Game Review - Mafia 2

Mafia II ‘s story follows Vita Scarletta, an Italian American (is there any other) youth trying to climb the ranks of the mob after returning from the Second World War. The plots take place in Empire City, an obvious replica of New York and spans 2 decades in our protagonist’s life in organized crime.
The game seemed very real and when playing, you really feel like you are in a movie ala “Mobsters” or the “Godfather Trilogy”. The cut screen presentation is absolutely flawless and captures the mood of the plot and the city realistically. The inclusion of period music from that era for added authenticity is also a nice touch.
Now on to game play, missions run consecutively in a rigid storyline so exploring the open world will not gain you anything other than adding time to your mission. As this is an open world situation similar to GTA, I would have thought a certain amount of incentive for self exploration would be a nice addition.
Similar to its predecessor, Mafia II is a combination of driving, shooting and hand to hand combat. The stages are not repetitive and can be fun with good mechanics and nice design. However, these missions are pretty easy to complete and you should be done with the game in about 15 hours max.
There is one thing that irks me about the game and it is the main character. Vito seem a bit staid and does not possess the character of a wise guy. Again I had hoped that the developers injected some humor and presence to this character. Maybe for the next one.
All in all, playing this game brings you into the world of the Italian mob in America, and your experience although short, will be and engaging one.