Mass Effect 1 – Mako Segments

Mass Effect’s first outing laid the foundation for what would end up becoming one of the most beloved sci-fi RPG trilogies of all time, but even those who swear by the franchise will tell you that the Mako segments are easily the game’s most off-putting mandatory sections. On paper, cruising across alien planets in a six-wheeled all-terrain tank sounds like a thrilling opportunity to explore strange landscapes and uncover hidden secrets. But in execution, the driving experience turns into a bumpy nightmare in the face of weird controls and awkward handling. The Mako handles like a bouncy toy through and through, ricocheting off the slightest hill and sliding around at every slope. It also doesn’t help that most planets you explore are barren with little variety between them and the enemy encounters presnet within. And when mission objectives force you into these segments repeatedly, it becomes painfully clear they were more ambitious than polished. They can break the narrative flow, drag the pacing down, and leave anyone dreading the next time the game says, “Time to deploy the Mako.”

A job listing published on LinkedIn by Hangar 13 for the position of executive producer states that the studio is looking to recruit someone to aid with the development of “a key franchise at Hangar 13”, likely referring to Mafia. As per the job ad, the applicant will “play a vital part in the successful delivery of a major new title” as well as its post-launch content- and, interestingly enough, “future franchise planning.”

Hangar 13 was hit with a round of layoffs in May last year after the cancellation of an unannounced open world title in a new IP, following which reports claimed that the studio was looking to get multiple Mafia games greenlit in order to avoid similar issues going forward.

As for Mafia 4 itself, the game is supposedly being built on Unreal Engine 5, and as per reports, will serve as a prequel to the original Mafia and will be set in Sicily.

Leaks have claimed that Hangar 13 is also currently working on Top Spin 5, which will launch before Mafia 4.

Well regarded for its time, the original Mafia got a complete remake back in 2020, titled Mafia: Definitive Edition. For more details on the remake, check out our review.

Franchise developer Hangar 13 has recently confirmed that it is working on a new game in the Mafia franchise. The announcement was made as part of the 20th anniversary celebration for the franchise.

Hangar 13’s general manager Roman Hladík did state that Mafia 4 is still “a few years away”, and “we can’t share anything more right now.”

Reports of a new game in the Mafia franchise have been rolling around since earlier this year. According to these rumours, Mafia 4 is being developed on Unreal Engine 5, and the upcoming game will be set in the late 19th/early 20th century with Don Salieri as the protagonist.

https://twitter.com/2K/status/1564266634898018304

Reports of a new Mafia game emerged in early May, along with how it was developed on Unreal Engine 5 and serves as a prequel to the current trilogy. A subsequent rumor by XboxEra co-founder Nick Baker alleged that the story would be set in the late 19th/early 20th century with Don Salieri as the protagonist. Instead of a more open-world game like Mafia 3, the prequel is reportedly more of a linear experience like the first two titles.

Though the next Mafia is a ways off, Hangar 13 is still keeping busy. Along with the rumored Top Spin 5 releasing first, the developer has also been providing support on Marvel’s Midnight Suns (which was delayed to later in fiscal year 2023 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC). Plans for a fifth Mafia title were also apparently discussed so that the studio can transition to a new project instead of being displaced like in the past.

Time will tell when the first details of Mafia 4 (or whatever it’s officially named) are revealed, so stay tuned.

Please note that most of these fan projects are just concept demonstrations, and are not to be mistaken for upcoming releases of the same. Also, this feature is part 2 of the series – so do check out the first part in the description below. With that out of the way, let’s begin:

Halo

Created by developer Infinite Forges, this is a fan-remake of a section of Zeta Halo where Halo Infinite is set against. While the level itself doesn’t have much in the name of interactivity and combat situations, it looks absolutely gorgeous on a visual level. Highly detailed reflections, picturesque lighting, life-like foliage and terrain all combine to create a level that’s an absolute feast for the eyes to gorge on. The level is free to download on Itch.io, but interested fans would need a pretty beefy rig to run this project in high graphics details.

However, it seems Hangar 13 is looking ahead even further into the future, and is hoping to get yet another Mafia game greenlit by parent company Take-Two Interactive. In a recent Bloomberg report, journalist Jason Schreier claimed that in a virtual meeting with Hangar 13 staff following the aforementioned layoffs, Nick Baynes – who recently took charge of Hangar 13 following former studio head Haden Blackman’s departure – said that he’s aiming to get a fifth Mafia game greenlit while the fourth one is still in development.

Apparently, Baynes is taking that step so that the Mafia 4 team will have a new project to instantly jump to as soon as their current one is wrapped up, allowing for a smoother transition and hopefully avoiding the kind of displacement that has crippled Hangar 13 in the past.

As for the two ongoing projects, it seems both are in the early stages of development right now, so it might be some time before we get concrete details on either of them. That said, reports claim that the plan is for Top Spin 5 to launch before Mafia 4– read more on that through here.

According to Baker, Mafia 4 (or whatever it ends up being called) will be set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The game’s story will allegedly focus on Don Salieri, who, as those who’ve played the original Mafia (or its 2020 remake) will remember, is the head honcho of the Salieri crime family, who protagonist Tommy Angelo works for.

Interestingly, Baker also says that his source has told him that Mafia 4 is going to be a more linear game as opposed to fully open world, which would put it more in like with the first two Mafia games than Mafia 3.

Of course, with this new Mafia game not even having been officially announced yet, it’s best to take any new details coming from unofficial source with a pinch of salt, though Baker has had a solid track record where leaks are concerned.

Last year, it was reported that Hangar 13 was working on a sci-fi open world superhero multiplayer game, which was being described “Cthulhu meets Saints Row.” Later in the year, however, it was reported that the project had been cancelled. There has been no official word from Take-Two Interactive, 2K Games, or Hangar 13 since then about what the studio is working on next.

Set before the events of the Mafia trilogy, Mafia 4 (or whatever it ends up being called) is reportedly being developed using Unreal Engine 5, as opposed to the in-house Illusion Engine that powered the third game and Mafia: Definitive Edition. Without any official confirmation on the matter, however, it’s best that fans take this information with a grain of salt for now.

The same Kotaku report also reveals that Hangar 13’s chief operating officer Matthew Urban left the studio, as confirmed by his recently updated LinkedIn profile. This also comes shortly after Hangar 13 studio head Haden Blackman announced that he is leaving the company and 2K games “to pursue his passion at a new endeavor”- read more on that through here.

“We are grateful for Haden’s leadership in establishing Hangar 13, building and uniting teams in Novato, Brighton and Czech, and releasing multiple studio-defining Mafia games and collections,” the publisher said in its announcement (via GamesIndustry). “What Haden helped build will continue to carry forward and grow for years to come. We support all of our employees pursuing their passions, and we wish nothing but the best for him in what’s next.”

Hangar 13 had been at work on a new AAA open world IP since 2017, which in June last year was reported to be a multiplayer sci-fi superhero game described as “Cthulhu meets Saints Row”, codenamed Volt.

Later in the year in November, it was reported that the game had been cancelled due to prolonged development troubles that involved multiple reboots and technical issues, with 2K ultimately deciding that the investment of time and resources into the project could no longer be justified. It’s currently unknown what project Hangar 13 moved on to in the aftermath.

The Bank Job – Dishonored: Death of the Outsider

One of the best missions in the game by a country mile, The Bank Job sees Billie Lurk sneaking into the Dolores Michaels Deposit & Loan Bank to retrieve the Twin-bladed Knife. Entry points include via the roof (and some laudanum), through the sewers or by trash disposal. There are multiple ways to access the vault, like releasing the brakes and causing it to crash all the way down the sewers which also conveniently acts as an escape route. It’s ingenuous and a pinnacle of immersive sim gameplay.