As ridiculous as that headline sounds, think about it for a second. Yeah, there you go.

In the runup to the game's release last year, Mafia II's development studio and publicity team tried, with limited success, to set reasonable expectations of the game. "It isn't Grand Theft Auto," I was told, more than once, in emails and in the game's review notes.

Well regarded as a series, Top Spin's last entry in 2008 took some risks that were, in hindsight, inadvisable for an American-published game simulating a sport that has lacked a dominant American men's professional for several years. 2K Sports' Top Spin 4 puts a focus back on playability, aligned to a sport that's…

Mafia II returns to Empire Bay with "Joe's Adventures," the game's second paid DLC extension. Can its 24 new missions carry the game forward, or do they dwell on what made Mafia II a good-but-not-great action game?

"Joe's Adventures," a Mafia II DLC extension whose name has been known for some time, will arrive Nov. 23. A narrative flashback, you'll play as Joe Barbaro during the time the main game's protagonist, Vito Scaletta, is in prison.

Mafia II's got some issues, but give the devil its due, it's got some nudity in it. Hot Blooded Gaming, to my knowledge, is the first to round up and gallerize all 50 of its collectible Playboy centerfolds.

Mafia II's release was clouded by confusion over what "open-world" really meant. Some assumed it meant "sandbox," where Mafia II was anything but. Jimmy's Vendetta, the game's first batch of downloadable content offers more of what some had been expecting.

Morning. The phone rings, I answer. It's Joe, chirping the usual advice. Get dressed and get my gun. I go to the fridge instead for a Master Beer. In the bathroom I flip on the light. I flush the toilet.

It's not exactly the Rock Band 3 tracklist reveal, but Mafia II's period-piece bonafides aren't limited to the set direction and costumes.

The problem is, says the game's producer, is that only one was really good. So 2K Games had three outcomes whacked and hardwired the upcoming game for just one conclusion. Sorry, alternate endings, it's just business.

What differentiates Mafia II from other open world gangster games, especially Take-Two's other popular driving and delinquency-filled Grand Theft Auto series? For one, Mafia II runs things at a slower, simpler place. It also has Playboy Playmates.

Mafia II is a "buddy story," in the words of Producer Denby Grace – a tale of a mid-50s era mobster protecting his family and The Family in the face of organized crime.

Having received many questions regarding whether or not the Mafia II trailer was a real-time, in-game movie, Hrebicek clears the air in the written commentary below. He explains that all of the scenes were created using the same editor they use to create the in-game cutscenes, which allowed them to see the results…