Mafia 2 is set in the late 40s and early 50s. Because of this, Mafia 2 may contain some allusions to the original game. The extent of these allusions and references, if any, are currently unknown. The protagonist's name is also unknown, like most of the game's other major details. Mafia 2 may feature the ability to change clothes. As we can see in the first five screenshots, the protagonist wears different clothes in the first and second screenshots. However, in Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven, where the main character did change clothes, the player had no control over it. That may also be the case in this game.

The graphics and minor details in Mafia 2 also seem to be of a much higher quality. In the fifth screenhot, we can see airplanes in the sky in the top right-hand corner. In the fourth screenshot, the bottles in the bar are completely 3D, unlike their predecessors. Furthermore, each of the characters in these current, pre-release screenshots are different, suggesting a wider range of pedestrians and NPCs. In the fourth shot, the one of the bar, slot-machines are visible in the background. This presents the possibility of gambling within the game, just like in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

In the fifth screenshot, there is a bus and on the back of it are the words "Empire City Transport". Whether or not "Empire City" is the name of the game's setting, is currently unknown.