8 Reasons Mafia 3 Is One 2016's Most Underrated Gems

1. A Game That Actually Takes A Risk

You can argue that Battlefield 1 actively took a risk in making a mass-marketed entertainment product out of the greatest war of our time (something I'd say they dropped the ball on), but Hangar 13 engage with the racial prejudices of 1960s America head-on.

Granted, they backed away from having a throwable voodoo doll that saw gangsters react with, "It's that n*gga magic!" (the doll is still in the game, but the soundbites are not), yet it's the little touches that make all the difference.

You'll be ushered out of certain shops as "No blacks allowed" signs hang in the window, you'll notice the police awareness HUD markers pop up regardless of anything you're doing, just to show they're watching your every move. You'll realise the police response times are faster in more affluent areas, whereas in any 'blacker neighbourhoods', most dispatch calls will end with "...if you can be bothered."

Lincoln Clay's path of destruction across the city is almost like the physical manifestation of the rage that forms from years of racial abuse. It's more an exploration of uncorking that latent anger and letting it run amok, but Mafia highlights the tumultuous - and disgustingly still relevant - racially intolerant attitudes of society, and does it with intelligence at every turn.

--

What did you make of Mafia III? What worked, and what didn't? Let us know in the comments!