A bunch of fresh details about developer Illusion Softworks' Mafia 2 have spilled onto the web. Here.
The title won't be a direct sequel to the first game, and you'll take on the role of Mafioso Vito who's just returned to fictional American destination Empire City after World War II service, it's been revealed.
Apparently the city space will measure around 10 km2 (twice as big as the original) and it's inspired mostly by San Francisco.
Extensive car damage will feature (it's reportedly more detailed and prettier than Burnout Paradise's), while you'll also be forced to refuel vehicles and have the option of taking them to the car wash if you want to make sure your motor stays looking flash.
Money will play an important role in the game. In GTA: San Andreas style you'll use it for buying new clothes and visiting restaurants, where you'll strengthen up by chowing down on some pasta.
The mob sequel's also said to sport an art style at times reminiscent of BioShock and a Gears of War-esque cover system.
It's in development on lead platforms Xbox 360 and PS3, according to the details over at NeoGaf, while the PC version's slated to launch shortly afterwards.
The game's been pencilled in for release during publisher Take-Two's fiscal 2009 year, meaning it'll be out some time between November '08 and October '09.
Mafia is a PC game. The sequel was made possible by all the PC gamers such as myself who bought the original and made it a success. And here is the thanks we get.
The graphics, gameplay and maturity of the story had better not be impaired because of the stupid consoles. I was really looking forward to this one and now I'm not so sure.
I wish there were some developers left who were loyal to their PC fanbase.
The PC version will be released simultaneously with the Xbox360 & PS3 versions.
Hi everyone, I’ve been getting a lot of questions asking whether the PC version of Mafia II is falling behind its console siblings. I wanted to clarify that the PC version already looks amazing and that it is indeed on track for a simultaneous release alongside the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. Hope this clears up any confusion.
I agree with LkS. If the PC version isn't released BEFORE the consoles I'm pretty sure it will be seriously dumbed down to fit on consoles. Why bother with making a more complex game for PCs?
I hope features like visiting gas stations and restaurants just to fill up some status bar will be optional. Otherwise it will quickly become a nuisance. It just detracts from the real gameplay. Unfortunately it also detracts the developers' attention from more important parts of the game.
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