illusion-engine
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Mafia 2 trailer showcases tech behind the game
The latest trailer for Mafia 2 showcases some of the reasons we had such a great time playing it last month: attention to detail. Specifically, 2K Czech team members explain in the clip how the game engine powering the title goes a long way in making the world feel alive. NPCs wait for traffic signals, react naturally when you interact with them (for instance, smashing head-on into their automobile will elicit lots of shouting), and objects in the environment respond accordingly as well. Though we might argue that main character Vito Scaletta probably doesn't need to mow down that totally innocent phone booth (as seen in the video after the break), the action does its job of impressing upon us the physicality of Empire Bay. We'll get another chance to try out the game this coming Tuesday when the demo hits, and will get the full retail release just two weeks later on the 24th.%Gallery-97815%
Preview: Mafia 2
For a story that has so much in common with a Godfather film, Mafia 2 still manages to stand out from its influences. The world crafted in 2K Czech's Illusion Engine is truly impressive, with a snow-covered Empire Bay of the 1940s giving way to a sunny version ten years later. The progression of time gives the already realistic locale even more life, and the change in weather represents a turning point in the game's story. The two story missions that I played at a 2K press event last month were structured similarly to any old Grand Theft Auto mission, though I found myself enchanted by Empire Bay -- a mashup of various cities, I was told -- and its fiction, complete with music appropriate for the era. I was not to be sidetracked into a sandbox murder spree on my way to the job. %Gallery-97815%
