E3 2010 Preview: Mafia 2

By Patrick Klepek - Posted Jun 18, 2010

What We Already Know

We've been waiting a good long time for 2K Czech, previously known as Illusion Softworks, to deliver Mafia II. The original was well received, but 2K Czech has taken their sweet time developing the sequel, which we've seen a number of times over the past year or so, but with the game's August release date approaching, the game is finally coming together.

What We're Seeing Today

There's not much more of Mafia II for 2K Games and 2K Czech to show. Pretty soon, we're going to have a chance to sit down with the finished product.

Mafia II has come a long ways since the first time I saw the game, just over a year ago. Back then, the game's first presentation to the press, the sequel was looking pretty rough. A promising setting and great ambitious but technical issues galore. Though the frame rate could still use some tightening up, there's time for that to be addressed and it was heartening that the hands-on mission available was much more polished than anything else I'd seen of Mafia II prior.

The demo, which played like something that you'll all be downloading on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network eventually, opens within the main character's home. There's plenty to interact with inside, including the ability to pick up an issue of Playboy, which prompts a photo of a completely nude model to fill the screen. It's the first time I've ever gone wide-eyed during an E3 game demo because of full-fledged nudity. I suppose I'm happy to cross that off the list.