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One word....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: October 06, 2002
Author: Amazon User

AMAZING!!!

Mafia is probably one of the most revolutionary games of this genre. Mafia is a 3rd person adventure game, which takes place in the 30s. You are a taxi driver, and save a few under atack mafia members and then accept a job opening from the don of the mafia.

The story line in this game, is, well, extremely good! After you are in the mafia, you raise from the ranks to become a feared mafia leader. You start up driving people and, once you go high enough up the ranks, you start stealing cars, eliminating enemy mafias, blowing up cars, and kill gang members.

There is a cinematic in the beginning and end of EVERY mission. These cinematics describe the story line that is not shown during gameplay, such as the private lives of the main characters, feelings they have, and the such.

The graphics in this game are unbelievable! The game takes on an advanced graphics engine, the freedom to go everywhere and do whatever you want, and even generate random scenes of theft, robbery, and destruction within the world of the character. This brings me to my first downside to the game. BECAUSE the graphics are so good, and BECAUSE the world is so interactive, this game requires a heavy PC. The game recommends 733mhz CPU and 32mb video card, 256mb of ram. I have an 1.1ghz athlon, radeon 8500 64mb, and 256 sdram, and it barely cuts it. I am running at 800X600 and it skips, begins to be choppy, and will even just pause for a matter of minutes until the game revives again. Make sure you have the rig to run the game!

The sounds are INCREDIBLE as well. Not so much the sound effects, but the music is excellent. The music wants to keep you going, and makes missions more exciting. For example, the mission I am currently on requires you to run away from the police in a banged-up car. It has swift and fast music, with very high notes, to show danger and excitement. There are some strange transisions from song to song, but besides that, the music and the sound effects are excellent.

The replay value is nice, but then again, there are no alternative endings or paths to take.

Another problem is that the game is DIFFICULT. You should expect to be on this game for a long time, for this game has one of the most respectively long and detailed single player games ever, and the missions are hard, and require skill, thinking, and trying over and over again!

There will be a patch for multiplayer soon, and that should bring excitement as well! There will be deathmatch, capture the flag, and all sorts of unique games like racing, and other games requiring cars. Expect to see many families (aka CLANS) against one another, and to see real virtual mafia action just like the 30s!

This game looks promising. Not only for the single player game, but also the multiplayer addon, and the other great mods and single player addons that will be graced infront of Mafia's shoes. Expect to be playing this game into 2006!

Promising, but falls short

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 18 / 33
Date: May 15, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I was thoroughly disappointed in Mafia. I hate to say this, because I really wanted to like this game, and for the first hour or so I really did. But as the game progressed so did my frustration.

It's true that Mafia has it all - wonderful graphics, engaging story, interesting missions, action, even music. But there are a few pitfalls that turn it from a great game into a so-so game.

First, even though I did not really mind all the driving, most of it bears absolutely no purpose. The racing mission was absurd. If I wanted to race sports cars I would've bought a racing game. C'mon, people, NOBODY liked that mission! What was the point of it? But I stuck with it, forgiving them for the obviously annoying and pointless part, yet it never really got better. If anything, it got worse.

While I can see they've tried to make many aspects of the game ultra-realistic, it's really anything but. Here are some points about that:

Point 1: I understand that the vigilant cops and traffic violations were put into the game to make it seem more realistic. But how come that running people over or bumping into other cars leaves the cops indifferent?

Point 2: The police cars are the fastest cars in the game. No matter what car you're driving, even a race car, they WILL catch up to you and arrest you. Yet when later in the game you get to drive a police car, the other police cars are STILL faster than you. Makes any sense? To me neither.

Point 3. The game is happening in the 1930s. How in the world would a cop measure your speed? How could a cop walking on the sidewalk know what the speed of your car is? Yet they all stop you, cops in cars AND cops on the sidewalk.

Point 4. The cops only seem to be after YOU. Whenever you have to chase after someone in your car, of course you have to speed if you want to catch up with them. Yet if you do the cops will run you off the road and arrest you for speeding. Never the other guy. Same goes for the "hide weapon" feature. If the cops spot you carrying a gun they will arrest you, yet there is one mission where you start with the gun in your hand. The sequence loads, you don't even have a chance to hide your weapon, and immediately the cops spot you. Forget trying to get away. The only way to finish either mission is to pray there are no cops around when the mission starts.

Point 5: If you reload while your gun still has bullets in it, you lose those bullets. Only a fool would discard their half-used magazine in real life. In fact, in the military they encourage you to reload as often as possible, because this way there's less chance to run into an empty magazine.

Another thing that might not be a problem for other games but is a huge one for Mafia is that it's a very linear game. It gives you very little room for creativity. In one of the first missions you have to collect money from a gas station and then carchase and kill the guy that stole the money. Before going into the gas station I shot the tires on the car, just in case. But when the very nest sequence loaded the car was driving just fine. The game consistently points you in the right direction, and there are no rewards for exploring on your own or deviating from the main plotline (unlike in games like Morrowind, in which you can progress any which way you want).

And of course, the most frustrating aspect of the game is your inability to save games. Honestly, I can't comprehend why game developers do that. Is it so difficult to put in a savegame feature? Mafia is not simply a game where you cannot save, it's an _extremely difficult_ game where you can't save. Who wants to spend two hours going through the same mission over and over again? Did I mention that the conversations written into the missions repeat as well, and that you cannot skip them? After spending 2,5 hours on one of such missions only to get killed in the last two minutes of it and have to start all over again, I finally gave up. Sure I want a game that's challenge (I play all my games on "hard" or "realistic" difficulty setting), but I don't want a game that's a total frustration roller-coaster.

Mafia could have been a real gem. It could have easily been an epic classic of the gaming world if it wasn't for the aforementioned downsides.

Gangland: Chicago Style

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: December 25, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Convincing graphics, interesting varied tasks, and a realistic environment to explore, make this one of the best games I've played on the PC. My own opinion is that it simply blows Grand Theft Auto out of the ballpark, but I'm sure that will be an area of debate for many gamers. PC games have story lines that leave a lot to be desired. For some reason, I found myself engaged with the plot here, not that it has all that much depth, but is seems like someone actually put an ounce of thought into it.

The game has been criticized for it's slow moving vehicles, but I enjoyed the realism. These are old cars that don't run at a scale speed of 200 miles an hour. They lack the suspension of modern cars, and don't corner all that well. I found that delightful. In fact, sometimes, I wouldn't begin my mission, but instead would just go driving around the sites in some old roadster. I didn't find having to stop at red lights, or avoid speeding to be the aggravation that some of the other reviewers did. Getting caught by the cops for a minor offense makes me laugh. You don't have to go to court. You just pay the cop, who takes your money and gives you a stern lecture, in an Irish accent of course. Getting caught for a major offense isn't that much fun, though. It's basically game over.

Many years ago, I lived in Chicago, and used to ride the elevated trains. I remember the old wicker seated trolley cars also (OK so I just had my 60th birthday. Now you know). Mafia really captures the feel of riding the elevated train through the various low rent, business, and industrial areas the way I remember it. Sometimes after completing a mission, I'll just grab the train and head back home. While the train jostles down the track, I'll just take it easy, listen to the likes of Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa, and watch the City traffic pass by below. Getting on a train is a good way to shake the cops also.

My one criticism is that there is no provision to save the game. You must complete a mission, and then the game is saved for you. What really makes this frustrating is that often the beginning of a mission begins with a cut scene that lasts longer than the time it takes to get wiped out, so you have retry the mission and painfully sit through the same long cut scene over and over. I actually had to sit through one scene an estimated 20 times. While the cut scenes are pretty well done, I have no interest in watching them over and over, any more than I would go watch a Star Wars movie 3 times a day for a week. PC Gamer magazine made the same criticism, but I believe they generously understated the downside of this fault.

Having said that. I'd go out and buy the game.

Take-Two Interactive Software, Masters At What They Do

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: August 30, 2002
Author: Amazon User

With the release of Grand Theft Auto III, Max Payne, and other spectacular titles, Take-Two has proved to be one of the most dominant video game player in the business. Mafia is a fantastic game, with amazing graphics and a fabulous storyline. Strict computer requirements, but an upgrade will be worth it for this game. Even on my nForce motherboard with an Athlon XP 1800+ and a GeForce4 Ti 400, I'm still not completely satisfied with framerates. However, turning details down helps a lot. But it's hard to resist Mafia at 1280 x 1024 x 32 with 4x AA. It's one of the most graphically intense games I've ever seen, with an environment even bigger than GTAIII's. Believe me, you DO want this game if you want to experience the thug life of the 1930's. 4.5/5.0 due to some physical flaws.

An amazing experience, and a pretty good game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: February 19, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Whatever you feel about playing Mafia (PC), its place in gaming history is concrete. The very first open-world game to represent gangster life of the 1930s (and do so with a high degree of historical accuracy), Mafia drops the player into an alternate reality New York city. "Lost Heaven" is teeming with criminals, immigrants, and upper crust debutantes, each making their way in a fully realized cityscape of the past. Shantytowns, elegant Victorian era hotels, rural city outskirts, even a fully functional A-Train fresh off the engineer's drawing pad are at your disposal. Add in amazingly appropriate music tracks, a massive selection of ersatz 30s era jalopies, sympathetic characters living in a believable storyline, and great voice acting, and youve got a fully immersive experience. And the gameplay itself is nearly as good.

The developers made a commendable effort to give the player as much control over his environment as possible, and largely succeeded. The on-foot engine has a similar feel to the GTA (PC) scheme, and suffers some of the same frailties. A stiff somewhat unresponsive movement mechanic can make some basic interactions (like opening doors or hand to hand combat) awkward, but is honestly no worse than the average 3rd person shooter. And considering the lack of fistfighting required to advance, it's really not a hurdle. Much of the game is spent in vehicles, which is a saving grace of the gameplay. Like the boys at Rockstar, Mafia's developers (Illusion Softworks) are clearly car enthusiasts who put painstaking efforts into their digital machines. While none are licensed, car buffs will instantly recognize shapes, sounds and other characteristics of classic cars in Mafia's invented models. A Model T clone sputters and grinds its gears, emitting a perfect "A-OOOOO-GAH" horn blast; another closely resembles a Stutz Bearcat with its sleek lines, rumbling exhaust and powerful pull. There's even a brilliant race level where a vintage open formula racer gurgles, smokes, and squeals its way around the city's racetrack, leaving the player stunned with the sensation of speed and danger.

Unlike the world of GTA, however, Lost Heaven exists within an alternate reality instead of an inconsequential pulp-fiction fantasy universe. Bad behavior bears retribution in Lost Heaven: cars are not easy to steal (initially), traffic infractions result in tickets, and violent behavior brings grave consequences. Players who have completed the game certainly get this. And along with the compelling storyline comes a much stricter path of advancement. While the city is lovingly crafted with the finest era-specific details laid out over many square miles, there is honestly very little to do besides the main story missions. Besides indulging your wanderlust, visiting remote areas of the town bear no rewards beyond the visual. And close examination reveals a city that doesnt want to be examined. Many building textures are dull and low-res, and there is little interactivity with NPCs or objects beside cars. Buildings are non-enterable and even certain areas (like the racetrack and the countryside) are sealed off after their part in the storyline is played. And the "side-missions" are silly and superflous; probably only included to give the illusion of depth. This, for me, was the biggest disappointment of the game: that waking-from-a-dream feeling when I was continually reminded that Lost Heaven and the game overall were rather superficial or "fake". And that criticism only results from the occasional taste of the fully realized explorable universe Mafia could have been, although that may have been an impossible job for a small independent east European developer. I'm sure the game was a Herculean task as it is.

The graphical detail of Mafia supports what I've suspected for a while: that game level designers are frustrated architects. There are a few levels in Mafia, including the hotel assasination and farmhouse raid, that are just breathtaking. While the actual gameplay never strays too far from the simple "kill all bad guys" formula, I had to occasionally put down the tommygun and soak in the stunning atmosphere. Creeping about a deserted farmhouse on a stormy fall night in upstate Lost Heaven, not knowing if the next barn door I open would be my last, was a chilling experience. Sneaking around an opulent 19th century hotel detailed in near photorealism was a sight I can't begin to describe. (Screenshots you've seen dont do the game justice). Even if the game itself were mediocre, it would deserve a play just to witness the amazing level architecture. Yeah, that good.

So if you're a PC gamer who enjoys a solid adventure or 3rd person shooter, find time for Mafia if you havent already. As a final note, this is like so many other modern era 3-D PC games that flat out lie about system requirements. You really can't do the game justice without a decent rig, at least 2-2.5 gig P4 with a an Nvidia 6xxx or higher card. It eats some resources, but put it on a system that can display in a high resolution with no frame drop and it's an amazing experience. And I had good success with a Logitech Dual Action controller (in the left hand) and mouse (right hand) setup. The analog sticks are a great assistance with driving, although it will take some effort to map all the buttons to your liking. The jewel case version only lacks the complete manual, which is a nice but non-essential addition if you can run across the boxed retail version of the game.

Quickly Became One Of My All-Time Favorite Video Games

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: September 27, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Simply a great experience for those that enjoy PC games.

Tony Angelo is a cab driver that is lonely and down on his luck in the 1930's. After picking up some mobsters in his taxi one day he is thrown into a chaotic, wild ride that takes him to the top rankings of a Mafia family where betrayal, murder, life changing plot twists and turns are a part of every day life.

The main characters are memorable and wonderfully voice acted. The facial textures and animation are probably the best of the current PC games, and the graphics engine, while a system hog, are so good it makes it feel like real cinema.

The action scenes are challenging but fun to play over and over until you accomplish your goal. And every little detail boasts 1930's gangster era novelty, from the brick roads and trolleys, to the clothes, hairstyles, weapons and cars.

Mafia is probably the most stylish and immersive game since No One Lives Forever and Deus Ex. The third person controls work suprisingly well in the gun fight scenes, and there are plenty of different missions to keep it interesting and have you longing to find out what happens next.

There is too much about this game to go into more detail here, but I couldn't recommend a game more highly. It's a "grown up's" game unlike GTA3, which has similar mechanics, but in my opinion doesn't come close to the over-all production value and entertainment that Mafia offers.

If you have a decent computer system and video card, and you only bought one PC game this year, Mafia should be it! Simply one of the few video games that lived up to it's hype, a tremendous product I'll keep and remember forever. It's that good.

Perfect Game...Almost.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: September 10, 2002
Author: Amazon User

If you enjoyed Grand Theft Auto 3 then you'll most likely drool over this game. Try and picture GTA3 but back in the 1930's and you're half way there. Now stealing cars isn't nearly as important in this game as it was in GTA3 but you can still do it. Mafia does lack some of the "freedom" elements we all enjoyed in GTA3, but you can take the Free Ride option and just cruise around the city. The graphics in Mafia are simply amazing, character models and surroundings alike are breathtaking. As far as weapons you get to use all of your favorite guns from the old movies, yes yes the tommy gun is finally here. You'll spend the same amount of time, if not more, of gameplay driving around the city on missions in vintage cars that look beautiful. Driving in the game is similar again to GTA3, you have to deal with traffic, pedestrians, etc. You also have to watch out for the police, they'll stop you for speeding and other driving offenses like running red lights! All and all this has been a very enjoyable game and I highly recommend it to any one who likes the criminal genre.

The way the Mob Games should be.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: September 28, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Okay...I'm 13....Male...and just one big mafia fanatic. I
don't mean the game...I mean the real thing. I don't want to
be one obviously but after seeing The Godfather..(WOW,its every
guy's favorite movie), I just wanted to see every mob movie ever
made. Godfather's one, two and three, Once Upon a Time in America, Goodfellas, Casino, Road to Perdition, and some biographys about Gotti and a few others. And I've just gotta say that this game is the most realistic mafia game I've ever played.

Sure, Grand Theft Auto III had some cool stuff, like roaming around and multiple missions..but hey...this game takes the whole bakery. Graphics are excellent, story is awesome (I even thought Mario Puzo wrote it), gameplay is very very good, and the
realisim was just incredible. I've read about the mob guns (no brainer) and these were extremely accurate...not to mention the cars...where Cadillacs used to be good. Jesus..V16 engines? All in all...this game is simply my favorite. Hopefully they'll make more of Mafia games...like in 1940's and 1950's and so on...that would be so awesome now wouldn't it? Its an offer you can't refuse.

All my life I wanted to be the soldier and not the commander

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 20
Date: June 30, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Well in this game you are the soldier. You are the one thats on the streets taking the orders. You are the one shooting at the targets. You can go whatever/do whatever you want in this game without interference. You can hit someone in the face, shoot up a whole street, take a subway, or hijack a car. Anything is possible in this game. That is why I give it 5 stars.

Could be better....

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: November 28, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I've been playing Mafia for about a week now and I'm addicted. However there are some things that could be better about it. For example the save feature is terrible, the game only auto-saves and only at certain points. Plus the police AI are a little to smart, making it difficult to do a lot of really fun stuff. In the actual 1930's gangsters could pretty much walk around with thompsons because there were no laws that covered sub machine guns. Now if they used it that was different, but in Mafia the police don't start shooting because you're shooting they take shots at you if you're seen with the gun. However that's really nit-picky and other then those few things the game is really awesome just be prepared to play the same sequence over and over again until you can get it perfect.

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