I'm sorry for this, I just get really obsessed with things sometimes. I've been playing a lot of Mafia III lately and it has it's flaws but I'd be lying if I said I didn't love the game. Man, I never had fun with the old Mafia games. I hated that stupid stock car racing they made us do. That was horrible, but it's all in the past now. Now we're on to Mafia III so I thought I'd make a list of some of my favorite parts.
1. The Hollow Speaks: This has to be one of my favorite parts of the game because it seems so minor but it's not. The Hollow Speaks is a pirate radio show, so think podcast illegally broadcast on the radio. The host talks about everything going on in the city. Early on we hear a broadcast about white supremacist coming into The Hollows and forcing black women into prostitution by making them addicted to drugs. We hear him provide Lincoln with motivation in his quest for revenge. Additionally it covers the Civil Rights Movement also taking place in the city. When The Hollow speaks, you better listen.
2. Combat: In some games where you have the option for a guns blazing or stealth approach once you've made your choice that's it, you live with it. I like that Mafia III allows you to go back and forth. So you might come in and stealthily take out the first few guards then go wild before taking a moment to sneak away and pick off a few more guards. I don't have to sit and debate which method is better. I can do whatever comes naturally and for me that's a hit and run strategy. I may take out 3 men in a blaze of glory before sneaking off and killing someone behind the popcorn machine while the other enemies are still searching.
3. The Cinematics: This game needs more cutscenes. I need them, the ones we get to see are just incredible. Too many of the missions are just dialogue between in game models. The cutscnes are incredible and exceptionally detailed. They took the time to get the razor bumps right. You can see the tobacco stains on a rednecks teeth. It helps that the story is awesome as well. The documentary style depiction being laced between current events works great.
4. Racism: I know what you're saying "Darrell, you write about racism being bad all the time and it's all you tweet about how is racism your favorite part of the game?" I'll tell you how, because it's realistic in the sense that it makes you perk up and ask "are we serious?" The cops in GTA V are more likely to go after Franklin for loitering but that's about the extent of racism we've seen in games lately. There's a little racism in Skyrim and Dragon Age of course. But, this is the first time we've seen real world ugly racism in a game. Remember in Red Dead Redemption there was the house out in the woods where an interracial couple lived so nobody would know they were together? That's the deepest racism has really gotten in a game before now. I applaud Hanger 13 for going all out with their racism because it does show people how ugly it is. There are people complaining that the racism in the game makes them uncomfortable, good it should, there are millions of people that live with it every day. You may not have a random police officer stopping to ask "are you lost nigger," but at some point just about every black person has been followed around a department store by some over zealous employee. The racism is sharp and poignant. Sometimes you have to step back and just say "damn." So yes, racism fucking sucks, but I'm glad it's in the game to remind people of just how much it can suck.
You can hear Darrell on the CP Time and Powerbomb Jutsu podcasts. He also plays classic arcade games on The Cabinet. You can also check out his playthrough of Sleeping Dogs.
Follow @OriginalKingD
1. The Hollow Speaks: This has to be one of my favorite parts of the game because it seems so minor but it's not. The Hollow Speaks is a pirate radio show, so think podcast illegally broadcast on the radio. The host talks about everything going on in the city. Early on we hear a broadcast about white supremacist coming into The Hollows and forcing black women into prostitution by making them addicted to drugs. We hear him provide Lincoln with motivation in his quest for revenge. Additionally it covers the Civil Rights Movement also taking place in the city. When The Hollow speaks, you better listen.
2. Combat: In some games where you have the option for a guns blazing or stealth approach once you've made your choice that's it, you live with it. I like that Mafia III allows you to go back and forth. So you might come in and stealthily take out the first few guards then go wild before taking a moment to sneak away and pick off a few more guards. I don't have to sit and debate which method is better. I can do whatever comes naturally and for me that's a hit and run strategy. I may take out 3 men in a blaze of glory before sneaking off and killing someone behind the popcorn machine while the other enemies are still searching.
3. The Cinematics: This game needs more cutscenes. I need them, the ones we get to see are just incredible. Too many of the missions are just dialogue between in game models. The cutscnes are incredible and exceptionally detailed. They took the time to get the razor bumps right. You can see the tobacco stains on a rednecks teeth. It helps that the story is awesome as well. The documentary style depiction being laced between current events works great.
4. Racism: I know what you're saying "Darrell, you write about racism being bad all the time and it's all you tweet about how is racism your favorite part of the game?" I'll tell you how, because it's realistic in the sense that it makes you perk up and ask "are we serious?" The cops in GTA V are more likely to go after Franklin for loitering but that's about the extent of racism we've seen in games lately. There's a little racism in Skyrim and Dragon Age of course. But, this is the first time we've seen real world ugly racism in a game. Remember in Red Dead Redemption there was the house out in the woods where an interracial couple lived so nobody would know they were together? That's the deepest racism has really gotten in a game before now. I applaud Hanger 13 for going all out with their racism because it does show people how ugly it is. There are people complaining that the racism in the game makes them uncomfortable, good it should, there are millions of people that live with it every day. You may not have a random police officer stopping to ask "are you lost nigger," but at some point just about every black person has been followed around a department store by some over zealous employee. The racism is sharp and poignant. Sometimes you have to step back and just say "damn." So yes, racism fucking sucks, but I'm glad it's in the game to remind people of just how much it can suck.
You can hear Darrell on the CP Time and Powerbomb Jutsu podcasts. He also plays classic arcade games on The Cabinet. You can also check out his playthrough of Sleeping Dogs.
Follow @OriginalKingD
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