It swings between consequential cutscenes that detail the ramifications of Lincoln’s actions (and failures), and Father James’ interview chronicling his time with our protagonist. Mafia 3 is ambitious in this sense, because it doesn’t stick to a single technique to tell its tale. Developer Hanger 13 has created a story here for the ages, delivering a post-Vietnam United States, set smack-bang in the cultural melting pot of the southern states. If it has one thing going for it, it’s Lincoln Clay. The linearity of large chucks of the experience make a lot of its world feel like nothing more than a backdrop, which would normally be fine, except so much more of the experience is centred around trivial fetch and assassin missions, and mindless driving because, strangely, fast travel isn’t possible. Its predecessors were only ever good, not great, and in the case of this second sequel we once again get a game that so badly wants to tell us a story, but keeps getting sidetracked in the process. It breaks my heart to say that, because Mafia 3 could have been something special. I’ve loved playing it in parts, and absolutely despised it in others. Aside from that? It’s a game that never quite recovers from its initial grind, and is held back by baffling design choices. A friend asked me if Mafia 3 was worth a purchase, and I genuinely didn’t know how to answer: if they could appreciate the story and backdrop, then sure, it would definitely be a game for them.

Its fascinating - and confronting - interpretation of 1960s America is held together by ambitious storytelling techniques, but I’m not sure that this saves the experience in its entirety. It’s bursting with personality, driven by powerful social commentary and strong characters.

Fast travel mafia 3