I really liked the E3 trailer that 2K released in June in support of Mafia 3, the upcoming tale of revenge and other unpleasantries set in the fictional New Orleans analog of New Bordeaux. The live-action trailer released today is a very different sort of beast, less about the game than about the “legend of Lincoln Clay,” but I'll go out on a limb here and say it's every bit as good.
Live-action teasers are a tricky business, because they're pure PR. There are no graphics to see or gameplay to wonder about; at best, you get a bit of background that explains a little about why things are the way they are in whatever game it is you happen to be playing. And so it is here: This video is all about the spirit of the game, and of life in late-60s New Orleans as filtered through the lens of popular media.
But—bearing all that in mind—it works. So even if Mafia 3 falls short of the mark (and based on April hands-on, I'd say there's reason to be optimistic), we'll always have the trailers. Mafia 3 is set for release on October 7.
