Blackman states that this is far from the case. On the topic of gameplay, while its stunning Gamescom 2015 reveal showed off multiple ways to play, more recent footage appeared to favour high-speed chases over other playstyles. Again, everything was driven by gameplay demands,” Blackman says. “We also wanted to ensure that all the elements someone expects from a city in the South were represented, so we brought the Bayou in much closer. These changes were made over keeping to an accurate representation, in order to facilitate the gameplay. For example, when designing the world of New Bordeaux, which is based on New Orleans, Hangar 13 widened the streets, reduced one way lanes, and increased elevation. In some cases though, gameplay takes top priority.

“I also feel like we’ve done a very good job creating a true cover shooter in a living open world that includes traffic, pedestrians, and everything else you’d expect there.” “We were very focused on ensuring that everything you do in the open world drives the narrative forward in some way, whether it’s Lincoln’s quest to tear down the Italian Mafia or his efforts to build up his own family,” Blackman says. And part of this is making sure that its narrative and gameplay seem to go hand in hand. We try to use cinematics only as a last resort.”Īlthough there are some games attempt to be movies, Hangar 13 is clear that it is going to tell a story through other means.

“We might want a moment reminiscent of a heist in other movies, for example, but we build that entire experience in gameplay first. “We use films (along with a number of other sources) as inspiration, but let gameplay ultimately drive the experience,” Blackman says.

In order to do so, Hangar 13 drew from documentaries, books, articles, and interviews as well as conducting “hours and hours” of photo reference research. 'To us, a Mafia experience: Is about organised crime tells a story that can be considered ‘historical pulp fiction’ focuses on a gifted anti-hero and treats the city as a main character.” “In order to ensure we were true to the Mafia experience, we created a number of ‘franchise pillars’ that we used as guide posts throughout development,' he explains. Blackman says that Mafia 3 plans to stay true to the series’ legacy. While having those involved in earlier games on board is a good thing as it ensures some form of consistency and continuity, that’s not all. Blackman himself is no spring chicken, having worked on the likes of critically acclaimed Star Wars games such as Knights of the Old Republic and The Force Unleashed. “A larger number of folks who worked on Mafia 2 were founding members of Hangar 13, and we are still working very closely with 2K Czech for art and cinematics, among other things,” he says. Nonetheless, Blackman is quick to assure us that some of the previous games' staff is at Hangar 13, and that 2K Czech still has a role to play. Mafia 3 is hitting the shelves this week, and before the launch, Gadgets 360 spoke to Haden Blackman, Studio Head and Creative Director of developer Hangar 13, to find out more.įans of Mafia and its sequel would notice that 2K Czech - which was responsible for the first two games - is not helming development duties on Mafia 3. The latest game in the series, Mafia 3, looks promising, bringing a mix of real life settings, historical references, and depictions of gang life. Fun fact: India was one of the few countries to demand reorders of Mafia 2. However, that did little to quench its popularity. Although 2002’s Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven garnered critical acclaim and all-round praise, the sequel (released in 2010) was a lot more divisive.

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