Quick Look: Mafia II Demo Makes Full Use of Nvidia 3D and PhysX

Softpedia received access to a three dimensional and PhysX capable Nvidia graphics card complete with monitor and glasses. The whole setup was used to test the demo version of Mafia II. Here are two perspectives on a 3D gaming experience.

Mafia II will probably be a very good game. The mission which the developers at 2K Czech included in the demo version of the game is pretty OK, although it does not get any extra points for originality.

There's a bit of shooting, some running around after a target, a little driving and a police chase. The dialogs fit the era and the city, the small portion the player gets to see, is pretty fantastic. But while the demo sits firmly in good not great territory the addition of a powerful Nvidia graphics card, a 3D capable monitor and a pair of specialized glasses is enough to make the experience a truly exceptional one.

Cars actually blow up in three dimensions, with the graphic card simulating the actual push of air that accompanies the blast. Shows fired at windows lead to them breaking according the laws of gravity.

The effects of shotgun shots fired into structural columns are a beauty to look at. A corpse falling on the green grass seems just a few inches apart from real life.

All of the above is the direct result of using the three dimensional and PhysX abilities of a Nvidia graphics card. GeForce GTX 470 is the card recommended for those who want to use the “Medium” PhysX while those who are interested in using the highest graphics settings need to use the previously mentioned card in tandem with a Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT or better.

It takes quite a bit of processing power to get both PhysX and three dimensional effects working at the same time. The entire setup needed for three dimensional gaming is not cheap at the moment that's for sure but everyone needs to experience it live at least once in order to truly see (in full 3D) what it can offer to the future of gaming.

Here you can take a look at how the demo plays in footage shot by Softpedia: