Mafia (series)

Mafia
Genres	Action-adventure, third-person shooter
Developers	Illusion Softworks 2K Czech Hangar 13
Publishers	Gathering of Developers 2K Games
Platforms	Microsoft Windows OS X PlayStation 2 PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 Mobile phone Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox One
Platform of origin	Microsoft Windows
First release	Mafia 28 August 2002
Latest release	Joe's Adventures 23 November 2010

Mafia is a series of action-adventure video games developed by 2K Czech (formerly Illusion Softworks) with the upcoming release by Hangar 13, and published by 2K Games.

Games in the Mafia series are set in fictional locales modeled after American cities, and usually take place in a historical setting, from Great Depression-era Lost Heaven in the original game, to 1960s New Orleans in Mafia III. Gameplay focuses on an open world where the player can choose missions to progress an overall story, as well as engaging in side activities, albeit in a more linear manner. The Freeride Extreme game mode in The City of Lost Heaven and expansion packs for Mafia II, however, allow players to trigger missions from the open world.

The three games in the Mafia series focus around different protagonists who attempt to rise (and subsequently fall out of favour or are disillusioned with the illicit lifestyle) through the ranks of the criminal underworld, although their motives for doing so vary in each game. The antagonists are commonly characters who have betrayed the protagonist or his organisation, or characters who have the most impact impeding the protagonist's progress.

Games

Year	Title	Developer	Platforms
			Console	Computer	Mobile
2002	Mafia	Illusion Softworks	PlayStation 2, Xbox	Microsoft Windows
2010	Mafia II	2K Czech	PlayStation 3, Xbox 360	Microsoft Windows, OS X	Mobile phone
	The Betrayal of Jimmy		PlayStation 3, Xbox 360	Microsoft Windows
	Jimmy's Vendetta		PlayStation 3, Xbox 360	Microsoft Windows
	Joe's Adventures		PlayStation 3, Xbox 360	Microsoft Windows
2016	Mafia III	Hangar 13, 2K Czech	PlayStation 4, Xbox One	Microsoft Windows

Video games

The first game, Mafia was released on 28 August 2002 for Microsoft Windows. Ports of the game for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 were released in 2004. The second game, Mafia II was released on 23 August 2010 for Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The third game, Mafia III will be released in 2016 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Downloadable content

Throughout 2010, The Betrayal of Jimmy, Jimmy's Vendetta and Joe's Adventures were released as downloadable content (DLC) expansion packs to Mafia II. The Betrayal of Jimmy is exclusive to PlayStation 3; the other two were released on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows.

Mobile phone version

A version of Mafia II was released in 2010 for mobile phones and smartphones by Connect2Media.^[1][2] to coincide with the personal computer and console versions, with a different storyline and characters in contrast to the original game.

Common elements

Gameplay

Each game in the Mafia series allows the player to take on the role of a criminal in a large city, typically an individual who plans to rise through the ranks of organised crime. The player character is given various missions by friends and mafia figures in the city underworld which must be completed to progress through the storyline.

The use of vehicles in an explorable urban environment provides a basic simulation of a working city, complete with pedestrians who generally obey traffic signals. Further details are used to flesh out an open-ended atmosphere that has been used in several other games. Traffic rules and regulations are stringently and realistically enforced in the games; failure to obey them through speeding or reckless driving are usually met with penalties such as citations, with further violations resulting in efforts by law enforcement to retaliate more aggressively and thus incapacitate the player.^[3]

Setting

Games in the Mafia series are set in fictional locales through different time periods.

Mafia is set in Lost Heaven in the 1930s. Lost Heaven is loosely based on New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago. Mafia II is set in Empire Bay in the 1940s and early 1950s, which is based on New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston and Detroit.^[4][5] Mafia III is set in 1968 in New Bordeaux, a fictionalised version of New Orleans. ^[6]

Controversies

Mafia II

Sonia Alfano, a member of the European Parliament and president of Italy's association for the families of mafia victims and whose father was murdered by the mafia, called for the game to be banned.^[7] Take-Two Interactive responded to the issue, stating that the game's depiction of the American Mafia was no different from organized crime films such as The Godfather.

They responded to allegations of racism from Unico National, who claimed that the game portrayed Italian-Americans unfairly and "indoctrinating" youth into violent stereotypes.^[8]

The game has the most profanity in a video game, particularly the word "fuck", which is spoken over 200 times, beating previous record holder, The House of the Dead: Overkill.^[9]

Reception

Aggregate review scores
As of 7 August 2015.

Game	Metacritic
Mafia	(PC) 88/100[10] (Xbox) 66/100[11]
Mafia II	(PC) 77/100[12] (PS3) 75/100[13] (X360) 74/100[14]
Mafia III	–

Sales

Year	Game	Sales
2002	Mafia	2 million
2010	Mafia II	3 million
2016	Mafia III
Total series sales: 5 million+

References

1. "Mafia II". Connect2Media. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
2. Andrew, Keith. "Mafia II Mobile review". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
3. Kasavin, Greg (27 January 2004). "Mafia Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
4. Ivan, Tom (19 October 2008). "First Mafia 2 details roll in". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
5. "GC09: Mafia II interview". Gamereactor Deutschland. 25 August 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
6. "Mafia 3 Hands On".
7. "Mob violence victim calls for Mafia II ban News • News • Eurogamer.net". Eurogamer. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
8. "Take-Two rubbishes Mafia II racism claims News • News • Eurogamer.net". Eurogamer. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
9. "Guinness Gives Mafia II The F-Bomb Record". Kotaku.com. 16 September 2010. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
10. "Mafia Review (PC)". MetaCritic. Retrieved 2015-08-07.
11. "Mafia Review (Xbox)". MetaCritic. Retrieved 2015-08-07.
12. "Mafia II for PC". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2015-08-07.
13. "Mafia II for PlayStation 3". Metacritic. Retrieved 2015-08-07.
14. "Mafia II for Xbox 360". Metacritic. Retrieved 2015-08-07.