Lincoln Clay

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Lincoln Clay is a former criminal and Vietnam veteran who returns to New Bordeaux in 1968. He reunites with his surrogate father and Black Mob leader Sammy Robinson, his adoptive brother Ellis, and his friend Father James Ballard. After initially planning to leave for California, Lincoln agrees to stay and help Sammy, who is facing problems from the Haitian Mob and is indebted to mob boss Sal Marcano. Lincoln ends the conflict with the Haitians by killing their supposed leader Baka. He then meets with Marcano and is recruited to help Marcano's son Giorgi rob the Federal Reserve during Mardi Gras. After the heist, the Marcanos turn on them, killing Sammy, Ellis, and Danny Burke, and setting Sammy's bar on fire. Lincoln is shot and left for dead but rescued by Father James. After recovering, Lincoln contacts his former CIA handler John Donovan, who helps him locate three crime bosses also seeking revenge against Marcano: Cassandra (the true Haitian leader), Thomas Burke (Irish Mob boss), and Vito Scaletta (exiled Sicilian mafioso). Lincoln reclaims their territories and begins violently undoing the Marcano family, taking over their rackets and turf and assigning them to his allies. The player can choose Lincoln's fate, with multiple endings determining whether his empire flourishes or collapses, and whether Lincoln abandons the criminal lifestyle, succumbs to its vices, or is assassinated by Father James with a car bomb.

In Their Own Story

Rain-slicked streets of the French Ward glisten under neon signs as Lincoln Clay steps out of his '64 Impala. The air smells of gumbo and cordite. He adjusts the collar of his leather jacket, hiding the scar on his neck from a shrapnel wound in Da Nang. Three blocks away, Sal Marcano dines at the Maison Blanche, surrounded by bodyguards who think they're safe. Lincoln checks the revolver in his waistband—six rounds, each one carrying a name. He lights a cigarette, the match illuminating his cold eyes. 'They took everything,' he mutters, exhaling smoke into the humid night. 'Time to take it back.'

Reader's Guide

Mafia III is an action-adventure game set in an open world environment played from a third-person perspective. The player assumes control of Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam War veteran on a quest to seek revenge for his adopted family murdered by the local mob. The game is set in 1968 New Bordeaux, a re-imagined version of New Orleans, with the game world being larger than the Mafia and Mafia II maps combined. The map is made up of ten districts: Bayou Fantom, Delray Hollow, Barclay Mills, Frisco Fields, Pointe Verdun, Tickfaw Harbor, Southdowns, River Row, Downtown, and the French Ward. The player can complete objectives using a variety of approaches, including weapons like shotguns and revolvers, calling for allies, or using stealth tactics. The core gameplay revolves around gunplay, with executing moves, melee combat, and a cover system. The player can interrogate non-playable characters after defeating them to gain more information. The player can attack and overrun locations owned by the Italian mob and assign one of their lieutenants to operate around the local area. The game allows driving cars from the era with realistic driving mechanics and sounds. The game was released in October 2016 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, in May 2017 for macOS, and in October 2021 for Google Stadia. It was developed by Hangar 13 and published by 2K. The game received a mixed reception, with praise directed at its story, characters, setting, darker themes, and soundtrack, but criticism for some gameplay mechanics and technical issues. It sold seven million copies worldwide. A version comprising all downloadable content packs titled Mafia III: Definitive Edition was released in May 2020, later included in the Mafia: Trilogy pack in September 2020.

Did You Know?

• Lincoln Clay is a Vietnam War veteran who served as a highly decorated soldier before returning to New Bordeaux.
• The game's map of New Bordeaux is larger than the maps of Mafia and Mafia II combined.
• Lincoln can interrogate non-playable characters after defeating them, including scaring them while driving a car.
• The game has multiple endings dependent on Lincoln's choice, determining whether his empire flourishes or collapses.
• Lincoln's actions in New Bordeaux spawn an investigation by the FBI, led by Jonathan Maguire.