Demo Guide: Mafia II

Get a little taste of mob life with this guide to surviving the mean streets of Empire Bay in Mafia II.

With Mafia II arriving in stores in August 2010, the wait is almost over for the hugely anticipated sequel to the PlayStation 2 classic. Now you can experience a little bit of life with the mafia in this must-play demo. Download it from PlayStation Store today or the boss won't be happy!

Home sweet home

At the outset of the demo you take control of Vito Scaletta, the main character from Mafia II, in his home. Before you embark on the mission, why not explore the apartment, there are loads of things to discover including listening to the various radio stations featured in the game via the radio in Vito's kitchen. There's also food and drink in the fridge to get through, plus the first of 50 hidden famous magazines to get your hands on - it's on the kitchen counter!

Time is of the essence

Don't want to get stuck into the mission straight away? Then feel free to do a little exploration by taking a walk or driving your car around. Remember, avoid the water and bear in mind that the demo offers only ten minutes of exploration, and only a small section of the main map to check out before you have to go and meet your buddies Joe and Henry at Misery Lane.

Diner's delight

The small area of map on offer in the Mafia II demo gives you a taster of what's to come in the full game including a selection of places to visit. These include diners, clothes stores, gun shops and body shops. While you don't have a vast amount of money to spend in the demo, you can enter a diner, grab a bite, play a few songs on the jukebox or just kick back and soak up the sights through the window.

Drive wild

Once you're done exploring (or if you just want to dive straight into the action) jump into one of the cars parked outside your home. Some are locked, so you'll have to smash a window to get in by pressing the Circle button. Once inside, press the R2 button to accelerate and the L2 button to brake. If you want to take corners at speed, simply hold the Circle button for a handbrake turn.

Start shootin'

Once you've arrived at your objective, the action kicks in as your target arrives - a fat man the mob boss wants dealt a rough hand. Grab the MG-42 machine gun by the window and shoot the goons trying to protect him. Once they're down, drop the MG-42 and equip your pistol by pressing the left directional button, then head down the stairs and out into the street.

If you need to duck behind cover during the gunfight, tap the X button. To lean out and shoot, hold down the L2 button and press the R2 button to fire. You can also reload your weapon by pressing the R1 button. Now it's time to fight your way through the distillery across the street to get to the fat man! Don't forget to grab the superior firepower along the way, including shotguns and tommy guns.

Dodge the cops!

Once you've killed your target, the building around you catches fire, so you need to escape with your injured friend in tow. Shoot anyone that gets in your way, dodge the burning debris and head out to your getaway car. With the cops on to you, you're going to need to drive fast to shake them, so, keep up your speed, corner fast and follow the directions on your map. You're home free - the boss will be happy!

Or are you?

Download the Mafia II demo from PlayStation Store today.