It has been over six years since we last saw the Mafia series of games. This time, we?re travelling forward in time after the events of the well-received Mafia II, and moving from Empire Bay to New Bordeaux, a take on New Orleans. Does the newly-minted developer Hangar 13 have the chops to do this series justice" Let?s find out.
New Time, New Place
Without giving much away, you play as Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam war veteran whose life has been tough from the word go. When you get back home, things are turned upside-down once again, and you are determined to have your revenge. The twist is that these events take place in 1968, a very tumultuous time in America?s history. Lincoln is an African American, in a setting that reminds him of that fact nearly anywhere he goes. This is a game that very much earns its M rating. There?s ?good ol? boys? calling Lincoln and other racial minorities all the popular slurs of the times, and Playboy magazines to collect, nude spreads and all. Lincoln?s melee kills are also particularly brutal, though you do have the option of performing non-lethal takedowns instead. New Orleans is spiritually re-created as New Bordeaux in Mafia III, and those who love this portion of the American South will really enjoy the setting. The game begins (though not chronologically) around Mardi Gras, when the city does really feel alive. Between the classic American muscle cars cruising the city, diners, and large industrial lots, there is no mistake that you a...