Welcome to the family
Pros:
Rich and diverse plot, cool music, decent graphics
Cons:
Driving and steering is awkward
The Bottom Line:
Diverse plot worthy of a Mario Puzo novel
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
Mafia is effectively GTA set in 1920’s America during the time of the Prohibition, with a much more mature and well-developed plot, and features a multitude of painstakingly recreated cars and vehicles from that historical era, and the attention to detail is simply remarkable.
Mafia sees the player assuming control of Thomas Angelo, a cabdriver hard on his luck in the city of Lost Heaven who one fateful night is forced to provide a quick getaway for two mobsters who are desperately trying to escape some rival mobsters, under the order of Don Morello. However, things don’t go quite so smoothly for Tommy who finds himself on the receiving of a revenge attack, and he is forced to take shelter in the same bar where he dropped of his “friends” and hence sees the benefits in joining the Mafia.
What follows thereafter is a plot worthy of a Mario Puzo novel, as Tommy steadily rises up in the ranks of the Salieri crime family, with missions ranging from a bank heist, to assassinations of politicians and beating up a rival gang with a thoroughly engaging and mesmerizing plot to drive along with a cast of excellent characters, all of whom are so realistic that you can’t help but feel as if you watching a film rather playing a game. The characters within the game are all in possession of some fantastic facial gestures and voice acting and the emotions displayed re something else. The music featured is all genuine Jazz music of the era, featuring tracks from Duke Ellington among others which helps to add and indeed enhance the whole atmosphere of the game.
The game is very linear, with nowhere nearly as much freedom to roam around as GTA. Sure, there is a free roam option with the possibility of completing missions for extra rewards and there is also the option to toggle on/off things such as the weather, intensity of police patrols etc. but it is not the same as GTA and the main game provides the main substance of the game. This said, the main game provides a thoroughly enjoyable gaming experience and is well worthy of a try.
