Lincoln isn’t just mistreated by mobsters; he’s despised by most of the people he’s up against, and even society as a whole, reviled and demonized for the color of his skin. This adds another layer of righteousness and fury to the anger that drives his crusade.
In general, the plot of “Mafia 3” is full of promise that the game’s structure rarely delivers on. Its characters are sharply written, smart and easily relatable.
Lincoln Clay is a likable protagonist and he interacts with a wide cast of interesting friends, such as Father James, a priest torn between helping Clay and chiding him for the terror he’s causing. Even bad guys, such as the goofy, glad-handing “Uncle” Lou Marcano are a lot of fun to watch in cutscenes.
The problem comes packed into the very DNA of the actual game portion of “Mafia 3.” Developer Hangar 13 has built a world and characters that gamers wanted to spend time with, but there’s only really two ways to interact with them: shooting and driving.
“Mafia 3” also focused on racism and the game aims to deliver a legitimately powerful history lesson with its story instead of a mere gunplay romp through New Bordeaux.
The game is powerful and its graphics are in its finest moments. The story wades into racism both subtle and overt, attentive and thoughtful to that subject matter.