Mafia 3: Race Wars?

[Nemean Lion]

Was looking at this game and was thinking it looks pretty fun, right up until I read the bit about the "black mafia" being wiped out by the Italian mob, which gave me pause.

What I want is a game where I start either solo or with a small group, build up a street gang, and eventually build a criminal empire.

What I DON'T want is to be lectured about social injustice and "whitey bad" while terrible rap and hip hop assaults my eardrums.

So please tell me, is this game basically just about race wars?

edit: I want to make it clear that I don't care that the MC is black, I just don't want to be brow-beaten with identity politics in a game about organized crime

[vintagevallaby]

I wouldn't say that the game is about a race war, though the N word is dropped a LOT in this game (Do not play his game without headphones) based on what you said this game won't give you what you want, you do take over the city but its completely controlled by your three under bosses and not you. You should look into City Of Gangsters (The game no longer receives updates, but its closest to what you want) if you want to take over a city with a crew.

[Luhai]

The game takes place in 1968. The good news: you don't have to worry about Rap and Hip hop and stuff, since that kind of music didn't exist back then.
The bad news: Racism was already a thing back then, so you will have to deal with social injustice every now and then, and the fact white people aren't always the good guys.

Other than that, it's pretty much about what you're looking for:
"What I want is a game where I start either solo or with a small group, build up a street gang, and eventually build a criminal empire."

It's a 1st person open world action rpg with a lot of shooting involved if you want.
Most of the time you'll be busy driving around, breaking into buildings and stealing or killing stuff, recruiting underbosses for your empire and planning your next move against your nemesis.

[Okihara Jones]

Originally posted by Luhai:

The game takes place in 1968. The good news: you don't have to worry about Rap and Hip hop and stuff, since that kind of music didn't exist back then.
The bad news: Racism was already a thing back then, so you will have to deal with social injustice every now and then, and the fact white people aren't always the good guys.

Other than that, it's pretty much about what you're looking for:
"What I want is a game where I start either solo or with a small group, build up a street gang, and eventually build a criminal empire."

It's a 1st person open world action rpg with a lot of shooting involved if you want.
Most of the time you'll be busy driving around, breaking into buildings and stealing or killing stuff, recruiting underbosses for your empire and planning your next move against your nemesis.

100% accurate

[Okihara Jones]

Originally posted by Nemean Lion:

What I DON'T want is to be lectured about social injustice and "whitey bad" while terrible rap and hip hop assaults my eardrums.

Partner, by your specific and sensitive predilections, I'd wager to say this here lil video game might be more than you can handle. Best you move on.

And a tip of the brim to the devs for puttin together what is, for my money, one of the best soundtracks in all tarnation. Any time Born On The Bayou kicks on is a beautiful moment.

[bobzhang0512]

couldn't agree more, A very bad item, theme and really boring and repeated tasks

[vintagevallaby]

Originally posted by Okihara Jones:

Originally posted by Nemean Lion:

What I DON'T want is to be lectured about social injustice and "whitey bad" while terrible rap and hip hop assaults my eardrums.

Partner, by your specific and sensitive predilections, I'd wager to say this here lil video game might be more than you can handle. Best you move on.

And a tip of the brim to the devs for puttin together what is, for my money, one of the best soundtracks in all tarnation. Any time Born On The Bayou kicks on is a beautiful moment.

The soundtrack is pretty great.

[Xautos]

The fact the main character Lincoln Clay is African-American and rumoured to be part Irish, the fact of the matter is from the outset, that identity politics are going to be the very subject in a racist town of New Bordeaux where the police are constantly suspicious of you and white store owners can keep African Americans out of their stores or the cops will be there to chase you out and run you into the ground because you are African-American. Then you have the Italian mafia that have strangled the town and hidden within the seemingly innocuous of high profile nobility lies a deeply troubling situation that continues to institutionalise the subject.

While Clay has an ally in CIA officer John Donovan who is a white American and their trust goes beyond the colour of the skin as they were there for each other in Vietnam, he openly helps you at every turn, even against the Dixie Mafia, and supports Clay's ambition to take out the rot within New Bordeaux by creating and fielding a competing presence.

[Casshio]

Originally posted by Xautos:

The fact the main character Lincoln Clay is African-American and rumoured to be part Irish

Dominican and Italian, actually.

[Casshio]

Originally posted by Nemean Lion:

Was looking at this game and was thinking it looks pretty fun, right up until I read the bit about the "black mafia" being wiped out by the Italian mob, which gave me pause.

What I want is a game where I start either solo or with a small group, build up a street gang, and eventually build a criminal empire.

What I DON'T want is to be lectured about social injustice and "whitey bad" while terrible rap and hip hop assaults my eardrums.

So please tell me, is this game basically just about race wars?

edit: I want to make it clear that I don't care that the MC is black, I just don't want to be brow-beaten with identity politics in a game about organized crime

Look at the time period this game takes place in. Racism was kinda in vogue back then, especially in Louisiana where the story takes place and yea, the game obviously deals with that topic. Don't know what that hip hop part is about, because again, look at the time period, but it definitely makes you sound like you are fun at parties.