Here, at last, is our Mafia III [official site] review. Having published two reviews-in-progress over the last week, this is the final version. I’ve still not finished it, because the game is apparently infinity hours long. And it’s a fascinating mess. A vast, seemingly unfinished, calamity, incredible amounts of work routed by its AI, bloated plot and lack of ambition. Here’s wot I think:>

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As it was prophesied, soon it will come to pass. The Steam Charts approach their endgame: where all sales and all pre-order shenanigans converge to ensure that just one game occupies all top ten placements. Soon, there shall be unity. Terrible, terrible unity. … [visit site to read more]

For reasons that are increasingly apparent, 2K chose not to share review code with the press for Mafia III [official site], instead choosing for everyone to be able to buy it before critics could potentially warn them off. Having played the game for many, many hours, here is a second incarnation of my review-in-progress of the crime caper, in a revised and much extended version of my previous coverage. The final review will be later this week.>

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Mafia III [official site] might be a bit of a derivative drabfest, but the focus of ire from PC players has so far been on the lacking elements of the PC port. Framerates locked to 30, weird control mapping, and many crash bugs and dumb-ass AI. At least the first two of these issues have been addressed with a new patch.

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For reasons that are becoming apparent, 2K chose not to share review code with the press for Mafia III [official site], instead choosing for everyone to be able to buy it before critics could potentially warn them off. So it is that we couldn t get our hands on it before you could, and I m playing the game over the weekend to be able to bring you a full review next week. But in the meantime, below is a Review In Progress, my thoughts from the earlier hours of this open-city mafia-me-be, to give you a rough idea of whether this is a something in which you want to sink your pennies. Clearly the below is not a final review of the game, but it sure contains my feelings about the experience so far.>

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No sooner had Mafia III [official site] launched last night than publishers 2K threw up their hands and admitted problems with the PC port. They said they were working on a patch adding options like removing the lock keeping framerates at 30fps, and have since followed up saying that’ll be coming sooner than we perhaps expected: this weekend. They don’t say if it’ll fix other problems like crashes, mind. Our John has experienced one crash during three hours of crimes, which he’s currently committing so he can tell us Wot He Thinks of Mafia III, but some players report more.

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Bang! Vroom! Pow! Thwock! Cuss! Crime! Those sounds and more are now echoing across ’60s not-New Orleans in Mafia III [official site], which has just come out – in the UK, at least. It’s an open-crimeworld third-person shooter about gangs, the mob, and other naughty people, with crimes to commit, men to shoot, and a criminal empire to build. Our John has put on his crimehat to do crimes and tell us all Wot He Thinks but it’ll be a while before he’s fully crimed-up. So for now, hey look it’s out!

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Arkham Fright: Spiteful Ian Bros. ORDERED Devs To Create MORE Bugs>

Milohh No: Molyneux Trapped REAL CHILD In Xbox>

Illubinati: Ian Ubisoft Turns EVERYTHING YOU LOVE Into Assassin’s Creed>

Those are the sorts of (untrue, I should stress) sensational headlines some games writers long for: sexy headlines of danger, mystery, and excitement. They’d be a lark, sure, but I’m still happy telling you something helpful and maybe giving you a wee smile then being on my way with a twinkle in my eye. So here, 2K have announced the PC system requirements for Mafia III [official site]. Perhaps you’ll find that info useful.

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I remain puzzled by big publishers announcing DLC for games before they’re even released. “Here are cool things that won’t be in the game you’re paying 35 for,” they proudly announce. “Here’s what will cost you an extra 26.” We haven’t even got to play the game and see if we like it yet they’re trying to upsell us on extras – which makes me want the game less. Baffling. Welp, with Mafia III [official site] just over a month from launch – October 7th – 2K have detailed the paid and free extras coming to their open-world crimes ’em up after launch.

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2k have been quiet on their open-world period crime ’em-up for a couple of months, but Lincoln Clay has just resurfaced again. Here’s Mafia 3 [official site] setting out its story stall and showing off some very impressive character models that I really hope are not solely restricted to cutscenes. … [visit site to read more]