Mafia posts

The second DLC adventure for crime-epic Mafia 2, titled Joe's Adventure, is due to hit digital shelves on November 23rd, and the developer has decided to give all us trailer-watching folk a little taste of the action. The new DLC involves the adventures of Joe, main character Vito's best friend and associate in crime. Filled with all the violence, mob drama, and swearing one would expect from a gangster-based game, this trailer gives a brief, but fairly accurate, overview of what players can expect from the forthcoming DLC.

Download HD Mafia 2: Joe's Adventure DLC Trailer
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Even though the Labor Day holiday is over everyone still seems to be recovering from PAX Prime 2010. And we have the Tokyo Game Show coming up next week which, while its mostly about console games, could yield a few game announcements as well.

• The historical RTS game Theatre of War 2: Korea from 1C Company is now titled Theatre of War 3: Korea. We don't know why.
• A new Garry's Mod update is now available via Steam.
• Speaking of which, you can check out what Garry of Garry's Mod thinks about Mafia II.
• And speaking of which you can now purchase the original Mafia from Steam for $9.99.
• You can also get the acclaimed indie game VVVVVV from Steam for both PC and Mac with a 10 percent discount to $4.49.
• Want to play older Direct Draw games like the old Wing Commander titles in Windows 7? This man has a solution.
• Could South Korea ban access to all games that don't get a rating from the government? Maybe.
• Check out this podcast recording of the PAX Prime 2010 panel The Five Wonders of PC Gaming.

Mafia 2 is gearing up for release, and nothing makes that more apparent than the trailer overload coming from 2K. Two new trailers have been released for Mafia, with each showcasing the journey of Vito through the underworld. The first, above, is about Vito gaining the trust of the mafia while working alongside a childhood friend. He beats people, steals jewelry, and in general acts like a criminal. The trailer after the cut shows a softer side to Vito as he interacts with his family and the Mafia, all the while trying to balance the two. Some segments we've already seen in previous trailers, but both show mostly new cinematic footage.

Mafia is one of those sleeper hits one sees on a fairly frequent basis on the PC, but its sequel doesn't look like it'll be a quiet, quaint release like the first was. The latest video in an ongoing developer diary series chronicles the efforts of the developers to make the Mafia 2 world more realistic and important for players. It's nothing particularly revolutionary, but it definitely shows how much care 2K Czech has put into the game.

Several interesting bits are mentioned. First, you can only take 2-3 hits, which is a big difference from the relative immunity to bullets most sandbox protagonists have. Second, cars are intended to handle more realistically, which both makes them "heavier" to control but more satisfying. Third, melee combat will be context-sensitive in regards to take-downs, which means you will be able to do things like smash someone's head into a wall.

Download Mafia II 'Tools of the Trade' Developer Video HD (253 MB)
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Mafia II is a facsinating game. Not because it is an open-world crime game, of which there are plenty, but because it focuses more on semi-realism. This realism extends to the gritty, gangster-ridden plot, and that's just what this trailer from E3 shows off. With executions, explosions, and plenty of in-game cutscenes, it shows us a slice of the life of gangster Vito. If you have been watching previous trailers, it also shows what happens to the Fat Man from last month's trailer.

Download HD Mafia II E3 2010 Trailer (134MB)
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Gametap has once again given its customers a free game to play for one week from their game download service. This week its Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. This 2001 released game from developer Crystal Dynamics and publisher Eidos will begin its free time on Gametap later today and run through Feb. 11.

Also beginning on Friday and running through Sunday, Gametap will offer all of the episodes of the season "season" of American McGee's Grimm for free, There's eight episodes in all in the season and is designed as a promo for the launch of the third and final "season" for the game series. Seven episodes will be released weekly beginning on Feb. 12.