A visitor’s guide to Mafia III: 10 things you need to do in New Bordeaux this weekend

New Bordeaux, the fictional city in Mafia III, is based loosely on New Orleans in the late 1960s. We worked hard to capture the spirit and tone of the city, which serves as the backdrop to a hard-boiled crime drama focusing on Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam vet and member of the Black mob who wages war against the Italian Mafia. There’s much to do an explore in New Bordeaux. Here are a few “local” tips and secrets you should check out.

1. Bayou mystery

In the center of the Bayou, intrepid explorers willing to brave the gators will find an old pirate ship, which we call the Ghost Ship of Jean St. John.

2. Case the joints

Nearly every combat space, including most of the hideouts, have multiple approaches and entrances. For example, when rescuing Vito on the waterfront, try swimming to the boat dock closest to his restaurant rather than attacking head-on. When engaging in combat in the backyard or back alleys of New Bordeaux, look for fire escapes and other ways to reach the high ground, which will give you a tactical advantage over your enemies.

3. Every racket has a story

Each hideout boss and racket has a backstory, which you can often learn more about by collecting notes in the world or overhearing conversations. We went to great lengths to provide environmental storytelling everywhere in the game, so you can also look for clues in the world around you. While taking down rackets in Barclay Mills, hunt down enforcers to discover the mob’s gruesome body disposal business. If you make it to a hideout boss undetected, you’ll often catch him in the middle of something unsavory…

4. Final resting places

After Lincoln vows to take down the mob, you can visit the cemetery in the Hollow to remind yourself why he hates Sal Marcano with such a passion… And a surprisingly larger number of the development team seems to be buried in cemeteries across the city…

5. Jump the briar patch

Numerous ramps are hidden throughout the city, including soil ramps and flatbed trailers. Some are designed as short-cuts or to allow for quick escapes from the police, while others test your driving skills. Our favourite ramps are the roofs of the Briar Patch restaurants. A franchise found throughout the city, the Briar Patch has a 1960s-inspired design that includes a slanted roof extending to the ground on one side – creating a wide ramp that can launch you over neighbouring streets.

6. Boat ramps

Stunt jumps aren’t reserved solely for cars in New Bordeaux. Steal a boat and explore the canals of Delray Hollow. Keep an eye out for the pump stations (clusters of large pipes coming up out of the water) – hitting them at speed will send your vessel airborne.

7. Canal cruises

New Bordeaux diverges from the city that inspired it in a few key ways. One of these is the network of canals that runs beneath our fictional city. The waterways can be accessed through service doors hidden in back alleys or via a boat. Exploring the tunnels will not only yield various collectibles, but also reveal secret entrances into a few of the Italian mob’s hideouts.

8. Racing underground

Once you’ve discovered the tunnel network, visit the tunnels beneath Tickfaw harbor, which are accessible by car and include a ramp that allows you to jump the city’s northern canal.

9. The Lincoln Express

An old railroad line runs from the north-western corner of the Bayou to the southern end of the swamps before turning east and eventually ending in the north-eastern corner of the Bayou, forming a U-shape. Despite its age, the railroad is intact throughout and can be driven by car to provide a different view of the Bayou.

10. Sewer gators

A family of gators has taken up residence in the water filtration basins next to the garbage dump in Barclay Mills. Drop a mobster’s body into the water tank, and the gators will come out to feed. You can feed gators at a number of other locations, including throughout the bayou and at the alligator farm in the game’s opening.

11. Travel in style

For those that want to explore the city and turn some heads, if you register for a 2K Account when you boot up Mafia III, you’ll be rewarded with an exclusive golden gun as well as a trench coat and hat outfit for Lincoln. Lookin’ sharp.