Mafia II Developer Interview with 2K Czech

Last week we got the chance to ask Lead Designer at 2K Czech Jarek Kolar, the developer behind the highly anticipated Mafia II, a few questions about the upcoming 1940s & 50s open world game.

Mafia II will be released in Australia this Thursday, August 26, for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. MMGN has copies to give away on all three platforms. Click here for more info!

MMGN: We've heard that everything has been developed from scratch and that Mafia II is running on your own technology. Has this allowed you to do anything special that sets Mafia II apart from other open world games?

Jarek Kolar, Lead Designer on Mafia II: The Illusion Engine was developed from scratch after the original Mafia shipped, so we simultaneously developed the game for both consoles and PC. Historically, the studio was PC-led so this was a big shift for us in mindset as well as technology. In addition to cross-platform support, one of the main things that we wanted was a seamless streaming technology to enable the player to travel through the city without any loading. We also created bespoke technology to create cutscenes which allowed our animators to create over two hours of beautiful in-game cinematics.

The original Mafia is considered by many to be superior on the PC. Will this be the case with Mafia II, or will Xbox 360 and PS3 owners have an equal experience? Excluding DLC, are there any difference between the PC and consoles versions?

Jarek Kolar: With Mafia II our goal has been to achieve parity of quality across all platforms. The first game was a bit more superior on the PC and the console versions were developed later. However, this time around, we individually and simultaneously developed the game on all platforms, including the PC.

Mafia II takes the series from 1930 to the '40s with an entirely new storyline. Was this always the plan or were there ideas to continue with the same characters?

Jarek Kolar: Needless to say, the original Mafia game did not end well for most of the characters so we decided to start with an entirely new crew for the sequel as well as with a new storyline. We felt that the brand should expand into a new era while sticking to the same things that made the original Mafia great; a mob-movie storyline, intense action and a beautiful period setting. The 40’s and 50’s allowed us to bring in new elements such as architecture, clothing, more powerful cars and of course, rock and roll.

How did you go about re-creating 1940s & 1950s Empire Bay (based on New York)? Is it a realistic re-creation or just inspired by New York during that time period?

Jarek Kolar: We took inspiration from many iconic cities from those different periods of time. Mafia exists in a fictional America so we didn’t want the setting to be based exactly on anything from real life. New York was probably the biggest influence though, as Empire Bay is influenced by an East Coast US city. We sent a group of artists to America for a couple of months to take photos and soak up the vibe. Then, of course, we spent months digging into the archives looking at period design books, 1950’s crime novels, architectural references and period movies.

The first Mafia was very story-driven and offered less incentives to explore the world than games like GTA. Will Mafia II entice gamers to explore Empire Bay or will they be too immersed in the story?

Jarek Kolar: You can explore the city of Empire Bay and it’s a very beautiful environment for there are a lot of background details. The important thing about Empire Bay is that it is the backdrop for the story. We have a serious narrative with realistic characters and a lot of drama. We wanted the player to feel like they are living this story within this truly interactive city. We didn’t want the player to lark about like a crazy criminal, but rather feel like they are living the life of the main character.

Mafia II is centered around Vito Scaletta. Can you tell us a bit about him? What makes him a strong protagonist?

Jarek Kolar: As a child, Vito comes over to the US with his family where he grows up in Empire Bay’s Italian quarter. It is there that Vito realises that he isn’t going to get his slice of the American Dream unless he takes it for himself. With a chip on his shoulder, family problems, and a desire not to follow in his father’s footsteps Vito sees organised crime as his escape and chance to get the everything that he feels he deserves. The guy has strong motivations and realistic reasons for his actions and this is what makes his story so compelling.

Can you tell us about the vehicles in the game? What type of cars will we be able to take for a joyride and how easy will it be to carjack them?

Jarek Kolar: There are around 50 vintage vehicles in Mafia II, some of which are unique to the 40s and then a whole load of cool 1950s car models for later in the game. There are two handling models in the game, ‘Normal’ and ‘Simulation’. Since the hardcore fans of the original game loved the realistic driving behaviour of the 1930s cars we decided to include the simulation mode as well as the Normal mode. There are three different ways that you can steal cars: picking the locks, smashing the window or by doing a hold-up with a moving car. Picking the lock is a more stealthy way of stealing the car which is less likely to attract police attention. If you are in a rush, the smash-and-grab or hold up a moving car is quicker, but you will likely get some unwanted attention from the law or even the passenger.

What type of music can we expect to drive around listening to?

Jarek Kolar: Music is really a huge part of the experience. It is probably the most effective way of recreating the era in the minds of gamers. Rock and roll music immediately conjures up the colourful, vibrant and exciting experience of life in the 1950s. We have around 120 licensed tracks in the game that offer plenty of flavour for all music fans.

As a Czech development team, what was it like developing a game set in America? Not only did you gave to contend with a different time period, you had to develop a game based in an entirely different part of the world. What challenges did this present?

Jarek Kolar: To create a compelling game you need to have conflict and drama in the story, moreover you need to have a setting where you can apply your gameplay mechanics. The main gameplay features of the game are driving and shooting, which is set in a gangster themed game against an American mob backdrop; it’s very appealing. Our main reference points are iconic mob movies, the themes and style of which communicates easily across cultures. We had a lot of cultural advice from guys in the US, and they did a lot of work in tweaking the dialogue so it’s truly authentic. We put an incredible amount of effort into the attention to detail and the research in pre-production.

PS3 owners will be treated to "The Betrayal Of Jimmy" DLC as a free download from day one. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

Jarek Kolar: Our goal with the Jimmy DLC was to unveil the action in the city but in an arcade way. With this particular DLC, we are not focused on storytelling; it’s pure gameplay. The main game concentrates on logic, plausibility and atmosphere; however, we built a toolset that could support wilder city gameplay. Jimmy the Cleaner does the dirty work and he doesn’t ask for reasons to do it. Players can rack up scores and compare their achievements using online leaderboards, which in itself creates a lot of additional fun.

Is it too early to think about Mafia III?

Jarek Kolar: Right now we are busy working on DLC for Mafia II, we’ll think about new projects in good time :)

Thanks for talking to us!