Five new features that Mafia III brings to the table (Sponsored)

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Unlike the last game, The Italians are the bad guys

Mafia 3 had you in the shoes of Vito Scaletta – a face that returns in this sequel to help tie the narratives together. However you’re not with the Italian Mob anymore, with Lincoln main rivals being the family you once served. The the Italian Mob turning on Lincolns own family – the Black Mob – the stage is set for a violent, relentless revenge story. And one that Vito is along with until the end if you see fit.

Your friends can also be your enemies

Lincoln won’t take back control of the city alone, and most of the time you’ll be depending on favours from your three underbosses. Cassandra, Vito and Burke will provide you with guns, cars, intelligence and money, but you’ll need to keep them happy to keep cashing in on favours. That means selectively dishing out territory you reclaim, keeping the inner politics down to a simmer. If not, you might find yourself having to hunt down your former associates. And they won’t go down without a fight.

Those fights will be incredibly violent

Mafia has always been a violent franchise, but the emotionally charged warpath that Lincoln finds himself own dials things up to 11. Lincoln has no regard for lives that stand in his way, and will deal with foes in some brutal ways. Mafia 3 is excessively violent, with blood and gore complimenting some truly grizzly executions that some poor Italian mobsters, southern unioners and anyone else will find themselves on the receiving end of if they’re caught off guard.

Ultimately though, it’s about authenticity

That violence comes with meaning though, as does everything in Mafia 3. Something the series has never tackled are societal issues that surround the settings its games find themselves in. Set in the South during the 1970s, Mafia 3 is all about showing the nasty side of racism that still permeates society today. Playing as Lincoln, a mixed race Vietnam veteran, allows players to experience a side of society that is often overlooked in games. Police will chase you for no reason, citizens while hide their belongings from view, and the world will generally not trust you. All realities for black citizens at the time, and far to prevalent today still.

Navigation is done intelligently

Mafia III wants to be authentic in its themes, but it’s still a videogame at the end of the day. That means you’ll still be doing loads of driving around the map in some powerful vehicles, which thankfully come with a more modern take on GPS navigation. Instead of having to look at the mini map constantly, Mafia III augments its world with road signs that direct you to your next way point. It’s clever and manages to stay within the time period the game is set in, while also alleviating a common issue with open-world exploration.

Mafia 3 is out on Xbox One, PS4 and PC

Last Updated: October 12, 2016