There is a noticeable wave of second chance vidoes and articles around this game now.
This is what convinced me to try it out after hearing those launch horror-stories of bugs, technical issues and shallow mission design.

But hey, this isn't my review of M3, this is a guide of improvements this game did from M1 and M2.

I'm a fan of the series, and especially Mafia II, but c'mon guys, through the nostalgia filters/goggles there are flaws that slipped through the cracks.

Also I guess Mafia: Lost Heaven is kind of like A Link to the Past. Old-school and it shows.
So be prepared for me to maybe rip on it. Though, this is more of an M2 comparision.

As much as the districts are critized, they do, in my opinion, fix one of the most consistent trappings of both M1 and M2:
50%-60% of every chapter kinda consisted of having to drive to opposite sides of the map.
(It's hard recalling on the top of your gead, but it's more obvious in M2's DLC campaings, where after driving, you aren't rewarded with a cinematic or dialogue afterwards.)
The district approach was focused on, well- a district, and it streamlined the process of getting to the next story cinematic. But with some surprises and twists to your expectations along the way.
I feel like the reputation of M3's missions was way overblown, mates.

I feel like this point really sums up why I fell in love with this game after having the radio features opened up to you. Player fun is priotized and waiting is kept to an absolute minimum.







So yeah, a very noticable difference in playing these games back-to-back is that cars arent nearly as fragile. A car's lights aren't broken after you simply look at the 'em the wrong way an-- *headlights break*
M1 and M2's headlights break at the drop of a hat. Load a mission up and see how long you last. I'll give you 10 minutes.
The issue of getting repaired cars is nullified through certain story checkpoints and the vehicle service (Repairing 1 headlight at a M2 bodyshop is $48.)



A big praise in general would be making the money-system fun again for the first time since M1 in that money isn't an active hinderance. Mostly cause M1 only had a money system in it's 'Free Ride'.
Meanwhile I've had Mafia II on occasion, lock me out of story progression because my pockets were too depleted. (From repairs, clothes, cop-bribing, etc) And thusly directing you with a small message that you need some neccesary grinding. -- What is this, a Hydlide game!?

You can die easily and quickly.
.


Sometimes while actually playing correctly:

• A car on the highway switches lanes
  
• you are collisioned off through the guard-railing
  
• ded.
  
• Hope you didn't freeroam for 2 hours. Collecting + tuning, collecting cars and farming money ar Mike's beast

And no, easier difficulies don't save you from that


You can only trigger autosaves from a story checkpoint.
Or at a mission marker in the dlc campaigns.
I don't think I need to explain why this isn't very good.

Mafia III did away with this completely, and this definitively deserves some recognition. (Storing cash through your radio, and respawns not resetting any district take-down progress)

A small fix they reworked is how regenerating health was handeled.
So remember when you went out of you way to refill your health all the way up in M2?
Well of course you didn't, since the amount of health you regen up to makes the food system completely neglible. And guess what, Mafia III gives us a fix.

A full lifebar isn't a neausence and really out of your way + easily ignorable

Also you build up

• Linoln's abilities, like stamina, alongside increasing maximum health
  
• Vehicle upgrades, customise cars with parts from racing tourneys
  
• equipment amounts to carry, like proximity mines, granades, throwing knifes
  
• weapon upgrades for the subclasses, shotgun, automatic, rifle, handgun, with things like stability, reload speed and capacity

Also getting underboss-related upgrades like the 'inside man' perk can drastically change how you approach combat sitiuations. (It acting as an 'always with you' and pre-tapped junction box)
On
a side note, in missions from both M1 & M2 where I've managed to lose sight of the enemies required to defeat to progess. In corners and vertically. I just want to praise the intel view feature in general,

And also keeping encounters fresh is the encouragement of experimentation, letting me further try to downplay those 'overly shallow and repetetive' critiques.

Gets me every time. :3

And to wrap my lists of praise up I want applaud how they've modernized the collectible-gathering.
Wiretapping the world. And it's a pretty filled world, and filling the world up with wiretapped city-blocks really pleases me as a collect-a-thon veteran. It's also slightly affects the other aspects of gameplay, like allowing you to recruit a racket boss over to your side, which can then boost income.

Also, the 'just watch the story' argument.
While I can respect that, I'd say you miss out on the large, detailed, immersive world and city. The world, man.

But also, the best part of the game:
The best radio in the series. - You'll most likely (want to) listen to it alot.
That 10/10 soundtrack, and how the shows will react to / foreshadow story events (or if you've caused a huge cop chase)


Through my 5 playthroughs of M3 (If you know a game well, you might as well do a guide) I've noted that the district sitdowns have, like, 4 times more path-layered and dynamic dialogue written for it than you would have thought it had.

I like streamlining

Well anyhow, I guess Vito himself liked this stuff and Lincoln as a character.
Take all that as you will.