The new 'Mafia' game thrusts players into New Orleans during the Civil Rights struggle

Video games have taken us to so many different times and places throughout history, from Renaissance Italy, to the beaches of Normandy (many, many times), all the way to the cocaine-fueled beaches of 1980s Miami. 

But one setting that big-budget games have generally avoided is the American South during the civil rights struggle. It would undoubtedly be an enormous challenge to depict such a tumultuous time in history with sensitivity, and games have had trouble with race before.

One of the bigger releases of this holiday season is taking that challenge head-on.

This is "Mafia III."