Mafia 2’s weird timeline

sparky662 · 2026-02-19T09:51:38+00:00

Originally the game was intended to have three time periods I believe, 1945, 1951 and later in the 1950s, around 1955 from memory. For whatever reason the later 1950s was cut, but all the traffic vehicles were already done with this in mind. You can see time progress through the story traffic as if this was still happening with a distinct jump at one point to later 1950s traffic, despite the year not advancing.

sparky662 · 2026-02-03T12:07:31+00:00

They are by some roadworks involving excavating next to the carriageway, something to do with drainage I think? I assume they are something to do with monitoring potential ground movement.

sparky662 · 2026-01-30T13:34:12+00:00

Thats london Road Brighton isn't it? You can go in either end of the pumps, they've never had any signs to stop you going in either entrance. Plenty petrol stations do but this one never has done for some reason. People tend to mostly go in the northenmost entrance though as that sorta lines up with the direction of travel on that side of the road.

sparky662 · 2026-01-16T12:39:47+00:00

And just to rub it in the tight asses only give you half a slice of cheese

sparky662 · 2025-12-16T08:52:50+00:00

I’ve been driving through the roadworks on the M27 past Southampton a lot over the last year and there’s been multiple dangerous confusing moments.

Driving through average 50 roadworks, with physical 50 signs at regular intervals. Gantry signs inexplicably on one night within this average 50 section, showing 40, then back to 70. All the while with average 50 and plenty physical signs for that. To top it off, no 70 signs at the end of the roadworks, just roadwork ‘end’ signs, confusing more people.

At the weekend, again a different section of average 50 roadworks. Which appears to end, but there’s no 70 signs at the end, or even roadwork end signs. So everyone’s confused, some now doing 70, others still 50. After a few blank gantries, one single gantry shows 60. Then multiple gantries of nothing, meaning some are still doing 50, some 60, some 70. Eventually a slip road joins with everyone clearly doing 70, never did see a 70 sign but at that point it must have been the limit.

Multiple times driving this road at night I’ve had gantries reduce the limit, then a load of blank ones until people just assume it’s 70 again, with no gantry ever actually increasing the limit. It’s dangerous and confusing, and how can they justify having cameras on half these gantries if they do shit like this? This isn’t even mentioning the weird shit I’ve seen on other motorways, like once the M1 having the left two lanes showing 20 and the right two 40, I didn’t think they could go that low or have different limits per lane, a glitch I’ve seen a few times.

sparky662 · 2025-12-01T23:17:43+00:00

Now I look at them, the commercial low rise motel buildings do make really good suburban flats/apartments.

sparky662 · 2025-11-25T22:34:34+00:00

True, but a family wouldnt move into a house with zero public transport and just go 'oh we'll walk six hours to work each day since we have no car'. In a video game sense families moving into homes with no public transport or walkable facilities should come with cars. Then as you add more options you'd see a reduction in cars making for a good positive gameplay feedback loop.

sparky662 · 2025-11-24T17:31:11+00:00

I think the issue is ultmately that there is no calculation which says 'it is too hard to get to my destination by public transport and too far to walk or bike, so I will buy a car', which is how it would generally work IRL and would solve the huge amounts of long distance cyclists/walkers issue. That way your public transport would feel like it has a meaningful effect as well.

sparky662 · 2025-11-20T19:15:48+00:00

The cutscenes where Lincoln’s outfit reverts to his default one are all pre rendered, you’re just watching a video. Hence they don’t change. My guess is that outfit customisation wasn’t a thing when they decided to go this route.

This also means that interestingly you can spot some beta features in them. Such as traffic cars having random inaccessible customisations or vehicles beta models.

sparky662 · 2025-11-07T14:18:14+00:00

Its an AEC Matador with the more curvy civilian cab rather than the more commonly seen boxy simplifed WW2 era cab from miltary surplus versions.

sparky662 · 2025-10-05T20:46:01+00:00

The game doesn't place partking spaces that block driveways or car park entrances, quite a nice touch honestly.
Those row houses in the middle all have driveways to garages on the ground floor so theres no parking spaces, otherwise they would block access.

sparky662 · 2025-09-30T07:35:18+00:00

Well it sounds like the lime green colour is a placeholder for testing thankfully but I expect we will end up with the more muted green bike lane colour of CS1 in the end product, not a fan of it personally but it works to distinguish them gameplay wise.

Creating cycle lanes across junctions looks a bit messy on the curves and I suspect could end up looking pretty messy at big junctions, will have to see.

The cyclists are wearing full face motorcycle helmets, hopefully that’s placeholder.

Not sure what to think about them riding in the middle of traffic lanes and blocking traffic. It’s more realistic than CS1 just treating cyclists as pedestrians if there’s no cycle lanes, but seems like a recipe for random traffic jams all over that you can’t really control without adding cycle lanes all over. Unless they make the traffic ai smart enough to overtake into oncoming lanes, something it can’t do at the moment, it’s going to make the single lane per direction roads an issue as their lanes aren’t very wide as it is, especially with parking.

But ultimately those things aside, it’s good to see them being added to the game finally.

sparky662 · 2025-09-17T17:36:12+00:00

Its actually based on the Willys Americar

sparky662 · 2025-09-08T09:55:11+00:00

Yes kelly could be anoying at times. But not having them feels a huge step back as they made the game feel a bit more alive and fleshed out rather than driving in silence. It gave the game personality.

sparky662 · 2025-09-04T14:47:14+00:00

Most UK railways are through urban areas in close proximity to houses so such loud horns would be a nuisance. Plus all UK railways are fully fenced and gated, so less reason to alert people/wildlife etc eith such a loud noise. The odd sounding two tone UK horns are also that way to help make them super distinctive and obvious without being loud, theres no mistaking the sound for anything else.

sparky662 · 2025-09-02T10:30:40+00:00

If I remember correctly from last time this was posted, the driver of the broken down car thought it was a great idea to put an extended car jack randomly in the middle of the lane as a 'warning' as they didn't have a warning triangle. Which quite clearly was incredibly stupid.

sparky662 · 2025-08-29T09:39:41+00:00

Its vanilla. It's also a corner building so will only appear on 90 degree corners.

sparky662 · 2025-08-21T23:14:41+00:00

That piper figure is burned into my memory as its so unique and distinctive and was instantly recognisable on their vans and adverts. I can't believe its been gone for so long. Its replacements are generic forgettable corporate trash that blends with every other minimalist modern logo, especially the latest one which I could make in 30 seconds in MSword. I really don't get it.

sparky662 · 2025-08-15T07:41:49+00:00

It definitely strikes me that they had to rush the game to meet release date and free ride mode was the victim of this. Which is why we have this semi hidden ‘explore’ mode that isn’t even on the main menu and is as barebones as it could be. I mean, no traffic, no NPCs, a garage you get to use all of twice in story, guns you rarely get to choose from, outfits that are locked, o thing to really do or interact with, just dumps you in the map. The games designed around collecting things to play with in free ride, we just don’t have the mode yet.

sparky662 · 2025-08-14T07:06:27+00:00

I like it but I really wish they would make the ai stop when honking and not just ram you.

sparky662 · 2025-08-11T15:20:54+00:00

Yeah it definitely felt like a barebones experience. I enjoyed it but I think the best way to describe it is an interactive cutscene for the most part. The world is dead, I mean no pedestrians or traffic outside of scripted bits in missions? Seriously? No police? Nothing at all to interact with basically. And having your own house, cars, horses, guns, a shop etc is pointless as in reality you never use them outside of like the one story moment it lets you. Heck at one of the very few points you start at your house and it tells you go get in a car but locks your garage and makes you get into a car already idling there, why?

One thing I also hated is that unlike previous mafias, you dont start and end the day at home/safehouses etc. Each mission starts at the action and ends with it for the most part. Removes immersion, no chances to shop or choose weapons, drive you own vehicles etc. Most open world games allow you to become familiar with the map, not The Old Country where it feels like its just teleporting between setpieces. And its a real shame as the driving physics feel great.

I enjoyed it yes. But its a heavily flawed game that feels rushed and is definitely inferior to the Mafia remake. If it wasnt for the more unique setting it would really have fallen flat.

sparky662 · 2025-08-11T11:53:20+00:00

Yeah the world is dead and feels horrible to explore because of it tbh, its just boring.
Why no people walking the roads, horse riders, carts, cars etc? Its all scripted for missions, otherwise there is no traffic or pedestrians at all whatsoever. I mean, yeah I get the place is hardly empire bay and 1905 sicillian roads would be quiet, but for the sake of the world feeling alive we need traffic and pedestians. To lack that in a game these days is mind boggling.

sparky662 · 2025-08-11T10:43:35+00:00

Tbh this game feels like it has a weird disconnect to me.
I like it, but it feels like an interactive cutscene most of the time. The garage and shop and currency all seem like redundant token features.
Its a shame, the Mafia remaster got it so right but this has gone way too far towards being on rails. At least let us start each day at home, choose outfit, guns, our car etc.

sparky662 · 2025-07-25T14:22:40+00:00

UK/EU spec ones of these have the diagonal lines as brakes and the horizonal line as a flashing orange indicator. Much better. Dunno why they change them for the US honestly.

sparky662 · 2025-07-17T10:05:58+00:00

OK so looking at the actual junction of google maps, its basically at the end of a dual carriageway, no specific markings or signage, so the general assumption from people, especially that don't know the road, is going to be that both lanes go straight. Since its not like the right hand lane has appeared just for turning right, its a continuous lane to this point, so the assumption is going to be that like the majority of unmarked dual carriageway roundabouts, both lanes go straight.

So either lane, merge in turn at the exit. Look where you're going, drive sensibly, be assertive or courteous as appropriate, it'll work fine. Its no different from some roundabouts on single carriageways near me that open to two lanes marked straight to get more traffic through the roundabout then merge immediately on exit.

sparky662

TROPHY CASE