Upon release, Mafia II received positive reviews, with praise particularly directed at its story, characters, and gameplay; however, the restrictive world design and lack of certain features present in other sandbox games were criticized.

[6][7][8][9][10] The core gameplay revolves around shooting and driving; a limited melee combat system is also included, which combines punching and dodging.

The radio stations include music from different genres including rock and roll, big band, rhythm and blues, and doo-wop, with licensed songs by Chuck Berry, The Everly Brothers, Dean Martin, Little Richard, Muddy Waters, Buddy Holly & The Crickets, Bing Crosby, Bill Haley & His Comets, The Chordettes, Ritchie Valens, Bo Diddley, Ricky Nelson, Eddie Cochran, The Champs, The Drifters, The Fleetwoods, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Nat King Cole, The Chords, and The Andrews Sisters.

Set nearly a decade after the first game, Mafia II takes place between two distinct time periods – 1945 and 1951 – within the fictional U.S. city of Empire Bay; the game's first chapter takes place in the fictional town of San Celeste in Sicily, while the sixth is set within a prison located outside Empire Bay.

In 1943, Sicilian immigrant Vito Scaletta is arrested during a robbery and opts to join the United States Army to avoid prison time, being enlisted in the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

Vito first experiences the power of the Mafia when an operation in Sicily goes awry, and Don Calò arrives to order the Italian soldiers to stand down.

Learning that Don Alberto Clemente is conducting drug operations against the traditions of the Commission, Carlo orders the pair to assassinate him.

Although Vito manages to warn Leo in time and help him leave the city, the Falcones nonetheless welcome Henry into the family.

Vito quickly finds his life falling into turmoil after Francesca distances herself from him because of his violent lifestyle and his house is destroyed in an arson attack by the Irish Mob.

To rebuild his fortunes, Vito joins Joe and Henry to profit from the sale of heroin bought from the city's Triads.

When Vito and Joe go to meet with Henry to discuss the matter, they witness the Triads publicly murdering him and escaping with their money.

After paying off the debt to Bruno, revealed to be the same loan shark his father was indebted to, Vito is confronted by Leo, who chastises him for the problems he caused.

However, thankful for Vito previously saving his life, Leo arranges for him to be spared by both the Commission and the Triads as long as he kills their common enemy: Carlo.

Leo reveals that he was not part of their deal, leaving Vito to watch helplessly as his friend is driven to whatever fate awaits him.

[17] The first gameplay footage debuted on GameSpot on 17 April 2009 as part of an interview with Mafia II's producer, Denby Grace.

The first of these is called "The Art of Persuasion" and features the song "Mercy, Mr Percy" by the female singer Varetta Dillard.

The DLC's plot revolves around Joe's return to Empire Bay in 1950, having been forced to go into hiding for five years because of a hit put on him by the Clemente family.

Mafia II: Collector's Edition is a steelbook which includes 9 items: Made Man Pack (two classic luxury automobiles and two "made man" suits, including a vintage tuxedo), Art Book (photo album-style about the design process of the game), CD of the Orchestral Soundtrack (recorded by the Prague FILMHarmonic Orchestra), and a Map of Empire Bay.

[33] Mafia II: Special Extended Edition is a compilation package published by 1C Company for the Russian market.

The same package was released on 1 December 2011 for Western markets as Mafia II: Director's Cut on Windows, OS X[4] and their respective budget labels on consoles.

[36][37] Instead of being a direct adaptation of Mafia II, the game bridges the gap between it and its predecessor, taking place largely in 1938.

[38] The owners of the original Steam version had their copy of the game updated to Definitive Edition at no additional cost.

"[54] Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot gave it 8.5 and stated: "Mafia II's exciting action and uncompromising mob story make for an impressive and violent adventure.

"[51] Matt Bertz of Game Informer gave it a 9.0/10, writing that "in an era when video games are moving away from relying on cinematics for storytelling, Mafia II draws on the rich mobster film history to weave a gripping drama about family, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and pragmatism.

[59] In November 2021, designer and lead writer Daniel Vávra showcased prototype images from Mafia II which had recently been uploaded to a colleague's online portfolio, explaining that there was going to be a full campaign in Sicily rather than just the one mission.

[60] Sonia Alfano, a member of the European Parliament and president of Italy's association for the families of Mafia victims, called for the game to be banned.

[62] Take-Two Interactive quickly responded to the issue, stating that the game's depiction of the American Mafia was no different from organized crime films such as The Godfather.

They also responded to allegations of racism from Unico National, who claimed that the game portrayed Italian Americans unfairly and "indoctrinating" youth into violent stereotypes, by pointing out that Mafia is intended for older audiences and is "specifically not targeted toward young people.

[64] The game, which was released on 7 October 2016, takes place in the city of "New Bordeaux", based on New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1968, seventeen years after the events in Mafia II.

The protagonist, Lincoln Clay, is a black veteran of the Vietnam War, who returns home to find that his former gang is facing problems.