8 Ways Mafia 3 Proves The Past Is Best For Video Games

8. There's Way More To Do With A Historical Setting

You'd think that history would probably constrain narrative freedoms instead of setting them free, but in Mafia's case, this comes in the form of a non-linear narrative - one strongly influenced by the historical fluctuations of the sixties. And while it doesn't have the player preventing assassination attempts or playing around with history so overtly like Assassin's Creed, it does serve a key purpose in the story.

Point being, context is key. And context, of course, is what lands Lincoln Clay in the position we find him in at the start of Mafia's story. A veteran of the Vietnam War, Lincoln's experiences come to form a key aspect of Mafia III's story, right down to the character's quest for family and, more obviously, his prowess with firearms and his trusty knife. Allusions towards PTSD are reiterated throughout, and it's no coincidence that he wears his fatigues for the majority of the title. With his family taken from him, there's only one thing he can resort to: the experiences of Vietnam.

It offers a more organic explanation for why Lincoln resorts to revenge and, more obviously, the efficiency in which he can deal it out. But the historical dimensions of the game extend far beyond that; the Southern Union - an analogue to the horrific White Citizens' Councils and the Ku Klux Klan - is one of the game's key enemy organisations, and other missions stem from other key historical events, such as the Cuban Revolution and The Troubles in Northern Ireland.

None of this ever feels misplaced by any means. Instead, it broadens the story-telling opportunities to be had. As Mafia's modern counterparts struggle to find organic and relevant means of extending their main narratives, it's obvious that history holds the key.