Take-Two "very proud" of Mafia II

Take-Two has backed divisive gangster game Mafia II and hit back at comments from an analyst that it will fail to be profitable.

The parent company of Mafia II publisher 2K Games said it was "very proud" of the title, and described developer 2K Czech as "extremely talented".

Eurogamer gave Mafia II 4/10 in its review.

It currently enjoys a 75/100 rating on review aggregation site Metacritic.

Despite the mixed response from critics, Mafia II has enjoyed a sales success.

This week it replaced Square Enix's Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days at the top of the UK all-formats chart.

However, Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter last week predicted sluggish overall sales for Mafia II.

"Mafia II's average Metacritic score of 74 is well below expectations, and consumer interest appears to be waning, as the game's position has dropped in many best-seller lists in its first week. With six years in development, we believe the game is unlikely to achieve profitability," Pachter said in a note.

"We're very proud of the game," said Take-Two CEO Ben Feder in a third quarter earnings call this evening, "which features incredible action including car chases, explosive gun play, compelling characters and an engaging narrative that meticulously recreates the 1940s and 1950s.

"Mafia II was developed by 2K Czech, an extremely talented studio. Based upon the initial launch we expect this to be another profitable title for Take-Two," he added.