15: Per Aspera Ad Astra

Chapter 15: Per Aspera Ad Astra - A Resolution is Reached

The CS that starts the Chapter is actually the scene we saw when the game started -- which means that all of what we have been playing and living was a flashback and now we have arrived at real-time! 

I suppose that it is fitting that the last Chapter begin with a ringing phone, right?  I am not joking this time -- go answer the phone to learn that Eddie wants you to come by the Planetarium to meet with Carlo -- the boss -- which can only mean that this ball of yarn has finally unraveled!

Before you get dressed go to the kitchen and eat or drink something to restore your health.  Now get dressed and hit the door!

For once we do not have to do a lot of driving -- when we leave the apartment it immediately triggers a CS in which we are "invited" into a limo at gun point. 

Leo is there and he is not happy, and as you ride you hear about how things really are.  Leo has your back, but there is a condition -- you have to kill Carlo.

You have to do what you have to do -- and you have to kill Carlo!  Before we do anything else find a discrete corner and check your weapons to see if you have enough ammunition.  If you do, grab a car and head for the Observatory -- if you do NOT, then get ammunition, and THEN head for the Observatory.

At the Observatory

When you arrive head to the marker on the map to trigger a CS in which you start the ball rolling by taking out the first pair of guards!  

When you regain control of Vito run to the planter and take cover, then take out the guards as they come to you, do not go looking for them or you will die. 

Wait for the first three or four to expose themselves and kill them to think out the threat, and then start picking them off from a distance. Change position around the other side of the planter to help take out the last guy on the balcony, and then carefully approach the stairs, picking up ammunition as you go.

Just before you reach the top of the stairs aim and ease up to kill the guy ahead on the other side of the balcony, and then carefully make your way around, aiming ahead to quickly shoot the guys who approach.   When you get hit take cover, let your health recover prior to exposing yourself to more guns right?  Enter the building and carefully work your way from cover-to-cover as you take out the bad guys.  

Inside the first large room there are two sets of stairs -- one on the left going up, which is the proper path -- and the other on the right that is blocked by a barrier.  Break through the barrier on the right-hand stairs and go down, then around to grab the Playboy Magazine (Issue 1 of 4 for the chapter and Playboy 47 of 50 overall) on the floor there.  Now go back up to the room above.

Once you get to the top of the stairs you will need to clear a few guys off on the stairs leading to the roof, and on the roof a half-dozen more guys who are firing from cover.  Just move forward smoothly and engage them as you find them! 

As you approach the entrance to the dome head to the right around the corner and grab the Playboy Magazine (Issue 2 of 4 for the chapter and Playboy 48 of 50 overall) that is laying on the wet roof here.

When they are all dead move to the glowing door on the dome and enter for a checkpoint save, then carefully continue along the obvious path. 

Note:  If you are playing on Hard Mode like I am you do not get icons on the map for the location of enemies -- on Medium or Lower you do -- so if you are on a lower mode, mind the movement patterns.

There are three sets of stairs here -- one to the telescope that is no help, one going up that just leads to the controls to rotate the telescope, and finally the stairs down, which is where we want to go! 

Before you head down the stairs though, go to the other side of the room and grab the Playboy Magazine (Issue 3 of 4 for the chapter and Playboy 49 of 50 overall) laying on the floor by the railing first. Mind the bad guys down there and kill them, won't you?

When you reach the big green doors and go in you vet a CS of Carlo trying to convince you that you do not know what is going on. 

Joe is here and he is no longer our friend -- he is Carlo's man.  Joe is holding his gun to your head, and Carlo is crowing like a ****. 

Carlo tells Joe to execute you but Joe is your childhood friend!  Together you can take these guys!

The trick to this is to keep moving and pay attention -- situational awareness is what they call it in the military! 

If you allow them to flank you then you are dead, it is as simple as that. 

Eventually it comes down to you and Carlo, and you can take him simply by flanking him from above. 

You get a nice CS as you take him out.  When this ends go into the center of the room inside that half-wall and pick up the final Playboy Magazine (Issue 4 of 4 for the chapter and Playboy 50 of 50 overall) -- so hey well done you! You have completed the Playboy Magazine collection and obtained 50 racy photos of what were arguably the women who helped to launch - and win - the sexual revolution!

When you leave Leo and crew are waiting for you -- Leo asks you to ride with him, and Joe is riding with the goons -- clearly Joe is going to die for what he did with Henry, and Leo's deal did not extend to protecting him.  Yeah, it sucks, but what can you do? 

This officially concludes the main story of Mafia II -- and if you were playing it on Hard, like I was, you should now have unlocked the Achievements / Trophies "Tough Nut" for finishing the game on Hard Difficulty, the Achievement / Trophy "Made Men" which is for finishing on Medium Difficulty but as we did it on Hard this also unlocks, the Achievement / Trophy "Finish Him" for taking out Carlo, and finally, the Achievement / Trophy "Ladies Man" for finding all of the Playboy Magazines in the game!

All that is left is one single Achievement / Trophy, "Card Sharp" for finding all of the Wanted Posters, and you should have been careful to be sure you found NONE in your play-through as this is a collection you will want to do in order, all at once. 

Finding all 159 Wanted Posters is a major accomplishment, and that is not part of this walkthrough -- there are many guides on the web that you can use, just Google for it!

On a closing note, I was a little disappointed at how it ended as well -- it would have been nice if Joe had not been killed... 

Word has it that there is more DLC coming for this title beyond the Jimmy's Revenge, which is included in this guide.  It should be interesting to see how they expand upon both the story line and game play with the upcoming DLC.