- In the Japanese version of the game, collectible Playboy magazines were censored - the breasts in all photographs were hidden behind a black rectangle. The decision is at least strange - firstly, in the Land of the Rising Sun, Mafia II already received a Z rating (“Over 18 years old”), and secondly, the magazine itself was published in Japan without such changes.
- At one time, Mafia II set a record for the frequency of use of words with the root -fuck- among games - during the entire playthrough, swearing is heard 397 times. For comparison: in House of the Dead: Overkill, the previous owner of the “honorary” title, strong curse words occur almost half as often - 200 times.
- The collectible Playboy magazines that can be collected in the game are an anachronism: the action of “Mafia” takes place from 1945 to 1951, the first issue of the real Playboy was published in 1953, and the photographs that ended up in the virtual world were printed since 1958 - th to 1968. In the Joe's Adventures add-on there was an image from an issue that was published back in 2007!
- The collectible "Wanted" posters found throughout the game world feature Mafia II developers 2K Czech.
- Among other content cut from the game before release, fans found in files and old videos a mention of a license to carry a weapon, which could be purchased and subsequently presented to a police officer to avoid problems with the law.
- Enthusiasts, having rummaged through the game files, discovered that a huge amount of content never made it into the final version - there are several endings, and a larger number of missions, and a fight club...
- The plot for the game Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven totaled 500 pages. The Mafia 2 script is 700 pages long. And this is only the main plot, not including side quests.
- This is not a continuation of the first part, there are no references to the Mafia plot. In fact, it is not at all necessary for the player to be familiar with its predecessor.
- There are 120 people working on Mafia 2.
- Work on creating the game has been going on for about five years.
- Each pedestrian took about three to four weeks to create.
- The animation system simulates the work of thirty facial muscles.
- The action takes place in the fictional city of Empire City. Its area is approximately ten square kilometers, which is twice the size of the built-up part of Lost Haven from the first part. The new city consists of dozens of unique neighborhoods, and San Francisco served as a model for it.
- The game takes place from 1952 to 1963, and the plot develops shortly after World War II, when Vito returns from military service in Europe.
- The game has two main characters with completely different characters. Although you will only be able to play as Vito, another character named Joe will play an important role in the game's story.
- It will be possible to read newspapers and find out news from 1945 to 1951.
- If you open the hood of the car, you can see the engine running.
- In Mafia 2 you need to stop at gas stations to replenish your fuel supplies. You will also have the opportunity to visit a car wash to wash off the dirt that has accumulated on your car.
- The physical model of car damage is much more detailed than in Burnout Paradise, according to journalists who attended the press conference. There is body damage, broken glass, and exploding gas tanks.
- Cars can be stolen in two ways: using a master key or using force - breaking the side window.
- The developers paid great attention to detailing the surrounding world. So, passers-by will behave differently: some will hail a taxi, some will read a newspaper, and others will talk to each other.
- The game's fleet will consist of more than eighty cars.
- The pastel colors and design style are reminiscent of BioShock at times.
- The chases will be more exciting due to the complete redesign of the cars. They will become stronger, as well as easier and more fun to drive. There is an opportunity to make deft drifts.
- The money will be useful for buying new clothes (which will help get rid of pursuers), as well as during visits to restaurants. As in GTA: San Andreas, food will increase your character's health.
- The police learn about the crime if witnesses to the incident can get to the phone or walkie-talkie. The police will also focus on the signs of the criminal. You can solve this problem by buying new clothes and changing your car license plates.
Mafia II
Review
She immersed me into herself with incredible force, let go only in the sleepy morning, and, like an insatiable girl, made it clear that after a short rest a date with her could not be avoided. Do you remember what she was like? Exciting, intriguing, exemplary, exciting. After completing it completely, I wanted to tell everyone I met that games are truly art, that they will someday stand on the same level as films, and then rise even higher. That's what Mafia was like. A game-resonance, a game-phenomenon, a game-legend. Until the very end, we swore not to draw parallels between the first part and the sequel, but we just can’t, sorry. It's impossible to judge Mafia 2 without a detailed retrospective. Why this is so is not difficult to guess. If you, like us, love the first “Mafia”, then try to make a sad grimace with us now, pour yourself some crappy cheap whiskey into a glass, light a cigarette without a filter using a gasoline lighter and get ready. No matter how painful and offensive it is, we are forced to talk about Mafia 2 in a completely different way than we imagined it for eight long years. Chapter 1. Ignorance of the Den of the Stopgeimites. August 29, 2010
And at first everything was like in a fairy tale. After a magnificent introduction and a fleeting military episode, for a few moments we get it - that very second “Mafia”. Walking walk, fluffy snow, Vito Scaletta in a beautiful overcoat, “Let it Snow!” Sammy Cahn and a leisurely sip of beer at the bar with an old friend. Our hearts break from ecstatic feelings - we almost love everything that follows in absentia. Almost everything is pleasantly surprised. Cars crawl lazily along the road, picturesquely covered with snow. The number of scenes with the participation of passersby sets the mood for noble and pure thoughts that this is the game of the year! A shop owner I know boards up the windows and doors of his establishment - during the war his income dropped sharply. In a local cafe we meet, apparently, Vito’s ex-girlfriend, who did not waste any time: she is already married and with two children in her arms at the age of 21. A middle-aged lady, huddled from the cold, scolds her husband and his damaged car. Bombers fly over the houses - everyone looks at the sky in fascination and conducts philistine conversations about the war. The elaboration of the environment - houses, shop windows, even the garbage that lies underfoot - is excellent. Across the street, a newspaper vendor is shouting at the top of his lungs, reading the headlines from the front page. In my home entrance, a cleaning lady is polishing the floor until it shines... The first sensations from Mafia 2 are akin to savoring your favorite chocolate - you want to stretch out a pleasant moment indefinitely, not rush anywhere, sit comfortably in a chair and, blissfully squinting your eyes, let this whole stream of unearthly pleasure pass through you . The first broken lock, the first stolen car, a fight, a chase and easy money. From the plot you already expect unexpected twists, described in small details of the formation of a real mafioso, you look forward to meeting numerous representatives of the shadow world, in which money, connections and special family ties dominate. Chapter 2. The true state of affairs The den of the Stopgeimites. August 30, 2010
Much was known about the plot long before August 27. The main character, Vito Scaletta, and his childhood friend, a lover of women and extravagant shirts, Joe Barbaro, set out on a long and difficult journey to conquer the top of the criminal world of Empire Bay. In theory, everything should have started with small raids and robberies, and ended with a showdown between families with the cutting of property and spheres of influence. And it seems that the scriptwriters did the right thing: they didn’t tell another story about how “the guys went to success,” but gave us a loser who simply had a catastrophic coefficient of bad luck, but... something went wrong somewhere.
Our friends are hopeless idiots without a hint of self-preservation instinct. And if Barbaro at least occasionally worries about the death of his partners, loves to joke, and is no stranger to weaknesses and vices (that is, he is more or less like a person), then Vito Scaletta is the key character with whom we are asked to identify ourselves - the soulless hero of the typical eighties action movie. He does absolutely everything he is told, without even thinking about the consequences for a second. The meaning of his worthless existence is to receive a task and complete it with grief.
We would be glad to discover Scalett's personality from an unknown side, but the writers themselves force us to treat him as a diligent whipping boy. Oil painting: my own sister is in tears because of her husband, who has been on a spree in the company of whores and junkies. Vito bravely visits the party, deforms his son-in-law’s portrait and peacefully drives home, where the phone is already cracking from ringing. “You are a monster! I don’t want to know you or see you!” - the girl screams, in response to which Vito emotionlessly hangs up the phone and doesn’t remember his sister anymore. A curtain. Let only the main character be a faceless freak. We would still accept such a situation. One of the main problems with the entire story of Mafia 2 is that there is not a single well-written and multi-faceted character in it. All types are outrageously predictable and flat. Biographical details are presented in a barbaric manner in the spirit of “Oh! Suddenly it turned out that he was a traitor!” or “It’s crazy, it turns out he was a real Good Bug!”
Okay, there are no interesting characters - then at least give us exciting missions connected by a clear storyline. Well, yes, we were daydreaming... The imagination and perseverance of the developers was only enough for a relatively good first half of the game. From the very moment Vito gets (suddenly, of course!) into trouble just because of fuel coupons (and this after the mountains of corpses that he left behind), you stop believing in the adequacy of the plot and production of Mafia 2. In the second half of the game, any mission looks like this: we rise when the phone rings, go to the destination opposite to our home, watch a video there, then go again to the other end of the map, shoot, shoot, then shoot, shoot again and go back home. All the most interesting tasks took place in the forties, and the fifties will seem like sheer torture. Comparing two time periods with each other is very, very simple. If you now do not take into account all the external paraphernalia - cars, clothes, weather - then there is still too much that is distinctive.
At the beginning, even the cut scenes are very beautifully staged: the camera chooses appetizing and successful angles, all the fleeting movements of the actors are made very realistically - lighting a cigarette, smiling, hand gestures and much, much more. Every second I want to shout out loud: “I believe!” There’s no need to even talk about interesting assignments and meeting new people.
The horror comes later. Beautiful videos disappear somewhere; meetings with people who, in theory, should reward us with additional tasks do not promise anything; missions are predictable. The contrast is indescribably great. But the main mistake of the developers lies not even in this. Chapter 3. Bitterness of the Den of the Stopgeimites. August 30, 2010
It is somehow unspokenly accepted that a sequel should be better, richer, more varied, more intense than the original. There are millions of examples of this. The second part is almost always the development (precisely the development) of the ideas contained in the first. 2K Czech doesn’t think so at all. It's painfully disappointing and regrettable to realize that Mafia 2 looks more advantageous compared to its predecessor only from the point of view of comparing technologies. Well, that’s understandable - eight years have passed.
But in almost everything else (and this despite the past years) there is complete degradation. There are problems with the artificial intelligence of the police, who shoot terribly accurately even from a moving car, but at the same time they don’t give a damn about our careless driving. Shooting from a car window is no longer allowed, there are no additional tasks at all - except for squeezing a stolen vehicle under pressure. There are no free walks left, and no country missions either. And now, during reloading, the remaining cartridges in an unfinished magazine are not lost, as was the case before - all to please the lazy player.
What remains in the asset? Beautiful graphics with very good destructibility and interactivity of levels. No compelling plot, no interesting characters, no memorable ending. The ending of Mafia 2 is a mediocre and absurd heresy, which the screenwriter, apparently, finished writing in a noisy and stuffy subway half an hour before the work was due. We could not come up with any other adequate explanation. Chapter 4. Farewell Author's apartment. August 31, 2010
Morning. Drank a bottle of cheap whiskey, smoked a pack of unfiltered cigarettes. My head is buzzing and my soul feels unimaginably lousy. No other game makes you worry about yourself as much as Mafia 2 does. It’s unfortunate, but we have to make a final conclusion. This is a failure - not entirely complete, but very noticeable. The situation is saved only by the simmering love for the original and those glorious first forty minutes, during which it seemed that this was the game of the year.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pros: cozy Empire Bay atmosphere; excellent graphics; high level of interactivity and destructibility of the environment; the first forty minutes of the game. Cons: very weak and secondary plot; uninteresting and flat characters; problems with artificial intelligence among police officers; Apart from technology, Mafia 2 has nothing new to offer compared to the original.
The most important thing for a real mafioso
Luxuriously made cars are one of the reasons to get acquainted with the game. Among them there are both complete wrecks like a taxi, which migrated here from the first part, and high-speed cars - for example, the Shubert Frigate. In this case, it is necessary to set a realistic driving mode, otherwise you will not feel all the pleasure from driving clumsy, always slipping and slow turtles. There's another reason to spend more time with Mafia 2 than you should - it's a cute mini-game that requires you to collect posters from the Playboy magazine of the time. It’s much better than drawing graffiti, collecting horseshoes with shells or shooting pigeons, you know where. Archives containing all the photographs have been on the Internet for a long time, but this will not stop real connoisseurs of female beauty, right?
Characters
When creating Vito and Joe, the main characters of Mafia II, the authors tried to make them as believable as possible - so that they seemed real, so that they would be believed. The appearance of young gangsters had to reflect their characters and at the same time correspond to the American style of the mid-twentieth century. The developers had to study many movies, fashion magazines, books and thousands of photographs to reproduce the typical hairstyles, clothes, accessories and appearance of Italian immigrants living in America in the 1940s and 50s.
Vito Scaletta
Smart, self-confident young Sicilian. He spent his childhood on the street, where he met and became close friends with Joe Barbaro. Together, young Vito and Joe committed petty crimes, admired the rich mafiosi who came to Little Italy and dreamed of an easy life.
Joe Barbaro
Brazen and unpredictable, Joe is a professional criminal. For ten years, he and Vito were a real criminal duo. Joe lives in grand style, his favorites are strong drinks, fast cars, and easily accessible women. Climbing the criminal ladder is an ideal way for him to satisfy his needs. Henry Tomasino
Unlike Vito and Joe, Henry is already an initiate: he is accepted into the family, is a full-fledged gangster, bound by an oath of allegiance, and is guaranteed the protection of the crime family. At the moment, it is unknown why, in such a position, he associates with such small fry as Vito and Joe. Perhaps they have known each other for a long time and grew up together, or Henry was assigned to look after this couple by his bosses from Cosa Nostra, or he himself took on this task, like his older brother. Be that as it may, Henry's position in the mafia serves as inspiration and motivation for Joe and Vito. And this is not just a friendly relationship: Henry watches the guys enter the criminal environment and their “career” growth. The character's last name is a possible reference to the film "The Godfather".
Plot
The events of Mafia II take place in 1943-1951 in the fictional city of Empire Bay, where three mafia “families” are in charge: Vinci, Clemente and Falcone.
The main character, Vito Scaletta, moved with his family from Sicily to the United States as a child. As a boy, Vito thought that in America all his dreams would come true, but in reality everything turned out differently. His father, Antonio Scaletta, worked in the port, receiving pennies for his work. A few years later, Antonio, being drunk, fell into the water and drowned. Vito's family experienced financial difficulties, which is why, as a child, he became involved with Joe, a bully and thief. Over time, he and Joe became best friends.
Years passed, Vito and Joe grew up, but their ardor and desire for easy money did not fade. One day, while robbing a jewelry store, they were spotted by the police and a chase began. Joe managed to escape, and Vito was caught. The Second World War was going on, and soldiers who spoke Italian were needed at the front, so Vito was given a choice, and he chose to go to war.
Plot development
Chapter 1: Historical homeland. Sicily, July 19431943 Military operation in Sicily. Vito is sent to the island as part of the parachute regiment, but before landing their plane is shot down, and only a few people survive. Together with resistance fighters, they must liberate the city from Mussolini's soldiers. During the battle for the city hall, a Nazi tank fired into the building and the shell hit stunned Vito and the other soldiers in it. The fascists, who burst into the building after this shot, began to finish off the unconscious soldiers, but at the moment when Vito’s turn to die came, the head of the Sicilian mafia, Don Calo, ordered Mussolini’s fascists to stop shooting. Vito survived, but was wounded.
1945 Having been wounded by the Nazis and spent in the hospital, Vito, having received a month's leave, returns to Empire Bay, where Joe immediately meets him at the station. He explains to Vito that while he was at war, Joe became rich, became a career criminal, and made connections that allowed him to get Vito a “permit” to stay in town.
Arriving home, Vito learns that his mother and sister Francesca are trying to pay off a $2,000 debt that Vito's now deceased father borrowed. He goes to Joe for advice and help. He introduces Vito to Giuseppe (the best security guard in the city, who gives Vito a “certificate”), then to Mike Bruschi (a car thief and auto mechanic). Vito becomes a member of Empire Bay's underworld and slowly begins to make a living for himself. Joe allows Vito to stay with him.
Vito is awakened by a call from his mother, who tells him that he promised to work honestly for his father’s boss, Federico (Derek) Pappalardo. He is the head of the docks, the head of the trade union, and “part-time” the capo of the Vinci family. At first, he forces Vito to carry boxes for $10, but when Vito mentions the name Barbaro, Derek assigns Vito a more important task - to “extort” money for a hairdresser from the dock workers. Joe then introduces Vito to Henry Tomasino, a member of the Clemente family. He wants Vito to steal scarce gas coupons from the Federal Price Regulatory Service, which were difficult to obtain due to the ongoing war. Having completed the task, Vito brings Henry the coupons, but he notices that they expire in an hour and gives Vito the task of selling the coupons at gas stations before the expiration date.
Vito wakes up and sees a note from Joe saying that they will go to work. Vito arrives at the bar and Joe explains that they are going to rob a jewelry store. Everything went according to plan, but Brian O'Neill's gang appeared, at the same time a police patrol car was passing nearby. Vito and Joe manage to escape with the stolen goods, and O'Neal and his gang end up behind bars.
Henry introduces Vito and Joe to Luca Gurino, the capo of the Clemente family. Luca offers Joe and Vito to join the family for $5,000 (each), and also wants the heroes to kill Sidney Pen, better known as “Fat Man”. Vito goes to see Harry, a war veteran, who gives Vito an MG-42 machine gun. Vito goes to Henry and Joe, and as a result of a shootout, they find and kill Sydney. Henry is wounded and his friends take him to El Greco. Vito receives $2000 for the work done, which he gives to his sister.
Leaving Joe's apartment, Vito Scaletta falls straight into the hands of Antonio Rossi, an Empire Bay police detective. Vito was turned in by one of the coupon buyers. Three months later, the Empire Bay court handed down a sentence of ten years in prison. Three days later, Vito will receive a letter from Joe, who invites him to find Leo Galante. While walking through the prison yard, Vito accidentally meets Brian O'Neil. He accuses him of his capture and a fight begins between them, which Galante watches. However, very soon the guards separate the fighters and put them both in a punishment cell. Leo, having learned that Vito worked for the Clemente family, at first refuses to help, but when Vito says that Clemente and Gurino offered to join the family for money, he gives his word that he will help him and deal with them. In prison, Vito has a new enemy - Brian O'Neal. Suddenly, Vito’s sister comes to him and reports his mother’s illness. After the meeting, Vito's mother dies. After some time, Vito kills O'Neil, and Leo promises that he will help Vito get out ahead of schedule.
It's 1951. The winter atmosphere of the game changes to summer, the cars and clothes also change - the city has taken on a new life. Vito left prison earlier - after 6 years. Joe reveals that he now works for the Falcone family and shows Vito the apartment rented for him. On the first day, Vito meets Eddie Scarpa. Eddie, Vito and Joe go to a brothel where they get drunk; they then go to the old observatory where Francesco Potenza is buried. After this, Vito takes the drunks to Joe's apartment.
Joe offers Vito to make money by selling stolen cigarettes, but a gang of “grease makers” intervenes in the matter. They set fire to a truck loaded with cigarettes. In response, Vito, Joe, Marty and Steve and their friends destroy the bar of the “grease workers” and kill them themselves on the territory of an abandoned foundry. Joe and Vito pay for the loss of Eddie's truck with money from selling stolen hot rods for Derek.
Carlo Falcone tells Vito that Clemente has kidnapped accountant Harvey Beans and two Falcone family soldiers: Frank and Tony Balsam. Vito follows Luca Gurino (Clemente family capo) as he goes to the Clemente slaughterhouse; there Vito saves Tony Balsam and Harvey Beans. Luka hides in the office and calls for reinforcements. Vito and Tony kill Luca's bandits. Balm tortured Luka to death. After this, Vito and Joe become members of the Falcone family.
Falcone entrusts his friends with a special task - to kill Don Clemente, who did not comply with the laws of Cosa Nostra. Joe took Marty, Joe's 18-year-old friend, who dreams of becoming a gangster, with him on the mission. During the mission, Marty dies and Joe kills Clemente. Joe is very worried and after completing the task decides to go to the Lone Star bar. There he got so drunk that he pulled out a gun and started waving it around, scaring other patrons. While drinking, he mentioned a friend's name "Vito" as well as his phone number. Bartender Leon called him asking for help. Vito, who was at his villa at the time, responded and began to persuade Joe to go home. At this moment, in a mental fit, Joe accidentally fires his gun and kills the bartender. Vito quickly evacuates Joe, also drags the corpse along with him, puts it in the trunk of the car and leaves this place towards Joe's house. After delivering Joe home, Vito quickly brings the car to Bruschi and there, using a press, crushes the car along with the corpse.
Henry, who worked for the murdered Don Clemente, asks Vito to talk to Falcone about his future work for his new family. And Henry's first task as Falcone's soldier was to kill Leo Galante, Vito's friend. Scaletta, arriving at Leo's house before Henry, saves him from being killed (the player has five options: get caught by Henry, hide in the closet, hide in the shower, hide under the bed and escape. If the player chooses the option to hide in the shower, then Vito and Leo die , in any other case, Vito saves Leo and sends him by train to Lost Haven. Then Vito helps his sister with her husband Eric, comes to him and “re-educates” him, thereby quarreling with his sister, Vito’s house is burned down by Brian O’Neill’s cousin. - Mickey Desmond is with his men, and he is forced to turn to Joe for help. They shoot up the Irish bar and kill Desmond and moves into the apartment of Joe's late friend, Marty.
Three friends decide to carry out their business in secret from the head of the family: Henry learned that the Chinese mafia sells drugs for a small amount, which could be tripled in a week. For money, the friends go to the Jewish moneylender Bruno, who gives them the amount they need at a huge percentage. But after buying a shipment of drugs at the exit of a Chinese warehouse, Joe, Vito and Henry are met by bandits dressed as police officers. Shooting begins at the warehouse, but Vito, Joe and Henry manage to escape.
Falcone finds out about the deal and takes his share. Vito and Joe go to the park to meet Henry, where they witness the brutal murder of Henry by the men of Mr. Vaughn, who had previously sold them a shipment of drugs. As a result, Joe and Vito are left penniless. They decide to take revenge by trashing a Chinese restaurant. Breaking into Vaughn's office, they learn that Henry was working for the police. But his friends do not believe this and kill him. All that remains is to pay off the debt to the mafia moneylender, but there is a problem - there is no money and nowhere to get it.
Eddie gives Joe and Vito a job: to kill a former mafioso who betrayed his family, named Thomas Angelo (the main character of the first part of the game). Driving up to his house in a red car, Vito tells Tommy, “Mr. Salieri says hi,” and Joe kills him with a sawed-off shotgun. Then Vito, in search of money for Bruno, goes to the port to Derek, where he is tasked with calming down a crowd of raging workers. The workers recognized Vito and told him the truth about the boss of the docks: Vito’s father did not die by accident, he was drowned by Stephen Coyne, Derek’s “six,” on his orders. Next, Scaletta goes over to the side of the rebel workers and takes revenge for the death of her father, after which, after killing Derek and Steve, she takes all the money from the director’s safe. A total of $27,500 is required. He has to rob stores and rent Bruschi's cars. After collecting the required amount, Vito goes to Joe with the stolen money, but he is not at home. During the search, Joe Vito comes to Vinci's people at the Mona Lisa restaurant. There he is stunned, and he comes to his senses at a construction site, where he and Joe are personally interrogated by Vinci, who is extremely dissatisfied with the state of affairs in the city and the massacre in Chinatown. Vito and Joe claim they have no idea what he's talking about. Soon the heroes manage to fight their way out of the place of torture. Vito takes the injured Joe to El Greco and takes the money to Bruno. During the conversation, it turns out that Bruno is the same moneylender from whom Vito’s father once borrowed money.
On a rainy morning, Vito wakes up to a call from Eddie, who asks him to urgently come to Falcone at the observatory for an important conversation. Going outside, Vito sees Vinci's people. He is invited to get into the car, where Leo Galante is waiting for him. Leo says he knows who caused the chaos in Chinatown and says Vinci wants Vito out. But Leo, having “troubled” for Vito, knocked out his last chance for salvation - to kill Falcone. Vito agrees. After a long shootout, Vito enters the planetarium where Carlo is located. Vito is about to kill Falcone, but then Joe puts the barrel of a revolver to his head. Falcone bribed him with a flattering offer to become his capo. Vito asks to believe him and kill Falcone together, to which at first Joe does not agree, but then he himself offers to kill Carlo. Having finished with Falcone, Vito and Joe leave the planetarium. Vinci's people, led by Leo, were already waiting for them on the street. Leo asks if everything went well, to which Vito replies that Falcone is dead. Vito is asked to get into Leo's car, and Joe gets into another. The cars are driving along the road, but suddenly the car with Joe turns around the bend, while the car with Leo and Vito drives on. Vito asks Leo what this all means, to which he replies: “Sorry, Joe wasn’t part of the deal.” The last shot of the game is a long shot of Empire Bay.
Gameplay
Main innovations
In "Mafia 2" the checkpoint system has been redesigned. The city map is called up with the same key as in the original game, but the mini-map in the lower right corner of the screen is always available to the player. It displays the path to the point selected by the player (green line) or the current task (red line).
The mechanics of shooting and hand-to-hand combat have undergone significant changes, a cover system similar to Gears of War and GTA IV has appeared. Vito was able to take cover behind the nearest possible obstacle and fire from there (some shelters are destructible, for example, thin wooden partitions). The sight now changes color depending on the situation: red - if Vito is aiming at an enemy, green - if the weapon is aimed at an ally or a defenseless person (you cannot shoot at them).
Scene
The main setting of Mafia II (excluding the first and sixth chapters) is the fictional city of Empire Bay - the name is a reference to the nickname of the state of New York). The city of Empire Bay is similar to New York due to such landmarks as the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Central Park, etc. In general, the architecture of the city is identical to the architecture of New York, while the Empire Bay Bay has slight similarities to Los Angeles - (The hospital is similar to City Hall in Los Angeles, the observatory from Griffith Park (Griffith Observatory, as well as the inscription on the mountain in the style of the Hollywood sign). Before the game was released, Empire Bay was said to be A mixture of New York and San Francisco, although the city does not have any landmarks or recognizable buildings from San Francisco, the game also lacks obvious similarities to other major US cities. Unlike the city of Lost Haven, Empire Bay does not have an airport or airport. country roads.
The area of the game world map is about 7.8 square kilometers (3 square miles), from the very beginning of the game you can get to anywhere in the city.
Motor transport
The game contains 46 vehicles (of which 10 become available only after downloading all 5 official mini-add-ons). The cars have fictitious names, but most of them have real-life prototypes. Most historical cars are available in several color options.
You can steal a parked car by picking the lock or breaking the front door glass. It is also possible to steal a car by “throwing out” the driver from it. The cars that Vito put in his garage remain there and can be used in any mission. There is no provision for removing the car from the garage. There are two ways to get rid of the car: crush it in Mike Bruschi's junkyard or sell it at Derek Papallardo's docks.
Police
Police officers patrol the city either on foot or in cars. Having noticed a crime, the police may act differently depending on the situation: Warning: if Vito was seen in a fight with another person. Checking documents: for suspicious actions. Fine: for a minor offense - slightly exceeding the permissible speed limit, colliding with a road sign or colliding with other cars. Arrest: for openly carrying a weapon on the street, for shooting (not at people), for car theft, a serious accident, for attacking a police officer, attacking citizens, for refusing to pay a fine to a police officer, for robbing stores. You can buy your way out of arrest by bribing a police officer. The size of the bribe depends on the number of police officers. Shooting to kill: for murders and hitting passers-by, for killing police officers, for shooting at police officers, for resisting arrest. There are 2 degrees of “shooting to kill”: light - police shoot from revolvers, less often from shotguns; serious - the police are putting up roadblocks on the roads, armed with Thompson submachine guns, and more and more squads are being sent to the area where Vito was last seen. If the policeman announces the identity of the criminal on the radio, then Vito will be wanted. In this case, any policeman will try to detain (or kill) him. However, you can escape persecution if you buy (or steal) new clothes in a store or change clothes at home. In addition, the police can remember Vito's car license plate number. If he is seen wearing it, a chase will begin. To prevent this from happening, you can change your number at a car repair shop or give a bribe by calling the police from any telephone. If you get into a police car, she will be put on the wanted list. There is no radio, and the radio switch button is replaced by a button to turn the siren on and off. The Empire Bay police show interest not only in the main character, but also in any citizens of the city who have violated the law in one way or another.
Weapon
Weapons are a necessary means of completing the vast majority of story missions (with the exception of Chapter 7).
Many types of weapons returned to the game from the first part: Thompson M1928, Colt 1911, pump-action shotgun. New weapons from the Second World War also appeared: MP40, M3, MP-28/II, MG42. Unlike its predecessor game, the number of weapons carried by the hero is not limited - only the ammunition is limited. You can replenish your arsenal and buy cartridges in the city's gun stores, as well as from Harry, a war veteran whom Vito will meet in one of the missions. Also, master keys and a Magnum revolver are sold in the store of Giuseppe (formerly a professional safecracker). Gang members throughout the city carry Colt 1911s. Some bar clerks, as well as all gun store clerks, are armed. The victim's weapon falls to the ground and can be picked up.
Music in the game
"Mafia II" features licensed music from the 1940s/1950s, including 122 tracks from 74 artists, including "Rock Around the Clock", "Let It Snow", "Mambo Italiano" and more.
Downloadable add-ons
The developers have released three downloadable add-ons: The Betrayal of Jimmy, Jimmy's Vendetta and Joe's Adventures. All add-ons contain new missions, as well as support for achievements on Steam. On December 3, 2010, the 1C-SoftClub company released these add-ons on disk along with others. In all three additions, unlike the original, there is a completely different system for passing the game (instead of chapters, the player will have to complete tasks of various characters throughout the city). The system is reminiscent of the “Big Walk” mode from the first part, only now they are connected by the plot. Later, all add-ons became available for download through Steam in Russia and The Betrayal of Jimmy in the world.
The Betrayal of Jimmy
The Betrayal of Jimmy was a timed exclusive for the PlayStation 3 and was included in the Mafia II edition for that platform. It can also be purchased through the PlayStation Network. For the Russian version of the game, the fully localized addition The Betrayal of Jimmy appeared in the Russian segment of PSN on October 21, and the download is completely free, unlike the European and other segments of PSN.
Some time after the release on PS3, an unlicensed Xbox 360 version appeared on the Internet, but only in 5 languages (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish). The plot of the addition: Jimmy was a hired killer and “wiped up” the dirt behind others, but after a showdown with a Chinese gang, he was “wiped up” himself. As a result of this, Jimmy was given 15 years in maximum prison. New clothes and cars are also available in the DLC The Betrayal of Jimmy/
Jimmy's Vendetta
The Jimmy's Vendetta expansion was released later than the game itself and is available for all three gaming platforms PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, with a release date of September 7, 2010. This add-on also includes new achievements and trophies. Despite the fact that Jimmy’s Vendetta was released all over the world, it was unavailable for some time in Russia and the CIS countries. Addition plot: Jimmy is released after serving 15 years as a result of a prisoner riot. And for Jimmy his time of reckoning has come.
Joe's Adventures
The third expansion released, Joe's Adventures, tells the story of Joe Barbaro during the years that Vito spent in prison. It went on sale on November 23, 2010. In this addition, several new locations appeared that were missing in the original Mafia II - the highway leading to the dam, a villa, a supermarket, a brothel, a metro station, a hidden parking lot in Uptown and others. With the exception of highways, they can only be visited during the corresponding missions. The plot of the add-on: playing the role of Joe, you will find out who sent Vito to jail, and why you should not mess with the Clemente family.
Main characters.
Vittorio Antonio "Vito" Scaletta.
Description:
Vito Scaletta. The main character of the game. An accomplice of the Clemente family, the Falcone family, then the Vinci family. Born in Sicily on May 2, 1925, his family then moved to Empire Bay.
Vito's father got a job at the port for the man who brought them to America.
Here in America, Vito, as a child, understood what poverty was and decided that the mafia was the only worthy profession for him.
In 1943, he was captured by police during a store robbery. He was given a choice: go to prison or go to the front of World War II; Scaletta chose the second. In January 1945 he returned to Empire Bay, after which he worked for the Clemente family. From 1945 to 1951 he was in prison for selling stolen gasoline coupons.
After his release he joined the Falcone family. On September 26, 1951, Vito kills Carlo Falcone on the orders of Leo Galante.
Joseph "Joe" Barbaro.
Description:
Joe Barbaro. Vito's best friend. An accomplice of the Clemente family, then Falcone. Brash and unpredictable, Joe seems to be able to make trouble out of nothing. As a child, Joe was a street bully in the Italian ghetto of Empire Bay.
He met Vito when he, younger and smaller than Joe, offered to fight him for a place in his gang.
Over the next ten years, they made up an excellent team of petty criminals: the calm and reasonable Vito did not allow the impetuous Joe to bury himself until his friend ended up at war. After their friend returned from the war, they continued their mafia activities.
Now Joe lives large - strong drinks, fast cars, easy women. Climbing the criminal ladder is an ideal way for him to satisfy his needs. Like his friend, he worked first for the Clemente family and then for the Falcone family.
On September 26, 1951, Vito arrives at the old observatory to kill Carlo Falcone. After shooting many people, he reached Carlo himself.
But suddenly Vito felt the barrel of a gun at his temple. It was Joe. Vito thought that Joe had betrayed him and said: “If you want to shoot, shoot.”
Joe didn't want to kill his friend, so he suggested that Vito kill Falcone. Meanwhile, it becomes known that Carlo has appointed Joe capo.
Having completed the case, Vito and Joe leave the observatory, and here they are met by many gangsters led by Leo Galante. Leo says this matter should be celebrated.
Vito gets into one car, and Joe gets into another. The car with Joe turned around the bend, and the car containing Vito continued to drive straight, despite Vito's indignation.
Leo, after a short silence, uttered only a few words: “Sorry. Joe was not part of the deal."
Judging by the deleted alternate dialogue between Vito and Galante in the game files, Joe wants to be taken to Mr. Chu, probably to avenge the murder of Shi Yoon Won.
In Mafia III, Vito admitted to Lincoln Clay that according to rumors, Joe was able to get out of trouble in Empire Bay and hid from the Commission for some time in Chicago, turning to reliable people.
But in the end, they handed him over, and Joe died at the hands of Galante’s guys.
However, in one of the endings of the game, Galante personally drives up to Lincoln, whose driver is very similar to Barbaro, but already older.
Henry Tomasino.
Description:
Henry Tomasino. Member of the Clemente family, then Falcone. Friend of Vito and Joe. The son of a Sicilian mafia and gangster. There are 6 more brothers in his family. In 1931, as a result of Mussolini's raids on the Sicilian mafia, Silvio, Henry's father, sent his family to America to receive protection from his bosom friend, Alberto Clemente, in Empire Bay.
Tomasino was accepted into the Clemente family and became a full-fledged gangster and respected specialist in wet cases. The father himself refused to go, explaining that he was too old for this. As a result, Mussolini's fascists arrested him and he died in prison.
He is closed and uncommunicative; his only motive is pride. After the murder, Clemente joined the Falcone family. Brutally murdered by Mr. Vaughn's men after a rumor emerged in Empire Bay mafia circles that Henry was working for the FBI.
The triad that killed Henry justified it by saying that Henry was working for the government. This is a strange statement, since Frankie Potts, who worked for the FBI, did not indicate anything in his documents about Henry that he himself or anyone from the FBI was cooperating with him.
However, when Frankie gets into trouble and asks his superiors for help, he says that there is someone behind his back who can help him, but he does not reveal his name. It is also possible that Henry did not work as an informant when Frankie was alive, but began doing so after Clemente's death.
Also, Leo Galante later assures Vito that Henry was a "rat". This can be explained by Mr. Vaughn's claim that Henry was an informant for the Bureau of Narcotics. In the early 1950s, cooperation between the FBI and the Narcotics Bureau was weak. For example, Harry Anslinger, an agent from the bureau, spoke publicly about the existence of the Mafia at a time when J. Edgar Hoover, the director of the FBI, argued that the Mafia did not exist. This proves that Henry was working for the FBI.
Vito's family.
Maria Scaletta.
Description:
Maria Scaletta. Vito's mother had a hard life. Poverty is a typical picture of Sicily in the early 20s of the twentieth century.
But even she cannot stop the love of two hearts - Antonio and Maria. Their wedding took place in 1920.
A year later, their daughter Francesca was born, and four years later, their long-awaited son, named Vittorio. Then hard times came.
She came to America in 1932 with her husband Antonio and two children to seek a better life, but found only poverty and deprivation.
Before her eyes, her husband broke down and drank himself to death under the yoke of back-breaking work, and her only son became a criminal.
A devout believer, Maria constantly prays to the Lord to save her family and guide Vito on the path of an honest worker.
After the death of her husband, the widowed Maria lives in a small apartment with her daughter Francesca.
Her son got into trouble and was given an ultimatum: either he goes to serve in the army, or he goes to prison for five years. Vito chooses the former.
But upon arrival in the city, her son again gets involved in bad company.
Vito thereby tried to pay off the debt of his father, who borrowed two thousand dollars from a loan shark. He succeeds after some time. However, he is soon arrested for speculating with gas coupons and imprisoned for 10 years.
This was the final blow for Maria. All this led to Vito's mother becoming seriously ill, and on the day when her daughter, Frannie, visits Vito in prison, she passes away.
Antonio Scaletta.
Description:
Antonio Scaletta. Father Vito. Antonio Scaletta married Maria in 1920 in the tiny Sicilian village of San Martino. A year later, their daughter Francesca was born, and soon their son Vito. In search of a better life, in 1932 Antonio and his family set off on a long journey overseas.
Finding himself penniless in Empire Bay and not speaking a word of English, Antonio was given a job and shelter by union boss Derek Pappalardo.
Antonio worked for the boss for pennies. Unable to break out of the vicious circle of backbreaking work and monstrous rent, Antonio started drinking out of grief, spending almost all of his salary in a tavern. As Derek Vito said: “Your father drank like a fish!”
In 1943, he drowned at the Southport docks after falling into the water drunk. But 8 years later it turned out that his death was staged as an accident, and Pappalardo himself and his faithful assistant Coyne were to blame. Vito killed his father's executioners.
Francesca Reilly.
Description:
Francesca Reilly. Vito's sister, a little older than him, is a quiet and shy girl, she graduated from school with honors and from the age of sixteen led the youth club at the local church.
As a child, Francesca tried to steer Vito away from street gangs. Francesca, or Franny, as Vito calls her, lives with her mother, supporting everyone on her salary as an accountant at Trago Oil.
According to her, she began to little by little pay off her father’s debts, which Vito would later pay off himself.
After Vito is sent to prison, Francesca has to care for her sick mother.
While she is visiting her brother, her mother dies. All the money that Vito gave for Franny and Eric's wedding went towards the funeral.
Francesca never found happiness with her husband - he was also involved in dirty dealings, drank and cheated on her.
She quarreled with Vito after he tried to help her in his own way by severely beating her husband.
Eric Reilly.
Description:
Eric Reilly. Francesca's husband. Eric was born in 1918 in Empire Bay to Irish immigrant parents.
The Reilly family lived in Millville, and young Eric worked with his father in transportation maintenance for Trago Oil.
In 1936, he married Sarah Collins, the daughter of the head of the Trago car park, but after the wedding, Eric began to constantly drink with friends, came home drunk after midnight, swore obscenely and beat his wife.
Two years later, Sarah left him. After this, Eric lost his job and began making a living as a substitute bartender from time to time and selling marijuana.
In 1945 he married again. This time the “lucky” one was Vito’s sister, Francesca. Judging by the long sprees and drinking sessions, he has learned nothing from past mistakes.
Unable to bear the beatings, swearing and frequent gatherings of her husband, Frannie turned to Vito for help and asked to talk to Eric.
Having caught him cheating, Scaletta “helps” him look differently at his responsibilities, including marriage.
Leaders of crime and the most important persons of mafia families.
Alberto Clemente.
Description:
Alberto Clemente. Head of the Clemente mafia family. In 1920, he killed a Palermo police captain on behalf of his uncle Silvio and fled to Empire Bay. Here, taking advantage of his uncle’s connections in the criminal world, he made money from bootlegging.
In 1929, the Commission allowed him to start his own family. Despite its strength, the Clemente gang has a reputation among gangsters as a “second-class family.”
This was mainly due to Clemente’s methods, which were unscrupulous even by mafia standards. He was also arrested for extortion in 1935 and 1937.
He died at the hands of Joe Barbaro in his limousine, or was blown up in it (if he got into the gas tank).
He has a son (most likely illegitimate) Fabiano, who lives in Sicily.
Carlo Falcone.
Description:
Carlo Falcone. Don of the Falcone mafia family. Carlo arrived in America in 1913 and quickly became part of the Moretti family.
During Prohibition, he managed the family's bootlegging business, along with Eddie Scarpa, supplying alcohol from Canada.
In 1933, Carlo entered into a secret conspiracy with Frank Vinci, as a result of which Tomaso Moretti was killed, the war between Vinci and Moretti ended, and Carlo himself became the head of the Moretti family.
A talented strategist and connoisseur of progress, Carlo despises the traditions of the Sicilian mafia and understands that it got rich thanks to Prohibition, and therefore, in order to stay afloat, it needs a comparable source of income.
Killed by Vito Scaletta on the orders of Leo Galante.
According to Eddie, Carlo was interested in astronomy.
This might explain why he owns the Hillwood Planetarium.
Franco "Frank" Vinci.
Description:
Frank Vinci. Don of the Vinci mafia family. Born in Sicily in 1885 in the family of the famous mafioso Vincenzo Vinci and his wife Lily Tomasino; I have a sister, Karla. Arriving in Empire Bay in 1908 with his friend Leo Galante, Frank set up an extortion system among Italian immigrants.
Over the next decade, Vinci's gang controlled the entire city. Frank acted extremely carefully and made connections in the police and among politicians.
In the early 1930s, when the flow of money from the illegal liquor trade dried up along with the repeal of the 18th Amendment, the rivalry between the Vinci and Moretti families turned into a full-scale confrontation between the two clans.
An influential defender of the traditions of organized crime, especially when it comes to drugs. Frank often hangs out at the Mona Lisa Cafe and is also regularly seen at the race track.
Lucas "Luca" Gurino.
Description:
Luca Gurino. Capo in the Clemente family. He took this place by walling up his predecessor in the foundation of the Culver Dam. Always impeccably dressed, Luka tries to hide his rough character with a veneer of sophistication, although his ignorance always shines through.
During Prohibition, he was involved in Alberto Clemente's bootlegging enterprise, and subsequently worked in the family's less noble dealings at the Clemente slaughterhouse, where his brutal nature earned him rapid advancement.
His dirty soul had a lot of things to do, which was enough for old Sparky. Luca is a rare sadist, which is why he is an “important person” in the Clemente family.
He is the right hand of the most powerful crime syndicate in the city, and therefore he gets away with a lot.
But the family began to play against the rules, kidnapping the chief accountant of the Falcone family, Harvey Beans, and paid for it.
One of Carlo’s men, Vito Scaletta, made his way to the Clemente slaughterhouse. Escaping from the hands of reprisals, Gurino locked himself in his office and called for reinforcements, but this did not help him.
Then Tony Balsam dragged him to the meat shop, where he apparently put him through a meat grinder. Killed by Tony Balsam.
Eduardo "Eddie" Scarpa.
Description:
Eddie Scarpa. The right hand of Carlo Falcone, performs many of the boss’s tasks while sitting in the Maltese Falcon restaurant. Friend of Joe and Vito.
Once a mercenary for the Moretti family, Eddie controls most of Carlo Falcone's affairs at the Maltese Falcon restaurant.
Born in 1908 in Chicago, he became involved with the mafia at an early age. They met Carlo Falcone while delivering bootleg booze to Empire Bay during Prohibition.
Having become the head of the Moretti family (now Falcone), Carlo decided to thank Eddie and made him the owner of the strip club “Garden of Eden”.
Scarpa is still close friends with the head of the family, although the don privately considers Eddie a potential source of trouble due to his poorly hidden problems with alcohol.
Leon "Leo" Galante.
Description:
Leo Galante. Born in Sicily in 1887. Leo grew up with his best friend Frank Vinci. The guys always did everything together. When both turned 20, they decided to move to America, where Galante began to train and take part in fights for money, while Vinci began to get involved in the mafia “circle”.
A couple of years later, Galante became a professional fighter and champion. But Vinci did not waste any time - by 1931 he founded his family, and Leo offered the position of his consigliere. Galante agreed. But after a couple of months, Vinci decided to make good money from bootlegging and ordered Leo to take up this business. In 1943, Galante was arrested for “bought” fights and sentenced to 5 years in prison.
In prison, he became a respected man, right behind the warden, with whom Leo got along well. There Leo organized training fights and, based on his experience, began to teach other “prisoners” new techniques.
It was there that Galante met his new assistant, Pepe. Before Vito Scaletta arrived, Pepe was the best wrestler.
Leo first saw Vito when he was trying to find him and came across Brian O'Neill. During the fight between Vito and O'Neil, Leo saw the fighter he needed, which is why Galante agreed to help Vito.
Minor characters.
Federico "Derek" Pappalardo.
Description:
Derek Pappalardo. Capo of the Vinci family. In 1916, he began working in the port of Empire Bay as a strikebreaker. Participation in smuggling operations brought him into contact with the mafia, which is how Derek ended up in the Vinci family.
He had to spend two years in prison for embezzlement. After his time in prison, Derek played a prominent role in the war between the Vinci and Moretti families in the early 1930s and was rewarded with his current position.
The wedding to Frank Vinci's goddaughter further strengthened Derek's position in the family. Derek is rude, cruel and greedy - ideal qualities for his job.
He died at the hands of Vito, after he learned that Derek was the initiator of the death of Antonio Scaletta (however, when Leo Galante is tasked with killing Carlo Falcone, you can go to the port and see Derek - presumably he is there, since the authors forgot to turn off the game script , who is responsible for Derek's presence).
Stephen "Steve" Coyne.
Description:
Steve Coyne. Mercenary of the Vinci family. Steve spent his childhood in rural Burkland, and at the age of 16 he moved to Empire Bay.
When arrested for assault, Steve resisted and beat a police officer, as a result he was sentenced to ten years in prison, of which he served only five.
It was during his imprisonment that Steve met his cellmate Derek Pappalardo and began working for him in prison, and continued after his release.
From the very beginning he has a grudge against Vito, and during a shootout in the port he shouts to him “I never trusted you, from the very first meeting!” Died at the hands of Vito Scaletta.
Antonio "Tony Balsam" Balsam.
Description:
Tony Balsam. Member of the Falcone family. In 1933, Tony served as Tomaso Moretti's personal chauffeur and was seriously injured in a bomb explosion that killed his patron. After that, he was mainly involved in racketeering for the Falcone clan.
Tony's latest assignment is to ensure the safety of the family's accountant, Harvey "Beans" Epstein, and the financial secrets Falcone holds. In the mission "Stairway to Heaven", Vito learns that Tony was badly beaten and may not walk.
Brian O'Neill.
Description:
Brian O'Neill. Leader of an Irish gang. The O'Neill gang has deep roots dating back to the 19th century: Brian's grandfather, Jimmy O'Neill, led the once powerful Irish criminal organization.
The O'Neill clan first appeared in Empire Bay in the early 1800s. Brian is subordinate to a motley pack of “vassals”, with whom he often commits thoughtless and cruel crimes. Vito is killed.
Martin "Marty" Santorelli.
Description:
Marty Santorelli. A young man, a friend of Barbaro, an accomplice of the Clemente family, then Falcone. Marty Santorelli was born in Empire Bay in 1933.
His father worked as a projectionist at a large movie theater in Midtown, so since childhood, Marty watched many different films, especially gangster-themed ones. Having imagined the romantic life of a mafioso in his dreams, Marty began hanging around Freddy's bar as a teenager, just like his older neighbor and role model Joe Barbaro.
Over time, Marty began to work at Joe's errands: delivering messages, collecting winnings from the bookmaker, polishing his car to a shine.
Joe sees Marty as a naive boy, so he ignores all requests to involve him in more serious matters, believing that he is not yet ready for this. Killed by Clemente's fighters.
Shi Yoon Won "Mr. Won"
Description:
Mr. Vaughn. A performer in the city organization of the Chinese gang "Triad". He is also the owner of the Red Dragon restaurant in Empire Bay Chinatown, which serves him for money laundering and income from drug dens. There is an opium den in the restaurant's basement.
Young Shi Yoon Won arrived in America as a forced laborer on an opium smuggler's ship. When the ship dropped anchor at Cape Peak, he escaped and headed east to Empire Bay. Not knowing English and not having a penny, he became a slave of the Triad.
Vaughn slowly rose through the ranks, guarding opium dens, and eventually leading a smuggling scheme.
He killed his own cousin for stealing a shipment of opium and thereby proved his loyalty, for which he received his current post.
Killed by Joe Barbaro, seeking revenge on Vaughn for the murder of Henry Tomasino.
Mikos "Mike" Bruski.
Description:
Mike Bruschi. Owner of a car salvage yard in Riverside; pal of Vito and Joe; a mechanic, and previously a criminal who received two sentences for raids on banks in Lost Haven.
After his second imprisonment, Mike moved to Empire Bay and used his hidden savings to open a car scrapyard, where he engages in various types of illegal activities: trading in stolen spare parts, storing and buying stolen goods, helping organized crime get rid of material evidence.
Minor characters #2.
Giuseppe Palminteri.
Description:
Giuseppe Palminteri. Empire Bay's best bugbear. He often worked for the Sicilian mafia, including the release of thirteen notorious gangsters from a Palermo prison in 1917. When Mussolini came to power, Giuseppe moved to Empire Bay, where he continued to provide his services to the Mafia families. Now the elderly Giuseppe has officially retired, he has no family and lives only for his craft.
Bruno Levin.
Description:
Bruno Levin. Mafia loan shark, has an office in Southport. Bruno is at the head of all the moneylending firms in the city, and his status is officially approved by the meeting of the mafia families of Empire Bay (the Commission).
Bruno's office is located in the Southport area in a rather nondescript building. Here he, with his assistant Isaac, runs his business, lending mafia money to smaller colleagues, criminals and business people at extortionate interest rates and using gangsters to provide security.
Almost all rich and respected people borrow money from Bruno. But he is honest about one thing - Bruno treats all clients equally, he strictly complies with his duties on each transaction, to the letter, but expects the same in return.
There are many stories telling about the fate of those who failed to pay Bruno on time. For example, Mickey Gilliano, nicknamed “The Crab,” a soldier of the Falcone family, was unable to pay his debt at the right time, and Bruno’s collectors cut off three fingers on both hands as “compensation.”
Therefore, Bruno is respected and feared even by the bosses of criminal families and try not to anger him by paying off their “loans” on time.
Harry Marsden.
Description:
Harry. A gun nut who runs an illegal military equipment store in Kingston. Harry was pushed onto the path of a local “weapons baron” by demobilization from the troops.
He served for six years in the ranks of the American army, was a participant in the Normandy landings and the subsequent liberation of France from German occupation. But somehow you have to have fun in the army in between battles! And then one day, to his misfortune, Harry decided to look into the brothel.
While climbing over the fence, he ran into a branch in the dark, as a result of which he was left without his left eye. Harold was written off as unfit for service and sent home.
Already at home, Harry used his army connections to gain access to surplus weapons in military warehouses.
So, in between studying military history and drinking with his army veteran buddies, Harry supplies weapons to the city's criminal organizations.
Andreas "El Greco" Karafantis.
Description:
El Greco. Doctor, Greek by nationality. He secretly provides medical assistance to the mafia families of Empire Bay. El Greco received his medical degree in London and was initially a doctor at the Greek embassy.
In 1927 he was transferred to the office of the Greek Ambassador in Empire Bay. Three years later, El Greco resigned from the embassy for having an affair with the ambassador's wife, after which he opened a private practice.
During the war between the Vinci and Moretti families, many gangsters passed through his hands. They paid well, and El Greco offered his services to the families.
He has a house in Highbrook, close to Leo Galante's mansion.
Sidney "Fatty" Penn.
Description:
Fat Penn. Owner of a distillery in Empire Bay. Was once an associate of Alberto Clemente. In the late 1920s, Clemente bought out part of the Empire Bay Cab & Co company owned by Pen, through which he began to launder the proceeds from the alcohol trade.
Pena and the Mafia parted ways when "Fatman" opened a distillery in Sand Island in 1939 and refused to take Alberto's share. Pen was confident in his own safety, having evidence against Clemente in hand.
However, after his bodyguards killed two unlucky killers sent by his former partner, Pen strengthened his personal security. On February 20, 1945, an attempted murder was committed on Sidney.
His motorcade was machine-gunned, almost all the guards were killed, and he himself was wounded.
Taken by surprise, Pen fired his revolver at Henry Tomasino and shot him in the leg. Enraged, Vito and Joe fired the entire clip of their guns at “Fat Man.”
Grease makers.
Description:
Grease makers. One of the Empire Bay gangs, they hang out in the garages and vacant lots of Millville, where they drive cars, drink and party. They are named so because they style their hair with a special gel; this has become popularly called “greased”.
Jack Olivero.
Description:
Jack. A bartender at one of Empire Bay's most expensive restaurants, the Maltese Falcon, which in turn serves as the headquarters for the Falcone syndicate.
During Prohibition, Jack worked for Eddie Scarpa, delivering liquor from Tamborra. In 1928, Jack was arrested for smuggling and received a prison sentence because he refused to cooperate with the police.
As a reward, Eddie and Carlo assigned him to his current job upon his release from prison.
In his new position, Jack turned out to be quite happy with life, preferring to pretend that he did not notice the daily meetings of gangsters in the restaurant and the flow of money and contraband passing through the establishment.
Explain why Mafia is one of the greatest video games in history, a thankless task.
Not because it’s difficult, it just seems like there’s nothing to explain. Even our standard saying “if you have never seen a game in your life” will not work. It will be difficult to explain to a person far from the industry what is good about, for example, StarCraft 2 , but Mafia speaks to its audience in a universal language and draws on publicly known sources. In addition, as usually happens with brilliant projects, in this game, in Chekhovian fashion, it turned out well- mechanics, staging, characters, design, music... It’s unlikely that in 2002, people from a provincial Czech studio were seriously going to make an interactive analogue of “The Godfather”. But that’s exactly what they did.
The best evidence of their success for the author of this article is the following scene: when we were in the editorial office Mafia 2, at one fine moment someone managed to turn on a random radio in an equally random kitchen. With a rich crunch, the speaker began to play the theme from the first “Mafia”... at that moment everyone present somehow shuddered. “Has it really been eight years?” - flashed through my head. I suspect that everyone else was thinking about the same thing at that second.
Quiet Don
Another thing is much more interesting - why, despite all the obviousness of the formula for success, in all these years no one has been able to do something similar? There was a video game based on Scarface, there were two unsuccessful attempts to game the work of Mario Puzo, but they turned out to be mediocre action games and amateur GTA clones at best. All formal conditions seemed to have been met - setting, mechanics, musical style, and on top of that - expensive film licenses...
But mere compliance with formalities, of course, was not enough. Illusion Softworks(Today - 2K Czech) solved a problem of a much higher level: they tried to immerse the player as deeply as possible into the world they had invented. With sadistic purposefulness, they forced us to live through all the events that happened to the main character.
If in the story Tommy Angelo is a taxi driver, then this meant that we would spend the first level driving a cab, gloomily reflecting on the fact that you couldn’t make a living by honest work during the Great Depression. If we had to load boxes of contraband into the car, we were not shown a video, but were forced to push the cargo into the back on our own hump. And if at some point it was assumed that Tommy would get behind the wheel of a sports car and retrain as a racer, then the action of the next level was transferred to the track, where he had to be the first to finish the bloody nose.
And no one cared that the game was actually dedicated to mafia showdowns, and driving vintage cars was a hundred times more difficult than any tarantass from GTA. The boss said - you need to win the race, so, Tommy, start the engine and don't blather. Or a copper basin, cement, a quiet but deep creek and - bella ciao!
With this approach, there was no need to worry about the fact that the plot consists of 90 percent cliches, and 10 percent of nonsense and gags of Czech provincials. Illusion Softworks turned every corny scene into a personal experience, making it instantly feel less corny.
Don, dear Don
Mafia 2 works on the same principles. However, the plot this time has become more complex and interesting. You probably already know how this story begins: the handsome young man Vito Scaletta returns from the war on a month's leave. Right at the station, his best friend, Joe Barbaro, with whom he stole televisions in pre-conscription times, takes him by the elbow, and hints that in recent years he has met the “right people,” so now Vito doesn’t have to return to the army, he just needs to sort out a couple of pieces of paper . But here, in Empire Bay, there is excellent work for him...
In the second part, the scriptwriters abandoned naive attempts to portray a gangster saga. Their story is much simpler and at the same time more realistic. There won't be the traditional oh-I-trusted-you-so-battle with your traitorous best friend, there won't even be a love story. Vito and Joe are two sincere loafers who, since childhood, did not want to work, but wanted to earn money.
Given their Italian heritage, the best place for them would be one of the city's three mafia families.
Of course, in the details everything turns out to be more complicated: by the middle of the game, both heroes have a lot of reasons to sob into their pillows at night, and any video by this time will turn into a kaleidoscope of Italian surnames, in which, if you’re not used to it, you can get confused: Auditore (to avoid further spoilers, all names have been changed) sell drugs, although this is strictly prohibited in the Organization. The Celentanos know about their affairs, so a war may soon begin, and it is still unknown who the Cipollino family will join...
Honestly, if at some point you don’t follow this behind-the-scenes struggle, it’s okay. The main thing in Mafia 2 is how the two main characters develop throughout their short but intense criminal biography. At the very beginning, mere little things are required of us: beat up a couple of stubborn port workers, steal some pieces of paper from the safe of a government office... Then - the first contract killing, arrest, trial, fight with homosexuals in the prison shower, protection of a criminal authority, early release, brothels , stolen cigarettes, Tomigans... Joe and Vito themselves do not have time to notice how the pursuit of easy money turns into dangerous and very difficult work.
And by the time they realize this, it will be too late.
One of the most revealing episodes in the script is the day Vito is released from prison: six years have passed, it’s the fifties, instead of winter it’s summer, the military-patriotic billboards on the streets have disappeared, completely different cars are driving along the streets, and trendy rock music is playing on the radio. n-roll. The developers had previously shown episodes from different halves of the game, so we have already seen both appearances of Empire Bay, but it was after the painfully long episode with the prison, once free, that we, together with Vito, understand that six whole years have passed us by and that the world has changed forever.
Ghost of the Don on the Hill
You can also, contrary to the orders of the boss (“grab the gun and come to me immediately!” - half of the fifteen game chapters begin with this phrase) go to a car repair shop, repaint your favorite sedan the color of a ripe apple, and then go shopping to buy new hats. But you don’t want to do all this: each episode in the game is a separate and extremely rich story, which is simply stupid to dilute with vulgar car rides. In terms of structure, Mafia 2 is more like a traditional action game: each mission has a strictly defined time of day and weather conditions that will not change unless the writers want it.
In fact, all the most important and interesting things in the game happen within the framework of the route along which, according to the developers’ plan, the player should move. The open city is nothing more than a huge scenery: of course, there are cars driving there, newsboys yelling, bootblacks squeaking with rags, but there is no real life in Empire Bay. There are not that many passers-by, their faces are often repeated, and the best they can do is to press themselves against the wall to avoid getting hit by your car, and awkwardly slide on the ice during the winter levels.
But what happens on missions! Another secret of Mafia's success is that here all the time something is happening. As you walk down the stairs of your home, you may find police banging on someone's door on the floor below. Next time there might be a smoking housewife there. Or a dead drunk man in a dumpling-shaped cap. In the apartments you pass by, you can hear someone’s tragic sighs... and this is even before you leave the entrance and get into the car!
Thousands of thousands of small details turn a clumsy story about two narrow-minded bandits into one of the most cinematic games of our time. Even the desk of a third-rate clerk, who appears on the screen for exactly one and a half seconds, will never be empty - there will definitely be some papers on it or a glass of unfinished coffee. Or a fan. And in a deserted parking lot you will definitely meet some crazy homeless person, selflessly talking nonsense.
And again, the authors want you to immerse yourself in this little world as deeply as possible. While each mission usually ends up being a basic cover-based shootout, there's almost always a long story behind it, each of which you'll be personally involved in. If it is said that Vito fought in Sicily, then this means that the first mission will begin with an operation to overthrow the Mussolini regime. If Joe and Vito are unloading a truck with cigarettes, this means that by pressing a button you must throw blocks of smoke out of the back of the truck to Joe. If the guard in prison forces you to scrub the urinals, grab a rag and make it shine. Well, if Vito, for some of his needs, needs to get through the sewer, at a certain moment something fetid will pour from the ceiling onto him (the camera is positioned as if it were pouring something personally to you
in face). Rest assured, the suit will then remain dirty until the end of the mission, and passers-by will make caustic comments in your direction so that you do not forget how smelly you are. Manic attention to detail sometimes replaces imagination for the game designers of 2K Czech - even though the game has many of the same shootouts, How
they are furnished! Always in unique scenery, always with something destructible: if you need to shoot someone’s bar to pieces, then rest assured that it will fly to pieces. Well, if a shootout takes place, say, inside a bar, then there will definitely be a lot of fragile glass objects there.
All these small details, optional encounters and random episodes add up to a very, very realistic picture. Playing Mafia 2 is like watching a good movie, the director of which knows exactly where you will look next minute, and does not let you doubt for a second the reality of what is happening. The difference is that the player is personally involved in each key event of the process, and this, like eight years ago, excuses any clichés and absurdities that may escape the tongue of the heroes.
Damn old don
Driving around the city has become easier - the police no longer fine you for running a red light, and we sometimes get away with speeding. But law enforcement officers regularly hunt for those who try to escape from the scene of an accident. In addition, they now remember your external features and your car license plate separately, so that even if you spend a lot of money at a car repair shop, you can still be recognized by an ordinary policeman at an intersection.
In general, it feels like Mafia has become much more modern and friendly, but the hardcore past makes itself felt every now and then - especially if you include realistic physics of how cars behave on the roads. Any carelessness, any arrogant step (“there are only two of them left in the room, I’ll get them now!”) almost certainly ends in the failure of the mission, and this is just as annoying as in 2002. One day, we were first forced to drive through the entire city center, tail up behind the car of a mafia boss, follow him to the settlements, sneak into the territory of a guarded facility... after which (about twenty minutes passed) a guard dog barked at us vulgarly, we were counted as a failure, and the mission had to be completed from scratch.
But the most offensive thing in Mafia 2 is when the impeccable image of a criminal metropolis begins to crack, and in the most unexpected places.
* * *
For some reason, in the virtual world, where there are no two identical floors in cheap bedbug infestations, all gas station attendants look alike. A blond saleswoman from a clothing store coos with a lovely French accent, but here’s the problem: there are many boutiques in the city, but the girl and the accent are the same for everyone. Finally, the delightful melodies on the radio begin to repeat too quickly: considering that there are only three radio stations, and remembering how things are with this in the same GTA, this is a rather weak result. Mafia 2 does not have the scope that the creators of competing games are chasing. But that’s not why they buy it. In the world of this game you want to live, and the word “live” here should not be understood in the sense that games like Gothic or. You won’t stay here for long, but the few days we spend with Vito and Joe are worth many months of wandering through fantasy forests and hunting level eighty elves. You won’t be able to live here peacefully; here you are offered to live your whole life - rich, stormy, sometimes tragically bloody, but always interesting. And when it comes to the end (and Mafia 2 ends not with a shot or even a pretentious monologue), you will sit in front of the screen for a long time. And then you will understand: eight years of waiting for such games is not a long time.
TRANSLATION: Localization from 1C-SoftClub turned out to be, let’s say, uneven. Most of the actors (even Boris Repetur, who usually voices everyone) fit their roles perfectly, but some - especially the main characters - sometimes for some reason break down, begin to speak in voices that are not their own and confuse their intonations. In addition, for some reason, the speech of DJs on the radio is not translated, so if you do not know English, then the sensational news that smoking can be harmful to health will pass you by.
Replay value-Yes
Cool story-No
Originality-No
Easy to learn-Yes
Meeting expectations: 70%
Gameplay: 9
Graphic arts: 9
Sound and music: 10
Interface and control: 8
Did you wait? Even eight years later, Mafia can still grab the player by the cowlicks and drag him into its small but highly detailed world in which expensively dressed men drink whiskey, carry corpses in trunks, visit prostitutes and listen to jazz.
"Fabulous"
Localization score: 2/3
"In Loving Memory Of Francesco Potenza" )(English) "The Wild Ones")
(English) "Balls And Beans")
(English) "Room Service")
(English) "A Friend Of Ours")
(English) "Sea Gift")
(English) "Exit The Dragon")
(English) "Stairway To Heaven")
- Intermezzo 3
(events after the story - 1951)
- "Chapter 15: Through Thorns to the Stars."
(lat. "Per Aspera Ad Astra")
- "Chapter 15: Through Thorns to the Stars."
Prologue
Events Mafia II takes place in the years 1943-1951 in the fictional city of Empire Bay. Empire Bay), where three mafia “families” are in charge: Vinci, Clemente and Falcone.
The main character, Vito Scaletta, moved with his family from Sicily to the USA as a child. As a boy, Vito thought that in America all his dreams would come true, but in reality everything turned out differently. His father, Antonio Scaletta, worked in the port, receiving pennies for his work. A few years later, Antonio, being drunk, fell into the water and drowned. Vito's family experienced financial difficulties, which is why, as a child, he became involved with Joe Barbaro, a bully and thief. Over time, he and Joe became best friends.
Years passed, Vito and Joe grew up, but their ardor and desire for easy money did not fade. One day, while robbing a jewelry store, they were spotted by the police and a chase began. Joe managed to escape, and Vito was caught. The Second World War was going on, and soldiers who spoke Italian were needed at the front, so Vito was given a choice, and he chose to go to war.
Plot development
- Chapter 1: Historical homeland. Sicily, July 1943
First appearance: Historical homeland.
The main character of the game. An accomplice of the Clemente family, a soldier of the Falcone family, then a soldier of the Vinci family. Born in Sicily in 1925, his family then moved to Empire Bay. Vito's father got a job at the port for the man who brought them to America. Here in America, Vito, as a child, understood what poverty was, and the mafia was the only and worthy profession for him. In 1943, he was captured by police during a store robbery. He was given a choice: go to prison or go to the front of World War II, Scaletta chose the second. In January 1945 he returned to Empire Bay, after which he worked for the Clemente family. From 1945 to 1951 he was in prison for selling stolen gasoline coupons. After his release he joined the Falcone family. In the mission "Through Hardships to the Stars", Vito kills Carlo Falcone on the orders of Leo Galante. At the end of the game he realizes that working for the mafia, he achieved nothing good.
Joe Barbaro
First Appearance: Historical homeland. .
Vito's best friend. An associate of the Clemente family, then a soldier of the Falcone family. Joe was a local bully in the Italian ghetto of Empire Bay, and as he grew older he moved on to petty crime. Together with Vito, Joe led the life of a criminal for 10 years until his friend ended up in the war. After their friend returned from the war, they continued their mafia activities, just as his friend worked first for the Clemente family and then for the Falcone family.
Henry Tomasino
Voiceover: Yuri Derkach;
In Joe's Adventures: Denis Bespalyi
First Appearance: Enemy of the State
Killed by: Dragon Appears
Soldier of the Clemente family, then Falcone. Friend of Vito and Joe. The son of a Sicilian mafioso. In 1931, anticipating Mussolini's reprisal against the Sicilian mafia, Henry's father sent him to America and helped him get a job with his friend Alberto Clemente in Empire Bay. Tomasino was adopted into the Clemente family and became a full-fledged gangster. Henry is withdrawn and uncommunicative, and his only motivation is a sense of pride. After the murder of Clemente, he joined the Falcone family. Brutally murdered by Mr. Vaughn's men after a rumor emerged in Empire Bay mafia circles that Henry was working for the FBI.
First Appearance: Circular
Killed: Room Service
Head of the Clemente mafia family. In 1920, he killed a Palermo police captain on behalf of his uncle Silvio and fled to Empire Bay. Here, taking advantage of his uncle's connections in the underworld, he made money from bootlegging. In 1929, the Commission allowed him to start his own family. Despite its strength, the Clemente gang has a reputation among gangsters as a “second-class family.” Died at the hands of Joe Barbaro in his limousine.
Carlo Falcone
Voiceover: Oleg Shcherbinin
Killed: Through thorns to the stars.
Don of the Falcone mafia family. Carlo Falcone arrived in America in 1913 and quickly became part of the Moretti family. During Prohibition, he ran the family's bootlegging business, along with Eddie Scarpa, supplying liquor from Canada. In 1933, Carlo entered into a secret conspiracy with Frank Vinci, as a result of which Tomaso Moretti was killed, the war between Vinci and Moretti ended, and Carlo himself became the head of the Moretti family. A talented strategist and connoisseur of progress, Carlo despises the traditions of the Sicilian mafia and understands that it got rich thanks to Prohibition, and therefore, in order to stay afloat, it needs a comparable source of income. Killed by Vito Scaletta on the orders of Leo Galante.
Frank Vinci
Don of the Vinci mafia family. Born in Sicily in 1885 in the family of the famous mafioso Vincenzo Vinci and his wife Lily Tomasino; has a sister, Karla. Arriving in Empire Bay in 1908 with his friend Leo Galante, Frank set up an extortion system among Italian immigrants. Over the next decade, Vinci's gang controlled the entire city. Frank acted extremely carefully and made connections in the police and among politicians. In the early 1930s, when the flow of money from the illegal liquor trade dried up along with the repeal of the 18th Amendment, the rivalry between the Vinci and Moretti families turned into a full-scale confrontation between the two clans. The conflict cost Vinci his primacy in Empire Bay's criminal underworld, but throughout the game he remains an influential defender of the traditions of organized crime, particularly when it comes to drugs. Frank often hangs out at the Mona Lisa Cafe and is also regularly seen at the race track.
Leo Galante
Voiceover: Alexey Mikhailov
First Appearance: Time well spent.
Consigliere of the Vinci family. Arriving in the city in 1908, the friends created the Vinci crime syndicate: Leo was in charge of planning, and Frank was in charge of execution. In the early 1920s, they took control of the Southport docks, making it easier to smuggle liquor during Prohibition. Leo is interested in sports, especially boxing and horse racing. For 20 years, Galante ran the city's largest network of bookmakers. In 1943, he was arrested on charges of rigging the results of fights and sentenced to five years in prison.
Eddie Scarpa
First Appearance: In Memory of Francesco Potenza.
Eddie is Carlo Falcone's right-hand man and carries out many of the boss's tasks while sitting in the Maltese Falcon restaurant. Friend of Joe and Vito. Once a mercenary for the Moretti family, Eddie now controls most of Carlo Falcone's affairs at the Maltese Falcon restaurant. Born in 1908 in Tamborra, he became involved with the mafia at an early age. They met Carlo Falcone while delivering bootleg booze to Empire Bay during Prohibition. Having become the head of the Moretti family (now Falcone), Carlo decided to thank Eddie and made him the owner of the strip club “Cat House”. Scarpa is still close friends with the head of the family, although the don privately considers Eddie a potential source of trouble due to his poorly hidden problems with alcohol.
A mercenary for the dirtiest cases. He worked for the leader of the Irish gang Tam, Sal (Big Sal) Gravin and for the underboss of the Vinci family, Judge Hillwood. Born in 1901 and raised in the USA. Since childhood, I have been in the circles of briolin gangs. Over the years, he rose from a simple bandit to a highly skilled killer. After Jimmy dealt with the Chinese gang, Tam and Big Sal realized late that Jimmy was too ambitious and decided to set him up, since no one dared to try to kill the professional. In 1951, he was arrested and sentenced to 15 years for drugs found in the trunk of a car. But Jimmy came out much earlier - a riot in prison allowed him to escape. Then he takes revenge on his former employers and, at the same time, helps in the affairs of Carlos Lopez (it was Jimmy who stole a truck with cigarettes on Eddie’s order). Jimmy undermines Tam's authority among the Irish. Then he finds Tam in Riverside and kills him. Then he attacks Big Sal and kills him. Hillwood underboss Jimmy is set on fire at the Vinci mansion. For all these deeds, the gangs in the city nicknamed him Vendetta.
Minor
Voice acting: Alexander Andrienko
Killed: Stairway to Heaven.
Capo of the Vinci family. In 1916, he began working at the port of Empire Bay as a strikebreaker. Participation in smuggling operations brought him into contact with the mafia, which is how Derek ended up in the Vinci family. He had to spend two years in prison for embezzlement. After his time in prison, Derek played a prominent role in the war between the Vinci and Moretti families in the early 1930s, for which he was rewarded with his current position. The wedding to Frank Vinci's goddaughter further strengthened Derek's position in the family. Derek is rude, cruel and greedy - ideal qualities for his job. He died at the hands of Vito Scaletta, after he learned that Derek was the initiator of the death of Antonio Scaletta.
First appearance: Murphy's Law (Talking on the phone in a bar)
Killed by: Balsam and Beans.
Capo of the Clemente family. Gurino always tries very carefully to present himself, trying to disguise his cruel nature under external sophistication, but his ignorance still becomes noticeable to others. During the Prohibition period, Luca was involved in the illegal trade of alcohol in his family, and after the ban on alcohol was lifted, he went to “work” at the Clemente slaughterhouse, where his ruthless character contributed to his rapid advancement up the criminal hierarchy. Killed by Tony Balsam.
First appearance: Enemy of the State.
Killed: Stairway to Heaven.
Mercenary of the Vinci family. Steve spent his childhood in rural Burkland, and at the age of 16 he moved to Empire Bay. When arrested for assault, Steve resisted and severely beat the policeman, as a result he was sentenced to ten years in prison, of which he served only five. It was during his imprisonment that Steve met his cellmate Derek Pappalardo and began working for him in prison, and continued after his release. Steve will never be able to count on full membership in the family due to his Dutch-Irish heritage, but he is Vinci's most trusted accomplice after he murdered the head of a rival family, Tomaso Moretti, ending the gangster war in the city. Died at the hands of Vito Scaletta.
Voiced by: Kirill Radzig
First appearance: Balm and Beans.
Soldier of the Falcone family. In 1933, Tony served as Tomaso Moretti's personal chauffeur and was seriously injured in a bomb explosion that killed his patron. After that, he was mainly involved in racketeering for the Falcone clan. Tony's latest assignment is to ensure the safety of the family's accountant, Harvey "Beans" Epstein, and the financial secrets Falcone holds. In the mission "Stairway to Heaven", Vito learns that Tony was severely beaten and may not walk.
First appearance: Murphy's Law.
Killed: Time well spent.
Leader of an Irish gang. The O'Neill gang has deep roots dating back to the 19th century: Brian's grandfather, Jimmy O'Neill, led the once powerful Irish criminal organization. The O'Neill clan first appeared in Empire Bay in the early 1800s. Brian is subordinate to a motley pack of “vassals”, with whom he often commits rash and cruel crimes: robbery of shop windows, burglaries, street robberies and armed robbery - this is Brian’s specialty, which allows him to use brute force and with minimal intelligence to obtain money for entertainment and numerous prostitutes. Killed by Vito Scaletta's own knife.
Killed by: Room Service.
Friend of Barbaro, associate of the Clemente family, then Falcone. Marty Santorelli was born in Empire Bay in 1933. His father worked as a projectionist at a large movie theater in Midtown, so since childhood, Marty watched many different films, especially gangster-themed ones. Having imagined the romantic life of a mafioso in his dreams, Marty began hanging around Freddy's bar as a teenager, just like his older neighbor and role model Joe Barbaro. Over time, Marty began to work at Joe's errands: delivering messages, collecting winnings from the bookmaker, polishing his car to a shine. Joe sees Marty as a naive little brother, so he ignores all requests to involve him in more serious matters, believing that he is not yet ready for this. Killed by Clemente's fighters.
Voiceover: Dmitry Filimonov
First appearance: Seafood.
Killed by: Dragon Appears.
First appearance: Seafood.
Mafia loan shark. Bruno is at the head of all the moneylending firms in the city and his status is officially approved by the meeting of the mafia families of Empire Bay. Bruno's "office" is located in the Southport area in a rather nondescript building. Here he runs his business, lending mafia money to smaller colleagues, criminals and business people at extortionate interest rates and using gangsters to provide security. But he is honest about one thing - Bruno treats all clients equally, he strictly complies with his duties on each transaction, but expects the same in return. There are many stories describing what happened to those who failed to pay Bruno on time.
First appearance: Seafood.
Assistant and right hand of Bruno Levin. Accountant. Conscientiously follows the instructions of his boss.
Voiceover: Dmitry Filimonov
First appearance: Circular.
Doctor. Provides illegal medical assistance to Empire Bay mafia families. He studied medicine in London and then began working as a doctor at the Greek embassy. In 1927 he was transferred to Empire Bay to work in the office of the Greek ambassador to the United States, from where he was fired three years later for flirting with the ambassador's wife. Andreas decided not to return to his homeland and opened a private practice in Empire Bay. After he was generously rewarded for saving the lives of several gangsters during the war between the Vinci and Moretti clans, "El Greco" began to regularly provide services to representatives of the criminal world.
Voiceover: Dmitry Filimonov
First appearance: Enemy of the State.
Owner and bartender of Freddy's bar. During the period of Prohibition, Freddy's establishment sold illegal alcohol, which was supplied by Alberto Clemente, and the bar itself enjoyed the protection of his criminal clan. After the ban on alcohol was lifted, Clemente took over Freddie's gambling debts and became a co-owner of the pub. With money from the mafia, the bar was refurbished and reopened along with the restaurant. Now “Freddy’s” has become a place for daily meetings of members of the Clemente syndicate and discussion of work issues, and also serves the family as a screen for laundering money coming from the racketeering.
First appearance: Balm and Beans.
Bartender at the Maltese Falcon. The Maltese Falcon also serves as the headquarters for the Falcone syndicate. During Prohibition, Jack worked for Eddie Scarpa, delivering liquor from Tamborra. In 1928, Jack was arrested for smuggling and received a prison sentence because he refused to cooperate with the police. As a reward, Eddie and Carlo assigned him to his current job upon his release from prison. In his new position, Jack turned out to be quite happy with life, preferring to pretend that he did not notice the daily meetings of gangsters in the restaurant and the flow of money and contraband passing through the establishment.
Episodic
First appearance: Home sweet home.
Died: Time Well Spent
Maria Scaletta, Vito's mother, had a difficult life. She came to America with her husband and two children to seek a better life, but found only poverty and deprivation. Before her eyes, her husband broke down and drank himself to death under the yoke of back-breaking work, and her only son became a criminal. A devout believer, Maria prayed to the Lord to save her family and guide Vito on the path of an honest worker. After the death of her husband, Maria lived with Francesca in a small apartment. After Vito went to prison, she became seriously ill. Vito gives all his money to Francesca so that she can spend it on her mother's treatment, but it is already too late.
Empire Bay Police Detective. Tony is fighting with all his might against organized crime in the city; on his instructions, drinking establishments that are in some way connected with the mafia are under police supervision. Vito is arrested in Chapter 6.
First appearance: In memory of Francesco Potenza (At the apartment of Vito's mother).
Francesca's husband. Eric Riley was born in 1918 in Empire Bay to Irish immigrant parents. The Riley family lived in Millville, and young Eric worked with his father in transportation maintenance for Traigo Oil. In 1936, he married Sarah Collins, the daughter of the head of the Treygo car park, but after the wedding, Eric began to often drink with friends, return home late at night, insult and beat his wife. Two years later, Sarah left him. Soon after, Eric lost his job and began making a living as a substitute bartender occasionally and selling marijuana.
Voiceover: Dmitry Filimonov
First appearance: Balm and Beans.
Accountant for the Falcone family. A small, balding, middle-aged man wearing round glasses and carrying a leather briefcase. Vito had the chance to meet Harvey only once, but in a very unusual environment for this office worker.
First appearance: Time well spent.
Soldier of the Vinci family.
Voiced by: Radik Mukhametzyanov First appearance: Time well spent.
Warden of the prison.
Voiceover: Marina Bakina
First appearance: Enemy of the State.
Price control office worker.
First appearance: The Restless.
The leader of a gang of briol makers.
Voiceover: Nikita Prozorovsky. First appearance: Stairway to Heaven.
The main character of the first part of the game. Vito and Joe are killed.
First appearance: In memory of Francesco Potenza (Corpse in the trunk).
The corpse is in the trunk of Eddie's car in Chapter 7. An undercover FBI agent who secretly infiltrated the Empire Bay Mafia. From Frankie's reports, it is known that he and Joe Barbaro have an antipathy towards each other. Having met representatives of three crime families in the city, Frankie takes part in a drug deal between Falcone's people and the black street gang Bombers. Covetous of easy money, Frankie appropriates most of the profits and splurges at the “Cat House” club.
Meanwhile, rumors begin to circulate in the mafia that there is a “rat” inside one of the families. In addition to the danger of being discovered, Frankie begins to worry about the possibility that Eddie Scarpa or Joe Barbaro might find out about his reckless handling of money. However, Frankie's superiors at the FBI refuse all requests to remove him from the operation, since the investigation is unauthorized and senior management is not aware of this amateur activity.
Therefore, when Joe offers to find out what happened to the money, Frankie decides to take a desperate step: he wants to confuse the mafia and plant a bomb in Carlo Falcone’s car so that the criminals’ attention will switch to another target, and then quietly leave the game. However, in the process of planting the bomb, he is caught by Don Carlo's men and in the ensuing shootout, Frankie kills both opponents. One of the dead turned out to be Berto Grossano, Falcone's driver, on whom Frankie decides to hang all the dogs. Having convinced Falcone that Berto was the informer, Frankie basks in the glory of the hero, relaxes and goes on a spree with drinks and women. When Eddie Scarpa finally finds out who stole the money, he goes to Frankie's apartment, who at this time is diligently writing another report to the Bureau. He was never destined to finish printing this message - Eddie beat the poor guy to death.
Voice acting: Sergey Vostretsov
First appearance: Time well spent.
Guard in prison.
First appearance: Our friend.
Killed: Our friend (If Desmond escapes, he will live).
Leader of an Irish gang. In revenge for Brian, Mickey ordered his henchmen to kill Vito Scaletta, but as a result he himself became a victim of the Italians. Vito is killed.
First appearance: In memory of Francesco Potenza.
Realtor Vito, who introduced Vito to his new apartment.
First appearance: Through thorns to the stars.
Motor transport
The game contains 46 vehicles (of which 10 become available only after downloading all 5 official mini-add-ons). The cars have fictitious names, but most of them have real-life prototypes. Most historical cars are available in several color options.
You can steal a parked car by picking the lock or breaking the front door glass. It is also possible to steal a car by “throwing out” the driver from it. The cars that Vito put in his garage remain there and can be used in any mission. There is no provision for removing the car from the garage. There are two ways to get rid of the car: crush it in Mike Bruschi's junkyard or sell it at Derek Papallardo's docks.
Correlation of models with real prototypes
| Game prototype | Real prototype | DLC |
|---|---|---|
| Ascot Bailey S200 | Austin-Healey 100 1953 | |
| Berkley Kingfisher | Buick Skylark 1953 | |
| Chaffeque XT | Citroën DS 1955 | Vegas Pack |
| Cossack | Duesenberg SJ Arlington Torpedo Sedan 1933 | Made Man Pack |
| Culver Empire Culver Empire Detective Special Culver Empire Police Special |
Dodge Luxury Liner 1941 | |
| Delizia GrandeAmerica | Ferrari 250 1953 | Joe's Adventures |
| GAI 353 Military Truck | Studebaker US6 1941 | |
| Hank B | Kenworth 524 1949 | |
| Houston Wasp | Hudson Wasp 1952 | |
| ISW 508 | BMW 507 1956 | |
| Jefferson Futura | Lincoln Futura 1955 | Vegas Pack |
| Jefferson Provincial | Lincoln Continental convertible 1942 | |
| Lassiter Series 69 | Cadillac Series 61 1948 | |
| Lassiter Series 75 Hollywood | Cadillac Series 75 Imperial 1941 | |
| Parry Bus Police Bus |
GM "Old Look" TDH-3614 | |
| Potomac Elysium | Pontiac Club de Mer 1956 | Renegade Pack |
| Potomac Indian | Pontiac Chieftain 1949 | |
| Quicksilver Windsor Quicksilver Windsor Taxi |
Mercury Sport Sedan 1950 | |
| Roller GL 300 | Mercedes-Benz W198 1955 | Made Man Pack |
| Shubert 38 Shubert 38 Taxi |
Chevrolet Master Sedan 1938 | |
| Shubert 38 Hearse | Chevrolet Master 1/2 Ton Hearse 1938 | |
| Shubert 38 Panel Truck | Chevrolet Master Sedan Delivery 1938 | |
| Shubert Armored Truck | GMC 1-Ton Armored Truck 1940 | |
| Shubert Beverly | Chevrolet Bel Air 1957 | |
| Shubert Frigate | Chevrolet Corvette C1 1958 | |
| Shubert Pickup Hot Rod | Ford Pick Up Hod Rod 1936 | Greaser Pack |
| Shubert Pickup | Chevrolet AK-Series 1942 | |
| Shubert Series AB | Chevrolet Confederate Series BA Sedan 1932 | |
| Shubert Truck Shubert Snow Plow |
Chevrolet COE 1954 | |
| Smith 34 Hot Rod | Ford 5 Window Coupe 1931 | Greaser Pack |
| Smith Coupe | Ford Model B Coupe 1932 | |
| Smith Custom 200 Smith Custom 200 Police Special |
Ford Fairlane 1957 | |
| Smith Deluxe Station Wagon | Ford De Luxe Woodie Wagon 1939 | |
| Smith Mainline | Ford Mainline 1954 | |
| Smith Thunderbolt | Ford Thunderbird 1955 | |
| Smith Truck | Ford AA 1932 | |
| Smith V8 | Ford V8 Deluxe Fordor Sedan 1933 | |
| Walker Rocket | Tucker Torpedo 1948 | |
| Walter Coupe | Willys Americar 1942 | |
| Walter Hot Rod | Ford Tudor Coupe 1937 | Renegade Pack |
| Walter Military Walter Utility |
Willys MB 1941 | War Hero Pack |
| Waybar Hot Rod | Ford Roadster - Red Ram Special 1932 | The Betrayal of Jimmy |
| Milk Truck | Divco |
Police
Police officers patrol the city either on foot or in cars. Having noticed a crime, the police can act in different ways depending on the situation:
- Warning: If Vito was seen in a fight with another person.
- Verification of documents: for suspicious activities.
- Fine: for a minor offense - slightly exceeding the speed limit, colliding with a road sign or colliding with other cars.
- Arrest: for openly carrying a weapon on the street, hitting passers-by, for shooting (not at people), for car theft, a serious accident, for attacking a police officer, attacking citizens, for refusing to pay a fine to a police officer, for robbing stores. You can buy your way out of arrest by bribing a police officer. The size of the bribe depends on the number of police officers.
- Shoot to kill: for killing bystanders, for killing police officers, for shooting at police officers, for resisting arrest. There are 2 degrees of “shooting to kill”: light - police shoot from revolvers, less often from shotguns; serious - the police are putting up roadblocks on the roads, armed with Thompsons, and more and more squads are being sent to the area where Vito was last seen.
If the policeman announces the identity of the criminal on the radio, then Vito will be wanted. In this case, any policeman will try to detain (or kill) him. However, you can escape persecution if you buy (or steal) new clothes in a store or change clothes at home. In addition, the police can remember Vito's car license plate number. If he is seen wearing it, a chase will begin. To prevent this from happening, you can change your number at a car repair shop or give a bribe by calling the police from any telephone. If you get into a police car, she will be put on the wanted list. There is no radio, and the radio switch button is replaced by a button to turn the siren on and off.
The Empire Bay police show interest not only in the main character, but also in any citizens of the city who have violated the law in one way or another.
Weapon
Downloadable additional content
Downloadable add-ons
The developers have released three downloadable add-ons: The Betrayal of Jimmy, Jimmy's Vendetta And Joe's Adventures. All add-ons contain new missions, as well as support for Steam achievements. On December 3, 2010, the 1C-SoftClub company released these add-ons on disk along with others. In all three additions, unlike the original, there is a completely different system for passing the game (instead of chapters, the player will have to complete tasks of various characters throughout the city). The system is reminiscent of the “Big Walk” mode from the first part, only now they are connected by the plot. Later, all add-ons became available for download via Steam in Russia and The Betrayal of Jimmy in the world.
The Betrayal of Jimmy
The Betrayal of Jimmy was a timed exclusive for the PlayStation 3 and was included in the Mafia II edition for that platform. It can also be purchased through the PlayStation Network. A fully localized add-on for the Russian version of the game The Betrayal of Jimmy appeared in the Russian segment of PSN on October 21, and downloading is completely free, unlike the European and other segments of PSN.
Some time after the release on PS3, an unlicensed Xbox 360 version appeared on the Internet, but only in 5 languages (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish). The plot of the addition: Jimmy was a hired killer and “wiped up” the dirt behind others, but after a showdown with a Chinese gang, he was “wiped up” himself. As a result of this, Jimmy was given 15 years in maximum prison. New clothes and cars are also available in The Betrayal of Jimmy DLC.
Jimmy's Vendetta
Addition Jimmy's Vendetta was released later than the game itself and is available for all three gaming platforms PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, release date - September 7, 2010. This add-on also includes new achievements and trophies. Despite the fact that the release Jimmy's Vendetta happened all over the world, it was unavailable for some time in Russia and the CIS countries. Addition plot: Jimmy is released after serving 15 years as a result of a prisoner riot. And for Jimmy his time of reckoning has come.
Joe's Adventures
In the third released addition - Joe's Adventures- tells the story of Joe Barbaro during the years that Vito spent in prison. It went on sale on November 23, 2010. In this addition, several new locations appeared that were missing in the original Mafia II - the highway leading to the dam, a villa, a supermarket, a brothel, a metro station, a hidden parking lot in Uptown and others. With the exception of highways, they can only be visited during the corresponding missions. The plot of the add-on: playing the role of Joe, you will find out who sent Vito to jail, and why you should not mess with the Clemente family.
Publishing the game in Russia
- 64-page Mafia II art book;
- CD with the game soundtrack;
- Empire Bay city map;
- user guide;
- only for the PC version - download code for the Made Man Pack add-on.
Extended edition
The 1C-SoftClub company released an expanded edition of the game for PS3 on December 21, 2010. It included the Russian version of the game, three story additions and four sets of clothes and cars for Vito.
