News of Mafia 2's development last August got a lot of fans of the first game all fired up, but unfortunately they had to wait for a long time for any further news. Finally, here are the first solid details on the game from 2K Games.

The first thing gamers would want to know is that Mafia will not be a direct sequel to the first game. In fact, there won't have any connection with the first game at all. The story will begin shortly before the end of World War II.

Mafia 2 will have two main heroes: Vito and Joe. Although players will only be able to take the role of Vito, Joe will play an important part in the story. The story starts with Vito, who just came back from war duty at Europe.

The story will be set in a fictional city in America. Named Empire City, it will be twice as big as the Lost Heaven City from the first Mafia game. The map will cover around 10 square kilometers, with architecture inspired mostly by San Francisco and with colors and art style reminiscent of BioShock.

The game will have a Gears of War-type cover system. Money will be an important factor in the game; you'll need for things like buying clothes to escape pursuers and to visit restaurants. You'll also be able to stop at gas stations to refuel your car. You'll even be able to have your car washed.

There is still no specific release date. However, it was announced that the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 version will launch before the PC version does. The game is expected to ship in late Spring or Summer of 2009. New screenshots are in too; check them out by clicking on the images above.