Mafia III Review

Ok I know, haven't posted in months, just bear with me here.  I just finished Mafia III and I have a review of it.  So... let's do this.



                                     



Mafia III: On PS4, Xbox One, and PC, developed by Hanger 13 Productions and published by 2K Games.


Summary: New Bordeaux, 1968.  You are Lincoln Clay.  A orphaned African-American boy who ended up under the care of Sammy Robinson, leader of the black mob.  After Lincoln returns from serving in the Vietnam War, he goes to Sammy and his step-brother Ellis one last time to tell them he is moving away, but he is then offered the heist job of a lifetime by Sal Marcano, leader of the Italian Mob in New Bordeaux.  Sal also wants Lincoln to force Sammy into retirement, so Lincoln could lead the black mob.  Lincoln refuses, which disappoints Sal.  The heist goes fairly well, and Lincoln, Ellis, Sal's son Giorgi, and Danny Burke, another heist member, all return to Sammy's bar to celebrate.  The party stops when Sal arrives at the bar and he, Giorgi, and an unknown accomplice, kill everyone inside Sammy's bar, take all of the money, and burn the bar to the ground.  They slaughtered everyone inside that bar.  Everyone, except Lincoln Clay.  Lincoln was not killed by Giorgi shooting him in the head, and he was saved by a priest named Father James, who is a family friend.  Lincoln vows for revenge, but he has two conflicting opinions on how he should pursue this.  Father James believes Lincoln is a good man, and doesn't want him to take part in this bloodbath.  John Donovan, a CIA agent who is helping Lincoln throughout the game, thinks Lincoln should take out Sal Marcano's entire organization.  Lincoln sides with Donovan, and they embark on a quest for vengeance against Sal Marcano.  Lincoln realizes he can't do this alone, and he recruits three underbosses to aid him in taking down the Italian Mob.  Cassandra, leader of the Haitian Mob, Vito Scaletta, leader of the Italian Gang (also the playable character in Mafia II), and Thomas Burke, leader of the Irish Mob, also father of Danny Burke, who was killed in Sammy's bar.  The rest of the story is pretty much determined by how you choose to play it.


Review: Ok so this is one of my favorite games of all time.  The reviews may have been mixed because of the uninventive gameplay, but while it is nothing new, it's not bad at all.  The driving may be a little funky at times, but that's it.  Also, Lincoln's execution kills, whether they be stealth or while in combat, are simply beautiful in a sick way.  The main reason to play this game is for the story.  You get to see Lincoln Clay tear the Italian Mob apart from the ground up, but you also see how Lincoln is becoming more and more like the man he is trying to kill.  Another feature I really enjoyed was the underboss system.  The opinions each underboss had of you was completely determined by the player.  They judge you by how many districts of New Bordeaux you give them after taking it from Marcano.  If you give a ton to one underboss, they give you tons of rewards.  But if you give little to none to an underboss, it could result in them betraying Lincoln.  I personally decided to split the districts equally, even though I am #teamvito all the way.  I also really enjoyed the endings.  Depending on your final choice, Lincoln could either be in hiding and away from New Bordeaux, ruling the criminal empire of the American South, or dead.  I liked how you get to choose who Lincoln Clay really is.


Final review score: 10/10 BABY!!!!  I don't see a single negative about Mafia III, and this is the first game I have bought the season pass for, that's how amazing it was.