Mafia II - the biggest GTA IV competitor video and preview

Mafia II (or Mafia 2) is an upcoming third-person shooter video game, the sequel to Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. It is being developed by 2K Czech, previously known as Illusion Softworks,and will be published by 2K Games. Development of Mafia 2 was announced on August 21, 2007 at the Leipzig Games Convention. The game will be set in the 1940s and '50s in fictional Empire City and will be available for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2008/2009

More screenshots of 2K Czech's Mafia sequel have emerged on the internet - and do they look incredible, or what?

The free-roaming follow-up is set in the fictional city of Empire circa 1950, and promises to retain the original's less-sandbox mission structure, while also letting you get into scraps with the police for kicks.

It's easily the biggest contender for GTA IV's throne, although we would've played that quite a bit by the time Mafia II arrives in the shops next year.

1. Readable newspapers to learn about recent news between 1945 and the early '50s.
2. A completely open-ended game map of 2.5 square miles. No restrictions are included from the start of the game.
3. Cars will play a central role, based on models of the time, and changing with the era.
4. Laws, including traffic, must be obeyed, but the police interaction will be toned down compared to the original.
5. Although fictional, Empire City will feature familiar sights such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building.
6. The player can get "very high" in the city, adding a possible vertical element.
7. The player will be able to buy a home where they can store gear and use as a home base.
8. Restaurants will be accessible to buy food and drinks to increase health.
9. Stolen cars can now be upgraded at the "Empire Automobile Shop"; engines can be replaced, cars can be resprayed, and interior can be refitted, to name a few.
10. Things such as sink faucets, switches, bottles, and chairs will all be interactive, as well as radios that the player can turn on to hear a few licensed period tunes.
11. Cars can suffer panel damage, get dirty and explode. They can also run out of fuel. The player will own their own car that can even be customized with a personal license plate. Trunks can open, and weapons and bodies may be stashed there.
12. NPCs will smoke, read newspapers, and wait for buses, while homeless people search through nearby garbage bins.
13. Interacting with objects in the environment involves two action buttons- a standard and a "violent" option- used in context-sensitive situations.
14. A map will be included as in the original, to simplify navigation.
15. The checkpoint system has been completely overhauled.
16. Gyms will be accessible to unlock new combos and fighting styles.
17. Famous comedian Charlie Chaplain can be seen in several comedy club throughout the city.

Mafia II Official website
Trailers at GT