Why? It's basically franchise feature by now, been as feature since Mafia 1.
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
No Mafia III Review Copies Ahead of Launch
- Thread starter SunBroDave
- Start date
Why? It's basically franchise feature by now, been as feature since Mafia 1.
Shift Breaker
Member
This would explain why the UK TV Ad has "Not actual gameplay" on the bottom of the screen when car chases look like they use in-game graphics.
Hierophant
Banned
honestly just expecting solid 7-8s and 3-4 star reviews, if it hits that for me it'll be fine
Lashley
Why does he wear the mask!?
Hopefully it runs well on PC
Obscuritas
Member
mercenar1e
Member
i bought the PC version for $30 a few months back so im not too concerned.
Explain it how? There is tons of gameplay footage available for you right now.
FairXchange
Member
Just pre-ordered this game, I don't share an affinity with reviewers who want to "review" (see: play) a game before launch. The previews and footage I've seen looks great, so I'm not worried about somebody else being inconvenienced about having to make a review after a game launches. In fact maybe all reviews should work this way? If a game were critically panned, why send it out to die to a legion of critical reviewers who are going to possibly steer people away who may have actually liked it?
Probably, which is okay by me. I just don't need it on day one and will enjoy it even more down the road after I get it on the cheap.
VibratingDonkey
Member
The chance of saving money is the only reason for ever agreeing to the risks of pre-ordering. But I never check up on prices after I've received the code. Gonna follow Mafia III's price development for a while, see if I actually benefit from jumping on them GMG deals.
Got the Shakes
Member
Eh. I always thought there was a chance that this game was a bit of a mess at launch, but I bought it from cdkeys for like $35 and wanted something new to play on my new 1070.
careless mango
Member
If "fun" is one of the box quotes it's a huge red flag.
GTA 5
Besthelboy
Banned
So that consumers are well informed about the status of the product and whether or not it's worth their money. Pre release reviews and impressions are a great way for the consumer to be able to see whether or not they should buy the game on release. If a game was critically panned, it would mean that the game simply wasn't at a certain standard, and protecting consumers from bad, buggy or unfinished games is something that we should be pushing for, rather than against.
game already when up 5 bucks on cdkeys since last week
Monochromaticx
Member
Hmm
I am going to stay optimistic and hope it turns out well and gets great reviews.
I am going to stay optimistic and hope it turns out well and gets great reviews.
CrichtonKicks
Member
2K Czech only provided an assist. This is developed by Hangar 13.
GabeTheGrouch76
Member
Lack of review copies is eyebrow-raising enough, but the fact that this is studio Hangar 13's very first project since they were established back in 2014 especially doesn't help the game's case.
Whether the game will suck or be great is still yet to be seen, but IMO it's not a great outlook.
Whether the game will suck or be great is still yet to be seen, but IMO it's not a great outlook.
jank is a feature now
Chinese Cartoons
Banned
Gaf impression is hype for few days then complaining.
It works as good consequence for playing some wannabe bulletsponge Rambo. You have to pick you shots and you can't run into middle of parkinglot while mowing down waves of enemies like you can in GTA's. At least something has been kept from original Mafia that made it different from GTA games.
You say jank, I say intentional feature.
Because the honeymoon wears off. Good games dont have that problem.
bonesmccoy
Banned
The problem isn't really the lack of review copies (though it is a little worrying), it's that it just doesn't look that good.
Just wait a week or so at launch and it'll drop down.
Just wait a week or so at launch and it'll drop down.
Lashley
Why does he wear the mask!?
Pretty sure reviews hit a week before?
All games have that problem.
Can't say I agree at all, if anything it looks pretty damn fuckin good to me. However we shall see but the hours of footage available has told me plenty. I just hope it isn't buggy as hell, a bit of jank I can handle though.
Blackleg-sanji1
Banned
Its happened with several good games so yea first poster was right
I honestly don't get why people still go blind into games without previews/reviews and preorder them.
Take Civ 6 for example, they gave an "early" (it's only 20 days away) version to streamers and youtubers and let them do what they want. I see why you get this on day one.
But there is no way I preorder a game that nobody played without NDAs and restrictions before telling me what to expect.
Take Civ 6 for example, they gave an "early" (it's only 20 days away) version to streamers and youtubers and let them do what they want. I see why you get this on day one.
But there is no way I preorder a game that nobody played without NDAs and restrictions before telling me what to expect.
This is a joke post right?
Like there is a reason a product gets bad reviews. Its a bad product.
You know why previews and pre-release footage usually looks awesome for any game? Because it is all controlled by PR and embargo.
You should never be against somethings that give the consumer the most amount of information.
In fact, lets take your overly negative example, if a product is getting a lot of negative reviews, and you were initially interested before it shouldn't steer you away, but it should make you investigate more and ask questions. Like, why is this getting panned? Are these reasons important to me? Etc etc.
Instead of trying to paint the reviewing press as something bad, actually realize what it is.
This has nothing to do with websites being inconvenienced, and evrrything to do with a company trying to overly control a message at launch in order to prevent the amount of non-controlled information out there.
When you see shit like that, coming from anywhere, you should always question their motives.
You realize right that over past few days YouTubers have been posting gameplay footage and their opinions on Mafia 3?
ElzarTheBam
Member
On that note Angry Joe seems pretty impressed.
Hierophant
Banned
this game looks like a solid b tier game, on a side note where did all the B tier games go? this is like the first game I can think of this gen. Last gen has all these open world b tier games (prototype, Mafia 2 maybe) and then they just up and disappeared
Well back in the day people had only box covers to rely on.
It's like picking out a book in the library blind with a much higher cost.
Also certain people are more inclined to gambling so they really view money as disposable in the more literal seems.
But then there are people like on this page who thinks reviews have zero value and believes everyone is better off without them.
That's the only one i view as dumb.
orthodoxy1095
Banned
I'll admit watching it, I wasn't sure if the game was actually "good" or just "fun" in the way open world games can be with their stupid nonsense like stealing a civilian's car and run over people with it. It was good to hear that he at least seemed to like it by the end.
What is this? Just speculation? All those gameplay videos YouTubers put up were of the PC version running at 60fps solid. 2K Czech has always had a very strong track record with the Mafia franchise on PC, I highly doubt this.
This has definitely lowered my expectations for the game.
Anyone on the fence, but looking for a retail copy, I urge you to pre order through Best Buy for in store pick up. You have a week to pick it up, so you can wait for reviews to come out and cancel if they are bad. However you'll still get the $10 certificate for pre ordering even if you pick it up a few days after launch.
Anyone on the fence, but looking for a retail copy, I urge you to pre order through Best Buy for in store pick up. You have a week to pick it up, so you can wait for reviews to come out and cancel if they are bad. However you'll still get the $10 certificate for pre ordering even if you pick it up a few days after launch.
Moving the goalposts, it seems.
Okay I will bite, again. How about NBA2K17.
But let me guess. This is also a bad example, because of reasons.
Nope.
Rellik
Member
People seem to be ignoring this on purpose.
Yeah, about that.
It's obvious that one of the requirements from 2k was "don't point out bad things", otherwise they would have said something.
In his first video, the clients in the diner are just standing through their seats, doing fuck all, and both Joes don't even comment on it.
Often during the preview, the NPCs seem to stand around and not react to the player.
Same thing with the inept AI enemies not realizing that their cars are being stolen 10 feet away from them.
These same enemies are beyond stupid in combat, too. Either stand there or walking towards Lincoln just to get mowed down.
Or the part where an AI car with two flat tires outruns them during a chase, and when they catch up the rear tires magically disappear and suddenly the car is on rims.
Those two AJ previews were pretty eye-opening. The game has major problems.
Putting the idea of No review copies aside, Anyone find this polygon article to be really petty in its tone?
The "article" could have been like 3 sentences long at most. 2k isn't sending out review copies. We'll purchase the game at the earliest opportunity. We will update you on the review as soon as possible. Simple.
Instead they try to make 2k look like bad guys and manufacture worry and doubt by saying that although they have every right to do this, they're going against an industry wide practice of giving out review codes early. They then state that 2k offered them the game a day early on Thursday October 6 but they declined and said they'd be buying the game themselves. Unless you're certain you can get your hands on a leaked copy, I don't see what the point of declining this is other than to be spiteful. "You don't want to give me a review copy weeks before like every other publisher? Then fuck you, I'll get the game on my own...even if it's a day later than the review copy you're offering me"
I hate how manipulative the gaming press and PR can be. No I'm not saying reviews shouldn't exist or anything like that, it's just annoying to see what I interpret as a symbiotic relationship yet there's always one side that tries to throw their weight around when they don't get what they want as if the other side needs them more than they do
The "article" could have been like 3 sentences long at most. 2k isn't sending out review copies. We'll purchase the game at the earliest opportunity. We will update you on the review as soon as possible. Simple.
Instead they try to make 2k look like bad guys and manufacture worry and doubt by saying that although they have every right to do this, they're going against an industry wide practice of giving out review codes early. They then state that 2k offered them the game a day early on Thursday October 6 but they declined and said they'd be buying the game themselves. Unless you're certain you can get your hands on a leaked copy, I don't see what the point of declining this is other than to be spiteful. "You don't want to give me a review copy weeks before like every other publisher? Then fuck you, I'll get the game on my own...even if it's a day later than the review copy you're offering me"
I hate how manipulative the gaming press and PR can be. No I'm not saying reviews shouldn't exist or anything like that, it's just annoying to see what I interpret as a symbiotic relationship yet there's always one side that tries to throw their weight around when they don't get what they want as if the other side needs them more than they do
BoosterDuck
Banned
Goalposts moving so fast that they never touch ground.
Edit:
Turning down copy offered by 2K is purely out of spite and they now just hope they can score copy from street date breaking store early.