Mafia III catch-all

strangederby wrote:

One thing i'd like to know is if the decision to use lethal or non lethal take downs while making your way through the random henchmen has any effect on game play.

At least according to the Prima strategy guide, it has no gameplay effect.

strangederby wrote:

Well I've hit what to me is a game stopping bug.

Ugh. No workaround like restarting the mission or anything? I know they've got more ptaches in the works, but I'm really sorry you are experiencing this. Makes me glad I'm a little behind on my playing. (Although I plan a marathon session this weekend!)

beeporama wrote:
strangederby wrote:

Well I've hit what to me is a game stopping bug.

Ugh. No workaround like restarting the mission or anything? I know they've got more ptaches in the works, but I'm really sorry you are experiencing this. Makes me glad I'm a little behind on my playing. (Although I plan a marathon session this weekend!)

No option to restart unfortunately.

I bought this on Xbox, and it looks fine, great even at places, and the city has real charm.

Unfortunately, I find the gameplay itself rather offputting. I had kinda thought the player was a good person - He really isn't. After a few hours what Ive done so far is murder 500 cops, kill a lot of bad hillbillies, and lastly, taken over a prostitution racket. Yeah, not closed down, or anything - nope, taken it over.

I realize its only a game, but I really have absolutely no interest in playing that kind of character, and it kinda bums me out.

But hey - I can perform non-lethal takedowns if I choose that option in the menu!

Sadly, this is uninstalled now.

I'm playing this on the PC with a 360 controller. I can't seem to throw the voodoo dolls or Molotov cocktails. RB, either pressed or held down, does nothing. I just got past the

Spoiler:

amusement park

so I'm past the major tutorial parts. Any idea if this is a big or I'm missing something?

Hold down Left bumper to get to the weapon select screen. When that is open you should be able to press RB to select what you want to throw. Make sure you have ammo!

Ah, LB then RB. Interesting decision. I definitely have ammo. I'll check this as soon as I get a chance. Thanks!

Razgon wrote:

I bought this on Xbox, and it looks fine, great even at places, and the city has real charm.

Unfortunately, I find the gameplay itself rather offputting. I had kinda thought the player was a good person - He really isn't. After a few hours what Ive done so far is murder 500 cops, kill a lot of bad hillbillies, and lastly, taken over a prostitution racket. Yeah, not closed down, or anything - nope, taken it over.

I realize its only a game, but I really have absolutely no interest in playing that kind of character, and it kinda bums me out.

But hey - I can perform non-lethal takedowns if I choose that option in the menu!

Sadly, this is uninstalled now.

Well it's advertised as a game where you play a member of the mafia so......

Razgon wrote:

Yeah, not closed down, or anything - nope, taken it over.

The perpetual killing spree is what it is, considering it's a revenge story (and a video game), but Cassandra specifically turns that place into a nightclub.

Wayfarer wrote:

Hold down Left bumper to get to the weapon select screen. When that is open you should be able to press RB to select what you want to throw. Make sure you have ammo!

It worked! Started utilizing them last night.

I'm just recruiting Burke so I'm not into the main loop yet but I'm very close. The story, presentation, portrayals, and setting are all top-notch. There's a real sense of time and place. The gameplay is solid but unspectacular. I really like that Clay is a killer and I can freely move through the environment killing racists. I usually go for non-lethal as games encourage this. It's weird to say but I like it in this game.

What I've experienced of the gameplay is fine but seems thin. I've read it's a 20-25 hour game. I'll probably end up stretching that to 30-40. If that holds up, the length seems right for me.

Oddly, playing this has got me very excited for Watch_Dogs 2.

Have stopped playing. This looks to be my purchase of regret for 2016. Can't be doing with uncompletable missions.

Finally got in some quality time with this. I'm really enjoying it, but open world stealth murderers are a genre I always enjoy. You definitely have to be okay with controlling a pretty awful character, but if you can handle that... loving the story.

I haven't run into any glitches but it's a shame they obviously exist. I understand some free DLC is coming so between that and the need for some fixes/patches... I'd say this will be a great game to play next year.

strangederby wrote:

Well I've hit what to me is a game stopping bug. During Vito's "I need a favour" mission I was sent to kill

Spoiler:

Chet Lucky Carbonale

. During the fight I killed him but died myself at the same time.

Now the mission still shows up on the map but he's not their any more.

I'm on Xbox so I'm not sure there's anything I can do at this point.

I had this happen during in my game, and it got cleared up after I assigned a new district to Vito. Not a racket, but a full district. These optional missions seem to bug out on the final stage quite often. 'Go collect the boat' and there is no boat. 'Steal the truck' to find there's no truck, etc. Each of these types of missions are gated by the amount of trust you have cultivated with the boss (i.e., assigning districts) and whether you're at 'max earn'. It's a pretty well documented glitch that amounts to a misrepresentation of what's available to attempt.

Luckily, these are all side missions - you can keep going on the main story. As you proceed, they'll all get unlocked/cleaned up again if you have the same experience as I did.

I thoroughly like this game. It has some of the flaws the open world genre can't seem to escape; optional paths full of filler, flimsy bits of Content your game might be better off omitting altogether - although we've seen the result of that in Mafia 2. Some of it can be fun, but it's rarely anything more than repetitive and uninspired.

On the other hand, the story (including several great performances), the music (which is unabashedly of the time), and most of all, the weighty, punchy gameplay keep the dull parts in check easily. The driving is also surprisingly competent. It's more than good enough to keep the dozens of treks you'll have to make through New Bordeaux bearable, even genuinely fun as you gracefully fishtail around its corners.

Playing Lincoln Clay as a quick draw gunslinger is totally a thing you can do, which is not at all what I expected going in. The timing and heft of drawing a 1911, putting five bullets through two guys in one second from the *hip* makes me feel like Raylan god damn Givens (Erica Tazel, Rachel from Justified, is actually in this, and she does a fantastic job).

It's pit against an animation engine that seems equal parts procedural and hand-painted, and when the dude you just shot reaches out to clutch the f*cking wall he happens to be standing next to as he falls to the ground... Well, it adds something to the experience, is all I'll say.

I think Clay himself is a strong character, both in writing and performance. Playing a capable black man tearing racist scumbags down and/or apart is practically unheard of for this medium, and it'll probably never stop being fun. Early on, there's an entirely predictable pivot, but despite that... When Lincoln got mad, so did I.

It's good.

Lots of interesting things I want to respond to, Hyetal!

Hyetal wrote:

I thoroughly like this game. It has some of the flaws the open world genre can't seem to escape; optional paths full of filler, flimsy bits of Content your game might be better off omitting altogether - although we've seen the result of that in Mafia 2. Some of it can be fun, but it's rarely anything more than repetitive and uninspired.

On the other hand, the story

Something I didn't discover until recently... there is a "Journal" under the menus that fills in some of the stuff happening "offscreen." Like, they don't show you being introduced to some of the utility characters (like the operator and concierge) but the journal mentions it. It also includes a little flavor text when he gets new cars and stuff.

It's not perfect but they did a pretty good job balancing pacing with freedom.

Hyetal wrote:

Playing Lincoln Clay as a quick draw gunslinger is totally a thing you can do, which is not at all what I expected going in.

Interesting. I've been approaching this a lot like Uncharted 4, emphasis on stealth, abusing "whistling" but playing it like a straight cover shooter when discovered. (Which I'm not good at.) I'll have to consider different styles.

I think once I have access to a silenced weapon it'll make a big difference for this style. There's a silenced pistol in the free DLC coming November 7 if I haven't hit it in the story yet. People coming to Mafia III late might have a very different experience with the early game...

Hyetal wrote:

I think Clay himself is a strong character, both in writing and performance. Playing a capable black man tearing racist scumbags down and/or apart is practically unheard of for this medium, and it'll probably never stop being fun. Early on, there's an entirely predictable pivot, but despite that... When Lincoln got mad, so did I.

They are brave enough, though, to still remind you that he's also a criminal and murderer and general bad guy.

I think Father James as moral compass was a good addition to the story (at least so far), although you also have the influence of Donovan's ruthless weird CIA "doing horrible things for the greater good" flippant practicality.

Speaking of morality though, had an interesting side mission:

Spoiler:

You are tasked with interfering with a smuggling racket and either destroying a truck full of medicine & supplies or delivering it to Father James to distribute it to the needy. It's way easier to destroy it; delivering it will take more effort and be a little tedious. As far as I know, there is no in-game reward for delivering it other than a ten second cutscene. "Doing the right thing" has no ostensible value beyond feeling a little better about yourself.

I've always found the morality in video games to be kind of bland (generally you are rewarded for helping others) which is a great lesson for kids, but not always a reflection of real life. I like the idea of being good to be more difficult and not tangibly rewarding.

beeporama wrote:

Something I didn't discover until recently... there is a "Journal" under the menus that fills in some of the stuff happening "offscreen." Like, they don't show you being introduced to some of the utility characters (like the operator and concierge) but the journal mentions it. It also includes a little flavor text when he gets new cars and stuff.

It's not perfect but they did a pretty good job balancing pacing with freedom.

The journal is a great touch, often written really well.

beeporama wrote:

I'll have to consider different styles.

Any game that'll let me, I'm trying to be a gunslinger. The stealth in this is pretty good, but I feel way more inclined to stomp through a building being as loud as possible, especially given the premise.

Here's a couple examples of the aforementioned gunslinging that I made yesterday (Warning: Violence, and what I think was a porn in the making? I'm not sure. Nothing explicit, though.):

http://i.imgur.com/BcLgBSR.gifv
http://i.imgur.com/Ik16L0f.gifv

beeporama wrote:
Hyetal wrote:

I think Clay himself is a strong character, both in writing and performance. Playing a capable black man tearing racist scumbags down and/or apart is practically unheard of for this medium, and it'll probably never stop being fun. Early on, there's an entirely predictable pivot, but despite that... When Lincoln got mad, so did I.

They are brave enough, though, to still remind you that he's also a criminal and murderer and general bad guy.

I think Father James as moral compass was a good addition to the story (at least so far), although you also have the influence of Donovan's ruthless weird CIA "doing horrible things for the greater good" flippant practicality.

I agree, though I'd waffle a touch on "general bad guy". He's a complicated dude (something I think they do a good job conveying), damaged by war, and while there's no doubt he's capable of tremendously awful things, he also tries to be a good man... to those he deems worthy. They're kinda blatantly cultivating a narrative in which we should think of him less as just a man, good or bad (though he is those things), and more a force of nature, tearing through New Bordeaux's evil with single-minded, brutal efficiency.

I'd very likely not be comfortable condoning someone like him in real life, but in a pulpy revenge tale? It's too cathartic not to enjoy.

Hyetal wrote:

I agree, though I'd waffle a touch on "general bad guy". He's a complicated dude (something I think they do a good job conveying), damaged by war, and while there's no doubt he's capable of tremendously awful things, he also tries to be a good man... to those he deems worthy. They're kinda blatantly cultivating a narrative in which we should think of him less as just a man, good or bad (though he is those things), and more a force of nature, tearing through New Bordeaux's evil with single-minded, brutal efficiency.

I'd very likely not be comfortable condoning someone like him in real life, but in a pulpy revenge tale? It's too cathartic not to enjoy.

Now that you say it like that, I completely agree.

I picked this up tonight on the way home from work. I've read the reviews, and while they've been mixed, there are some folks just loving on the game. Then Steve Gaynor dropped a bombshell:

Steve Gaynor's Twitter wrote:

More than any game that's come out since, Mafia 3 reminds me of...

..........

.....(very whisper voice)...

..........far cry 2

Sold.

EDIT: Ohh!! It comes with a map!

The more I play and get sucked into the story, the more I love it.

I can see why people trying to rush through it to finish a review, pre-patches, might feel differently. But like a lot of open world games, things that might seem tedious (long drives between points) become kind of delightful once you've bought into the world and decided to take your time. Instead of blasting through enemies-- which you can do-- joy can come from taking your time and trying to accomplish a mission with stealth and style.

So Aristophan... you are selling me on Far Cry 2.

(By the way, the map has no practical value, but it is a neat in-game artifact. I love games with "feelies.")

Any news of patches that fix broken missions?

I hear there is a massive patch that was supposed to drop for a while now. Personally, I'm waiting for that before I dive in. I booted it up once on a 980ti and it was super sluggish (post 30fps patch), button prompts were missing and the internal renderer resolution was stuck at 720p. Not really enjoyable.

beeporama wrote:

The more I play and get sucked into the story, the more I love it.

I can see why people trying to rush through it to finish a review, pre-patches, might feel differently. But like a lot of open world games, things that might seem tedious (long drives between points) become kind of delightful once you've bought into the world and decided to take your time. Instead of blasting through enemies-- which you can do-- joy can come from taking your time and trying to accomplish a mission with stealth and style.

So Aristophan... you are selling me on Far Cry 2.

(By the way, the map has no practical value, but it is a neat in-game artifact. I love games with "feelies.")

Far Cry 2 had an incredible sense of space, and was also pretty janky. Even though the player has very little characterization, I felt myself go deeper and deeper into the abyss. It was a Heart of Darkness tale, which also had a wonderful fire system. It seemed that people either didn't get it or talked about it for years and years.

However, I also felt that LA Noire was Rockstar's greatest game, so my opinion may be flawed.

I can't blame anybody for waiting slightly longer to get more patches and integrated DLC, but I finished last night, and I'm super satisfied. I'm lucky that nothing was buggy enough to detract from my enjoyment, and I found all the gameplay enjoyable, and the story incredibly satisfying.

They did something ballsy for the ending: you have to make a tough choice or two leading to multiple endings, and there is no way (that I can figure out) to see all the endings since there are no hard saves. You basically have to live with a single choice. (I mean, there's always YouTube and such these days, but it really makes me feel like I made "my" choice.)

There's a great cutscene interspersed with the credits, so watch for that.

I don't really see the Far Cry 2 comparisons. More than anything else, it reminds me of GTA 3. Which is both a good (straightforward story, everything feels streamlined) and bad (everything also feels pretty bare bones) thing.

I am totally loving the game but I can't wait for the patch. I have had multiple hard crashes, graphical bugs, loss of sound and chugging graphics. Not enough to make me put down game, but totally frustrating.

I'm honestly glad people are enjoying this and I only wish I could join in.

The soundtrack is the best! House of the Rising Sun just came on the radio, and I had to just stop and listen.

Finished last night. Held my attention the entire time. The characters really grab on to you. The interaction between Lincoln, Donovan, and the Padre is beautiful in a heartbreaking way.

Spoiler:

I chose to leave. It made the most sense to how I saw Lincoln as a person. He got his revenge but had no family or anyone he really trusted in New Bordeaux other than the Father. I didn't like that Cassandra was named the new leader even though all three of the associates were at even. I read up on the other endings and Vito makes the most sense. I also liked him the best out of the three.

Spoiler:

The mid-credits John Donovan scene with him killing the senator was fantastically dumb. I LOVED it. Great bit of world building, character work, and set up for the universe. Donovan was a great devil on Lincoln's shoulder.

I want Lincoln and Donovan in more games. They were fantastic characters. The little moments and glances they have at each other are wonderful. Donovan constantly handing Lincoln a drink knowing that he'll take it was such a quiet clever touch.

Great game overall despite technical issues and generic gameplay loop. The story, setting, characters, and moment to moment gameplay were enough to keep me going.

Edit: Also, the music was great. They didn't highlight it the way Saints Row the Third did (other than the scene in Sammy's Bar). Music plays over the radio or nicely blends into the world. I think there was an excellent selection of songs from the 50s and 60s. A few a hadn't heard before too. My only complaint was that I tended to hear the same songs over and over again on the radio despite knowing the track selection was much larger.

mateofalcone wrote:
strangederby wrote:

Well I've hit what to me is a game stopping bug. During Vito's "I need a favour" mission I was sent to kill

Spoiler:

Chet Lucky Carbonale

. During the fight I killed him but died myself at the same time.

Now the mission still shows up on the map but he's not their any more.

I'm on Xbox so I'm not sure there's anything I can do at this point.

I had this happen during in my game, and it got cleared up after I assigned a new district to Vito. Not a racket, but a full district. These optional missions seem to bug out on the final stage quite often. 'Go collect the boat' and there is no boat. 'Steal the truck' to find there's no truck, etc. Each of these types of missions are gated by the amount of trust you have cultivated with the boss (i.e., assigning districts) and whether you're at 'max earn'. It's a pretty well documented glitch that amounts to a misrepresentation of what's available to attempt.

Luckily, these are all side missions - you can keep going on the main story. As you proceed, they'll all get unlocked/cleaned up again if you have the same experience as I did.

Gave this a try and unfortunately it didn't work. Still locked out of the mission.

Free gold weapons DLC is out now for those interested.