[B]Mafia II features a deep and compelling narrative that is embellished with a sophisticated, era-evoking atmosphere, according to 2K president Christoph Hartmann.[/B] Apparently, part of evoking that sophisticated atmosphere includes Hugh Hefner.

While anyone who's been to the Playboy Mansion might dispute the sophistication and class of that franchise, 2K has licensed more than 50 vintage covers and centerfolds, which we presume will litter the bathrooms and stand sentinel in the closets of wiseguys throughout the game.

Playboy's Editorial Directory, Jimmy Jellinek, says that “for more than 55 years, Playboy has been a part of America’s pop culture landscape, engaging its readers with insightful features, interviews and fashion spreads, as well as pictorials of some of the world’s most beautiful women. Mafia II is set when Playboy first came into vogue and features characters whose style and attitudes mirror content from our early issues."

The hitch, of course, is that because 2K only licensed vintage Playboy imagery, gamers won't have access to the classic excuse — "I bought it for the articles."

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