You then drive to some building or warehouse another block away, doing enough property damage, and driving back to the lackey to give your report. As you arrive, they tell you about some mob boss or subordinate that needs to be taken out for whatever arbitrary reason. As you take this drive, you may lament the lack of an in-car view, something that seems like a curious omission in 2016. They usually boil down to you driving to meet a new associate, then driving a block away to meet the associate’s lackeys. Main missions in this game would barely pass for side-mission objectives in almost any other game. The gameplay segments between each major story element are nothing but a terrible, boring slog through repetitive missions. Sadly, it just takes so damn long to actually get to the major story cutscenes. These smaller scenes are usually presented with little movement between the characters as a bit of dialogue is exchanged, where the next steps in a mission are typically explained. It falls apart in the shorter, minor segments that serve as simple stopgaps during gameplay. They are presented in beautiful in-game cut scenes made great thanks to visuals that surpass gameplay segments, incredible acting, and equally incredible writing. The major story segments of the game are stellar.
Hell, there is still very rampant racism to be found right now but that’s a discussion that goes beyond the scope of this review. The game takes place in the late 60s in the fictionalized southern city of New Bordeaux, a time and place where there was rampant and very blatant racism in our country. Though my thoughts on how that subject was tackled may not be the same as someone who is African American, or Irish, or even Haitian. I appreciate the way the game tackles racism and xenophobia. I wanted to do a lengthy write up about what this game does right, but there is simply so little that it actually does right. Though for what it’s worth, the performance of character John Donovan, a former CIA agent, tends to steal the show any time he’s in a scene. The variety of characters you meet throughout the game are all memorable in their own ways. The writing is one of the game’s few highlights, complimented nicely by some fantastic voice acting and performances. The game’s story beats, while strong, are usually few and far between over the multiple hours of gameplay. During your time in New Bordeaux, a tale of revenge unfolds against members of the mafia after you are attacked and your family murdered. You play as Lincoln Clay, a soldier returning home to New Bordeaux after serving in the Vietnam War. In fact, it does nothing but tell me that this game should not have been released in this state. The fact that some of those features are promised to return as DLC down the road doesn't really help matters. All of that is completely and totally absent in Mafia III. Hell, you could even customize your character’s appearance by purchasing a number of different clothing options. I enjoyed the fact that I could customize my car.
I liked that I could go fill my car up at gas stations. I enjoyed that the police in Mafia II cared if you broke the speed limit or blew through intersections. I enjoyed the world that actually felt alive. It’s a very interesting situation I found myself in while playing through the repetitive gameplay slog for hours on end, because I am someone who quite enjoyed what Mafia II brought to the table six years ago. In the time I have spent with the game, I have seen an abundance of glitches, poor A.I., uninspired open-world gameplay, and story missions so repetitive that even the first Assassin’s Creed is jealous. It has become increasingly difficult to find many good things to say about Mafia III. Repetitive, bland, broken, and disappointing.
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