Mafia II
Mafia II is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by 2K Czech and published by 2K. It was released on 24 August 2010 for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360. The game is a standalone sequel to 2002's Mafia, and the second installment in the Mafia series. Set within the fictional city of Empire Bay from 1945 to 1951, the story follows Vito Scaletta, a young Sicilian-American mobster and war veteran, who becomes caught in a power struggle among the city's Mafia crime families while attempting to pay back his father's debts and secure a better lifestyle.
The game is played from a third-person perspective and its world is navigated on foot or by vehicle. The player character's criminal activities may incite a response from law enforcement agencies, measured by a "wanted" system that governs the aggression of their response. Development began in 2003, soon after the release of the first Mafia game. Upon release, Mafia II received positive reviews, with praise particularly directed at its story, characters, and gameplay; however, the restrictive world design and lack of certain features present in other sandbox games were criticized.
A version of the game including all previously released downloadable content, entitled Mafia II: Director's Cut, was released by Feral Interactive in December 2011. A sequel, Mafia III, developed by 2K Czech's successor Hangar 13, was published in October 2016. To coincide with the remake of the first game of the series, Mafia II: Definitive Edition was released by 2K on 19 May 2020, to mixed critical reception. This Definitive Edition was later bundled in the Mafia: Trilogy, released on 25 September 2020.
Some characters from Mafia II reappear as young versions of themselves in a prequel game, Mafia: The Old Country, released in August 2025.
Gameplay
Mafia II is an action-adventure game set in an open world environment and played from a third-person perspective. Most of the game is set in the fictional city of Empire Bay, based on New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, and Detroit, during the mid-1940s and early 1950s. The core gameplay revolves around shooting and driving; a limited melee combat system is also included, which combines punching and dodging. There are 50 era-accurate vehicles in the game as well as licensed music. Depending on the weather during the course of the game, vehicles handle differently. For example, during the early chapters in winter, vehicles are more likely to slip on the road due to the ice. Many firearms from the previous game return, such as the Thompson submachine gun and Colt 1911, as well as a pump-action shotgun. New World War II–era weapons, such as the MG 42 and the Beretta Model 38, also appear in the game.Interacting with objects in the environment involves two action buttons: a standard action and a "violent" action, used in context-sensitive situations; for example, when stealing a car, the player may choose to either pick its lock or break the window glass. A map is included as in the original Mafia game, but the checkpoint system has been completely overhauled. New controls include a cover system that allows the player to take cover behind objects and shoot enemies, rather than just entering an arbitrary crouch pose behind them as in the first game. This feature provides tactical support against enemies and has become a crucial technique of the genre.
The game's cutscenes are created by the game engine in real-time. For example, if the player is riding in a car and a cutscene starts, the player will be driving the same car with the same condition and will be wearing the same clothes. There are exceptions, however, such as the opening sequence and a cutscene in the tenth chapter, which are pre-rendered video clips.
The game features three different in-game radio stations with licensed music, news, and commercials. The radio stations include music from different genres including rock and roll, big band, rhythm and blues, and doo-wop, with licensed songs by Chuck Berry, The Everly Brothers, Dean Martin, Little Richard, Muddy Waters, Buddy Holly & The Crickets, Bing Crosby, Bill Haley & His Comets, The Chordettes, Ritchie Valens, Bo Diddley, Ricky Nelson, Eddie Cochran, The Champs, The Drifters, The Fleetwoods, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Nat King Cole, The Chords, and The Andrews Sisters.
Synopsis
Setting
Set nearly a decade after the first game, Mafia II takes place between two distinct time periods – 1945 and 1951 – within the fictional U.S. city of Empire Bay; the game's first chapter takes place in the fictional town of San Celeste in Sicily, while the sixth is set within a prison located outside Empire Bay. The city is situated on the United States' eastern coastline and divided by a river, and consists of several districts, including wealthy suburbs, slums and tenement blocks for the city's different ethnic groups, including Irish, African-American, Chinese, and Italian, and large-scale industrial complexes, with the city supported by a large port, a railroad station, a major prison outside its city limits, several parks, and a collection of shopping malls and supermarkets.The game's main story sees the city divided between a number of criminal outfits, including three mafia families — the Falcone family, Vinci family, and Clemente family — a Chinese Triad outfit, the Irish Mob, and several street gangs. The city's design, including the architectural styles, cultures, public transportation and landmarks, are influenced by various real-life American cities, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, and Detroit, from within the two respective time periods used in the game.
Two of the game's DLC packs, The Betrayal of Jimmy and Jimmy's Vendetta, also take place in the early 1950s, but in a different canon from the base game, while the third, Joe's Adventures, is set during the events of the main storyline, bridging the gap between the two time periods.
Plot
In 1943, Sicilian immigrant Vito Scaletta is arrested during a robbery and opts to join the United States Army to avoid prison time, being enlisted in the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Vito first experiences the power of the Mafia when an operation in Sicily goes awry, and Don Calò arrives to order the Italian soldiers to stand down.In February 1945, Vito returns home on leave to Empire Bay, reuniting with his childhood friend and accomplice Joe Barbaro, who has joined the Clemente crime family in Vito's absence. Joe supplies Vito with counterfeit discharge papers and introduces him to some of his contacts for work. Learning that his late father left the family in debt to a loan shark, Vito seeks work with his father's former employer, Derek Pappalardo, who has ties with the Mafia. Later, Vito is introduced by Joe to Henry Tomasino, a Clemente made man. Upon carrying out several jobs with Joe and Henry, Vito secures enough money to pay off his father's debt. However, he is arrested again, this time for the theft and sale of ration stamps, and sentenced to ten years in prison. While serving his time, Vito befriends Leo Galante, the consigliere of Don Frank Vinci. While his sister Francesca visits him, their mother dies and Vito's remaining money was spent on her funeral.
In April 1951, Vito is released early due to his connections with Leo. Reuniting with Joe, the pair join the Falcone family, led by Don Carlo Falcone and his underboss Eddie Scarpa. Soon, Vito and Joe become made men within Falcone's organization, allowing them to secure a better lifestyle. Learning that Don Alberto Clemente is conducting drug operations against the traditions of the Commission, Carlo orders the pair to assassinate him. Following the hit, Henry approaches Eddie through Vito in search of new employment and is ordered to kill Leo to prove himself. Although Vito manages to warn Leo in time and help him leave the city, Eddie nonetheless brings Henry into Falcone's organization.
Vito's life quickly falls into turmoil after Francesca distances herself from him because of his violent lifestyle and his house is destroyed in an arson attack by the Irish Mob. To rebuild his fortunes, Vito joins Joe and Henry to profit from the sale of heroin bought from the city's Triads. However, Carlo, who is also conducting drug operations behind the Commission's back, learns about this and demands a cut of their profits. Vito and Joe go to meet with Henry to discuss the matter, but witness the Triads publicly murdering him and escaping with their money. The pair retaliate by exchanging gunfire against the Triads at their local restaurant, but fail to retrieve the money. Indebted to loan shark Bruno Levine, whose money they borrowed for the heroin deal, Vito and Joe take on various jobs to raise money, including the assassination of retired mobster Tommy Angelo. Vito visits Derek for work, but discovers Derek ordered his father's death, kills him in retaliation and takes Derek's retirement money. Meanwhile, the Vinci family kidnaps and tortures Joe until Vito saves him.
After paying off the debt to Bruno, revealed to be the same loan shark his father was indebted to, Vito is confronted by Leo, who chides him for his and Joe's actions that have sparked a war between the Mafia and the Triads. Leo also confirms that Henry was indeed a federal informant and that Carlo wants to kill Vito for vouching for him. However, thankful for Vito previously saving his life, Leo arranges for him to be spared by both the Commission and the Triads as long as he kills their common enemy: Carlo. Vito confronts Carlo, who offers to make Joe a caporegime if he kills Vito. Joe refuses and helps Vito kill Carlo. The pair are greeted by Leo, who takes Vito with him to celebrate, while Joe is driven off in a separate car. Vito agitatedly asks where Joe is being taken. Leo reveals that he was not part of their deal, leaving Vito to watch helplessly as his friend is driven to whatever fate awaits him.