There's only one thing that truly matters… family! At least until you're betrayed and sold out by them. After a nine-year hiatus, the Mafia series returns under 2K Games, who, together with the new studio Hangar 13, continue the gangster epic. It's also a trial by fire for Hangar 13. To everyone's surprise, however, this time they're not repeating a typical Mafia story, but instead focusing on a counterpart and tasking them with wiping it out in "Mafia III."
The betrayal of the family
Our new protagonist, Lincoln Clay, has already lived a turbulent and often difficult life. It's the 60s and 70s in the United States, where, as a Black man, he is subjected to extreme racism, a situation that profoundly shapes his life. Without much of a future, Lincoln joins a Black mob and is sent to fight in the Vietnam War, returning as a hardened veteran – the point at which "Mafia III" begins.
The prospects, especially for the Black population, remain unjust, something you feel at every turn. So, a job offer from the Marcano family, the local Mafia, seems quite appealing – rob a bank and live in boundless wealth. Sounds too good to be true! While the millions are safely smuggled out of the bank, it's those within your own ranks who betray you, nearly leading Lincoln to his death. It's a spectacular opening that "Mafia III" delivers, leaving you wide-eyed for the rest of the game.
Only revenge is on their minds.
With the Black Mob in New Bordeaux, our new setting, almost completely wiped out, Lincoln has only one thing on his mind… revenge! Revenge on the Marcano family, revenge on anyone who stands in his way, revenge for his family! While Lincoln himself is a seasoned pro and a real tough guy in his line of work, taking on an opponent like the Mafia requires more than just a brute force. And since gangsters are never truly friendly with each other, this is the perfect opportunity to build new structures, turn enemies into allies, and clean up the dominant Mafia in New Bordeaux from the bottom up.
"Mafia III"The game takes an interesting approach to its narrative, which unfolds in elaborate and grandly presented sequences as a kind of flashback. Amidst all the confrontations in the New Bordeaux underworld, the FBI also gets involved, revisiting and re-examining the 'Lincoln Clay' case many years later. It's like a good mafia film or a cinematic biography, skillfully interwoven with the gameplay elements. However, the open world occasionally slows down this exciting narrative too much, making a more linear approach at times a welcome change."
Back in the 60s
But it's not just the story itself that impresses; the authenticity of the setting and this turbulent era has also been perfectly captured, including difficult topics like racism. While other games often strive for political correctness, this wasn't censored in "Mafia III," with the original English version taking it a step further. Words like "nigger" or "bastard" appear in almost every sentence, the presence of a Black man like Lincoln is openly met with hostility in certain neighborhoods, and police officers are inherently suspicious of you. What you hear in the game often sounds very harsh, but it was also a part of the time, which is why Hangar 13 deserves credit for not shying away from it.
The 60s aren't just about negative themes, though; they also represent a burgeoning America, a time known for its music and classic cars, and considered absolutely iconic today. As in "Mafia II," this is arguably the most fun part of the game, aside from your mission. Just hop into one of those stylish cars, turn on the radio, and do some sightseeing in New Bordeaux, past old movie theaters and typical diners. Many shops, houses, and even an amusement park are also accessible and offer plenty of visual highlights along the way. Anyone who enjoyed that era will feel right at home in "Mafia III" from the very first minute.
Less inspired gameplay
Once you've really settled into New Bordeaux and taken out your first few mobsters, you can't help but notice that "Mafia III" does have its weaknesses. And these are, once again, exactly what you'd call typical of open-world games. Aside from various minor bugs and graphical glitches, which aren't really that bothersome, it's the rather uninspired mission design that stands out negatively. Each district of New Bordeaux has its own agenda, and broadly speaking, the tasks are always the same – destroy the local business, kill two underbosses, and assign the business to one of your kickbacks. This pattern continues throughout the entire game, which is why there's no real "wow" moment. You know what's coming, which can become quite tedious during longer play sessions. Sure, the tasks themselves do vary, sometimes including a chase or a robbery, but a bit more creativity or some connection between districts would have been welcome. The optional objectives, which once again consist only of collection tasks and the like, don't offer much variety either.
On the other hand, there are also gameplay elements that are consistently fun, such as the clever assignment of districts to your kickbacks, which should always be well thought out to prevent them from turning on you later. After all, you can demand extremely useful favors from them, take advantage of benefits like car and weapon deliveries, further develop your own character, or upgrade your equipment. The occasional chases with intense shootouts are also enjoyable, as are Lincoln's brutal stealth elements or simply jumping into the middle of a crowd with a machine gun and blasting everything to bits. "Mafia III" doesn't reinvent gameplay by any means; it has its ups and downs, but it certainly knows how to keep you entertained for a considerable amount of time.
Pure nostalgia in picture and sound
Hangar 13 has once again brilliantly recreated the atmosphere in "Mafia III," catapulting you back to that amazing era from the very first minute. Whether it's the faithfully reproduced cars, the fantastic soundtrack featuring greats like the Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, the Beach Boys, or Elvis Presley (complete list), or even the typical diners of that era. All of this together creates the perfect picture of that time. But New Bordeaux has much more to offer and presents itself as quite diverse – from the simple working-class neighborhoods, through the docks at the harbor, the modern high-rises, to the typical bayous in the south. There is an incredible amount to see and discover, for which you should occasionally set aside some time.
The overall graphical look fluctuates considerably, sometimes appearing somewhat dated, while at other times it's incredibly beautiful and richly detailed. These are the typical compromises one has to make in large open-world games, so we'll have to wait and see what the PS4 Pro ultimately delivers. There's definitely room for improvement.
Finally, the outstanding performance of the voice actors must be highlighted; they deliver an excellent performance in both the original and the German dub, leaving absolutely nothing to criticize. Perhaps a slight improvement could be made to the acoustic distance, which is particularly confusing on home theater systems. Even with characters standing some distance away, no significant nuances are perceptible.
