Mafia III - gamescom Preview

One of the biggest reveals at this year’s gamescom was 2K’s showing of Mafia III. The trailer showed a new setting for the series, detailing a war veteran’s return from Vietnam and an intriguing narrative where the protagonist finds himself firmly rooted within a crime family. The story, detailing about a returning soldier’s life of crime might seem familiar to fans of Mafia II, but it relies heavily upon the themes of family and belonging, making it intriguing.

Mafia III sees former Vietnam veteran Lincoln Clay returning home to New Orleans. Lincoln wants a place to belong and has found it within the black mob. Unfortunately for Lincoln the opposing Italian Mob wipes out his crime family, sparking a quest for revenge in him.

Set in 1968 the game oozes with style and exuberance. Jazz blues and rock pumps out of club windows and the city is decorated in a vibrancy of colours, pertaining to the decade. The locale is possibly the most intriguing thing about Mafia III. Whereas Grand Theft Auto looks to replicate the grandeur of New York with Liberty City, or the celebrity of Los Angeles with Los Santos, Mafia III does something different with New Orleans. The choice of year also gives Hangar 13 a great soundtrack to go along with the game. House of the Rising Sun, Jimi Hendrix’s cover of All Along The WatchTower and All Day And All Night were three tracks played throughout the demo.

It’s a unique choice of setting that give meaning to Lincoln Clay's involvement within the city. Racial tensions run high and a real tense atmosphere inhibits the streets. Groups of black Americans mingle outside bars, conversing and smoking cigarettes. In the gameplay demo I saw, Lincoln Clay walked past a crime scene where police were harassing a black couple. The game will allow you to take action at times like these but regardless of this the tension felt was very real and showed an ugly reality that was unfortunately very true.

Setting aside, the demo wouldn’t have been impressive if the gameplay didn’t hold up, thankfully it did although what I saw was a little conservative. The game itself showed great visual quality and atmosphere. The mission I saw had Lincoln, skulking through a graveyard to capture a well-known snitch in order to get information from him. There was a surprising emphasis on stealth, where Lincoln would sneak through the environment before exacting brutal takedowns on opposing foes. Once spotted, a firefight ensured, which showed off a competent cover-based shooting system. The combat looked brutal and impactful, with a large amount of recoil from shots and great sound design when bullets were fired.

Once the snitch was found, Lincoln briefly chased him before stealing his car with the snitch in the passenger side. To get the needed information Lincoln had to engage in an interrogation technique where reckless driving caused the snitch to give up the information. It’s a tried and tested mechanic and one that seemed like additional padding rather than something new and fresh. There will be other interrogation techniques though, meaning that finding out information will be a big part of the game.

After gaining the information and quickly disposing of the snitch, Lincoln made his way to an Italian Mob hangout called The Cistern. It was located in a Jazz bar where to avoid suspicion Lincoln had to find a way in through the back. There will be numerous ways to enter certain locations making multiple approaches possible; for this mission we were shown an entrance through an underground river tunnel. Inside The Cistern, a series of stealth takedowns and gunfights happened, ending within the venue itself as enemies rained machine gun fire down from atop balconies. During combat Lincoln finished off enemies up close and personal, with takedowns becoming optional when enough damage had been dealt. One saw Lincoln place a barrel of a shotgun point blank in a foe's stomach, blasting him across the room. Another had Lincoln shooting an enemy from atop a balcony to have him crash to the floor below. The amount of violence was shocking but suited the aggressive nature of the protagonist who is clearly out for vengeance.

Once The Cistern was taken and the territory was secure, Lincoln had to call in reinforcements from his lieutenants. It seems that taking Italian Mob territory will be a big part of the game and will help build your own empire. Of course with the bonds of family, lieutenants can provide special services for you, providing distractions or even buying off the police. It adds a neat gameplay quirk where your mob family becomes involved not just through cut scenes but also when you want to use them. I saw Lincoln Clay call upon Vito Scaletta from Mafia II to lend his power to buy off the cops, arching the titles together instead of separating them.

The demo ended with retaliation from the Italians. They chased Lincoln in cars where, after diving out of his own car which collided into an enemy vehicle and exploded, he made a last stand. We were told that taking territory would have consequences and whilst the barrage of enemies seemed unfair, it did imply a gang rivalry that would hold no punches.

Mafia III looks to be a unique take on the open-world genre. Whilst its mechanics are firmly rooted conventional gaming methods, the setting and tone make it something to look out for next year.

Mafia III is set for release in 2016 for PS4, Xbox One and PC.