They are integrated into the game as missions, but none are essential.
Here’s my post about them upthread: Mafia 3 - More RICO antics - #282 by RickH
Well, it appears I got the season pass when I bought the game in the PS4 store.
Please tell me there are very few mandatory missions where I have to chase someone driving or escape someone driving or shoot someone while driving?
Oh, and when does the “open world” part of the game open up?
You can resolve the missions in many ways, some involve chasing people in cars but you can take them out beforehand and avoid it. But it might take a bit of replaying missions. A lot of the optional missions to collect dope/weapons/electronics etc. end up being car shooting/avoiding repetitive shite. Avoid those unless you’re a completitionist.
Open world bit opens up after you finish the Vault mission and everything that happens as a result (trying to avoid spoilers). While it’s open world, it still spoon feeds you what to do and is on rails from a progression perspective. The only major decisions are what order you do the districts and who to make responsible for each district.
The DLCs are some of the best stuff in the game though. Mainly precisely because they are the opposite of repetitive nature of the main game and are each unique, taking place in new locations with new stories.
I agree with that. If you were playing the game for the first time, having the DLCs would really help the experience, and offer a nice, structured alternative to the more free-form district sections. Plus, all the DLC packs are focused on things we associate with 1960s (the cold war, cults, etc), so they don’t feel out of place with the base game.
The next time I replay the game, I’m going to follow this story strategy guide, which should help cut down on the feeling of repetition.
Some of the early concepts Hangar 13 planned but had to cut, including having the levees break and flooding downtown, could have provided some really awesome moments.
That story strategy guide is recommended. I’d already loosely followed it by myself before I saw it for the first time. For the DLCs, they are designed to be handled within the main story, as they each end up in post-DLC activities in the main game - bounty hunting, a weed business, and restoring Sammy’s bar (which takes a lot of money, but is very cool). Each also has some post-DLC missions too, they are all quite substantial add-on packs. You’ll get access to them when the game fully opens up, which is later than some other games of this type - you have to recruit all three underbosses to your cause and have a cutscene meeting with them. At that point the game is open and you will be able to access the DLCs.
Also, don’t do what I did and religiously hoover up all the collectibles. It gets very tedious. Except the titty mags - definitely collect those. There are some fascinating articles. cough.
I can tell I’m going to have a love hate with this game.
Love: The story so far (just got to the scene where Donovan shows up by my bed,) the way it’s told, the characters, and oh wow the music. The music they were playing as Lincoln is waking up, they’re showing the looting and RFK’s assassination, etc. was perfect and epic.
Hate: Having to restart from the beginning when I die. When Lincoln was the diversion while the guys got to the getaway car, surrounded by police, there’s no way I could have gotten through that without multiple trial and error runs. Which is no fun, just frustrating.
Yeah, that sequence was the hardest part of the game, I found. It took me a few attempts. It’s a shame because it’s also one of the very few points that they do something special with the gameworld (Mardi Gras in this case).
@JeffL you got the church scene yet? that was so fucking impressive. its rare even for movies to manage such emotional impact.
With the scenes of RFK’s assassination, etc? Yeah, and the music was perfect.
I’m just now past talking to Cassandra and at this point I’m really loving the game, in spite of the checkpoint save method. I still am learning things since there’s no documentation, like what the little green circles with an up triangle mean, but it’s pulled me in.
OK, loving it more. Finished taking over the bordello and giving the biz to Cassandra, things are opening up, and having fun. I like that I was told I needed to sneak in and release the top escorts, but I chose to go in blasting those rednecks and wasn’t punished for doing it my way.
Ok - how do I get the ability to carry more than two guns?
I believe you are only able to carry 2 weapons.
Arghhh! I want to carry a shotgun and sniper rifle in addition to my silenced pistol and rifle.
Nope. Not allowed. The good news is that you can get through the majority of the game with your trusty whistle and silenced pistol.
I think I used the preorder silenced pistol for the whole game, along with a silenced SMG, or later on the AR you get at the end of the occult DLC.
(Whistle) . . . (pop). (Whistle) . . . (pop). Repeat as needed.
I did that for a bit, then swapped em for a grenade launcher and machine gun. Went fucking rambo on those greaseball motherfuckers.
So far I’ve only gotten killed by getting lazy/overconfident. Which is fine, I’m not looking for a hard combat challenge, I’m really playing it for the story,
Big problem here, and may be me being an idiot, but…
When I call the van for ammo/guns, it shows the square button (PS4) for refilling ammo. When I press that button, nothing happens. I can press it when I’ve the the rifle I’m equipped with and nothing happens, or I can press it when it looks like it’s for refilling all ammo. But nothing is refilling my gun.
What am I missing? I know there’s a cheat where I can equip another free gun then reequip my gun, but I was trying to avoid that - plus it’s driving me crazy trying to figure out why the “refill ammo” square button isn’t doing anything!