Mafia II: Definitive Edition Tips and Secrets for New Players

Free Car Tune up and customization

In Chapter 2 Home Sweet Home Joe takes Vito to meet Giuseppe shortly after getting the lock-picks and discharge papers you’ll steal the Jefferson Provincial. After escaping the cops Joe tells you go to the nearby body shop to change the license plate, and he’ll pay for it. However he will also pay for the other services they offer, so you can paint the car, get the first tune up, and change the rims/tires free of charge as well.

This only works on the first visit any subsequent visits will cost you, so be sure to get these before exiting the garage.

Free early shotgun

Again in Chapter 2 after changing the plates Joe will take you to meet Mike Bruski. After a quick shooting tutorial you’ll be tasked with stealing a car for Mike from the Alley by The Lone Star bar. After the drive to the bar approaching the gate will you give a tutorial on how to climb over it, ignore this and simply enter the bar. Enter the door to the right of counter to enter the bar’s storage area. On a metal shelf will be a shotgun. Use the ammo sparingly as Shotguns do not become available for purchase until Chapter 5 from Harry and Chapter 7 for regular gun shops. However if you run out of ammo or are running low and want to press your luck regular gun shop owners will pull shotguns on you during robberies, but they’re quick shots so take them out fast before they get you.

Fast cash for faster cars

Money is important in Mafia 2, if you want to customize Vito’s cars you’ll need to have cash. A good way to get cash in the early game is selling cars to Mike, it is unlimited but takes time and pays about $450 per car. A faster, but more limited way is to rob stores and gas stations. However after robbing a store it will be closed for the remainder of the current chapter you are on. Gun shops are the best paying shops they carry anywhere from $500 to $700, the best way to rob these store is to go in unarmed and shove the owner until unarmed combat begins afterwords simply lead into a wall or the counter and use a finishing combo on them, afterwards empty the register and restock on ammo if also needed. Clothing stores and bars/diners are the next best choice they’ll carry around $100 to $200 for clothing shops and $50 to $160 for bars/diners. Robbing clothing stores will allow you to change clothes by simply taking them during a robbery and similarly bars/diners let you replenish health by stealing food items during a robbery, but be aware some regular clothing store do have mobsters as armed guards similarly to how Vandel’s will have armed guards so be on guard. Also in certain named bars/diners the owners carry rifles and shotguns so watch out there. The last and lowest paying are Gas stations they carry around $40 to $60, but have no form of protection, no guns or guards a fast and easy in and out.