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

by Ewan Paterson

1. If You Nail The Zeitgeist, You Get A Truly Absorbing Title

mafia 3
2K

Not to flog a dead horse too much or anything, but I really can't emphasise enough just how much effort was put into nailing the atmosphere of the deep south in the late sixties in Mafia III. Visually, audibly, and demonstrably, Hangar 13's debut title lives and breathes the sixties. It showcases the racial injustices of the era (injustices that pervade to this day), the tumultuous nature of domestic politics through occasional news flashes, and supplements it all with a killer soundtrack that takes an environment and injects it with a whole other level of authenticity.

When you enter New Bordeaux it feels alive; not a virtual playground for the player to wreak wanton destruction, but a world with tangible consequences and characters you don't want to hurt. Or do, if they happen to be of the Italian persuasion, but you get what I mean - creating an engaging historical environment amplifies everything, including drama and gameplay.

I'd be shocked if Mafia's story doesn't move you. Honestly, I would be. By its end, I was so utterly captivated by its world and Lincoln's story that I couldn't leave, even if doing so was the right thing to do. I'd been won over by my allies, by the opportunities left in New Bordeaux, and the city itself. But in doing so, I'd alienated people, and for the first time in a long time a video game's story instilled a sobering sense of poignancy. I have no doubt the scribes at Hangar 13 could have accomplished this feat blindfolded and forced under duress into a modern day setting, but the devotion of the team to create an authentic liveable slice of sixties americana made this title, above others, the first in a long time to provoke an ending with consequence.

It mattered. New Bordeaux mattered. Lincoln, Sammy and Ellis mattered. And in making them do so, Hangar 13 have produced a total tour-de-force of cinematic storytelling. I doubt you'll find a tale like it.

-

What do you think of Mafia III? Do you think more games should start looking towards a historical setting? Or is the modern day fine and dandy for now? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!

17 Gaming Secrets Only Losers Discover

20 Recent Video Games EVERYONE Knew Would Suck

10 Amazing Games (With ABYSMAL Combat)

Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.