Mafia 4 with prohibition topic? Yes, please!

The 70s/80s Las Vegas Setting, which some fans want for Mafia 4, would also be damn cool.

• Mafia 4 as the last chance?
• Back to the past
• Mafia goes Hollywood?
• Trust in Hangar 13 is available
• The question of the Open World

I don't know if I have ever announced this in an article, but I love Mafia - the game of 2K Czech (then Illusion Softworks), not the real criminal organizations. The story of the taxi driver Thomas Angelo, who in the 30s in more by chance, gets into contact with the Cosa Nostra and decides to just take part in it, accompanied me through all of my youth. There is no game that I played through as often as Mafia, The Stanley Parable, but a run not even takes half an hour. So that doesn't count.

The first mafia remains an immortal classic for me. Unfortunately, the two successors cannot keep up. Part 2 has increased in my favor over the years, but still does not come close to the brilliance of the first. And Mafia 3? Well, I would like to forget that just like the fourth "Indiana Jones" film or the end of "Game of Thrones". But the developer Hangar 13 has already made reparation with the remake of Mafia 1. Since then I have been waiting for the announcement of Take-Two that the team from California can develop Mafia 4. It is still pending, but the colleagues from Kotaku is said to have chirped a bird that Hangar 13 is working on a new mafia with the code name "Nero". The Unreal Engine 5 is used and it is a prequel to the three parts.

Mafia 4 as the last chance?

Kotaku has published this information in the course of the announcement that Haden Blackman will hand over the studio management and leaves the company after seven years. There is no confirmation on the part of Hangar 13 or Take-Two. If that is true what the colleagues write, Mafia 4 (or whatever it would be) is still in a very early development phase. That also sounds logical, since the studio has worked on three projects in recent years that have already been stopped before they could have been officially announced. Among other things, a class-based co-op shooter à la Destiny 2 with the code name "Volt" was in production, in which a whopping $ 53 million had flowed before the development was canceled.

If it is true that the Californians have started several projects and could not finish, but they have devoured high sums of money, it is almost a miracle that Take-Two Hangar has not closed long ago. And it would also be wondering if you had the chance to get the helm around with a new mafia instead of just working for other teams from the take-two family.

Back to the past

The Kotaku report gives mafia fans like me hope that the brand has not yet been given up. And logically, he creates speculation. On Reddit, the setting of a potential mafia 4 is one of the great topics of conversation. If, as Kotaku writes, it was supposed to be a prequel, it would be extremely likely that the story will play in the 1920s. As a reminder: Mafia 1 covers a large part of the 1930s. The previous decade would be wonderful for a new part due to the prohibition. This was in the USA from 1920 to 1933 and was the nationwide ban on alcohol. Both production and transport and sales were punishable. Of course, this played the organized crime in the cards that had alcohol produced in secret and earned a golden nose with whose sales. And the prohibition should actually serve to reduce the crime rate.

No question: The 20s as a period and the prohibition as a central topic in Mafia 4 would be very interesting. As far as the possible location of the game is concerned, the mafia: Definitive Edition could have given a hint. In the remake there are cards made of cigarette boxes as collective items. One of them has a Mobster named Louie Romeo as a motif who was in charge in Los anddas.

Mafia goes Hollywood?

Aha! LOOK ONDAS! A city that we have not yet met in the Mafia series. In Mafia: Definitive Edition is mentioned for the first time and it can be assumed that she is based on Los Angeles. The reason for this is the description on the Louie-Romeo card in which Hollywood is mentioned. According to her, the family of the US east coast need someone who monitors everything in the west. Stage free for Romeo, who commanded the unions on site, washed the money and blackmailed the studio bosses.

Honestly: I would not be surprised if Mafia 4 plays in Los Ondas, the city really has Los Angeles as a model, in addition to the prohibition, the film industry also plays a role and Louie Romeo is an important figure. He would certainly not be the playful protagonist. As a Reddit user writes, this could be someone who fought in the First World War and was still very busy processing the horrors at the beginning of the 20s and on the other hand to find a place in normal society. This would make a great similarity to Vito Scaletta from Mafia 2, but it would fit well.

I have to admit: I did not come across this track myself, but was made aware of it by a Reddit comment. I have played Mafia: Definitely Edition, but that was a year and a half ago. As if I could still remember a collective card from the game.

The prohibition issue would find various fans interesting how the comments can be found on Reddit. However, the desire for another scenario is also expressed there: a mafia 4 that plays in the Las Vegas (or a fictional city inspired) of the 70s or 80s and is fully devoted to the casinothema. And yes, I would be anything but averse. But if the new game should actually be a prequel, we do not have to hope to be able to enjoy the flair of Martin Scorsceses "Casino" in an interactive gangster epic in a few years-at least not in Mafia 4.

Trust in Hangar 13 is available

In general, the reactions to Reddit are very positive, although Mafia 3 has severely disappointed many fans (if not everyone). A user, for example, would be very happy to play a mafia game again, which is really about the mafia. This is difficult to say to the third series part. Another hopes that Hangar 13 has learned from the mistakes of Mafia 3.

For me it is clear: If the development team gets the necessary time this time that you need for such a big project, I am optimistic. Because to put it into perspective what I myself wrote about Mafia 3 (but actually mean quite seriously): the game has its good aspects. The fact that Hangar 13 has something on the box has always been flashed with isolated missions. The prologue is even great in its entirety. But the title was noted that he didn't get much time to tire. The mission design of Mafia 3 offers about as much variety as a day on the assembly line. This could not have been wanted from the start, where the game always shows in between that Hangar can make 13 good orders with chic locations. Every time one of Sal Marcano's subjugents are supposed to go to the collar, this leads to a mission unique (within the game) without a copy-paste offset.

The question of the Open World

Ultimately, a lot depends on whether Mafia 4 would be a real open world game like part 3 or would return to the formula of the other titles: with a freely passable city that only serves as a backdrop for a linear, stringent story. The fan base is divided as far as this question is concerned. There are both those who believe that a mafia game does not need an open world mechanics, as well as the opposite side, which well-made side missions and other optional content want. And somehow both opinions fight in my head about which of them the upper hand gains.

I was very disappointed at the time when Mafia 2 appeared and suddenly had no secondary missions. They had actually been announced and were obviously cut out shortly before. After all, 2K Czech no longer had the time to eliminate all the traces. For example, the option is to use the phone in Vito's apartment or house. But then you only get the indication that you can currently not call any1. But it is even clearer: If your "Fat Derek" pays a visit outside of the missions, he tells you every time that he has no job for you.

The disappointment of all the cut content from Mafia 2 has long since gone and I like the game today as it is (except for the open end). If Mafia 4 were again a linear game with an open but only serving the atmosphere, I would find it completely ok. There are enough large open-world chunks that want to deal with 50, 80 or even 100 hours.

However: If Mafia 4 were just such a circumferential monster, but its content would be much more loving and therefore more varied than in part 3, I would let the champagne corks pop. However, I have my doubts as to whether Hangar 13 would get the necessary budget from Take-Two after the bumpy last years in order to be able to implement this vision.