Mafia 3 New Orleans
Mafia 3's New Orleans setting is one of its most interesting aspects. 2K Games

2K Games has released 12 minutes of gameplay footage from upcoming open world crime game Mafia 3, showing off the game's period New Orleans setting. The demo is narrated by Haden Blackman, studio head at developer Hanger 13 and the game's creative director.

The footage, published by IGN, is the same that was shown off behind closed doors to the press at Gamescom in August and follows protagonist Lincoln Clay on a mission that sees him travel through 1968 New Orleans.

He walks down Bourbon Street, through a graveyard for a quick shoot-out, drives like a lunatic to get a passenger to give up information and later heads to drug den hidden under a jazz club. The story sees Clay – who has just returned from the Vietnam War – join the Black Mob, who are then betrayed by the Italian Mob. Clay builds his own empire and seeks revenge.

During his narration Blackman confirms that Mafia 3's story will be branching, with multiple endings authored by the player and their decisions, specifically pertaining to their use of three generals seen in the game's announcement trailer.

Blackman also said many of the team who worked on 2010's Mafia 2 are back for the sequel and touched upon the social issues of the late 1960s that the game "won't shy away from" – specifically relating to race.

We loved what we saw from the demo back in August, hopefully you agree now you can see the footage for yourself. 2K plans to release Mafia 3 in 2016.

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