10 Times Video Games Sucked On Purpose
5. Mafia II: Piling Boxes And Going To Prison
On the opposite side of the coin, 2K's Mafia 2 took the opposite approach to Grand Theft Auto and focused more on telling a rich story, rather than a ton of activities for the player to take part in. It was a wise decision that made the franchise competitive despite complaints from open-world fans.
To add further weight and context to its story, Mafia 2 makes its gameplay swing close to the direction the story goes and it does so at two key points. The first part is the game's opening which sees Vito return from World War Two and start work down at the docks.
Vito's boss gives him and you the player, one instruction; pick up those boxes and unload them. It's a tedious and repetitive task, with the character's frustration growing with every box moved.
In this way, the game is encouraging, begging you to leave this mind-numbing work and get to the real money. You're being driven to a life of crime just as much as Vito is, making for a brilliant contextual moment. Mafia 2 does it again later on when Vito is sent to prison; all the money you've saved over the game along with your freedom is taken away to serve the narrative.