Mafia III review: A period crime saga
Andre Rodrigues | Gadgets Now | Updated: Oct 31, 2016, 05.14 PM IST
The Mafia series are known for their open world games, such as Grand Theft Auto. What sets the series apart is its classic historical setting for crime dramas. The first edition was set in the 1930's in a fictional Chicago city. It narrated the story of the rise and fall of a mobster. The second was well received because of its 1940s and early 1950s setting. The latest edition is now out and with it, the games moves to a late 1960s setting in the southern parts of America.
Story:
America in the 1960s was full of triumphs and tragedies. The story of Mafia III takes place in a fictional New Orleans-town known as New Bordeaux. The user plays a war hero, Lincoln Clay who has just returned from war. Things take an ugly turn when he finds himself on the other end of a blackmail that sees him lose everything. He then sets out to seek revenge. What stands out the game is its setting.
Unlike most characters in video games who are depicted as Caucasian, Clay is an African American in a country not hospitable to such people. As a result, the fictional city of New Bordeaux has realistic depictions of racism.
The story is quite engaging as the environment, time period and characters make for an intriguing combination. The legend of Lincoln Clay is told in a documentary format. Various other characters narrate their experiences with Clay and the story from their perspective. However, even the great performances as well as the superb animations, cannot keep some aspects from falling flat in a few small aspects.
Gameplay:
The first three hours of the game is a rollercoaster ride. You get to know more about Lincoln Clay and take part in a daring heist. The game opens up after this to let you do what you want. Mafia III is played from a third person perspective and is an open world - run, gun, drive - game. Similar to the Grand Theft Auto, you get to drive around in various cars from the time period across the map. You can kill whomsoever you want, and wage war against crime families who double crossed you.
The best part of the game is driving around New Bordeaux. Turn on the simulation mode to get a hang of what driving cars from that era feel like. You experience the atrocities committed on the Afro-American people as well as an extreme use of racial slurs which welcome you wherever you go. While it may be offensive to some, it's commendable that Hanger 13 went to such brave lengths to convey the realism of that time.
As a third person shooter, Clay has a lot of standard gameplay moves expected from games like these. Missions can be completed by using the cover system for stealth as well as for gunplay as you shoot out of cover. The driving dynamics are fantastic as you run away from the cops in high speed chases. The game lets you down in the artificial intelligence of the enemies. You can loudly stab a group of enemies one by one, even if they're standing right next to each other but out of each other's line of sight. The same goes for cops who're patrolling.
Another dampener is the repetition of missions that you will need to go through again and again with little variation. Despite all that, Mafia III does prove to be a lot of fun. Especially if you take things slow, try different missions to mix it up.
Graphics-wise, the game looks great with recreations of the architecture of houses in various areas. The detail put into city zones right up to the dark dingy swamps filled with alligators is great. Streets are alive as you have revellers celebrate Mardi Gras in neon-drenched streets. Graphics look great on the PS4 and Xbox One, though for PC you will need a buffed up graphics card, like the Nvidia 1060 to play the game. The characters are large and well caricaturised with distinct features for recall value. Animations are excellent as Clay swings into action with little flourishes of his weapons, like a well trained soldier. The graphics however lacking in minute details of the world showcased.
Conclusion:
Despite the few faults, Mafia III is a great game to play with a rich open world for you to explore. It retails at Rs 3,499 on Xbox One and PS4 and Rs 2,499 on PC. It is recommended if you love crime sagas and want something to chew on till the next GTA is out.
Story:
America in the 1960s was full of triumphs and tragedies. The story of Mafia III takes place in a fictional New Orleans-town known as New Bordeaux. The user plays a war hero, Lincoln Clay who has just returned from war. Things take an ugly turn when he finds himself on the other end of a blackmail that sees him lose everything. He then sets out to seek revenge. What stands out the game is its setting.
Unlike most characters in video games who are depicted as Caucasian, Clay is an African American in a country not hospitable to such people. As a result, the fictional city of New Bordeaux has realistic depictions of racism.
The story is quite engaging as the environment, time period and characters make for an intriguing combination. The legend of Lincoln Clay is told in a documentary format. Various other characters narrate their experiences with Clay and the story from their perspective. However, even the great performances as well as the superb animations, cannot keep some aspects from falling flat in a few small aspects.
The first three hours of the game is a rollercoaster ride. You get to know more about Lincoln Clay and take part in a daring heist. The game opens up after this to let you do what you want. Mafia III is played from a third person perspective and is an open world - run, gun, drive - game. Similar to the Grand Theft Auto, you get to drive around in various cars from the time period across the map. You can kill whomsoever you want, and wage war against crime families who double crossed you.
The best part of the game is driving around New Bordeaux. Turn on the simulation mode to get a hang of what driving cars from that era feel like. You experience the atrocities committed on the Afro-American people as well as an extreme use of racial slurs which welcome you wherever you go. While it may be offensive to some, it's commendable that Hanger 13 went to such brave lengths to convey the realism of that time.
As a third person shooter, Clay has a lot of standard gameplay moves expected from games like these. Missions can be completed by using the cover system for stealth as well as for gunplay as you shoot out of cover. The driving dynamics are fantastic as you run away from the cops in high speed chases. The game lets you down in the artificial intelligence of the enemies. You can loudly stab a group of enemies one by one, even if they're standing right next to each other but out of each other's line of sight. The same goes for cops who're patrolling.
Another dampener is the repetition of missions that you will need to go through again and again with little variation. Despite all that, Mafia III does prove to be a lot of fun. Especially if you take things slow, try different missions to mix it up.
Graphics-wise, the game looks great with recreations of the architecture of houses in various areas. The detail put into city zones right up to the dark dingy swamps filled with alligators is great. Streets are alive as you have revellers celebrate Mardi Gras in neon-drenched streets. Graphics look great on the PS4 and Xbox One, though for PC you will need a buffed up graphics card, like the Nvidia 1060 to play the game. The characters are large and well caricaturised with distinct features for recall value. Animations are excellent as Clay swings into action with little flourishes of his weapons, like a well trained soldier. The graphics however lacking in minute details of the world showcased.
Conclusion:
Despite the few faults, Mafia III is a great game to play with a rich open world for you to explore. It retails at Rs 3,499 on Xbox One and PS4 and Rs 2,499 on PC. It is recommended if you love crime sagas and want something to chew on till the next GTA is out.
0 comments:
Post a Comment