Mafia Classic

This review is about the game Mafia on the PC, but not the GOG version which I don't own yet. When the game was released not all PCs could run it with max gfx settings, but if you were one of the few who could, you would play in a gorgeous game which blew out of the water any other similar game. The graphics may not have aged well, but then again most 3D games do not age well. I still believe the graphics have aged better than other similar games of the time. The sound effects are good, not perfect, but good enough to not be an issue. The one major issue this game had was with the controls. It will take you some time to set the options to make the game feel ok to you. For anyone who has played PC games of the period (late 90s early 2000s) which had you control a character from a third person perspective, you will remember how they were mostly terrible to say the least, at least compared to today's games. The character would feel very stiff and the car would feel too sensitive to control with ease. That is the case with this game too. It wasn't a unique issue with the game, most 3rd person games were like that on the PC. But, if you sit down, try different settings and then stick with the game for half and hour to an hour, you will get used to it and finally manage to explore this beautiful fun game. Unfortunately many people are not willing to spend that time and give up on it. Their loss but with their negative comments/reviews they might make others not even try this game. That's a shame. As for the game itself, it follows the story of a couple of "mafia" movies, I won't mention which to not spoil it even a bit. You find yourself suddenly working for a local mafia family, doing missions for them and rising up in status as you do. Most of the missions involve driving somewhere and then shooting lots of people. There are some difficulty spikes here and there, but they are that, few spikes. Overall the game is fun to play and IMO worth buying.

In Mafia, you play a man who stumbles into a job with the mob. I saw Mafia on the shelves back in 2002, but it was not my cup of tea back then. Recently I played through GTA III, and while both are within the same genre, Mafia is a classier version of GTA. Gameplay: Majority of gameplay takes place on foot or in cars. Combat usually takes place on foot, although some car chases also involve gunfire. Controls are simple, although control feels weak at times, particularly in combat where aiming can be a pain. Most missions involve driving and shooting. Every now and then, a mission introduces a brand new mechanic. It doesn't happen often enough, but when it does, such as in the mission Fairplay, it is neat. The game even has a working elevated train, but it's only used once. Characters/Customization: The characters are stereotypical American-Italian mobsters. The protagonist does undergo a full story arch, but the only customization that you have in the game are vehicles and occasional weapon choices. Story/Atmosphere: The game borrows elements from mob genre films and then blends them into its own original story. The story is linear, although you do options to take on side-quests. Lost Haven, the fictional city, where 90% of the action takes place is large. Most buildings are not accessible, but the city is definitely alive with pedestrians, cars, and cops. The city is mostly scenery as you drive back and forth. Graphics/Sound: I preferred the graphics of Mafia to GTA III, its rough contemporary, and while the graphics are somewhat outdated by 2019 standards, they are not a distraction. The original music may not appear in this version of the game due to expired licensing, but it may be possible to obtain it via the internet. The spoken dialogue is adequate though predictable. Replay Value: None. I only played through the main story, but an additional mode that allows you to play freeform missions. Overall Score: 8/10. Played in 2018-2019.

The first time I played Mafia was on a win 98 system with a hard disk detection subroutine which caused endless stuttering like a dia show. This was my first round based driving simulation. Fortunately only sometimes. It tried to spoil my gaming pleasure, but after 4 evenings I reached the end titles. Thanks Microsoft for their nwo-software, part of old win 98. The first impression of the game was breathtaking. I was part of the game, I was far away in another era in the USA and couldn't stop playing. The graphics were state of the art and the music awesome, especially Django Reinhardt's gypsy jazz songs. The missions varied and the plot was like a thrilling mob life. Later the son of my brothers girl friend played this game and he couldn't believe that they had more beautiful car models just in the beginning of the automobile era. After playing this game the arrow buttons of my keyboard were twisted. In one mission you have to win a car race in a silver arrow car. I needed 2 hours to beat this level. One day I flew to Vienna with my parents and I visited the old art museum. I went through the entrance and made a spiritual experience. I skipped the window for the entrance fee and the guards and a group of visitors stared at me. My parents were speechless. The memory of this hall returned to my mind and I said: "Mafia". Everybody was laughing then. The programmers used this museum for the end level of the game. What can I say more? It's one of the best computer games ever created. It's an amazing third-person-shooter and cruising through the city is pure fun. I propose to try this title and the main part of Mafia II.

I loved original game, I was playing it as a kid and it was awesome... This is glitchy and unstable AND without licenced city music (I had to copy music data from original CD install)... This is just a disgrace for the original release...

I loved this game and played it a lot back when it came out. It made me discover Django Reinhardt's music and I listen to it regularly to this day. Releasing this game without the music (as a side note, licensing issues for 80 years old recordings- wtf?? ) shouldn't even be allowed. Best comparison would be getting to see Matrix but without Keanu Reeves, or watching Terminator without Arnold Schwarzenegger. Nonsense.