Interacting with objects in the environment involves two action buttons: a standard action and a "violent" action (for example, when stealing a car, the player may choose to either pick its lock or break the window glass), used in context-sensitive situations. A map is included as in the original Mafia game, but the checkpoint system has been completely overhauled.further explanation needed New controls include a cover system that allows the player to take cover behind objects (such as generators, walls and large crates) and shoot enemies, rather than just entering an arbitrary crouch pose behind them. This feature provides tactical support against enemies and has become a crucial technique of the genre.
The game's cutscenes are created by the game engine in real-time. For example, if the player is riding in a car and a cut scene starts, the player will be driving the same car with the same condition (damaged or intact) and will be wearing the same clothes. There are exceptions, however: Scenes, such as the opening sequence and the Empire Arms Hotel explosion, are pre-rendered video clips.
The game features three different in-game radio stations (Empire Central Radio, Empire Classic Radio and Delta Radio) with licensed music, news, and commercials. The radio stations include music from different genres including rock and roll, big band, rhythm and blues and doo-wop, with licensed songs by Chuck Berry, The Everly Brothers, Dean Martin, Little Richard, Muddy Waters, Buddy Holly & The Crickets, Bing Crosby, Bill Haley & His Comets, The Chordettes, Ritchie Valens, Bo Diddley, Ricky Nelson, Eddie Cochran, The Champs, The Drifters, The Fleetwoods, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Nat King Cole, The Chords, and The Andrews Sisters.
Synopsis
Setting
Mafia II takes place between two distinct time periods - the mid-1940s, and the early 1950s - within the fictional American city of Empire Bay; the game's main story also includes an unnamed town within Sicily during the earlier time period, while the DLCs take place during the latter time period. The city is situated on the United States' eastern coastline and divided by a river, and consists of several districts, including wealthy suburbs, slums and tenement blocks for the city's different immigrant races, including Irish, African-American, Chinese, and Italian, and large-scale industrial complexes, with the city supported by a large port, a railroad station, a major prison outside its city limits, several parks, and a collection of shopping malls and supermarkets.
The game's main story sees the city divided between a number of criminal outfits, including three mafia families - the Falcone family, Vinci family, and Clemente family - a Chinese Triad outfit, the Irish Mob, and several street gangs. The city's design, including the architectural styles, cultures, public transportation and landmarks, are influenced from real-life American cities, including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, from within the two respective time periods used in the game.
Plot
In 1943, Sicilian immigrant Vito Scaletta is arrested during a robbery and opts to join the U.S. Army to avoid jail. After spending two years as a paratrooper on various World War II allied operations, Vito is given leave in 1945 to return home to Empire Bay. Reuniting with his best friend Joe Barbaro, who provides him with counterfeit discharge papers to leave the army, Vito also learns that his late father left his family in debt to a loan shark. Vito briefly works for caporegime Derek Pappalardo of the Vinci family, before he and Joe take on jobs from made man Henry Tomasino and caporegime Luca Gurino of the Clemente family. While he secures enough money to pay off his father's debt, Vito is arrested for the theft and sale of federal ration stamps and sentenced to prison. During his sentence, Vito's mother dies, and all of his money is used for her funeral.
In 1951, Vito is released early after making connections with Leo Galante, the consigliere of Don Frank Vinci. After reuniting with Joe, who now works for Don Carlo Falcone, the pair perform several jobs through Falcone's underboss Eddie Scarpa, including saving two of Carlo's associates kidnapped by Luca, whom Vito leaves for dead. The pair eventually become made men of the Falcone family and live a better lifestyle. Learning that the Clemente family is conducting drug operations, against the traditions of the Commission, Carlo orders Vito and Joe to assassinate Don Alberto Clemente. With the Clemente family severely weakened, Henry approaches Eddie through Vito, asking to join the Falcone family. Eddie tasks Henry to kill Leo to prove himself, forcing Vito to warn him and get Leo out of the city. However, Henry is still welcomed into the Falcone family.
Vito later finds his life falling into a turmoil when the Irish mob destroy his home, and he becomes estranged from his sister because of his mobster lifestyle. To rebuild his fortunes, Vito joins with Joe and Henry to fund the purchase of heroin from Triad enforcer Zhe Yun Wong, and sell the drugs around the city. However, Henry is soon murdered by the Triads, prompting Vito and Joe to kill Wong in retaliation, despite his claims that Henry was a federal informant. In debt to loan shark Bruno Levine, whose money funded the heroin deal, Vito and Joe take on jobs to raise the money. Alongside overseeing the assassination of former mobster Thomas Angelo, Vito kills Derek after learning he ordered his father's murder. When the Vinci family kidnaps Joe, Vito rushes to save him, soon learning their actions have sparked a war between the Triads and the Mafia families in the city.
The following day, after paying off his debt to Bruno, Vito is called by Carlo to come to the city's planetarium for a meeting. However, Leo has him picked up on the way, and chastises him for all the trouble he and Joe caused, revealing that Carlo was involved in the drug's trade and that Henry was supplying information to the FBI all along. As Vito is wanted dead by everyone including Carlo, Leo reveals he intends to repay his kindness by offering to have him spared if he kills Carlo. When Vito heads to confront Carlo, he learns that Carlo had offered Joe the position of caporegime if he kills Vito. Joe refuses and sides with Vito to kill Carlo. As Vito joins Leo to celebrate, he quickly learns that the deal didn't cover Joe. Vito is left helpless as Joe is driven away to whatever fate awaits him.
