James Foley

I bought the game before it came out and I wish I hadn't. Gameplay was less than 15 hours for full completion, and replay-ability isn't really desirable. Pros: good graphics, nice character development, immersive story Cons: expensive for less than 15 hours of game play, repetitive, extremely linear (no open world), very few in game choices and no choices affect game play or outcome, load screens are slow, numerous long cut scenes, can only save at the end of a "chapter" or you will have to repeat the chapter. Basically this game is a long graphic novel with tons of very well animated cut scenes. The "fight" and "driving" sequences are more like mini games than actually part of the narrative, and the completion of a fight or drive sequence will normally usher in a new chapter. Each new chapter starts automatically and the story is force fed to you like drinking from a fire hose. The character is not able to wander the world to explore because most side entrances and paths are blocked off. Also, most of the clothing and cosmetic options are blocked to preserve the game narrative. I recommend waiting for the game to go on sale rather than paying the premium price. It's not that it's a bad game, and Mafia series enthusiasts might enjoy the prequel history the game provides, but it is not really a complete game in the general definition of the word. The time to completion is too short for the price, and the game should be marketed as a prequel visual novel with game elements. The DLCs are cosmetic packs, and have no influence on the game at all and are actually rarely usable. The price for those is a bit high as well.