#mafia iii stones unturned

[analogplaysgamessometimes]

Mafia III: Definitive Edition Review

CONTENT WARNING: The following review includes images and descriptions of fictionalized violence and blood. Additionally it includes mention and discussion of racist violence and racist terror organizations such as the KKK.

Mafia III (2016) Definitive Edition (2020)

Publisher: 2K

Developer: Hangar 13

Genres: Action-Adventure, Third Person Shooter

Platform: PlayStation 4

Medium: Digital

101 Hours 29 Minutes

7.6/10

The final game in the Mafia Trilogy, Mafia III, sees us take on the role of Lincoln Clay, a special operations Vietnam veteran. Returning home to New Bordeaux (this universe's New Orleans stand in) it doesn't take long for his world to be turned upside down when a job goes wrong and he's back stabbed. From that point on, the game is a quest for revenge on the people who took everything from you. Sounds pretty enticing right? So how'd it fall short?

Well we'll get there but you know I always prefer to start with the positives. First of all this game's use of its 60s era soundtrack is phenomenal. So many moments in this game are made 10 times better because of the music scoring them. Like a high speed boat chase scene through sewer tunnels set to Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf, or a massive shootout set to Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues. It's fantastic. Mafia III is at its strongest with its characters and plot lines. I genuinely cared about these people and what happened to them, I was rooting for them. Even the ones I didn't really like, we were on the same team. Lincoln as a protagonist was interesting and well written. His motivations stayed believable and easy to embody through the whole of the game's run time. He may be my favorite protagonist of any of the Mafia games. It doesn't hurt that he's quite handsome too, looks incredible in a suit vest.

Additionally the game's weapons sand box is much larger and, from what I could tell, largely historically accurate. This allowed for massively varied approaches to different situations I came across, even including suppressed weapons now that we're up into the 60s. Let me tell you, stealth in this game feels great. As an afterthought I'll add that I really enjoyed the way in which the game framed the story. The documentary style cutscenes with people talking about the events of the game after the fact was something I quite enjoyed. It served as a good tone setter for the significance of the things you did as you played.

With that being said I think where this game falls short, and it would seem many agree with me, is in the gameplay aspects. Firstly with driving, much of the nuance of the previous Mafia games was gone. No longer is there a speed limiter allowing for RP driving, nor will cops chase you for speeding. Cops no longer have varied responses to things in general, as they did in Mafia II, instead all piling on like GTA cops. I will admit that the previous point may be due to something I'll talk about later in this review, but even still it stands out as a lack of gameplay depth comparatively. Much of the combat feels overly difficult at times, not because of difficult enemies but because of hordes of them descending upon you. It was just easier to avoid open gunfights all together wherever possible. This coupled with the brutal checkpoint system (granted not as brutal as Mafia II's) led to some real moments of frustration.

I experienced a small handful of glitches and performance issues, the biggest of which being a handful of game crashes and my in game map (full and mini) glitching and becoming fully useless until I reset. Some other things I encountered that were less egregious were occasional texture pop ins and a few NPCs fully T-posing.

Now I would like to move on to my biggest criticism of Mafia III. It should be stated from here on out there will be discussions of historical racism and racist violence, if this is not to your comfort then I will mark the beginning and end of this segment with ** so it can be easily skipped.

**

I think Mafia III, plot wise, is actually a strong entry. A major theme of all the Mafia games has been racism and America's relationship to it. In the first game it was exploring how racism and prejudice against immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries led to the mob forming in America and becoming as powerful as it was. In the second it peels back the rose tinted glasses white folk gaze at the 40s and 50s through to show how deeply racist and difficult times they were for anyone who was maybe even just the wrong type of white. In the third it examines and comments on the life of black folk in the deep south during the late 60s, an era where segregation was still strongly enforced despite having been repealed federally, and the area in which they lived was (and still is in many ways) deeply racist. They go so far as to give the series its first black protagonist to explore this more fully. Their commentary is not particularly nuanced, but here are two things I think really bring it down. This is a Mafia game. A game about committing violent crime and suffering next to no repercussions for it. As Lincoln Clay, you are a big scary man with a gun in a video game about crime. No one can tell you not to enter their business, you will simply do it anyway and beat the shit out of them or even murder them and will suffer no repercussions for this. They cannot attempt to lynch you, you are a big scary man with a gun in a video game about crime who's basically a walking, talking, living, breathing tank who will again suffer no repercussions for what you do. It's like trying to tell the Payday Gang to not rob a bank.

While this is a great power fantasy, a wonderful revenge fantasy, it really cheapens the stress and anger and frustration that a real black man in this time and place would have experienced in Lincoln's shoes, thus (in my opinion) somewhat cheapening the commentary.

I walk into a whites only business and the worst that happens (assuming I don't immediately deck the clerk, again suffering little to no repercussions), is that the clerk waves their fist at me and goes "why I oughta! Imma call the cops iffin' you don't leave!" And the situation is always easily defused by leaving or otherwise "incapacitating" said clerk. 

Secondly, they go really hard in the paint in some places. The slurs, including hard R N-words, are thrown freely and with reckless abandon and the depiction of violent racism is depressingly accurate and also frequent. This goes so far as to even set one of the DLC in a sundown town (if you dont know what that is, educate yourself). But, for some fucking reason, they won't call the Ku Klux Klan the Ku Klux Klan. They're the "Southern Union."

Even though they dress and are organized and behave exactly like the KKK. Don't get it twisted. They're the Southern Union for suuuure! I am strongly of the belief that when you are depicting something like this in history, it is important not to omit things for the comfort of a modern audience. It should make them uncomfortable. That's what gets the point across that these things are wrong and can't be allowed to continue or happen again. Changing something's name or the symbolism behind it can make it easier for there to be a disconnect in the audience's head from what's being depicted in media and what really happened or is actively happening.

I would like to say that all of this is written from the perspective of a white man, so it may not be my place to speak on these matters at all, but I felt that given the story Mafia III was trying to tell, it was important to mention. My point is that I could see where Mafia III was going and in some ways it succeeded, but I don't think it succeeded as much as it could have.

**

Mafia III: Sign of the Times (2017)

The first DLC I played for Mafia III, Sign of the Times, follows Lincoln and Father James as they investigate a cult after saving a girl named Anna from a grizzly fate at their hands.

All in all it was a neat experience but I felt it was the weakest of the three DLC. While the crime scene investigations were very cool, and there were moments that made Mafia III feel more akin to something out of a survival horror game, it ultimately fell flat. The rather generic, spooky drugged up cult that comprises the DLC's primary antagonists is largely to blame for this.

It does introduce a few characters I adore, like Oscar, and gives you a way in which to renovate and restore Sammy's Bar which is delightful. Those positives are immediately countered, however, by the fact that the one character we're really supposed to care about, Anna, is poorly written. She did not have the on screen chemistry with Lincoln the game tries to push on the audience, leading to it feeling forced. There's no real point or benefit to renovating Sammy's, either, except having a nicer looking home base.

Mafia III: Faster, Baby! (2017)

The second DLC I played, Faster, Baby!, sees Lincoln assisting the Voice and his daughter Roxy build a case against the head pig of a sundown town just outside New Bordeaux's city limits. This DLC honestly goes really hard and may be my favorite of the three.

It's just dumb fucking fun. It primarily consists of driving around as fast as possible, tearing Sinclair Parish down to its foundations and killing racist cops. The antagonist, Sheriff Walter Beaumont, is a shit eating scumbag who I hated from the very moment he walked on screen and continued to hate and want to destroy until the moment I kicked his teeth in at the DLC's conclusion. Roxy and Lincoln have fantastic chemistry and I can't think of a character I would have rathered he had a romance scene with. Also you have a massive gunfight with the Klan on a burning weed farm set to Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones and if that's not enough for you, I don't know what is.

In all seriousness though, I think my only complaints about this DLC is that it reuses mission types and that building up your grow operation is tedious and repetitive. Otherwise it's great!

Mafia III: Stones Unturned (2017)

The last of Mafia III's DLC, Stones Unturned, sees Lincoln and his friend and CIA contact, Donovan, rekindle their roles as covert operatives for the US government. This DLC involves a jungle, the Witness Protection Program, PMCs, .50 caliber machine guns, clandestine CIA operations, and nuclear weapons. What more could you ask for?

I honestly don't have much more to say about this one, it was a fun romp but not as notable as Faster, Baby! I will say, you get some drippy as fuck tac gear from it though.

Mafia III is, in my opinion, a genuinely strong entry into the Mafia franchise, probably one of my favorites. With DLC leagues better than any that II had to offer and arguably my favorite protagonist in the series, I recommend it even to people who haven't played the other Mafia games. I will caution you however to only do so if you're OK with letting a game coast off its characters and story for 100+ hours, and not its gameplay loop. I'm eager to see what Hangar 13 cooks up for Mafia IV! In the meantime, come on down to the French Ward!

[funky-gobbo-art]

Trans!Donovan

I wanna share finally this really cringey au I made for Mafia 3 but I think I need to start with my trans!Donovan headcanon. I know I made a big headcanon note post here a while back but some little things changed since then. I'm way more open with headcanoning John as a homosexual man, and for a bit now I've also been seeing him as a trans man as well, mostly cause THIS post was the start of some brain worms.

So, most of my main headcanons are still in place: Born in the Southwestern part of PA, a November Scorpio, has autism and also BPD, parents are Irish immigrants, has 2 older brothers. Father is a WW2 vet, oldest brother fought in the Korean War, middle brother is a baseball player. Very Catholic upbringing, both parents were devout, were working class but dad got successful in either mining or steel based production.

Big change is that I think the oldest brother should die overseas in the Korean War, but he was the favorite in the family and his death made things even more tense.

Now for the trans specific stuff:

(Disclaimer: I'm very aware how difficult it would be for a trans man in this era to do ANY of this stuff.)

Born female, deadname was "Jacqueline" but got called "Jackie" a lot, despite being raised female in the 30's-40's, he still has his nosey personality, eavesdropped a lot. Still got into technology like messing with radios and phones, which would get him in trouble a lot. Was considered a nerd with his interest in tech, politics and history.

Had a habit of stealing his middle brothers clothes a lot, which didn't bother him, since they got along during this time.

Mom would dress him up a lot, especially for church, which John hated but had to take it for most of his childhood. Since he was socialized female, his mother would constantly make comments on his body and how he dressed himself, once he became a preteen and started highschool, she would start shaming him for even saying "Hi" to another boy.

Went to Catholic schools until he graduated. Was a hard kid to get along with but he was very smart and had great grades, even picking up of foreign languages very fast (got that USEFUL autism lol). Nuns did not like him especially in his later teens because he started openly questioning the religion and pointing on contradictions in the Bible.

Speaking of his teens: that's when he started to think more about his gender and while he was about 16/17, he started transitioning discreetly, even at a young age he was good at making shady connections.

Since binders and sports-bras didn't exist yet, he unfortunately went through most of his teens and 20s binding with bandages, or wearing a lot of layers.

He graduated highschool at 17 and was miraculously able to get in Princeton University, despite them not letting in female students yet. John used his dads connections and submitted an application under their noses and didn't let his parents know the finer details of it.

Since his own shady connections he was able to change up his legal documents so he can present them at the University to show them that he's a man.

Eventually he graduated and was recruited into the C.I.A. They did not know he was a FTM transgendered man, and never found out.

The only people that did know about his identity were, in order: the person that got him hormones and changed his documents, a friend thats a doctor that works for the C.I.A, Connor Aldridge, Robert Marshall, Jackie Grimaldi, Gary (helicopter pilot), and finally Lincoln Clay.

Speaking of Aldridge, in John's early days in the Agency he had to work under him, and since Connor was his mentor, he started trusting him a lot during their time together in Guatemala.

Obviously it ended really badly as seen in Stones Unturned, but this was the first time John really came out to someone officially and this shortly lead to him and Connor having a relationship behind the scenes.

After this everything goes from my trans headcanon to my Cringe AU, so I'll wrap this up here:

Is AFAB and started fully identifying as a man in his mid-late teens.

Binded with layered clothing and bandages. Takes Testosterone injections.

Got top surgery in Vietnam from a South Vietnam allied doctor. Claimed he got ambushed in the country and needed surgery when he's asked from superiors.

Cut contact with family during Princeton years. Cannot face them these days at all.

Liked boys when he was younger which his mom didn't like, still likes men now in a way a lot of people wouldn't like. But he doesn't care lol.

Hormones still won't let him grow facial hair.

Don't worry about the things that don't make sense :)

If you have any problems with this and think I'm weird, I understand but also 👇👇👇

Stay tuned for the Cringe AU which is gonna get a lot worse :3

[mafia-iii]

There Are No Dominos || Stones Unturned

[imwritesometimes]

when there was only one set of footprints, that's when the mafia III stones unturned DLC carried me

[sumsarem]

where all my connor aldridge apologists at !!!!

[the-dark-abyss]

I know in M3 when people get hurt in game they get all bloody.

But I know before we entered this building all the enemies were dealt with and Donovan's character model looked normal.

Though I turned around when we got in and uhhh

Why he look like that??

Why are his eyes black??

Perfect for Halloween i guess cause this was spooky af.

[bettycanavosio]

have encountered two pieces of media where one character is absolutely fucking obsessed with jfk and they could not be more distant in genre theme or age rating

[rottingmanifesto]

John (derogatory)

6 and 21 for Donovan (because I’ve never seen you talk about him)

i don’t think i have talked about him but.  oh boy he sure is a little guy

6 - vices, physical or emotional: cigarettes for sure, holding grudges, staying up way too late, repression.  lying about things he doesn’t even need to lie about, he just does it to throw people off.  idk if this counts as a vice but despite all his complaining about southern food i feel like this man has some truly bizarre food preferences himself–dipping pickles in peanut butter this is inspired by searching “pickles and” to see what the first autofill was, putting things in ice cream that shouldn’t be in ice cream, shit like that–and he doesn’t see anything weird about it either.  running his mouth off for no fucking reason.  probably porn tbh i get the vibe donovan’s like...weirdly horny but he’s just lowkey about it

21 - turning points in their life: i’m not finished with the game so there’s probably stuff i’m missing, but definitely joining the cia, his first ever kill, and getting that call about what had happened to lincoln.  hell, even meeting lincoln to begin with–i think that changed him, perhaps for the better, perhaps for the worse, perhaps for both.  hard to say.

[dropped-the-soap]

it's only after years and slow playing of Mafia III that i finally came to the conclusion of 'man, Lincoln would be fun to hang out with'

i am finally appreciating the humor in his tone of voice, that genuine smile he shows only rarely and that reminds me that he is younger than me, i like his interactions with Nicki probably the most, he is gentle and understanding with her.

i did think of him as this killing machine with no personality (very original of me) when he first showed up because the game's repetitiveness got on my nerves, and the interactions aside killing all those people were kinda rare and usually with that straightforward attitude of "let's work together, but i will kill you if i have to"

not to sound like i blame a man who lost his entire family, like i blame him for not being a sunshine, but at first i missed paulie & tommy (sorry sam) and vito & joe (sorry henry) dynamic so much that i simply couldn't forgive the game

(i like companions, okay?? i like missions with friends, shooting idiotic remarks between each other, bickering in the car and such. hell, how do i blame a man who just lost everyone that he has nobody to do missions with? i did anyway.)

i mean i saw him with Ellis and Giorgi and Danny, and that was some mom friend dynamic right there, but it was too soon for me to truly grow fond of him, and worse, it was over too soon. so i was left with the little bits amidst the chaos and bloodlust and brutality. only with those bits i picked up the feeling that guy would be so chill otherwise. he is, with friends, with people he trusts or has no reason to tiptoe around, in those rare moments when he talks about something different than his Mission(tm)

also i suspect it's the lack of a normal apartment and sleeping and eating (even if only in cutscenes) or someone who would comment on his eating/sleeping habits that made me think of him as a machine. also the fact that he had become the hunter early on, i wasn't scared for him or playing as him, he was an unstoppable one-man force who never really fucked up or ended up covered in shit (where is the fun in perfectly planned and executed missions??) did both previous games need their own John Donovan? this is cheating, Lincoln, don't we all need a little bit of Henry in our lives

when i saw that Donovan is a genuine friend, i was relieved. although Lincoln does talk about him in his 'journal' as if he didn't doubt John would come to help him only because John cannot refuse or resist a chance to stir some shit

which is funny and true but also like

my man. my dude. Donovan dropped everything and went to sit by your bedside. bitch that is love. he had literally no agenda in that city aside from Lincoln's plan to bring every mobster down

so even though the stones unturned could have been better in my opinion (like it could answer the questions it raised in the first place), i was very happy to have one (albeit a big dlc shaped one) mission with a companion. that's how desperately i want these pixel men to have friends

and the banter in the dlc helped me, finally, to see Lincoln as a man i would go for ice cream with

[capsulecomputers]

Mafia III Stones Unturned DLC Trailer

[demifiendrsa]

Mafia: Definitive Edition - Teaser Trailer

Mafia II: Definitive Edition - Official Launch Trailer

Mafia III: Definitive Edition - Official Launch Trailer

Mafia Trilogy box art

Mafia: Definitive Edition will launch for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, and Stadia on August 28. Mafia: Definitive Edition will only be available standalone as a digital release for $39.99, while Mafia: Trilogy is available now digitally for $59.99 and will launch in a physical edition on August 28. (Users who purchase the digital version of Mafia: Trilogy will receive Mafia: Definitive Edition upon release.) More information on Mafia: Definitive Edition will be announced at the PC Gaming Show on June 6.

Both Mafia II: Definitive Edition and Mafia III: Definitive Edition are available now digitally for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam for $29.99 each, with Epic Games Store and Stadia launches planned for a later date. All existing owners of Mafia II on Steam will be upgraded to Mafia II: Definitive Edition, while all existing owners of Mafia III on all platforms will be upgraded to Mafia III: Definitive Edition.

Pre-orders for Mafia: Definitive Edition include “The Chicago Outfit” downloadable content pack, which includes “The Don” exclusive player outfit, “Smith V12 Limousine” exclusive vehicle, and “Gold Semi-Automatic” exclusive weapon skin.

Additionally, users who sign up for a 2K Account will unlock the following bonus items for each game:

Mafia: Definitive Edition – “Black Cats Motorcycle Pack”

Mafia II: Definitive Edition – “Made Man Pack”

Mafia III: Definitive Edition – “Classico Three-piece Suit” and “IL Duca Revolver”

“The original Mafia made such a lasting impact on how video games can tell serious stories, and we know how much the series’ fans still revere it,” said Hangar 13 president and chief corporate officer Haden Blackman in a press release. “Nearly 20 years after the Mafia series started, we now have an amazing opportunity to introduce this beloved game to a new generation of players and give longtime fans a chance to relive Tommy’s story with a stellar modern presentation, as well as new story elements and gameplay features.”

Overview

Mafia: Definitive Edition

About

Part one of the Mafia crime saga—1930s, Lost Heaven, Illinois.

Re-made from the ground up with a new game engine, an updated script, new cutscenes, additional gameplay sequences, and more, you’ll rise through the ranks of the Italian Mafia during the Prohibition era of organized crime. After a run-in with the mob, cab driver Tommy Angelo is thrust into a deadly underworld. Initially uneasy about falling in with the Salieri crime family, Tommy soon finds that some rewards are too big to pass up.

Key Features

Remade Classic – Faithfully recreated from the ground up, with a new game engine, expanded story, new and refined modern gameplay features, re-recorded orchestral score, and more. This is the Mafia you remember, only much more.

Play a Mob Movie – Live the life of a Prohibition-era gangster and rise through the ranks of the Mafia in a cinematic experience, with new story elements like a revised script, brand new cutscenes, and re-recorded voice acting.

Lost Heaven, Illinois – Recreated 1930s cityscape filled with interwar architecture, cars, and culture to see, hear, and interact with.

Own Mafia: Definitive Edition to unlock Tommy’s Suit and Cab in both Mafia II: Definitive Edition and Mafia III: Definitive Edition.

Mafia II: Definitive Edition

About

Part two of the Mafia crime saga—1940s to 50s Empire Bay, New York.

Remastered in stunning HD and available for the first time on current generation consoles, live the life of a gangster during a legendary era of organized crime. War hero Vito Scaletta becomes entangled with the mob in hopes of paying his father’s debts. Alongside his buddy Joe, Vito works to prove himself, climbing the family ladder in pursuit of greater status and reward. But with each new risk comes even heavier consequence…

Key Features

The Complete and Remastered Favorite – For the first-time ever, experience the Mafia II crime drama all in one package and presented in stunning completely remastered 4K compatible graphical detail.

Experience a Legendary Era – Inspired by iconic Mafia dramas, be immersed in the dangerous allure of life as a wise guy.

Empire Bay, New York – Post-World War II Empire Bay is a sprawling city where organized crime thrives on the booming industries of post-war America.

All Downloadable Content Included – Mafia II: Definitive Edition includes all three previously released Mafia II campaign add-ons, as well as all Clothing and Vehicle Packs.

Campaign Add-ons – “The Betrayal of Jimmy,” “Jimmy’s Vendetta,” and “Joe’s Adventures.”

Clothing and Vehicle Packs – “Vegas Pack,” “War Hero Pack,” “Renegade Pack,” and “Greaser Pack.”

Own Mafia II: Definitive Edition to unlock Vito’s Leather Jacket and Car in both Mafia: Definitive Edition and Mafia III: Definitive Edition.

Mafia III: Definitive Edition

About

Part three of the Mafia crime saga—1968, New Bordeaux, LA.

After years of combat in Vietnam, Lincoln Clay knows this truth: family isn’t who you’re born with, it’s who you die for. When his surrogate family is wiped out by the Italian Mafia, Lincoln builds a new family and blazes a path of military-grade revenge through the Mafioso responsible.

Key Features

A Lethal Anti-Hero – Be Lincoln Clay, orphan and Vietnam veteran hell-bent on revenge for the deaths of his surrogate family.

Revenge Your Way – Choose your own play-style: brute force, blazing guns, or stalk-and-kill tactics.

A New Family on the Ashes of the Old – Build a new criminal empire your way by deciding which lieutenants you reward, and which you betray.

New Bordeaux, a Reimagined New Orleans – A vast world ruled by the mob and detailed with the sights and sounds of the era.

All Downloadable Content Included – The “Mafia III: Definitive Edition Content Pack” is available as a free add-on download and includes all three previously released Mafia III campaign add-ons, as well as all weapons and vehicle packs.

Campaign Add-ons – “Faster Baby,” “Stones Unturned,” and “Sign of the Times.”

Clothing and Vehicle Packs – “Family Kick-Back Pack” and “Judge, Jury, Executioner Pack.”

Own Mafia III: Definitive Edition to unlock Lincoln’s Army Jacket and Car in both Mafia: Definitive Edition and Mafia II: Definitive Edition.

[sirworryalot]

You kind of read my mind with this, and there's honestly so much little details that I'm tempted to mention, like Lincoln instantly recognizing when Donovan is upset about something by the fidgeting he does with his scarred hand, or the fact that Donovan is so protective in a sense of Lincoln and anyone making him feel any more guilty than he already does (which is plenty) that he's willing to dig dirt on father James's past despite knowing Lincoln himself wouldn't like it, in an effort to lift the blame off Lincoln; among so many other things the writers sneaked in that I could be rambling for a while if I let myself, but I think that in itself is kind of telling of just how much there is to them and their dynamic.

I know that after years of the game's release the demand for it has dwindled down to basically one or two people but I can't be the only one who has weirdly strong feelings about Donovan and Lincoln from Mafia III. The writers did not need to go that hard on their relationship and they did anyways.

[funky-gobbo-art]

If I didn't who would?

Redraw of this lol

[mafia-iii]

There Are No Dominos || Stones Unturned

[playmoregames-de]

Die Verantwortlichen von 2K Games und Hangar 13 veröffentlichten heute Abend die zweite Erweiterung namens „Stones Unturned“ für den hauseigenen Titel „Mafia 3“. So könnt ihr die neue Erweiterung für die PlayStation 4, Xbox One und den PC herunterladen. Zudem wurde ein offizieller Launch-Trailer herausgebracht. Wir wünschen euch viel Spaß!

[pattern-53-enfield]

replaying Mafia III, forgot about the DLCs and had thoughts on wasted potential

the whole game is wasted potential, honestly, but the DLCs, especially the Signs of the Times one, feel incredibly rushed and half-baked.

SotT sorta feels like it wants to have aspects of Manson but doesn’t want evil hippies, so we have basically a reskinned KKK analogue that takes a lot of LSD. It would have been much more interesting to explore the dark aspects of the hippy movement and how it was preyed upon by manipulators like Manson or Jim Jones or David Berg. 

Faster Baby! is clearly wanting to do the Hal Needham/Blaxploitation feel with a grim bent, but again its all so neatly wrapped up in no time at all with no effect on the wider world that it feels extremely out of place. Having the racist sheriff shoot a black activist unfortunately ends up feeling mundane compared to some of the truly awful shit the police get up to in the main game.

Stones Unturned is the most complete-feeling DLC and is also the best because we get more John Donovan, but also stumbles past having any sort of commentary on the Vietnam War and the machinations of the US intelligence apparatus in favor of everything having no loose ends or affect on the wider world.

Which all sums up the game for me. Excellent ideas and situations where there could be real exploration of that time and place, undone by the AAA game industry’s obsession with a simpering attempt to play both sides.