After two months without updates on our web site we roar again (we had minor technical problems). Unfortunately for those two months didn´t appear new landmark about the Mafia 2. However we offer you a few things in the form of two artworks which again commented Lead Artist Roman Hladík from 2K Czech and interview about the story about the game with Daniel Vávra.Official web:

Roman Hladik, Lead Artist at 2K Czech, talks about two more pieces of art today built right from the game’s engine. I’m sure by now you’ll recognize these two faces.

1: This is an arranged screenshot created directly in editor tool. It’s a simple image with Vito and Joe. They don’t really like visits by the photographer — which is why they look so annoyed.

2: This is another arranged screenshot created directly in editor tool. Joe’s in this picture — of course you know him by now — and he’s wearing his favourite clothes — a comfortable sporty jacket and his Hawaiian shirt. Joe doesn’t like clubby suits.

But from my oppinion is the most interesting thing the discovery of the Czech fan Spid3r, who´s found that if we were a little more attentive, we could know about Mafia 2 in 2006 and not only that, we can also known the names of neighborhoods, localities and some cars. Indeed we could see even one image from the game! Because it is Spid3r´s discovery, you can read more details on his successful web site http://www.mafiacenter.cz/.

However, this site is only about Mafia 2, so I can´t forgive to give here a reference to a successful modification of the Mafia 1. Which bears the name Mafia: Mission Pack. Modification starts at the end of the Mafia and contains 10 missions. More information and a link to download on http://mafia.czech-games.net.

So this is everything and please excuse lengthy site outage.

Thank you.

source: mafia2game.com , mafiacenter.cz , mafia.czech-games.net

Here is an example of how we realise our concept art by Mikulas Podprocky, another of our character artists. First we make quick sketches to capture the mood and composition. Then we select some to work up to ingame quality – not everyone can relate to rough drafts so easily, so by creating these dramatic images we tell a story that everyone who has ever seen a crime movie can understand (plus we set a benchmark for the art quality of the final game!). Working from the sketch Mikulas poses models using our ingame editing tool then touches up the details using Photoshop to create the final look.

In the picture Vito is taking cover in a side street. As you can see Vito has a tough job and sometimes he takes a hit, he is angry to be injured and hiding. He could choose to be a dock worker of course, but I’m sure you don’t want to play game where the only gameplay is to carry crates! So Vito has to sometimes endure a little pain for you…

What were your inspirations when you started creating concepts for Mafia II?
I don`t remember exactly. It wasn`t just one thing. I like the era, design of fifties, old movies. So this all was inspiration. Based on this I made my own vision about Mafia2. Our game won`t be strictly realistic, we want to have strong atmosphere in it so we have to stylize rough facts. Work with them but distill only the important and interesting stuff of them.

Who are your favorite artists? Can be any type of artist…comic books, traditional painters…anything.
I like Frank Millers comic books. His drawings are really amazing and stories are dark romantic and breath-taking. Also I like impressionist paintings and one picture by Amadeo Modigliani, Sleeping nude.

When you’re not creating gangsters and mob boss characters for Mafia, what do you do in your spare time?
When I`m not creating gangsters… I draw naked women. Just for anatomy and drawing study of course. Or I go to pub. This is my the second most favorite activity. Drawing in a pub is fine too.

If you had to choose a character from any gangster movie, which character would you be?
Sin City isn`t gangster movie, but I like its dark atmosphere and I like Marv character. I don`t want be like him, but his is likable. If I think about the question I don`t want to be as any character of movies. I have my own life. I had never have an ideal or beau-ideal.

What will you do when you finish Mafia II?
I`ll take a long holiday. I have a dream few years already to ride Route 66 by motorcycle. Whole journey from Chicago to Los Angeles.

After some time again appears some new artwrorks. Artworks were commentated by main graphic from 2K Czech Roman Hladík and drawn by Jiří Světinský.

This is a moodboard of Joe Barbaro, Vito’s best friend. A moodboard like this isn’t necessarily taken from a scene in the game, it is created to communicate Joe’s personality to everyone on the Mafia team – a picture speaks a thousand words. Here we see that Joe is a gregarious young gangster enjoying his life of dirty money. The girl on Joe’s lap definitely isn’t his girlfriend (if you get my meaning). The author of this sketch is Jiri Svetinsky, one of our character artists.

Another moodboard of Joe by Jiri. This is Joe’s flat in Little Italy, he likes to party and keep his neighbours up all night. Joe himself sleeps through the day, usually with some of his “girlfriends”. Maybe this scene is the morning after the night shown in the first sketch?

On the internet appeared five character pictures from Mafia 2. That´s not in-game images, but reders of characters from different coals. On the pictures are figures:

Vito Scaletta - In a long coat
Joe Barbaro(1,2) - He is on two pictures. First time in undershirt and underpants, and second time it looks like, that he grappled with somebody. He is clothing in his favorite shirt with hawaiian patterns.
Mike “Mikey” Brusky- He is an auto mechanic, who will like Ralph or Lucas in the first Mafia procure your cars.
Joan Burner - The only thing, that we know about this woman is her name, but we can predict, that she will be either Vitos girlfriend or maybe someones elderly mafioso daughter.

Today, we present you a further analyse from the wallpapers. On the wallpaper you can see posing Vito and, of course Joe, in a workshop with various tools and with all things. Scene I will seek to dismantle to much closely how it´ll go, if you will have any other comments, please indicate below under the article.