The official Mafia 3 Twitter channel releases new concept art for the sixties-based sequel, showcasing the title’s various intriguing in-game environments.
Although far from the top dog of the open-world genre, the Mafia franchise has gained a strong cult following over the years since the first game’s 2002 release. This year will see the launch of another Mafia game, in the form of Mafia 3. Now, those looking forward to Mafia 3 can get a glimpse at what developer Hangar 13 has in mind through some fantastic concept art.
The official Mafia 3 Twitter account has been sporadically uploading concept art over recent weeks, incrementally unveiling more and more of the game’s environments. The art itself showcases exactly how varied the setting of Mafia 3 will be, with the pictures revealing everything from the bayou to the city streets of New Orleans. It’s bound to get fans of the franchise excited about exactly where Hangar 13 is going to take the series.
Of course, since this is only concept art, those expecting Mafia 3 to look exactly as the artwork shows are bound to be disappointed. Nonetheless, it’s certainly interesting to see the studio’s process in action, and the various potential locations of the game are definitely positive signs for the title. If Mafia 3 ends up as impressive as this gorgeous concept art shows, or as fun as early gameplay footage suggests, players are in for a quality game.
As the concept art shows, Mafia 3 is looking likely to be a very separate experience from the previous games in the franchise. Whilst Mafia and Mafia 2 were set in the 1930s and 1940s respectively, Mafia 3 is choosing a very different route, moving the franchise to the deep south in 1968. Taking on the role of Lincoln Clay, a mixed-race Vietnam War veteran, Hangar 13 is planning to explore themes of racism and prejudice through the open-world title.
So far, there is little known about the exact shape of Mafia 3. The game was initially revealed just before Gamescom 2015, with Hangar 13 following up with a cinematic trailer. Due to a release date leak, the title is expected to launch at some point after Spring 2016 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, but as of yet no official release date has been set.
Although Mafia 3 has plenty of anticipation surround it, the Mafia games have often fallen short when they eventually see release. The first Mafia was strong on PC but had poor console ports, whilst Mafia 2 suffered from a lack of quality content behind the polish. Up to now, however, all signs are good that Mafia 3 is going to turn out to be something special. Let’s hope that Hangar 13 can deliver on that promise.
Mafia 3 is expected to release for PC, PS4, and Xbox One at some point after Spring 2016.