Mafia III is such a good 6 out of 10 game that I'm giving it a 7. Now is the stealth hopelessly broken? You bet it is. Your "whistle" magically calls enemies toward you to investigate, nevermind if they're on a whole floor above you. Are the missions woefully repetitive? Absolutely...this game has so much filler that it basically demands that the player either switch to their approaches or cheese their way through it in order to not die of boredom. Is the open-world undercooked and under utilized? Well...this one is just Mafia series tradition.
But I love it all the same. The game has one of the best openings in AAA gaming, and some tremendous dialogue and scene direction to boot. Even though Mafia III, at its root, is a pretty straightforward revenge tale, it is told in such a wonderful, layered way that I was always excited when the next cut scene rolled along. Lincoln is a brooding, cold hearted killer, yes, but he also has a reason for being so, and has friends and uneasy alliances all throughout the marsh that make the world that Hangar 13 captures feel bigger than the actual landmass itself.
And then, the DLCs, though they do little to fix the actual mechanics of play, find ways to change up the scenery and pacing in ways that I appreciate. From Dukes of Hazarding in a sundown town to living your own Rambo-esque mission in the wilds, each DLC seems to take a different cinematic approach that makes the pastiche work of influences that drive Mafia III that much more interesting.
So...is it fun to play? Sometimes. But Mafia III has heart, and characters that I'll remember forever, and that's why I love it, bruises and all.
But I love it all the same. The game has one of the best openings in AAA gaming, and some tremendous dialogue and scene direction to boot. Even though Mafia III, at its root, is a pretty straightforward revenge tale, it is told in such a wonderful, layered way that I was always excited when the next cut scene rolled along. Lincoln is a brooding, cold hearted killer, yes, but he also has a reason for being so, and has friends and uneasy alliances all throughout the marsh that make the world that Hangar 13 captures feel bigger than the actual landmass itself.
And then, the DLCs, though they do little to fix the actual mechanics of play, find ways to change up the scenery and pacing in ways that I appreciate. From Dukes of Hazarding in a sundown town to living your own Rambo-esque mission in the wilds, each DLC seems to take a different cinematic approach that makes the pastiche work of influences that drive Mafia III that much more interesting.
So...is it fun to play? Sometimes. But Mafia III has heart, and characters that I'll remember forever, and that's why I love it, bruises and all.