When Strauss Zelnick was asked if Mafia III can be considered as a "Rockstar-style open-world game" just like the Grand Theft Auto, his answer was no. According to Gamespot, Zelnick stated that the Mafia III experience is very different from Grand Theft Auto who has its own identity as an open world game. Grand Theft Auto has its own individuality and it should not be compared with any other sort of gaming franchise. The publisher Take-Two takes pride in their two huge labels, but Zelnick made it clear that 2K Games (developer of Mafia III) and Rockstar games (developer of Grand Theft Auto) have different technologies. He also stated that, while there is so much fun creating these games, the idea of sharing the same developmental strategies just won't work.
The Grand Theft Auto series with its latest GTA 5 revolves around action-packed series in the open world where racing and third person shooting, whereas the Mafia III revolves around gangs and street fights and the struggle to find the one true thing that matters, family. According to CinemaBlend, the comparison was brought out when the reports of earnings came out and they can't help but suggest why a successful RAGE engine cannot be shared by two open-world game, primarily to save money? Grand Theft Auto 5 has been very successful during its opening and with over millions of copies sold worldwide, it would be impressive to share its engine with its sister company. The idea, however, did not entice its publisher and developer. Take - Two has also listed Grand Theft Auto Online, Grand Theft Auto V, NBA 2k15 and the Borderlands: The Handsome Collection as their biggest assets when it comes to their revenue.
Mafia III on the other hand enticed its fans by its latest storyline tackling racism. Main Character, Lincoln Clay a Vietnam war veteran sets his revenge to the Italian mob who tried to kill him and found one of his allies in Vito Scalleta, Mafia 2's main hero. Created as a primary shooter, Mafia III has other options when it comes to completing missions and one of these is the use of stealth. Mafia 3 is currently developed for PC, Xbox One and Play Station 4. Mafia 3 will also be officially released by Hangar 3. In a post by Gamespot, Take -Two recently confirmed that the date of release for Mafia II is set to 2017 instead of the expected earlier date of April 2016.