Mafia. An absolute hit, a fantastic game. It was only a matter of time until this masterpiece was going to have the same status in the gaming industry and that time has come: no, Mafia II didn't reach gold status, but it is in the works; we have screeshots and details about what promises to be a great experience and a joy both for Mafia fans and newcomers to the genre.

First, we have a bunch of great screenshots proving that the game's graphics have gone next gen and we can expect a visual joy when it launches. If the gameplay matches the graphics and is at least a little better than the one brought by the first Mafia game, then we might have a Game of the Year contestant. Of course, we all know that the car driving in the first game was a bit problematic and the sequel seems to have a lot of vehicles, hopefully, the problem will be solved.

But, as I've said in the beginning, it's not only a batch of great screenshots we're offering. We also have a bunch of exciting details regarding Mafia II, via Czech website Tiscali games.

First of all, we'll now have two main heroes involved, even though only one is playable (Vito). However, the developers promise that the other (named Joe) will play an important part in the story. Hopefully, this means "revolutionary AI". Mafia II will not be a direct sequel and there will be no story connection with the first title: it will be a completely new game everybody will be able to play even if they haven't tried the first Mafia.

The game's story begins shortly before the end of World War II, when Vito comes back from war duty in the fictional American city (inspired by San Francisco), called Empire City which is twice as big as Lost Heaven (the city in the original Mafia title).

Among the things that have an impact on the gameplay and overall feeling, there is extensive car damage and the developers promise that the physical destruction is more detailed and prettier than the one from Burnout Paradise! Also, players will have to go to gas stations to refuel their cars, will be able to undergo a car wash and make your vehicle look nicer. Money will be very important in Mafia II and you will be able to buy new clothes in order to get rid of pursuers or go to restaurants and eat to strengthen up your hero.

The game is scheduled for a multi-platform release, with the PS3 and Xbox 360 version being expected to ship in late spring/early summer 2009 and the PC version following shortly. Stay tuned with us because it seems that we'll be getting more details.

UPDATE: 2K Games has released a brief comment on their official forums, stating that "the PC version already looks amazing and that it is indeed on track for a simultaneous release alongside the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions". So we should expect a triple release this summer. Great!