Mafia 3: 8 Big Things It Got Wrong
5. City Businesses Don't Do Anything
Mafia 3 is full of shops, diners, garages and bars that make New Bordeaux feel like a living, breathing city. So it’s a shamen that these various businesses have absolutely no impact on the game whatsoever.
They might be interesting to explore first time around, but none of the shops or bars have any gameplay value. At all.
The only thing they're used for is to rob them or to pick up collectibles that have been left behind. The only difference is their appearance and the ones that have ‘No Colored’ signs outside. This is an interesting inclusion as it contributes to the racial framework and inbuilt tension across the game, but in reality, all that happens is the owner of the business will shout at you until you either leave, or they call the police.
The most frustrating part about all this is that major businesses are included as icons on the map, alluding to some functionality and making it feel like you're missing something obvious. If Hanger 13 had added some side activities involving these businesses, they may have had some real purpose, but as it stands, nada.