Mafia II: Definitive Edition

If you have played through the original, this edition adds nothing new apart from the new glossy coating. But if you have not, then the Definitive Edition would be a worthy addition to your collection. There is an R18+ age rating (due to the Playboy Magazine collectibles I believe, and not the violence), which means that it will be inappropriate for many. But Vito’s story as well as the gameplay is as enjoyable and captivating as the original. Driving across town can occasionally be a tad monotonous, but the simple shootouts and fistfight controls make sure that the main story flows smoothly for the entire game. And the music and visuals capture the setting beautifully allowing gamers to be fully immersed into The Family.

Mafia II is one of the best stories of Italian-American gangsters that we can live in video games (and almost in the cinema). It's packed with cliches, but the narrative is fantastic and engaging from the get-go. As a remaster, it does the right thing thanks to 4K resolution and all the content of the DLC, although it drags the 2010 stops.

Small problems as well as the not consequently modernized, but extremely hardware-hungry visuals are annoying - but despite all of this you still experience a thrilling gangster drama.

Mafia II Definitive Edition is still the excellent game that was on day one, with an open world not so open and a mature story. Remastering is good and the addition of all the DLC increases the contents available.

I liked Mafia 2 back then and I also like the Definitive Edition ten years later. The flaws of the game are of course even more noticeable today than in 2010. The game world is pretty, but unfortunately also completely irrelevant. Everything only serves as a backdrop. As a result, the sometimes long journeys to mission goals are boring. But those who stick out here will still be rewarded with a great, atmospheric gangster story that shines with interesting characters throughout.

As often with light remasters, Mafia II: Definitive Edition offers marginal improvements over the genuine game, making it less attractive for those who already own it. For the others, it's a no brainer: this is the version to go for.

Mafia II: Definitive Edition doesn't offer any extra content compared with the original version but still impress me with the immersive story and decent gameplay even after a decade. The graphic improvement doesn't stand out but there is no doubt that Definitive Edition is the best way to experience the adventure.

Mafia 2: Definitive Edition is a fantastic opportunity to rediscover the adventures of Vito Scaletta around Empire Bay, now with all DLC and in 4k.

This remastered version of Mafia II features improved graphics and nice lighting effects, but the title can't deny its age due to the slightly rough and stiff characters. The open world remains limited to the place you're supposed to visit, and NPCs have behaviors that don't necessarily help make them credible. However, the storyline is interesting from the beginning to the end and the thrilling soundtrack of the title help to overcome its small imperfections. And, icing on the cake, the fact that all 3 DLCs are included allows you to enjoy Empire Bay a little more if you found the main adventure too short and want to continue your life as a gangster.

Even if flawed, this Definitive Edition still holds up quite well, particularly if we focus on the narrative and accept it as an action game rather than a sandbox.

Except for some small nuances, which are not able to meet today's triple A standards, such as audio imperfections - which cause some lines of dialogue (regardless of the language used) to overlap in an unnatural way or use different volume levels - or the sudden teleportation of some NPCs from one scene to another, is pure gameplay where the weight of the years makes itself felt most.