Mafia II (2)

I have just repeated the same (quite simple), mission in Mafia II many times because I kept messing it up.

The Missions are all a bit similar and that makes it doubly frustrating to have to repeat them as it is repeating something just like the last thing you had to keep repeating.

Missions generally involve driving to a location, having a shoot-out with some enemies, usually other gangsters from rival Mafia families or Irish or Chinese gangsters, then escaping the scene, often pursued by the cops who you don't necessarily have to lose before reaching your destination - though sometimes you do.

Vito (with his back to us) on his way to another samey mission.

There is definitely not the same richness of ideas in this game as in GTA IV but it may well better reflect the life of the Mafiosi as a result.

The game definitely has a playable quality when you are playing it.  The shootouts are well choreographed and challenging and there is a good variety of vehicles to drive with their own characteristics, though there is not so much variety of music on the radio.

There was a section during which Vito was in prison, and this was a but slow with a lot of cut-scenes, though there were quite a few punch ups to add in a bit of action.  This was the only time I have ever cleaned a urinal in a game.

The games main problem is that it does not call me back when I am not playing it, and I think this is because I don't expect to discover anything new in Empire Bay.  Despite this, I will eventually finish this game, though I won't necessarily get to the end any time this year.

The copy of Virtua Tennis 4 I ordered on Amazon has now arrived and I will be starting that this evening.  This is only my second sports game since buying the PS3 and I am curious to see how I get on.  As for the first of those sports games, I haven't played any more FIFA 11 since I wrote an entry about it but I will eventually.