Shamelog #043 - Vengeance Mafia
Each of Mafia 3’s DLC is structured to slot into the main campaign, filling out the game with very well produced side content to weave throughout the main missions, each with their own distinct mini-stories to tell and subsequent side content to engage with. Each DLC adds new functions that loop back into the main game, be it proximity mines, slowing down of time while driving/shooting, sniper support and more ways to earn cash.
Faster, Baby!
Faster, Baby! is the most racially focused piece of extra content we get, introducing a new area called Sinclair Parish, a small town focused on keeping their community “an all-white population”. The county is headed up by the f***ing despicable sheriff "Slim" Beaumont, who is your target - not to kill, but to help get behind bars. You’re enlisted by Charles "The Voice” Laveau, a civil rights activist and radio host throughout the main game, who has you team up with his daughter Roxy to hunt down the evidence and protect the black folk of the community. The missions mainly focus on driving missions, which are a blast to play - I thoroughly enjoyed causing mayhem and destruction throughout the towns’ white supremacist parties and other events. Putting that sheriff in his place is extremely satisfying. Post-DLC content involves growing your own weed farm, which involves collecting and splicing different strains of Mary Jane, sold for profit throughout your districts.
Stones Unturned
Lincoln’s war buddy John Donovan returns for a wild CIA Hijinks / Vietnam War related story of a rogue soldier, a haunted past and a missing nuclear bomb. This DLC's focus is more… explosive… than the other 2, with the final set of missions taking place in what is essentially a corridor 3rd person shooter across a once-thought deserted island. This jaunt comes across as a little lighter toned (maybe a little darkly comedic?) despite the murkiness and horror of it’s war focused theme. The DLC fits thematically with the character of Donovan, for those who know him. The wrapping up of this DLC gives you access to a dart gun, as well as a bunch of Bounty Hunter missions to keep you occupied.
Sign of the Times
Probably the strongest of the 3, Sign of the Times is twisted and sadistic in ways that take full advantage of Mafia 3’s stellar setting and storytelling. The final DLC uses Lincoln’s connection with Father James to build a tale around the fictional Ensanglante cult and new addition Anna. Anna is hauntingly well performed, a character tragically taken advantage of by the Ensanglante, who you attempt to help by figuring out exactly what the hell is going on. Some of the experimental gameplay introduced here is reminiscent of LA Noire, with certain areas involving detective style investigation to find clues and uncover info. The twisted tale had me physically putting my hand over my mouth in horror at one point, with the conclusion of the story feeling satisfying, though bittersweet. Post-DLC story gameplay is a much more cathartic rebuilding of Sammy’s Bar, thanks to the help of Aunt Lily - a much more low-key endeavour, with a satisfying air of finality upon completion.
It’s probably a hill no one else would be willing to climb, but Mafia 3 is better than GTA V. There, I said it. The story and characters kick ass in this game, and the DLC only serves to flesh out the already brilliant 1960s New Orleans setting. The shootouts are fun, the AI being dippy is a positive not negative, and the innovations (street signs that direct you to your destination as you drive, a rear-view mirror on top of the screen, all the extras that can be called in thanks to your capos) hold it above any “modern day” open world game I’ve played. The clear hours of fun I had with the initial game, and now with the experimental successes of the 3 DLCs, only saddens me more that Hangar 13 was shut down earlier this year. The team behind Mafia 3 ought to be proud of what they have accomplished here.
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Games Left to Play: 103
Currently Playing: E3 2018!
Budget Remaining for 2018: $294