Mafia II draws players into the dark and ruthless world of the mafia with its gripping story. The fiction is enhanced by a sophisticated atmosphere evoking the period. With an unusual degree of care, period realities such as clothing, cars, music and advertising as they were known in America in the 1940s and 1950s are used. The player easily succumbs to the game's spectacle in the style of Hollywood blockbusters and believes in the characters moving around in a bustling city. Combining wild gunfights, fast driving and a narrative, Mafia II becomes the most compelling game ever released. An American of Italian origin, Vito, the son of a poor immigrant, is trying to escape the life of poverty that he has had to endure throughout his childhood. Vito, together with his longtime friend Joe, embark on a journey of organized crime. Eager to escape the daily grind of his father's life, Vito dreams of working his way up the ranks and, together with Joe, showing the mob what they're made of and trying to make a name for themselves on the streets. But the two friends soon discover that such a life isn't as wonderful as they first thought.