Mafia: Definitive Edition review: an original that has been rejuvenated and done so with respect

The first Mafia was a pioneering open-world cinematic action game and an homage to the American crime drama of the Prohibition era. Back then, criminals were Italian, cops — Irish, and booze — Canadian. Mafia: Definitive Edition — is an engrossing, awe-inspiring and gorgeous reimagining of the highly regarded aged 2002 original.

Mafia: Definitive Edition — is an exciting, awe-inspiring and gorgeous reimagining of the highly regarded aged 2002 original.

The story in Mafia: Definitive Edition — the first pillar of the remake

The story of Mafia unfolds in the melodramatically named city of Lost Heaven in the 1930s, i.e. the last years of Prohibition. After a well-crafted intro that mimics a whizzing tour of Lost Heaven, Mafia: Definitive Edition wastes no time and embarks on 20 missions.

After a well-crafted intro that mimics a whizzing tour of Lost Heaven, Mafia: Definitive Edition wastes no time and embarks on 20 missions.

Despite the open world, it should be noted that Mafia — is a linear, story-driven action game, and the Definitive Edition remake hasn’t changed that approach. In the single-player game, the story will progress from mission to mission, and Free Roam remains a separate mode. Hangar 13’s developers didn’t see fit to add new story missions to the game to revitalize some unused corners of the map. However, some missions and the heroes’ storyline have been expanded, which is nice.

The game’s storyline has been expanded, which is nice.

The story in the remake is just as good and worth revisiting. The plot of feuding crime families, booze and betrayal follows a well-trodden path, but in my opinion it’s the best story in the «Mafia» trilogy. Cab driver Tommy Angelo, turned Mafia soldier, tries to escape his and his family’s death at the hands of the gang he turned his back on. Missions take place in flashbacks as Tommy tells the story of his rise and fall in the city’s infamous Salieri family to the detective who has been hunting him for years.

The story is told in flashbacks.

Missions takes place in the same order as the 2002 version, but while the story follows the events of the original, all of the dialog has been rewritten to reflect the new execution. As a result, the script is much improved: it’s much more organic and filled with authentic terms, phrases and witticisms that were missing from the original. Replays between Tommy and Detective Norman are strong, as they each simmer with distrust and verbally fight for advantage during their low-key conversation.

The dialogues between Tommy and Detective Norman are strong, as they each simmer with distrust and verbally fight for advantage during their low-key conversation.

Graphics of Mafia: Definitive Edition — the second pillar of the remake

Definitive Edition — is an extremely beautiful remake, from the amazingly detailed faces to the reflections, from the hat textures to the gleaming look of the metal parts on the vintage cars. The night lighting, neon signs and the way stop lights struggle to make it through the evening fog are also impressive. However, there are some missteps: the fire is rather weak, and there’s a lot of it in the game.

The soundtrack, however, is consistently top-notch — from the gun shots of Tommy’s gun to the popping and squeaking of skinny vintage rubber. The music is atmospheric, from the original soundtrack to the soulful sounds of Louis Armstrong playing over the radio.

Music is atmospheric.

Mafia: Definitive Edition gameplay — the third pillar of the remake

Mafia: Definitive Edition retains most of the gameplay features of the original, the closest approximation of which is Classic Mode: enemies are tougher, first aid kits are less effective, and even reloading a gun before it’s empty will result in losing all the ammo left in the magazine. I played through on this difficulty level, and I recommend playing it if you want to experience almost the same difficulty of the original.

It’s a great way to get to grips with the original’s difficulty.

The standard difficulty settings aren’t as punishing or realistic, but you can still opt for some of those gameplay modifiers, including Mafia’s criminal offense system, which punishes speeding and other traffic violations in a way that games like GTA don’t.

Mafia’s standard difficulty settings aren’t as punishing and realistic, but you can still opt for some of those gameplay modifiers, including Mafia’s criminal offense system, which punishes speeding and other traffic violations in a way that games like GTA don’t.

For offenses, you’ll be able to pull over, get a token fine — because there’s no currency to collect or spend, — and keep driving. As a concession to gamers who are disgusted by this traditional quirk carried over from the original, know that the system can be set to ignore minor infractions.

The system can be set to ignore minor infractions.

Car control can also be switched between normal and simulation, though the difference between the two doesn’t seem as stark as it did in Mafia III. Normal steering feels light and responsive — and it’s more forgiving under hard braking, applying an ABS effect that allows you to steer the car under full braking. The simulator doesn’t allow this — if you brake hard, you’ll keep flying forward. The cars feel great, and that’s the most important thing: the remake captures the driving from the original, which was quite realistic.

And that’s the most important thing: the remake captures the driving from the original, which was quite realistic.

The shootouts in Mafia: Definitive Edition leave a good impression and force the player to pump their skilling to the max. Perhaps no other game in recent years has made you learn to shoot at your opponent’s head as well as Mafia. The shootouts themselves take place in beautiful locations — from a detailed art gallery to a dark abandoned farmhouse during a violent thunderstorm, from a bullet-riddled Italian restaurant to an ancient garage — but it’s all pretty conventional. I can’t say I noticed anything that made the game stand out from the last 10 years of great third-person shooters. But atmosphere and story play their part here.

Atmosphere and story play their part.

In conclusion

Totally redesigned from the ground up, Mafia: Definitive Edition stands out with great acting from new actors, a fantastic driving model, and a beautiful and authentic city that exudes a 1930s atmosphere. The game still had the potential of an updated world to come up with some new ways to utilize it, — but it’s still a successful rejuvenation of the best story in the series, which can now stand alongside other similar games as an equal, rather than a highly regarded but covered in antiquity ancestor.

Mafia: Definitive Edition.