Looking for a comprehensive Mafia: Definitive Edition Review? We’ve got you covered! An ordinary day on the job as a taxi driver, Tommy Angelo ends up being thrown into the criminal underworld. Here is our Mafia: Definitive Edition Review.
Developed by Hanger13 and published by 2K in 2020, the origin of the Gangster life introduced players to the world of organized crime, which was originally in 2002. Now redefined and enhanced for a new audience Mafia lives up to expectations which is more than can be said for its sequel games, Mafia 2 and Mafia 3 at least on some points.
Enter into the life of Tommy Angelo, taxi driver turned gangster and made man for the Salieri family. Spanning the course of 8 years from the inception of meeting Paulie and Sam, Made Men with the family, all the way to when Tommy betrays Don Salieri for his life with Sarah and his daughter.
STORY
The game starts off with this incredible and immense fly-through of Lost Heaven showing the sights and ending in a bar in the middle of the city where a detective confronts Tommy Angelo. This was by no means the introduction I had anticipated picking this game up and being introduced to this detective face-to-face with the character you play as, knowing you’re a criminal, the whole experience made me think Kiryu sitting with Date, from the Yakuza Franchise.
As the conversation gets under way you see Tommy is recalling the events that drew him into the criminal underworld and how Tommy made a name for himself as one of the most versatile and devastating ‘Wheelmen’ in the business. Spanning 20 missions Tommy tells the events from his first contact with the Salieri family men, Paulie and Sam. Telling the detective about the crimes of the Salieri Family, not only the organization’s crimes but his, in doing so he rats out the people he once called brothers.
Over the course of Tommy’s career, he does the jobs the Don sends him on from assassinations to Burglary to performing his duty as a Wheelman. The game plays out over the course of missions, while there is a free play mode where you can enjoy what Lost Heaven has to offer once you have completed the story it feels like a task to go into it after seeing Tommy’s Story.
Mechanics, Graphics, & Technical things
Mechanically the game plays as a third-person shooter, the downside to this is you have to wait for mission 4 to be able to hold a gun. While this is a downside and the fact that not all missions let you use firearms it feels pretty interesting not having the ability to use guns all the time. On the flip side to this until mission 7 or 8 combat feels more or less forced upon the gamer, like it’s there just as a means to make the gamer progress. After this point, gunfights feel natural and really fluid in how the game plays and the way levels are laid out.
In terms of driving, since it’s an important factor, it feels fluid and cumbersome. This is because of the settings, if you are not playing on Classic difficulty driving is ridiculously easy, whereas in Classic difficulty driving is difficult. That’s even before we address the infamous Classic difficulty race. At the same time, the race is difficult to win on Classic, but it’s not impossible, using a combination of different techniques to drive around using custom drifts and the speed lock. Driving around the city, at least when not escaping or chasing someone is best done using the skip Travel on Classic as it’s too much of a hassle, there is a higher police presence and low tolerance to your actions so skipping the travel is the safe option.
Graphics-wise there is some amazing work done on this remake of an old title it’s hard to say where to begin. Characters, vehicles, and even the environment are so alive with what’s going on it’s difficult not to look around the world taking time to look at what is going on. The one thing that I really liked and was seeing quite a lot in Classic was the aiming mechanics. This caught my attention because of the shoulder switching, why you might ask? Well put simply it feels like it’s done wrong but it’s done right. As cryptic as that sounds, and explained simply, unless you’re ambidextrous this feels off. I’m right handed meaning I have the grip of the weapon in the palm of my right hand with my right index finger hovering over the trigger like most people and characters, this means that when I switch to my Left side things feel off, for an ambidextrous person this would presumably feel second nature. This is addressed because even seeing this it feels off somehow for me, it is more apparent in Mafia because of the lack of, or rather camouflaged animation of switching sides when the player changes shoulders. It should be noted that some weapons in the game, like the Famous Thompson M1A1 Submachine Gun, can be used on either side, but that’s not what we are addressing here.
CONCLUSION
To conclude, the game is a marvel of modern technology and an incredible story that started a remarkable series. Tommy’s story going from a simple taxi driver to an infamous criminal in the underworld is inspiring even to the point where he returns in Mafia 2 where Vito kills him.
Personally, the interwar era (Prohibition) in America is an incredible point and I wish there was more to it. I personally like the vehicles more than anything as they are so different, Stand Rails, massive standout wheel arches, and engine compartments that extend out of the car are something we don’t see nowadays. The flowing shapes and almost unlimited variation of the 1930s automotive industry are somewhat more interesting than what we have 90 years later.
I can’t close out this review without addressing the weapons from a personal level. During this era in history, I tend to gravitate towards a handful of weapons, for side arms the Colt 1911 and for primary it has got to be a Thomson SMG. There or other weapons like the M1 Grand, or Winchester Model 1912/ Remmington Model 31, however, the Thompson is a more interesting weapon being automatic as opposed to Bolt Action or Pump Action. It also has the added benefit of having a Drum Magazine which isn’t a common design for handheld weapons making it a unique tool.
Overall, the game is a fantastic introduction to a criminal organization that has 2 following games, and at the time of writing a prequel game in the future. Tommy is a relatable character who starts off as an average man doing his day-to-day job one day and the next pulled into this world that isn’t friendly, isn’t safe, and will chew him up and spit him out. The fact that Tommy brings his home life with Sarah into the mix gives a sense of closeness and makes it personal, giving the player a reason to relate to the character.
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