reserved for rare moments where he does not have a lot of money - only then does he consider what he is doing may be wrong. But when the going is good, Vito has no problem killing more people than a tinpot dictator. Although there are a few plot twists towards the end, the message is little more than "If you are going to be a bloodythirsty gangster, make sure you pick the right people to work for."
 |
| Cover based shooting - a staple for this title! |
The final nail in the coffin for Mafia II from a Catholic perspective is the seedy little pornographic minigame that the designers have thrown in. This involves the gamer having to go around searching for various Playboy centrefolds littered around the environment. Some you will bump into when completing missions (which flash on the floor like they are radioactive), others you are supposed to go on long treks in search for. The centrefolds are real centrefolds from the 40's, 50's and (oddly) the 60's, and therefore involve upper frontal, and lower rear female nudity. The idea that gamers would be prepared to go sleazing around a dull city for hours on end on the off chance of getting a flash of breast is insulting not only to Catholics, but to gamers as a whole. It also shows that, for all their talk of creating a mature cinematic experience, they are in fact quite happy to ditch the whole "cinematic realism" thing as long as it allows them to squeeze some naked flesh in there by hook or by crook. Add in a pretty foul scene involving strippers and oral sex, and you have some content that has made even secular game reviewers comment on its crassness, and that is quite clearly morally offensive for any Catholic.
Conclusion
From a technical perspective, Mafia II is standard. The graphics are top notch, as is the 40's and 50's soundtrack, but when one scratches the surface, one will discover a fairly clichéd gangster story, mixed in with competant cover based shooting and a few car chases. A normal gamer will breeze through the game in a weekend due to the shortness of the campaign, and a lack of side missions (apart from collecting porn) or any multiplayer features, making it little more than an add on pack dressed up as a full game. Although Mafia II shows glimmers of originality and excellence, it is buried within a dirge of repetition and mediocrity.
From a Catholic perspective, the game's limited attempt to play with morality falls flat on its face. Although there are bad consequences to Vito's actions, he is never shown to be seriously doubting his decision to enter the Mafia. Additionally, the game's presentation of Vito as just a normal guy caught up with the wrong people comes across as highly insincere considering the enormous body count that Vito racks up. Mafia II includes significant gore, rear and upper frontal female nudity, constant uses of rough, crass, crude and profane language, frequent racist slurs, and a scene of graphic prostitution. With this cocktail of vulgarity, the few touching moments with Vito's Italian Catholic family fade into the background of what is a thoroughly morally offensive title.
The technical rating for this title is 6/10
The Catholic rating is O-- morally offensive
No comments:
Post a Comment