It’s been over a decade since Mafia II came out and fans were itching to get another taste of working as a mob boss and run their city.

Mafia III takes place in a fictionalized version of New Orleans named New Bordeaux. Centering on Lincoln Clay, an orphan biracial child who was abandoned and then raised by the black mob, he grows up and joins the army to serve in Special Forces in the Vietnam War. When Clay returns home to his family he discovers that the head of the black mob, Sammy Robinson, has had some trouble with a rival Haitian gang that put the mob into debt with Sal Marcano, Don of the Marcano Family. Without giving away too much of the plot, things turn South and it’s up to Clay to become the new head of the black mob and take control of New Bordeaux.

Having never played a Mafia game, this was foray into the series but not the first in this genre, I really enjoyed it. The characters have tons of personality and the game gives you a reason to want to learn more about each. Often in big games with many characters they all blend together but each feels like their own individual. The story so far is very detailed and features cuts to a more recent version of some of the stories characters and gives their perspective and feelings on Lincoln Clay and his actions getting more in depth as the story progresses. Clay’s entire back story is set up with these cut away interviews and allows the story to flow forward without abrupt cuts that explain how and why things are the way they are when the player picks up the controller.

Gameplay feels very tight and responsive, not that acceptable controls should really be praised. It should be a standard at this point. Compared to other free roam it feels right at home and doesn’t really stand out, at least in how it actually plays.

For being a game released in 2016 it’s not that impressive graphically. The cars are wonderful models and look very realistic but driving at high speeds through the city the game will stutter and you’ll get some graphical tears. My copy was played on the PS4 and would have frame drops to as low as 20 frames per second. The PC copies are locked at 30 fps and a locked resolution of 720p. The console’s struggle with rendering the game quickly and thus get screen tearing and some slow down. However, when not flying through the streets of New Bordeaux, the city is beautiful and full of little charm showing that Hangar 13 put a lot of effort in making the game feel like it’s really alive.

If you’ve never played a Mafia game this might not be the one to start off. The story is intriguing enough to keep you hooked but won’t be standing out in any awards show.

Mafia III gets 3 out of 5 stars.