Mafia: Definitive Edition

The new coat of paint is an eye candy and the experienced and older gamers will meet again with a really friendly acquaintance, but Mafia (level design and structural-wise) shows its age and not in a good way.

A good looking and competent retread of a second rate original, which improves on everything from the graphics to the driving model, whilst maintaining the game’s cinematic essence.

Mafia: Definitive Edition’s gorgeous open world is weakened by its mediocre campaign and flat combat mechanics. Driving through the bustling streets and open countryside of Lost Heaven in classic vehicles is fun enough at low or high speeds, and the story, while rushed, does ultimately put players in cool locations and situations. But without any unique storylines or exciting on-foot gameplay to keep the player invested, and a restrictive focus on missions over open world exploration, there’s little here that stands out for those who don’t already have a fascination with mafia stories or mid-twentieth century history. For all the emphasis Mafia: Definitive Edition places on history and creating a legacy, this well-made but largely forgettable journey doesn’t do enough to earn its spot in the family.

Hanger 13 has crafted a gorgeous remake of an action classic, but the picturesque city of Lost Heaven and the characters that call it home are sadly lacking in substance, resulting in an adventure that could have been so much more.

Those looking for a nostalgia trip will find it here, but there are some huge asterisks to consider before diving in. Mafia: Definitive Edition is just right for those looking to kill a few evenings before the fall's bigger games start rolling in, or those that have fond memories of the franchise. It's got a pile of problems to sort out, but at the same time, it scratches an itch that few other games can.

It’s in the art direction of the Definitive Edition, led by Petr Motejzik, that you catch the developers’ obsessions: their love of long-coated ne’er do wells; of chrome shining through the wet; and of crime fiction, free of the emotional collateral and ruin of real crime.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a remake more faithful than Mafia: Definitive Edition. It pays a great deal of respect to the source text with excellent cutscene direction, voice acting, and a cast of characters you can't help but fall in love with. The game definitely shows its age with frustrating controls and vehicle handling, but the next story beat is enough of an excuse to continue pressing forward. Mafia: Definitive Edition's narrative and everything that comes with it holds up to this day, and it's one worth revisiting even if you know it like the back of your hand.

Mafia: Definitive Edition is enough to bring back fond memories, but won't make newcomers understand the legendary status of the original.

While it's clear that the publishers of the game recognized the limitations of the remake by employing a reduced price overall, this is one case where I imagine a remake of the mechanics and story would have taken the game to new heights and made this a more fulfilling experience.

The original Mafia was well-received at its release, and I’m sure a lot of people remember it fondly. For me, it’s something that’s probably best seen as a foundational statement in a series that got better over time and subsequent entries. As part of the Mafia trilogy, it’s an interesting footnote on what came before. As a standalone game that can hold its own against modern titles in the open-world genre? Fugetaboutit.