Overview
Developed by Hangar 13 and published by 2K Games, Take-Two Interactive and Aspyr Media, Mafia III is a video game released on October 7, 2016 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Mac. The genres associated with this entry are action, adventure, drama, FPS, racing and open world, in an exclusively single-player experience.
The story takes place in 1968 in New Bordeaux, a fictional city in the southern United States. The player takes the role of Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam War veteran who returns to his surrogate family after several years of combat.
The central conflict pits Lincoln against the Marcano family, a criminal organization that holds considerable influence over the city. After surviving a betrayal that costs the lives of the people closest to him, Lincoln sets out to gradually dismantle his enemies’ empire.
This progression directly structures the open world. New Bordeaux is divided into different districts where the Marcanos control criminal operations. To weaken their organization, Lincoln must target these networks before he can take control of the corresponding territories.
The system notably revolves around racketeering operations, or local criminal activities. Lincoln can disrupt their income by eliminating enforcers, destroying resources, stealing money or completing various objectives. Once enough damage has been inflicted on an operation, its boss becomes accessible.
Taking over districts does more than simply reduce Marcano influence. Lincoln simultaneously builds his own criminal organization and must decide how to distribute captured territories among his lieutenants. These choices influence his relationships with his allies and the way his new empire develops.
Gameplay allows several approaches during confrontations. Lincoln can rely directly on firearms and brute force, but he can also choose a more discreet approach, observe enemy positions and eliminate opponents through stealth.
Combat takes place mainly from a third-person perspective and uses a cover system. Lincoln can use elements of the environment during gunfights, change position and combine ranged weapons, close-range attacks and stealth takedowns depending on the situation.
Driving also retains an important role in Mafia III’s structure. New Bordeaux can be explored by car, and vehicles are used both for traveling between missions and during chases and certain operations connected to the takeover of the city.
The 1968 setting is reflected in the visual and audio design of New Bordeaux. The city’s different areas offer varied environments, ranging from urban neighborhoods to the surrounding swamps, while vehicles, architecture and music help establish the period.
Progression therefore relies less on a completely linear succession of missions than in the first two games. A significant part of the campaign involves weakening the Marcano organization district by district, before redistributing captured operations and continuing the offensive against the higher levels of its empire.
This structure directly connects exploration, combat and management of the new criminal balance. Captured territories are not simply geographical objectives: they contribute to the development of Lincoln’s organization and to his relationships with those helping him fight the Marcanos.
Mafia III uses the Fusion Engine. The game remains designed as a Single player experience, with a campaign centered on Lincoln Clay, his war against the Marcano family and the gradual construction of his own network across New Bordeaux.
Key takeaways
- Lincoln Clay is a Vietnam veteran who sets out to destroy the Marcano family after the murder of his surrogate family.
- The story takes place in 1968 in New Bordeaux, a fictional southern U.S. city largely controlled by organized crime.
- Progression notably involves weakening the Marcanos’ criminal operations and taking over their territories.
- Lincoln can rely on force, gunfights or stealth to accomplish his objectives.
- Captured districts contribute to the construction of his own criminal empire and can be assigned to different lieutenants.
- Mafia III combines open-world design, driving, combat and territorial takeover within an entirely single-player campaign.
Conclusion
Mafia III moves the series to New Bordeaux and also changes the way its open world structures progression. The city no longer serves only to connect missions: the criminal operations and territories controlled by the Marcanos become direct campaign objectives.
Lincoln Clay’s revenge provides the narrative framework for this takeover. To reach his enemies, he gradually weakens their organization, captures their operations and simultaneously builds a new empire with the help of his own allies.
Gameplay supports this structure by allowing players to alternate between direct combat, stealth and travel across the city. The distribution of territories also adds a dimension tied to Lincoln’s relationships with the lieutenants who take part in his organization.
Mafia III therefore connects Lincoln’s personal story with territorial progression across New Bordeaux, where dismantling the Marcano empire and building a new criminal organization become two sides of the same conflict.
Good to know
- Mafia III was released on October 7, 2016.
- The game was developed by Hangar 13 and published by 2K Games, Take-Two Interactive and Aspyr Media.
- It is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Mac.
- The genres listed in this entry are action, adventure, drama, FPS, racing and open world.
- It features a Single player mode only.
- Mafia III uses the Fusion Engine.
- Mafia III: Definitive Edition later brought together the base game, its story expansions and bonus packs in a single edition.
