When Mafia II was originally released, I reviewed it and gave it a 7.0. I loved the story of the game -- the life and times of an up and coming gangster -- but the fetch quests, empty world, and dated cover/shooting mechanics were a real turnoff. Mafia II: Joe's Adventures starts on a high note and seems like it's going to address those issues, but then it sinks back into the same old same old.
A meaty piece of DLC, Joe's Adventures drops you in the shoes of -- you guessed it -- Joe Barbaro, the best friend of the former main character Vito. If you played Mafia II, you know Vito goes to the big house for part of the game, and that's where Joe's Adventures is set. You'll play as the fat man as you set out to exact revenge on the stool pigeon that sent Vito away, and then you'll just continue doing tasks for the seedy individuals you work for as the story unfolds.
A meaty piece of DLC, Joe's Adventures drops you in the shoes of -- you guessed it -- Joe Barbaro, the best friend of the former main character Vito. If you played Mafia II, you know Vito goes to the big house for part of the game, and that's where Joe's Adventures is set. You'll play as the fat man as you set out to exact revenge on the stool pigeon that sent Vito away, and then you'll just continue doing tasks for the seedy individuals you work for as the story unfolds.
Some of these are cool and shake up the Mafia II formula. At one point, you're driving across a frozen lake as you chase your target. You need to zig and zag around gaps in the ice and catch up to the bad guy. Trouble is, when you do catch him, he just sits in the car like a spud and lets you cap him in the head. He doesn't fight or react like a real person.
The DLC is stuck not knowing what it really wants to do -- it's somewhere between the disc-based game and the arcade DLC that has come before. I'd love to get a compelling Joe story that has some substance like the one told in the proper Mafia II game, but that doesn't happen here. We get a few cutscenes in the beginning of the game, but then you start getting the static screens that introduce missions with text -- the storytelling flair disappears. With the movie-like atmosphere removed, you're just running to floating "mission start" icons on the screen, getting your mission and trying to get it done before the timer runs out.
It's boring. Joe isn't getting the attention Vito's tale did. While that was OK for the arcade-style "Jimmy" DLC missions that came before, it's a weird juxtaposition now.
With the story feeling, well, nonexistent, you're left to rely on Mafia II's stiff gameplay. Again, just like the retail game, you have forced stealth missions, stupid AI that will chase you into shops and then forget about you, and really dated cover and shoot mechanics. There are still cars to drive and oldies to listen to, but it all feels like well-worn territory.
