I'm not claiming that all the criticisms of Mafia 3 are misguided, but after much thought on whether or not Mafia 3 is a good or bad game, I feel that it's somewhat misunderstood and can offer a lot of enjoyment if you can forgive it for its obvious flaws. Make no mistake - Mafia 3 didn't include most of the simulation features that made Mafia 2 remarkable - and the strong storyline which grounded Mafia 2 is replaced with one that's spare and sprawling. More than this the gameplay in Mafia 3 is super derivative and can be laughably buggy as pedestrians leap under your tires and other chaos ensues. For me, however, there's something irresistible about this experience and it owes a lot to the setting, the lighting, and the level design - the game is capable of striking a certain chord and for that reason it feels like it's doing something new in gaming. When you look at the genesis of this genre - that of 'linear carjacking crime story with open world elements' - Mafia 3 could very well be the best entry ever... albeit having a lot of problems. Hanger 13 was underwhelmed with the success of Mafia 3 - but it seems they did aim quite high and did at least achieve something interesting and unique. It's worth trying, especially at what it's currently selling for.
I first became aware of Tanglewood when watching this video at Computerphile about Matt Phillips' Genesis development system - you've got to admire this type of project and what it takes to develop in raw assembly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH94fKtGr0M The feel of the game is instantly familiar to anyone who grew up with Genesis, and I can't help but wonder how much of a hit it would've been if it came out in thee 90s for the art and mood of the game alone. It's a very relaxing experience that relies on classic gameplay and art style while showing you some things that the classics never did. As a game it's highly satisfying, and I also feel that the purchase is further justified to support homebrew culture. It's awesome!
