Mafia 2 is a great game overall and this DLC compliments the main story quite well with a variety of missions that was missing from the other available DLC offering that is Jimmy’s Vendetta. For a general review of Mafia 2 click here, this is strictly the DLC review for Joe’s Adventure and since the controls did not change, there is no need to recap that.
Joe’s Adventure takes place during the time Vito is in prison so it does fill some of that gap and explains what Vito’s best buddy Joe was up to all this time when it comes to the Mob. With the first mission taking place once Vito is taken away to prison the game gets off to a great start. There are a few new areas to the game which really feel and look great, the first is the Dam area which is where Joe’s wild ride starts. In the Dam area you actually get to drive on the frozen lake, it is very thought out how it is done and it just looks great. Apart from the Dam there are a few new locals and some revisited locals from the original game but that is much more fun to find out and explore in game then reading about it but you do get to go back to the Cathouse in more detail. In between all these locations there is plenty of driving sequences with a few new cars, and if you are really vigilant one of the fastest cars in the game can be obtained during a mundane mission and this car was not featured in the main game but blows all cars available out of the water in terms of how fun it is to drive. To accompany the drive there are a few new songs added, and new commercials that are pretty funny. The new music is great too, it is the first time in this game I left the radio on and actually listened because I didn’t mind the tracks and knew a lot of them from movies.
The game is split into story and run around missions, it is a good mix. This keeps the game fresh and well paced without making the whole experience feel unnecessary like Jimmy’s Vendetta. During the story missions there are proper cut scenes with dialogue and even a partner during a few parts, someone who was featured in the main game. In between these story driven parts there are those side missions that are given by onscreen text but they are fairly fun and somewhat tie into the main story. These side missions also don’t feel like they drag, there are just the right amount of them between the main story of this DLC that it doesn’t feel like a drag getting through them, it breaks up the action quite nicely.
Joe’s Adventure is a great addition to the main story and for any serious Mafia 2 fans this is a must play and even for gamers just looking for some good DLC content this is one to seriously consider. With a good mix of missions and a story to fall back on that explains a void in the main game this DLC will definitely take a few hour of your time to complete. I highly recommend this Add-on to anyone that liked the main game and after playing this, it made me sad about the outcome of the main game (Spending a few hours with Joe may get you a little attached to him as a character). So pick it up and enjoy.
