Mafia III is an action-adventure game set in an open world environment and played from a third-person perspective, in which the player assume control of Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam War veteran on a quest to seek revenge for his adopted family, who are murdered by local mobs. The game is set in 1968 New Bordeaux, a re-imagined version of New Orleans, with the game world being larger than the Mafia and Mafia II maps combined. Mafia III's map is made up of ten districts: Bayou Fantom, Delray Hollow, Barclay Mills, Frisco Fields, Pointe Verdun, Tickfaw Harbor, Southdowns, River Row, Downtown, and the French Ward. Players can complete objectives using a variety of approaches. For example, players can use the weapons provided in the game, like shotguns and revolvers, to eliminate enemies, or call for allies, who arrive in a van and assist players.
Alternatively, they can make use of stealth tactics throughout the entire mission without being noticed by enemies. The core gameplay revolves around gunplay. In addition, players can also perform executing moves and engage in melee-combat. The game features a cover system, allowing players to take cover behind objects to avoid enemy gunfire or detection. Players can interrogate non-playable characters after defeating them in order to gain more information on their objectives, like scaring them while driving a car. Players can attack and overrun locations owned by the Italian mob, and assign one of their lieutenants to operate around the local area. The game allows players to drive cars from the era with realistic driving mechanics and sounds.
Synopsis
Setting
Mafia III takes place within the late 1960s, within the fictional American city of New Bordeaux. Situated within America's southern states and coastline, the city is composed of island districts, industrial complexes and ports, high-rise offices and apartments, slums, suburban housing, and historical districts, interconnected by railroads and an extensive road network, with a large swampland separating the city from the coast. The city consists of a mixture of cultures including African-Americans, Irish, Italians and Haitians, and is mostly controlled by one mafia family – the Marcano family – alongside smaller organizations including the Irish Mob, Haitian crime lords, the "Black Mob", and white supremacists.
The city's design, including its architectural styles, cultures and lifestyles, were influenced by the real-life aspects of the southern United States during the time period, including the real-life city of New Orleans. The game's story focuses primarily within this setting, though DLC content expanded the setting with additional locations around New Bordeaux.
Plot
In 1968, Vietnam War veteran Lincoln Clay returns home to his old neighbourhood in New Bordeaux. Upon his return, he reunites with his friends and family, including his surrogate father and Black mob leader Sammy Robinson, his adopted brother Ellis, and priest Father James Ballard. Although initially planning to depart to California, Lincoln agrees to stay and help Sammy with the Haitian mob. Despite killing their boss, Lincoln learns Sammy is in debt to mob boss Sal Marcano. To clear it, he agrees to assist Marcano in pulling off a heist at the city's branch of the Federal Reserve, working alongside Marcano's son Giorgi, Ellis, and Irish mobster Danny Burke. While the heist is successful, Marcano and Giorgi betray the group, murdering Ellis, Sammy and Danny, while leaving Lincoln for dead. After being rescued and nursed back to health by James, Lincoln swears revenge against the Marcano family.
Aided by his former CIA handler, John Donovan, who offers help for unknown reasons, Lincoln recruits help from three noted crime bosses across New Bordeaux, who also seek revenge: new Haitian crime lord Cassandra, who reluctantly helps despite Lincoln killing her predecessor, in exchange for assistance against the Dixie Mafia; Danny's father and Irish mob boss Thomas Burke, who asks for help in reclaiming his territory from a rival; and exiled Italian mafioso Vito Scaletta, who seeks to reclaim back his business from another Marcano mobster, in order to continue paying his dues to the Commission. After reclaiming their former territories, Lincoln begins undoing the Marcano family, taking over their rackets and turf, and assigning them to his allies, who slowly respect his skill; in the event any are neglected and eventually abandon him, Lincoln is forced to eliminate them.
As Lincoln brings disruption to the Marcano family's operations, he soon learns that Marcano has recently begun building a new casino, intending to become independent of the Commission. He discovers several of his prominent members are assisting in the venture, providing materials, securing the land for the casino, and influencing politics to legalise gambling in the state. He also learns that the heist on the Reserve was merely to acquire money plates to allow Marcano to produce counterfeit bills to fund construction. Discovering his plans for his casino are being disrupted, as Lincoln eliminates his allies, Marcano finds himself forced to allow Cuban drug dealer Nino Santangelo to sell heroin in New Bordeuax, in exchange for his money and assistance in eliminating Lincoln. However, Lincoln outwits Nino when he comes after him, and promptly kills him. After losing his power, Marcano hides at his under-construction casino with Giorgi and his remaining men.
Lincoln pursues them, eliminating Marcano's men and Giorgi, before finally confronting Marcano himself. Accepting his fate, Marcano commits suicide or dies at Lincoln's hands. Upon leaving the site, Lincoln is greeted by Commission consigliere Leo Galante, investigating the recent troubles in New Bordeaux. Satisfied that Lincoln's intention was only revenge against Marcano and no one else, Leo advises him that the Commission will expect a percentage of his earnings if he remains in control of the city's rackets and illicit businesses. After informing Donovan and James of Marcano's death, Lincoln decides on his future: if he chooses to rule over the city, Lincoln either rules with his underbosses, or on his own, the latter leading a remorseful James to kill him with a car bomb; if he chooses to leave for California, Lincoln disappears from public life, sending postcards to James from time to time, while one of his underbosses takes control of the city's rackets, effectively determining how it survives in the years to come.
A few months later, Donovan is brought before a Senate committee to answer for his role in Lincoln's crimes. The hearing soon leads to him revealing he aided Lincoln only to investigate Marcano's link as one of the conspirators responsible for the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Donovan proceeds to explain that one of the senators in the room was also mentioned as a conspirator in Marcano's files and kills him, before openly declaring his intention to track down everybody else responsible for President Kennedy's death.
