Of Mafiafranchise first appeared on PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC in 2002, and is considered by many gamers to be one of the best in the series. Unfortunately, the game is almost twenty years old and it doesn’t really invite you to play anymore. Luckily, Hangar 13 has taken on the task of doing a full remake in the form of Mafia: Definitive Edition. We started with the game and tell our findings below.
Mafia: Definitive Edition revolves around Tommy Angelo. He’s a taxi driver and one day Paulie and Sam get in and have to drive for his life. The duo turns out to be members of Don Salieri’s crime family. Tommy is slowly being introduced into the life of organized crime in this way. We will not tell you much more about the story, because this is something that makes this game so special. The different missions you play are flashbacks that happen while Tommy tells his story to a cop in a cafe. Although considerable leaps are made in time, it is still an ongoing story. It is mainly the different characters that make it so fascinating. In the end, it is only a handful of people that pass in review, and therefore you get to know enough about everyone. The story may not be very original for a Mafia story, but the beautiful cutscenes, interesting characters and good dialogue will keep you captivated for the approximately ten hours it takes to complete the game.
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The beautiful graphics also help a lot to stare at the screen attentively. The game really looks great. This is especially evident at night, because during the day the colors can appear a bit pale. But when you drive through the streets of Lost Heaven at night, you can see the beautiful reflections on the cars and in the puddles on the street. This game shows what this generation is still capable of and promises a lot for the next. The beautiful graphics also really give you the feeling that you are in an American city in the 1930s. The classic cars are a pleasure to watch and the music coming from the speakers also helps a lot with that feeling. You will hear beautiful jazz and this is interspersed with news bulletins in a way that is very recognizable for that time. Of course we never really experienced that time, but you feel that it really was like that.
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The gameplay of Mafia: Definitive Edition consists mainly of a lot of driving, after all you are a driver, and you will also have to draw your weapon the necessary number of times. Driving feels a lot better than in the original, but a lot rougher than in real racing games. It is mainly a matter of getting used to and you will have a vehicle under control in no time. The missions in which you have to shoot are a little less successful in our eyes. You will notice that the gameplay feels a bit outdated. It’s mainly a matter of taking cover and shooting heads when they come up. The shooting itself isn’t bad, but more recent games have spoiled us a bit in that regard. This just makes it feel a bit rude for 2020 and that’s a shame.
What is also a shame is that Hangar 13 has not really put new content into this remake. Of course they put new cutscenes in the game and rerecorded the voices, but real new missions have not been added to the game and that is a missed opportunity. They just stayed very true to the original and that’s a shame, because now was the time to do something new.
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Als remake is Mafia: Definitive Edition actually almost perfect, because it looks like a game from today and also feels a lot better than almost twenty years ago and yet it remains very faithful to the original. If it were a new title, you would be less likely to condone a number of things, especially in the area of the action. The story is and remains great and the renewed voices and cutscenes take it to the next level. You will not find really new content in this version, which is especially a shame for anyone who is a fan of the original game. Still, we recommend that everyone try this game if you haven’t played the 2002 version as it remains a classic.
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