After months of rumor, 2K Games have today confirmed that Mafia 3 is in development, and the full reveal of the latest title in the gangster series will take place at Gamescom in August. This was expected to after screenshots were leaked last month of the publisher registering domain names for Mafia 3, with this news likely to delight many fans of the franchise.
The previous game in the series, Mafia 2, was released in August 2010, earning generally positive reviews for its immersive story, engaging missions, and violent shootouts. While it undoubtedly had some noticeable foibles, namely a dimwitted police force, over-reliance on cutscenes and offering too much as downloadable content, the sequel earned a solid response by both critics and buyers.
Talk of a third game has been speculated since 2012, where it was believed 2K Czech, the developers behind Mafia 2, were moving into development on the next instalment in the series. News then spread that it would become a launch title for the PS4 and Xbox One, but reported production issues meant those plans did not go ahead.
Then earlier this year voice actor Rick Pasqualone, who voiced protagonist Vito Scaletta in Mafia 2, teased over Twitter that a new game was in the works:
As a big fan of Mafia 2, I am extremely excited about this series finally coming back to life on the next generation of consoles. One of its greatest aspects was the game’s graphics and the design of Empire Bay, so that should be further enhanced when you are shaking down snitches and paying off cops in this latest edition.
The Mafia franchise has also been a leader with regards to storytelling, which made its original 2002 title stand out as a grittier, more realistic version of the Grand Theft Auto series. The storyline in Mafia 2 was one of the most enveloping I have played in recent years, blending humor, action and emotional family drama into an excellent package.
I cannot wait to be able to pull out my Tommy Gun once more and pledge allegiance to the family.
