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Mafia II is the gritty mob sequel to 2002 original, allowing games to enter the violent wold of the American mob in the 1950s.

Eight years is a long time, and Grand Theft Auto IV has taken the crown as the best serious sandbox adventure in town. Starting Mafia II, it's difficult not to compare the game's Empire Bay with Liberty City, but thankfully the 1950s buzz of this game makes it feel totally different.

Attention to detail is impressive, and the look and sounds of the city really evoke the 50s. The graphics in Mafia II are good, although the face modeling isn't the best we've seen. The story is violent, and the dialog is full of adult language. That's not a problem, but it sometimes feels too much.

The basic driving around and doing missions isn't anything new, but Mafia II is a little different to the competition. The police can be bribed, and if you start a fight you go into a kind of fight mode which works quite well.

While the city in Mafia II is quite bustling, the pedestrians aren't as realistic as in GTA IV. They don't seem to react to their surroundings much, and there is too much repetition in the models.

The Mafia II shows part of an impressive sandbox game, but it doesn't live up to the standards set by Rockstar Games