The crime genre has expanded in games so much so that one
publisher can support multiple games -- and each has its own creative vision.
Take-Two is parent of both Rockstar (which has Grand Theft Auto and LA Noire)
and 2K Games, which has the upcoming Mafia
II.
Here, that game's senior producer Denby Grace explains the
approach that's been taken to this game in terms narrative, visuals, and
gameplay design, to set it apart. This includes the fact that the game embraces
more linear gameplay than other crime games -- something he sees as essential
to presenting a polished, shooter-like experience -- yet still retains the
freedom of movement players expect.
He explains also the narrative chances the developers are taking
with the title -- a "bleak arc" which features an early climax and
ups and downs; one he hopes can deliver unexpected twists and show gamers the
true complexity of the life of a made man.
You guys are
releasing this game, and we're starting to see promotion of LA Noire, which is the same parent
company. GTA IV obviously came out a
little while back. Where do you see Mafia
II in the spectrum of this open-world crime genre?
DG: It's interesting: They sit in a little bit of a different
space. GTA IV's whole schtick -- and I'm speaking from a fan's point of
view, not a consumer's point of view -- is do anything in the world. Go there;
do this.
And on the side, it has this
great storyline, great multiplayer. It
does everything pretty good; it's a big open-world game. LA Noire -- I don't know anything more than you guys do about it,
so I can't really talk about that.
But Mafia's whole
schtick is this cinematic experience, you know? It really is more like a
third-person action-adventure game shooter than an open-world game. This
open-world backdrop exists because it is needed for our story; we need the
player to be able to get into the city, get cars, and do these things. But the
actual gameplay itself -- the story, the way the story's presented, the linear
sort of nurse of the story -- it's all more like a third-person shooter.
So I think the experience is a more cinematic experience. That's the
easiest thing to say. It feels less of an open-world game and feels more like Uncharted or Gears of War in a lot of ways, but then you have these cars that
you can drive around in an open-world city. I think you'll get that.
And it's one of the reasons why we've had to do this sort of
two-pronged approach because, [for example] this mission, we wanted to focus on
people getting their teeth into the gunplay -- something that we spent a lot of
time on is making the gunplay behave more like a third-person shooter. We
worked on sort of auto-aiming stuff; we've got like a cover system and a really
fluid system, so I think that hopefully paints some sort of picture.