Wanted System

Lore & Background

Set within the fictional city of Empire Bay from 1945 to 1951, the story follows Vito Scaletta, a young Sicilian-American mobster and war veteran, who becomes caught in a power struggle among the city's Mafia crime families while attempting to pay back his father's debts and secure a better lifestyle.

Reader's Guide

The game is played from a third-person perspective and its world is navigated on foot or by vehicle. The player character's criminal activities may incite a response from law enforcement agencies, measured by a 'wanted' system that governs the aggression of their response. Police awareness in the game works in a similar manner as with the previous game, although the player now has the option to bribe officers after committing an offense.

Did You Know?

• Development began in 2003, soon after the release of the first Mafia game.
• A version of the game including all previously released downloadable content, entitled Mafia II: Director's Cut, was released by Feral Interactive in December 2011.
• Mafia II: Definitive Edition was released on 19 May 2020 to mixed critical reception.
• Some characters from Mafia II reappear as young versions of themselves in a prequel game, Mafia: The Old Country, released in August 2025.