Mafia 2 is a straight on Mafia saga ala Goodfellas, The Godfather or The Sopranos. In the 50s, in an open world.
The story is very very good and you did seek the game only as by. Music, cars, atmosphere, characters all 1A.
One imagines only the question: "Why is the OpenWorld?" There are no side orders explain the world. So the town seems a bit sterile. Well, it does not have to be like GTA where you have only mini-games, but no story. But since I had from Mafia 2 but rather a linear game made without OW because there is nothing to explore.
But that's only a small drawback is hopefully eradicated in Mafia 3.
The DLCs can forget the way since then is trying to file the minigames .... senseless acts not homogeneous.
If you only have a little bit of Scorsese, The Godfather, The Sopranos, Harlem NYC or Cotton Club left. Slamming!