Mafia Review

Originally released in 2002, Mafia is an action-adventure game developed by Illusion Softworks. Available across a variety of platforms, including the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, the PC version is widely considered the best, with its superior performance and graphics.

Mafia weaves a tragic tale while still managing to have excellent gameplay and plenty of action. Mafia lets you experience the life of a mobster, but also reminds you that crime doesn’t pay: there are consequences for everything that you do.

All the while, Mafia stays grounded in reality rather than falling into the over-the-top nature of similar games like Grand Theft Auto 3.

Story

Mafia takes place in the fictional city of Lost Heaven during the Great Depression. Prohibition is in place and various criminal organizations are rising up to take control of the city. In particular, the narrative focuses on the exploits of two mafia groups — the Salieri family and the Morello family.

Tommy Angelo

You play as Tommy Angelo, an everyman cab driver. Forced into becoming a getaway driver for some Salieri thugs, Tommy eventually finds himself joining the organization. He rises through the ranks as the story progresses and the player gets to see him go from associate to a trusted member of the family.

What is great about Mafia is that it is built around the narrative. Despite the fact that it is far from the first game of this kind, Mafia still tells a compelling story. Even now, almost 20 years later, it still engages most players and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The way it does this is through focusing on a normal man. Rather than a vicious killer or master criminal, Tommy is just an average citizen. As a result, Mafia shows how it is possible for anyone to get sucked into crime. Just the wrong set of circumstances and a few bad decisions is all it takes to turn into a violent gangster.

Without spoiling too much of the story, Mafia shows the descent of Tommy into the worst version of himself. Yet, it does try to give a moral lesson without being too judgmental or overbearing. Tommy goes through an emotional arc and there is even some salvation.