Flawed, but what work of art isn't?
The story of Mafia is told through lengthy but well-thought out cinematic cut scenes where the player participates in the major (and a few minor) events in the story as it is told.
We start out with a man named Tommy Angelo, a Mafioso who has currently left the Mafia after a little fit he and another Mafioso put themselves in, and is now negotiating with a certain Detective Norman to provide him and his family with witness protection and new identities. He's promised to tell of every single detail about the Mafia and its Don's activities for the past few years and even to tell of his own adventures and hardships in the Mafia. This is where the player comes in. Every now and again, after some lengthy gameplay, "Intermezzo" cut scenes show up to give important story details, continuing the conversation between Tommy and the detective. Without wishing to spoil much, I just want to point out that the ending will give you some kind of shock value. I guarantee that it hit me hard, but whatever that awesomeness will be, I won't spoil it for those who haven't played the game.
The game is a third person shooter, set in the fictional and New York-cum-Chicago-esque city called Lost Heaven, a fairly big city with an island in the center of the two other parts of city… (It's called Central Island. :D) Now, while this means that you have a big world to play around with, it'll also mean that you'll have to drive… a lot… so much that at one point it seemed more of a driving game than a mafia game. The gameplay is pretty linear, which is why the driving around might feel tedious to some players, but each mission is done quite well and you really feel like you have to do everything right lest you get a bullet in your head, just like how it would be if you were part of the Mafia.
Combat might take some time to get used to for some players. I found it pretty difficult to manage the first time since this is the first game I've played that's a third person instead of a first person perspective. The weapons are detailed and fit every mission, although there are a few that will let you go to a certain dealer and choose what it is you want to use. I have to mention this: knocking out people guarding a mansion one by one with a baseball bay without getting caught is both satisfying and thrilling. Baseball bats are awesome. They are awesome. (Oh, and did I mention Molotov Cocktails? >:D)
Speaking of combat, I have to say that the AI is pretty smart for its time, but nonetheless can either be dull and thick or frustratingly skillful at certain times. You're bound to see something stupid an AI does and decide that it's a good opening to be able to finally kill the nutjob and then you might suddenly find yourself with buckshot in your face. It's not perfect, but it's challenging. I have to give it that.
The car physics in this game are superb and feel very realistic (not that I know how to drive) and the big city you play in has a lot of random traffic and pedestrians and makes the big city feel even bigger. There are loads of great 1930s period cars in this game and each handle differently than the next. The high-speed car chases you're bound to get yourself into are fun and at certain times funny. Just hope you don't crash your car into the water or right into a cop car (or perhaps ANOTHER cop car if the reason for the chase is you bumping into a cop car in the first place… you twit).
There are loads of fun things you can do (provided the cops can't see you) like lock pick or hijack cars, and… well… that's all you can do in the single player missions that don't have time limits actually… As I have said, things are pretty linear, but there is a free ride mode where you're free to run amok in the city and kill gangsters, blow up cars and speed up to get money for weapons and other useful money-spending stuff.
Anyway, let's get down to the point. I don't want to spoil this game for everyone (unless I feel like an ass today, which I don't, fortunately). The game is a work of art. It's not perfect, and few great games are ever perfect to begin with. The story is superb, voice acting and sound effects are great, the music is just ABSOLUTELY PERFECT and despite some parts where you might want to rage-quit and pull your teeth out, it's still going to pull you in.
Now excuse me while I… "take care" of some unfinished business with one of my former schoolmates. Let's just say he's had more than his fair share of my lunch money… and now I gotta deal with him with a smile on my face… and a Colt 1911.