Interview: Mafia II

It seems like only yesterday that I made the long trip down to Windsor to see 2K’s Mafia II in action.  Well now the game has launched, and it appears to be doing well.  TSA has been lucky enough to get the chance to speak to Mafia II producer – Denby Grace – regarding his thoughts and feelings on the game.  At no point was I made an offer I couldn’t refuse.

[TheSixthAxis] The original Mafia game received a mixed critical reception – how much of the criticism was taken on board for the sequel?

[Denby Grace] We’ve always listened to critics and fans but with that being said our internal people are the harshest of critics.  Mafia 1 was released a long time ago, and back then gamers were of a different breed than they are today. Mafia II has been developed with 2010’s gamer in mind, but we’ve retained the true soul of the game.

[TheSixthAxis] How has the noticeable jump in technology from the PS2/Xbox impacted Mafia II, and was development a smooth process?

[Denby Grace] For everybody in the industry, the jump to a new generation of technology is always a challenging one, for there is a very steep learning curve for engineers. There were some things that we did that worked really well and some others things, not so much. The biggest challenge we face (as all developers do) is that we are a multiplatform developer and different platforms have different features and limitations which must be addressed in different ways. We always try to ensure a consistent game experience throughout all the platforms which is not always an easy task but hey, if making games was easy we wouldn’t do it, right?

[TheSixthAxis] Tell us – what makes Mafia II stand out from the other open world games out there?

[Denby Grace] Firstly, Mafia II is not a traditional open world game; it is an expansive city that offers a large interactive environment. Nonetheless, the elements that stand out the most in Mafia II are the characters, the story presentation, the voiceover quality, the period setting and the Mafia theme, which all come together to create a great epic gangster experience, something akin to a Martin Scorsese movie. Additionally, our core game mechanics, such as the driving and gunplay are equally strong features.

[TheSixthAxis] Did you add any features to the game that you didn’t plan on in the beginning?

[Denby Grace] That’s a really good question; the simple answer is yes. Game development to a certain extent is an iterative and evolving process so new ideas and changes are made all the time For example, our dynamic radio system,  reacts to the players actions  and the system will play an appropriate piece of music depending on the situation.

[TheSixthAxis] Did you have to remove any features?

[Denby Grace] Much like with new unplanned features we have to remove stuff that didn’t work or that didn’t support the goals.

[TheSixthAxis] Why did you decide to leave out a multiplayer aspect in Mafia II?

[Denby Grace] For us, the most important element of our gaming experience for Mafia II was the cinematic narrative.  We focused a lot of our effort and time into ensuring that this was as good as it could be. Also, here at 2K Games we are very committed to delivering a great experience.

[TheSixthAxis] So what incentives are there for gamers to go back into the game’s world after the main story has finished?

[Denby Grace] There are a lot of collectibles for players to search for and also the completion-ists among us will surely want to complete the game on all difficulties to ensure they have collected every trophy available. And of course there’s the free DLC that you get on the PS3 as well as additional DLC farther down the line.

[TheSixthAxis] What has been the overall response from gamers to making the DLC PS3 exclusive?

[Denby Grace] Very good, actually.  I think people are really enjoying playing the Betrayal of Jimmy as it’s a step in another direction from the main Mafia II game.

[TheSixthAxis] Speaking personally, what is your favourite part of Mafia II?

[Denby Grace]There is a part of the game where the main characters have to bury a body, everyone is drunk, puking, and telling bad jokes while singing along to Dean Martin; its classic mobster stuff that really appeals to me personally.

Massive thanks to Denby for taking the time out to speak to us – and we look forward to seeing what 2K has in store for us all next.