This game takes a lot of the mechanics from the first game, such as the cover system, and the way the gun-play works, and expand on them. The gun-play seems a lot smoother to me in this game, although there are still times that are a little annoying. One example of that is when using the shotgun, after shooting while aimed from behind cover, your character will stay out of cover while he chambers another shell.

One downside I have found with this game is the driving. The cars get some pretty good speed for cars from that era, however, controlling them is nearly impossible. You have to make the car slow down to almost a complete stop to make a turn, and even than, the turning radius is so large that you have to make a 5 point turn just to turn around on a normal 2 lane road.

That mechanic aside though, this game is a lot of fun, and brings hours of entertainment if you play all the side missions, and take over all the rival family's businesses. The gunfights are awesome, the story is great, and the different ways to attack a rival family adds to the replay-ability of the game. I recently picked this game up for only $15 at a local game store, and is definitely worth the money.

Presentation: 8/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Lasting Appeal: 7/10
OVERALL: 8/10