Mafia for the PC is one of the most beautiful--and occasionally one of the most frustrating--gaming experiences on the PC. At any rate, Mafia is always guaranteed to produce a reaction in the gamer, from edge-of-your seat excitment, to gouge-your-eyes-out exasperation, to wake-me-when-its-over boredom. But it's those flashes of brilliance that far outweigh the humdrum filler, and make Mafia a must-play game. With Mafia, it is obvious that overseas developer Illusion Softworks has done their homework on Americana and the era of Prohibition, because they deliver a richly-detailed world that is at all times believable. From the architecture, to the clothes, to weapons, to the cars inspired by real-world automobiles, the city of Lost Heaven is a world firmly grounded in historical reality. No other video game to date has managed to more faithfully and cinematically capture its time and its characters than has Mafia. The biggest mistake people will make before playing Mafia is believing it to be Grand Theft Auto clone. This could not be further from the truth. While, yes, you do play an up-and-coming gangster, and while yes, you do drive around the city, the similarities end there. While in GTA, an emphasis was placed on driving, and a large part of the game depended on looking for trouble, in Mafia, the driving component is mostly a means to get to the location where the bulk of your mission takes place. While in the GTA games, missions rarely took to foot, in Mafia, pretty much every mission has a very large third-person shooter component that makes up the bulk of the mission. In fact, with the exception of bullet time, Mafia has more in common with Max Payne than it does Grand Theft Auto. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Mafia is its graphics. Simply put, Mafia looks stunning. Much of this has to do with the art design mentioned above, but it also hinges upon the fact that the graphics engine is capable of rendering a great deal of detail with large draw distances. Furthermore, the textures are incredible, as you can see pock marks and stubble on the characters' highly expressive faces. Lighting effects are subtle, but impressive when you see the headlights on the cars in action. On top of all of that, the game animates smoothly, and cars have a great deal of damage effects that are more than just cosmetic; they affect the handling of the car as well. In the sound department, Mafia does not disappoint. The voice acting in the game is uniformly excellent. The sound effects are rich and powerful, without being over-the-top; from weapons reloading, to footsteps in an alley, to the sound of your engine starting, Mafia sounds excellent. The music is probably the weakest point in the game, though its no slouch. Simply put, the music is beautiful, and there's plenty of variety, but with EAX options on, it's tough to find the right balance for the music so that it doesn't overpower or isn't underpowered. That said, it's a minor complaint. With such a beautiful presentation, it's a shame that there are a few gameplay issues that detract from the overall experience. First of all, gamers who were hoping for a simple control scheme will find themselves sorely disappointed, as this game can't seem to decide if it wants to be played with a gamepad or a mouse and keyboard. Gamepad users will find that the driving portions of the game very easy to control, and will love the responsiveness of an analog control stick when it comes to steering; however, even gamers with 12-button pads will find that the gamepad is woefully inadequate in the shooter sections. Conversely, mouse and keyboard players will feel at home in the shooter sections, but will likely find the driving impossible when precision and speed is demanded. So, what is a gamer to do? The answer is, to get the most enjoyment out of the game, you must use both a gamepad AND a mouse and keyboard setup. While this will be no problem for many gamers, it would have been nice to have had a control scheme that worked completely with one input device or the other. Another complaint that could be lodged is that with the exception of car chases, the driving component of the game is otherwise pretty unexciting. While you have freedom to roam the vastness of Lost Heaven, there are no rewards for straying from your path. While in transit, you must obey all traffic laws if you want to avoid arrest; this means following the speed limit, and stopping at all red lights when the cops are looking. While this sounds like a good idea, it quickly gets old, as the distances you must cover are often significant. The home base for your operations rests in a restaurant on the central island of Lost Heaven, but most of the action takes place on other islands, which are only accessible by bridges and tunnels located some distance from your headquarters. Simply put, these drives take a long time, and that time is made longer by having to obey traffic laws and the relative lack of action on the way. The third-person shooter mode is where Mafia shines, and the missions have enough variety to keep you hooked. Some missions have you quietly boosting a shipment of whiskey, others have you dishing out justice with a baseball bat. Still others have you sneaking around a house to avoid detection, while other missions have you locked in massive firefights, or have you publicly assassinate an enemy. The missions are extremely well-designed, and often have multiple chapters, with excellent plot twists that often change the goals of the mission. The AI is very good, as enemies will look for cover, and friends will position themselves for better shots. But, there are some inconsistencies. The missions often seem based on luck. While sometimes, everything goes your way, your computer-controlled friends will sometimes transform from invincible to dead in a matter of seconds, thus ending the mission. You may be slayed by just a few shots in one mission, only to replay it and come out unscathed. Sometimes, every shot finds its mark, and other times, you can't seem to hit someone at point-blank range. This makes some of the more difficult firefights an exercise in trial and error, hoping that next time, your comrade can dispatch a few enemies without taking a shotgun blast to the head. But, most of the time, the game plays fair, and the missions have enough save points to minimize frustration. Perhaps the best aspect of Mafia is the truly cinematic story. While it starts off a bit slow, over the course of many beautifully-rendered cutscenes, you are treated to a story that gets deeper and deeper. Furthermore, the character development is superb, and you'll quickly find yourself becoming attached to the characters. It is through the deepness of the characters that the game is always exciting, and sometimes very touching. In conclusion, Mafia is an excellent game beset by a few flaws that make the game frustrating at times. However, if you have a rig that will run the game properly, and don't mind playing with two input devices, the game's shortcomings are easily lost in the richness of the story and the game world, and the superbly-crafted missions.
Mafia!!! Yes Mafia!! A fantastic game!! No Doubt! Rated high by critics all over the world! Received dozens of awards! And does Mafia deserve all that? You bet the game does!!! Mafia is a game set in the 1930... Read Full Review
It's not very often that I go back and play a game released before 2004. Even huge titles like System Shock 2 and Half-Life only got my attention enough to purchase, play for a couple of hours, and forget. I simply have ... Read Full Review
