Collecting My Thought on Mafia III—I Fought the Mob and I Won!

I went into Mafia III bracing myself for the impending comparison to the more familiar behemoth that is the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series. But immediately, I could sense the game had a different energy about it. The prelude was crammed with action, flair and excitement, and I felt straightaway that the bayou was going to offer up something gargantuan. This feeling, however, was to be completely stifled not long into the first act.

Vietnam War soldier Lincoln Clay arrives back home from service to the city of New Bordeaux and into the warm embrace of friends and family. Unfortunately, the rekindling of friendships also comes with the rekindling of old ties to the mob. After being put a pulse away from death, he recovers and vows vengeance on everyone affiliated with the Marcano family. He plans to do this by taking over the city district by district and this served as the main loop of the gameplay. The overturning of rackets by causing destruction and drawing out those who run the rackets was very rinse-repeat. Chipping away at an arbitrary value by killing thugs and breaking things quickly turned monotonous and I began yearning for some variety. Where did that excitement from the first 30 minutes go? Then bit by bit it came back. Nuanced details that captured the zeitgeist of 1968 Louisiana found in the soundtrack, collectibles and even ambient conversations made you feel like you were in the thick of it. The gradual introduction of characters brimming with personality and biting dialogue breathed life into the story. Eventually the game found its groove in time and finished on a sky-high note.

Despite how much one tries, Mafia III still cannot be left uncompared to GTA. In genre alone the comparison comes naturally. And in this comparison, Mafia III very much holds its own. While it lacks that patented GTA gameplay variety, it makes up for it through thoughtful storytelling and an ultimately more streamlined experience. I cared for the relationships of the characters, and having decent cinematics really helped with that (yes Assassin's Creed Origins, I thought your laboured "requiescat in pace" sequences among others did a disservice to your characters). Despite the rough patch right after the prelude, I left the game with a blissfully sweet taste in my mouth. And that is why in the end I can say that I fought the mob, and I really did win.

#ForThePlaylist You Belong to Me by The Duprees.

#LearntANewWord Cher.

#FavouriteCharacter Nicki has some tough and tender moments that really hit home. Honourable mention goes to Donovan for his badassery, Cassandra for her badassery, and Father James, also for his badassery.

#SMH The disclaimer at the start about scenes of racism. Have some conviction guys, there is no need to explain your inclusion of racist words/attitudes/acts. It's patronising, come on.