Graphics memory (VRAM) usage and Conclusion

Graphics memory (VRAM) usage

How much graphics memory does the game utilize versus your monitor resolution with different graphics cards and respective VRAM sizes ? Well, lets have a look at the chart below. The listed MBs used in the above chart is the maximum measured utilized graphics memory during the test run. During game-play the game is swapping and loading stuff. As such in the most scenarios you'll notice your VRAM is filled, then memory gets emptied chunk by chunk bit and then filled again. 
  

For the above chart we used the new Titan X so that the game can utilize whatever it needs memory wise, as this graphics card has 12 GB of graphics memory available. One of the problems with the overall performance at HIGH quality settings is simple, the game LOVES VRAM memory even at 1080P and eats away more then 3GB of graphics memory pretty fast. This is a problem for 2GB cards, you will need to lower image quality settings to compensate. All modes and resolutions however remain under 4 GB usage. As you can see in High Quality settings in Ultra HD, we are hovering close to the 4000 MB of graphics memory utilized.

Concluding

Mafia III had a very rough start with the framerate cap, luckily it has now been removed. The game feels way more responsive and renders much better. The HIGH quality settings will remain a tough mode for this console port really.

Let me again mention that Mafia III is difficult to measure - FPS overall can be off by an extensive amount depending on variables like what location you are in the city, with denser populated and higher buildings in the area your framerate can vary 10~15 FPS easily. Also the the weather and even day/night conditions matter, the car you drive and traffic can have an effect on performance. Also driving in a car eats away deeper in your framerate opposed to walking inside a building. We use a scene where we drive and where the FPS is best described as the worst case scenario. So overall your FPS will likely be a nice notch higher, but you will run into situations where the FPS is as low as we have shown in this article, that is a guarantee. The game graphics themselves can be tagged as OK, the scenery is a little flat and dull and lacks that crisp texture feel that GTA-V for example offers. What Mafia III does well is ambient behaviour with low sun light etc as shown in the screenshot above. I have played the game hours now, I do like it but it is repetitive and I would have preferred a more Italian Mafia feel. Mafia II was probably the best one. Gameplay wise I'd tag this with 4 out of 5 stars. The new patch massively increase gameplay with better framerates, but you are going to need a heck of a lot of graphics card performance to render at 2560x1440 and above at high image quality settings throughout all locations and scenes in the game. 

- H.

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