Critics' Score:

Metacritic: 79/100

Game Informer: 5.5/10

Gamespot: 6/10

IGN: 8/10

First of all, I need to clarify, that my story with the franchise isn't that of a fairy tale. I play the demo for Mafia II back in the PS3, but never got around to actually playing the game, I tried many years later but it wasn't the right time. I hated with a passion Mafia III, couldn't stand it; being an African-American in 60's Louisiana was a great idea at first, but the whole game was so bad, stories were repetitive and not to say that everything was repetitive, fuck it, I'll say it. You play 1 hour of that game, you've played the whole game. So, now, I do not have nostalgia for the original Mafia, not for the series. Still, I love films and I love films made and set in the 30's and one day, I thought, "I want to play a game set in the 30's" so I picked up Mafia: Definitive Edition wasn't expecting much... but I was greatly surprised.

The story might be the best thing out of this game. Cutscenes are great, and the whole cast is great. The only problems I can point my finger at, is the pacing, which sometimes feel rushed, that's mainly due to the way that the story is told, and played. Dividing the game by chapters, like if it was some kind of series, felt to me often a bit off. Things were going on behind scenes, when the screen went black "Chapter Complete", and some of those thing I would have liked to see. Some relationships suffered from that, one chapter we get to know someone, next chapter we are dating. You see, where I am going.

I played the game in the "noir" mode. Saw a gameplay before buying it and thought the games colors were plain, specially when outside in the city, interiors looked better. That's one thing to complain generally, lot of studios go for realism and is often the Indies, who give us the best looking game as they stylized them. Realism can be great for a game like Red Dead Redemption II -which I have my fair share of complains about- but this one, asked for something more cinematic. The "noir" mode comes to save the day however, as suddenly the experience becomes one of the best looking games I have played. It really outshines the excellent, and often dramatic, lighting of the game; in color there are little things that go amiss. Some people complain the game gets "too dark" and they "can't see", it didn't happen to me, on the contrary it added intensity. The "Farm Mission" one of the best known in the game, gets a whole overhaul in ambience, the lightings and the lamps hanging from the cottages, it really gets terrifying.

Things that have gotten better compared to the first game, I have recently sit through half an hour of a gameplay from the original. The dialogue has vastly improved, it really has some top notch "gangster" dialogue in it; the voice acting is much far superior, and those who disagree, are affected by nostalgia. However, the aiming and shooting looks much better in the original, this remake has an incredible weak shooting. And this is at the end a 17-20 hour game, where most of all, you'll be shooting and driving your way through. Talking about driving, do not have any complains here, played with keyboard and mouse, and I really enjoyed it. However, that whole arch of the race car, it was heavily criticized in the original, it hasn't improved, what a way to fuck up the pace. I played the whole game in "Classic" difficulty -the hardest-, but when I got to the race, that infamous race; after spending more time than one should spent trying to beat it, I changed it to easy, I just simply couldn't be bothered to finish it.

The game is worth it. A great story but it mainly suffers for the way it's told and can get a bit repetitive, but still the story will push you through it all, because in its way it deserves it. But let me warn you, the game is extremely buggy, at the end, these are the same developers that developed Mafia III, none of them was "game breaking". Although the audio died in some cutscenes, and those cutscenes are the best thing in the game, so that really thwarted my immersion. And there was one bug, that happened only once, but it was so weird, it was kind of remarkable. It's already hard to explain but, the closest I can get to is, at one moment Lost Heaven became a kaleidoscope. It figures, eh?

Score: 65/100

I'm not sure how Rockstar fumbled their GTA HD release so bad when this game came out before and was a perfect example of how to remake a game. The graphics are beautiful and the story is greatly improved upon with the voice acting and cutscenes. One of the best endings to a video game I've got to enjoy. Highly recommend!

Gameplay: 7

• Open world but not as interactive as GTA, just immersive and great detail
• Mix of racing and gunplay/stealth misisons keep it mixed
• Great assortment of Free Roam missions to unlock cool outfits and golden weapons to be used in game, I wish it was just integrated in the main game and not a seperate mode

Story: 9

• Amazing story brought to life through great voice acting and movie like cutscenes
• Immersive acting has you feeling like you're actually in the mafia
• Watch meaningful relationships play out with a surprise ending true to the story

Graphics: 9

• Huge improvement from the original, not just an HD texture pack
• Vehicles and outfits in game look great
• Nice details to side streets like mini markets and pedestrians doing activities really bring the game to life

Soundtrack: 7

• Good soundtrack throughout missions and cutscenes, fit the vibe of the mafia
• Cars only have two radio stations, one talk channel and one that plays old tunes in the time of the game so does make sense.

Mafia: Definitive Edition is an absolute gem that resonated deeply with me. As someone who loves linear storytelling, this game hit all the right notes. The narrative is incredibly engaging, pulling you into the gritty world of 1930s organized crime with a captivating, well-paced story that kept me hooked from the opening scene to the credits.

The graphics are nothing short of breathtaking. The developers have done an outstanding job recreating Lost Heaven, making every street and building feel alive and authentic. The level of detail in the environment, the lighting, and the character models is impressive and adds to the overall immersion.

The soundtrack is another highlight for me. The music perfectly captures the era and enhances the atmosphere of the game. Each track complements the action and drama unfolding on screen, making the emotional moments even more impactful.

What I loved most about Mafia: Definitive Edition is how it presents the story. The seamless integration of cutscenes and gameplay keeps the pacing just right, never making it feel like you're watching a movie or just playing a game. The voice acting and motion capture are superb, bringing the characters to life and adding depth to their personalities.

In short, Mafia: Definitive Edition is a fantastic reimagining of a classic game. It combines a compelling story, stunning graphics, and an unforgettable soundtrack to create an experience that any fan of linear narratives should not miss. If you're like me and appreciate a well-told story with top-notch presentation, this game is definitely worth your time.

It is one of the most boring games I have ever played. It is neither good nor bad. This game is worse than bad games because it almost made me lose interest in gaming for a few months. I could never play more than 1 or 2 chapters per session and it was a pain to get through.

Though the graphics are good, the world design is very much forgettable.

As some reviewers have said the game mechanics are dated and broken, this makes for a very annoying experience. The hand to hand combat is one of the worst that I have seen, it never works as intended. When you take down an enemy, the camera angle changes completely and it takes sometime for us to figure out where we are and where to hide a body.

The story is ok but by today's standards the overall story telling and immersiveness are well below par. I also felt the turn of events towards the end was ill conceived, after being fully loyal to Salieri through out the game, it was a bit difficult to believe that Tom and Paulie would feel that Salieri was ripping them off after the customs mission. There was never any indication of that before.