The long-awaited wise guy knockabout sequel raises more eyebrow than expected...

We're more than a little cynical when it comes to open-world crime sims. After all, it's become very hard to see beyond GTA IV, but today, straight from leftfield, Mafia II just plain old impressed the socks off us.

The game takes place during a ten-year period in the life of Vito, tracking his rise to the top of the organised-crime ziggurat from lowly beef-hammer to made man. Each year of his life encompasses a set of missions and is focused on a particular time of that year. The gameplay we saw took place during a time when Vito was both lowly muscle and the 1945 city was in the grip of a bleak cold snap – the outsider being a reflection of his inner emotions, we're told.

The city in question is Empire Bay, a vast area of ten square miles, which features over 20 distinct neighbourhoods. The mission on show took place in the Sand Island district, a run-down industrial area, which, despite its cripplingly dismal appearance, still managed to offer significant visual bang. Notable detail has been poured into the radio music, clothes, cars and themes of the period, all coming together rather elegantly.

Parking up in Misery Lane, Vito's task is to lie in wait for a distillery owner, known only as the Fatman, who, in a manner befitting the most un-wisest of guys, has decided not to pay his protection money. Along with two fellow thugs, Vito sets up a military machine gun emplacement in the window and waits for the Fatman to show up.

Taking out the motorcade is damned impressive. Glass flies, blood squirts and explosions rattle the environment in a far more organic way than we're used to seeing in such fare.

Having run from the scene, chasing Fatman down through the distillery is carried out via some extremely kinetic and fluid third-person shooting. What we saw appeared as accomplished as any dedicated stop-and-pop-style offering you'd care to mention and it took a deliberate reality check to reel us back in a little and remember that this is actually a sandbox title.

From voice work to narrative flow, it was one of those rare demos in which, without noticing, you find yourself suddenly miles away, having been carried along in the flow of the game without even realising it.

We at NowGamer would like to throw our hats down right now and say that, short of a miraculous budget cut – its spring 2010 release window points t'other way – Mafia II is set to be spectacular. A worthy successor to what is after all to be considered (still) to be the greatest Mafia game yet conceived.

Insert additional gushing to taste.