It’s hard to go a month without seeing some sort of remake on game store shelves. Virtually all classic games that did well have been remastered or revamped for modern hardware. Now it’s up to the mafia.
The remastered version, Mafia: Definitive Edition, was released on September 25 for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. It is developed by Hangar 13, with some pedigree with the franchise. They also worked on Mafia III in 2016.
With this latest version, Hangar 13 reworked the entire Mafia experience. In fact, compared to the original 2002 game, the remaster is hardly recognizable. But, despite the flashy graphics and improved presentation, the gameplay of Mafia: Definitive Edition ends up looking dated.
History
Immediately after starting Mafia: Definitive Edition, players are catapulted into the story. For fans of the original, the opening story beats will feel awfully familiar. That’s because Hangar 13 made sure to perfectly capture the essence of the original story in the remake.
The missions are all the same and the storyline plays out in much the same way. However, that’s not exactly a bad thing. After all, the original mafia is widely regarded as a great story. So, it makes sense not to mess with it too much.
Set in a fictional city known as Lost Heaven, it goes without saying that 1930s Chicago clearly inspired the setting. The game begins with the protagonist, Tommy Angelo, forced to help some mobsters. These criminals make the taxi driver their personal escape driver and disrupt the life of the law-abiding man. Fired from his job after a rival gang targets his taxi company, Tommy has no choice but to join the Salieri crime family.
The fact that the narrative only lasts a dozen or so hours may disappoint some. Especially when other open world games can have stories lasting up to 100 hours. However, the shorter duration of the campaign means it is more focused and impactful.
The narrative in Mafia: Definitive Edition is rich in nuance and full of drama and suspense. It’s more like a TV series rather than a traditional game and works exceptionally well. Few games from this era nail the storyline as well as the original mafia, so the remake still has a lot of impact.
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