Hangar 13 and 2K Games are releasing “Mafia 13” next week and for curious gamers who have yet to come aboard the hype train, here are five reasons why you should watch out for this action-adventure, third-person shooter.

1. You don’t need to have prior “Mafia” knowledge to enjoy it. Though this is the third installment in the franchise, players do not really need to play “Mafia I” and or “Mafia III” to understand what’s going on in the game. “Mafia III” is a stand-alone installment with a different protagonist and a different setting. There won’t be loose ends to tie up when the game launches this October.

2. The game is driven by an engrossing storyline set in the distant past. Gamers who like an engaging crime-filled plot and a semi-reality-based setting would find “Mafia III” a must-play. Set in 1968 in a New Orleans-inspired city called New Bordeaux, gamers will definitely like how each visual element contributes to the villainy atmosphere.

CNET reports the cinematic feel of the game is accompanied by a period soundtrack. Cutscenes lay down the storyline that is enhanced by documentary technique to convey a dark political period in the U.S. history.

3. You will take on the role of an interesting protagonist. When playing “Mafia III,” players view the volatile city from the perspective of Lincoln Clay, a military man who has returned to New Bordeaux after taking part in the Vietnam war, Venture Beat directly learned from the game’s lead writer, Bill Harms.

“Mafia III” opens with an advisory that it tackles racial issues, which will become very evident when the African-American protagonist tries to escape his criminal past. Lincoln is an orphan who found his way to a black mob when the orphanage that took care of him was shut down. The plot thickens when the block mob is eliminated by the Italian Mafia.

Having lost what he considers his family, Lincoln joins the army to redirect his attention from plotting revenge. However, his experience in Vietnam and his enhanced skill in handling weapons may have strengthened Lincoln's desire to exact revenge against crime boss Sal Marcano when he returns to New Bordeaux. It is now up to the players if they will help Lincoln realize his goal.

4. A killer licensed soundtrack will accompany you throughout the game. As mentioned earlier, a period soundtrack supports the flow of the story of the game. According to GameSpot, over 100 licensed tracks are featured in “Mafia III” including hit songs from the late Elvis Presley, Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Rolling Stones.

When featured songs are not being played in the background, a musical score — described as “dark and gritty with a focus on revenge” by its co-composer Jesse Harlin — that complements the scenes will keep players invigorated. The composers have shared that while the score is “cinematic blues” at its heart, they have also used other instruments to ensure variety.

5. The game is available for multiple platforms. As the next installment in the popular franchise, the makers of “Mafia III” ensured that the game’s reach would be wider than its predecessors. Hence, the game is set for release for the Mac OS, Windows, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Android Police has also learned that the game has a mobile spin-off called “Mafia III: Rivals” that is arriving on Android and iOS when the game launches on Oct. 7. The mobile version may not have the open-world nature of the official console version, but it still features the same characters and is still set in New Bordeaux.

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