What made the original Mafia from 2002 such a memorable game was its focus on the bloody and ruthless story of Tommy Angelo. Coming shortly after the boom of open-world games started by Grand Theft Auto III, Mafia operated within the same genre-space. But unlike the open-world antics shown in GTA3, Mafia honed in on a linear story set within the chaotic city of Lost Heaven during the 1930s. Since the original's release, it's still remembered by many as an excellent crime thriller that had a challenging edge to it. With the full remake, Mafia: Definitive Edition, developer Hangar 13 kept its sights on what made the original such a refreshing game while giving it a much-needed update.
I recently got to play three hours of a near-final build of the game ahead of its September 25 release, and diving into this full remake of a game that's still etched into my memories was an interesting experience. Right from the opening credits, which feature sweeping shots of the city of Lost Heaven and its citizens going about their business, it's clear that much has changed on the surface. In addition to fully revamped graphics and gameplay that borrows more from Mafia III, the Definitive Edition has also revised the original story, giving its characters a bit more nuance and agency.
In the opening of the game, which sees Tommy meet with a detective to betray the crime family that he's worked with, the atmosphere feels a lot more involved this time around. There's more subtlety at work as well, particularly in the way that Tommy references events that have transpired, which you'll see play out in the course of the story. I still felt engaged in the plot despite knowing what's in store for those characters, and that was due to the stronger writing and performances in the Definitive Edition. Though it has the appearance of a modern game, the remake still hangs onto the original structure, in that it's a linear, narrative-driven game that just so happens to be set in a large open-city.
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