Just in case the similarities between Mafia 3 and GTA 5 weren't confusing enough already, the newest trailer for the former prominently features a bank heist. Now, we've talked about how the close resemblance could but won't hurt Grand Theft Auto Online in terms of stealing players, but this new trailer just makes it look like 2K is poking Rockstar Games just for the hell of it.
Now, we might be looking at some sort of rivalry going on between the two developers under the 2K umbrella here. We mentioned how it is likely that Mafia 3 will be a single-player only experience probably because the suits at Take-Two Interactive didn't want their successful work-horse GTA Online to bleed players. It is likely that the 2K team working on M3 did intend to create some kind of Online mode, but were forbidden from doing so.
Obviously, they should now that Rockstar's dev team didn't handle that decision, but even so, this newest trailer focusing on the protagonist boosting sacks of cash from a bank could be some kind of retaliation.
GTA 5's story, while rather branching, revolves around a series of heists planned and pulled off by a trio of unlikely allies. The storyline does get more complicated than that and features some spin-off missions, but the heists are the main plot points taking things forward.
Heists also happen to be one of the main end-game (or mid-game) activities of GTA Online. While ferrying crates has become a competing method of acquiring cash since the release of the Further Adventures in Finance and Felony update, running heists is still the preferred method of racking up a fortune in the game.
While obviously heisting isn't exclusive to GTA 5, seeing as there are plenty of other games out there featuring heists to varying degrees of prominence, they are easily associated with Rockstar's franchise. Seeing as 2K, the developers of Mafia 3 share parent companies with Rockstar, the comparison must be made.
The trailer reveals that the story of Mafia 3 will involve the protagonist taking part in a bank heist organised by the mob. After successfully making off with the cash, the ring-leader kills the family/friends/group of the protagonist in order to secure his cut of the profits as well. While 2K's game is trying to set itself apart, there are plenty of themes it shares with GTA 5.
Will you be giving GTA Online a rest when Mafia 3 comes out while you finish the story, or are you sticking to the virtual streets of Los Santos?
