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Grand Theft Auto - but more class

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 22 / 24
Date: January 13, 2003
Author: Amazon User

If you like Grand Theft Auto, you will like this game. The two games certainly follow a similar approach, although there are quite significant differences (aside from the time this game is set in).

Personally, I like the graphics in Mafia better. Overall,t he whole story is told in more style, and is much more immersive IMO.

However, GTA offers more freedom while playing the game. Mafia offers a lot of freedom too, but in order to fulfill missions, one usually sticks to one path. Some people told me they don't like that as much. Personally, I like the Mafia gameplay at least as good as the GTA gameplay. Sure, GTA gives you a mission such as "destroy this car", and you have a million ways to accomplish that. Mafia gives you a mission such as "have this race car manipulated", and naturally, there is one place to pick it up, and one place to bring it to have the work done.

While you play the game however, that difference doesn't matter very much. In fact, Mafia provides a somewhat tighter storyline to provide a more detailed, intriguing story. I personally prefer that.

Mafia also seems to have a bit more variety in the missions. They have everything from missions on foot where you shoot 1st person style, to driving missions, to even races.

I like the controls in Mafia much better than GTA. In GTA, things never seem quite right. The controls used don't work truely well when you are an foot, and they don't work very well in the cars either. But they kinda work for both. In Mafia, you use the regular FPS-style keyboard and mouse combination when you walk, and a whole different set of controls when you drive. In fact, a (force feedback) steering wheel works very well in Mafia, while I found it to work not too well at all in GTA.

Might Be One of the Best Games In the Last Decade for the PC

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 20
Date: January 14, 2004
Author: Amazon User

You've seen it before, right? Every game has its own hardcore fan community that swears up and down their game is the best on the market. So when I swear up and down that Mafia is one of the best games EVER on the PC, you probably don't believe me. All I can say is it's your loss if you don't try this game. Mafia is one of those games that people play years after its release and kick themselves for not picking it up earlier. The game takes place in the days of abolition and Al Capone gangsters. The engine is a 3rd person shooter and while the game is action oriented, it has one heck of a story to go with it. The game is historically authentic with the gamer being allowed to drive a variety of classic cars as well as wield classic weapons from the days of the 1920's gangsters. There were a few missions in this game that I played at least five times just to enjoy them again. If I could compare this game to anything on the market, it would be a vastly improved Grand Theft Auto 3. Mafia is about as close as you'll ever get to playing a role as a gangster fighting against the Untouchables and you'll never forget the story and the final conclusion of this classic. If you own a console, Mafia is finally being brought to some of them but I recommend you try the PC version instead because obviously it's cheaper, but the graphics are fantastic with a good video card and the shooting mechanics are easier to control with a mouse and keyboard.

One Amazing Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 17
Date: September 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This is a definite purchase for anyone that liked the idea of the massive interactive environment in Grand Theft Auto III. It sucks you into the 1930s where you play a cab driver that, after a run in with several mob members, earns a position under one of the two major dons in the city of Lost Heaven. The major difference between this title and Grand Theft Auto III, aside from the obvious settings in time, is the realism. While GTA 3 was a sort of cartoonish looking game, Mafia has a very realistic environment, from the buildings to the people to the cars of the era.

There are two modes in the game, free ride and story mode. Story mode is amazing. This is where the bulk of this game can be found. I don't want to give too much away, but I would compare story mode to Grand Theft Auto III with a story and not just random tasks. Expect to find everything you would find in a mob movie: beatings, gunfights, hits, backstabbing, and even a small love story. As you complete missions, you will learn how to jimmy the locks on new cars, which can be used in missions or just for fun in free ride mode. Free Ride mode is just that. You pick a car, which you've earned in the story mode and tool around the city. You earn money for killing mobsters, blowing up cars, or earning fares as a taxi driver. With the money, you can purchase new weapons, fix your car or heal yourself. Pretty basic, but can lead to great fun.

Of course there is always something that could be improved and while they are few in this game, I think they should be mentioned. One thing that bothered me was the fact that all missions start and end at the don's restaurant, which translates to a lot of driving when a mission takes place on the other side of the city. On the other hand, with such a beautiful environment, this gives you a chance to get a better look at some areas that you may not have to visit during a mission. The only other annoyance that I can think of is the frustrating difficulty of some of the missions. Again, I don't want to give to much away, but sometimes the AI is just too good. Otherwise the AI is very fun to deal with. Guys hide and duck behind objects, they run when they know they're in trouble, they whistle for help when they need it. The AI is overall fantastic.

Overall this is an amazing game. It is very addictive and engrossing and will keep you entertained for hours.

PROS:
Very realistic and massive environment
Great Artificial Intelligence
Engrossing story
Tons of cars and weapons

CONS:
Frustrating at times

A Beautiful Game...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 13
Date: January 18, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game is loosely based on 2001's miracle of a game, GTA III. But if you thought that Mafia was just another GTA clone, you would be pathetically mistaken.
Mafia takes place during the Prohibition Era in the 1930s. You are merely a citizen cab driver, until you are held at gunpoint by two mafia members and drug into the underworld of corruption and death. You begin working for the mafia as just an alternative to get some more cash, but before you know it, you evolve into one of the most notorious mafia members in history. The game provides a campaign that will take you at least a week to complete, but that's not the reason to buy Mafia. There are extra quests to unlock, cars to be bought, and the most beautiful virtual city ever created to explore. The city is based on Chicago, but with three expansive islands connected by bridges, and also a mind-boggingly large countryside to explore, these new free roam modes never wear out their welcome.
With a beautiful mafia story, beautiful music and graphics, and the most fun game since GTA III, this game is definitely one of the best game that you can own.

A work of art.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 11
Date: September 20, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Mafia is a 3rd person mission-based driving/action game set in a fictitious 1930's-era city. You control the main character, Tommy, though various missions as you ascend through the ranks of the local mafioso. The game also includes a "free-ride" mode, seperate from the main storyline, that allows you to explore the vast city and countryside of Lost Heaven at your leisure. Aside from the main storyline, Tommy also has the opportunity to complete minor missions during the game, whose main goal is to add more drivable cars to your collection. Upon completion of the main game, a free-ride extreme mode is opened up that offers 19 more missions which center around (surprise) driving.
So is this just a cheesy 1930's copy of Grand Theft Auto 3? No.
The free-roaming style of the game may have been borrowed from GTA3, but I found the feel of the game to be quite different.

The main difference I'd say is that Mafia goes for REALISM. The creators really tried to make the feel and handling of the cars and weapons match the era. Some reviewers have complained that the cars go too slow and don't corner well, but that's exactly how those old cars with tiny tires handled. Actually, as the game progresses to the late 30's, your choice of vehicles does improve with more powerful and better handling cars available. The weapons, too, are designed to be realistic. No, you don't get any rocket launchers because L.A.W. rockets hadn't been invented yet. I was VERY impressed with the accurate choice of weapons and the realism of their effects - recoil, sounds, and muzzle flashes are all right on the money. Come on, folks, some of the weapons in GTA3 are downright silly.

As far as the main storyline goes, the acting and characters are very well done and very believable. With great plot twists and an ending that actually surprised me, I felt that I had just lived through a great mob movie. The missions have a good deal of variety, too, with intense car chases, parking lot shoot-outs, a bank robbery, a rooftop escape, a heart-pounding auto race in an authentic period race car, and a nerve-racking game of cat and mouse at a deserted farm on a stormy night. Mafia is not just another linear shooter. There is a good deal of driving to and fro in this game, though. I enjoyed and felt it added to the realism, but some might find it a bit tedious.

The overall environment in Mafia is breathtaking. The city is huge and encompasses 3 islands with industrial areas, skyscrapers, slums, suburbs, and heuty-teuty neighborhoods. Unlike GTA3, Mafia also has added some absolutely gorgeous countryside to explore. The graphics and sounds are simply stunning and, unfortunately, do push a system's limits. I have a P4 1.9ghz with 512mb rambus and a TI4600 geforce 4 card and two of the missions tax my system. Of course, I play with all sliders maxed and 4x antialiasing enabled. Slower systems beware.

Mafia is violent and deserves its "M" rating, though blood effects can be toned down. Even so, I would not say that Mafia is an immoral game. Follow the story to its conclusion and you'll see what I mean.

The only major flaws I found with Mafia concern the A.I. and the manner in which you learn to steal cars. In GTA3, if you shot up someone's car while they were in it, they would speed off in a panic. Here, you can empty a 50-round Tommy gun magazine into someone's car and they won't budge. (Until their car blows up of course.) Also, Tommy has to learn how to unlock particular cars from the local grease monkey before he can steal one on the street. This premise is fine by me except when I've just killed two thugs while they were getting out of their car, the doors are open and the engine is running, and Tommy is telling me he doesn't know how to get into this model. What a dope.

All in all, Mafia is a superb production with incredible graphics, fantastic realism and detail, and movie-like gameplay that deserves to be tried. Will it replace your GTA3? No, and I don't think the creators were trying to. I own and love both games and I find they compliment each other nicely.

Bloody Good

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: October 07, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Mafia is an enthralling and amazingly well crafted 3rd person pc game (Mafia will also sell on the X-BOX and i'm not sure but i think it may sell on ps2 as well).

In Mafia you play Tommy Angelo, who at the start of the game is a cab driver. He ends up being one of Salieri's (Salieri is the don of 1 of 2 mafia gangs) best hitman. The story is compelling to say the least, it weaves around killing off main characters and civilians at a very intense rate.

When i first begun playing Mafia i was almost in tears at how frustratingly annoying and tedious the first few missions were and what really rubbed it in was the fact that you can not auto-save in Mafia. In hindsight i agree with the developers choice to leave out auto-saving as you do get used to it. As you get further into Mafia the missions get a little harder, the cars get faster and you get more guns. Which brings me to one area which i was very impressed by, the weapons. They range from base baseball bats and about 4 differnet hand guns to shot guns and tommy guns. They all re-load well and look great when firing. Which brings me to yet another impressive spot (will they ever end) the enemy. They are quite intelligent and work together or give each other cover fire. One area that is a little unrealistic is how many bullets you need to kill them. But it works so hey.

The cars are crisp with detail and the damage effects are excellent.

The missions although slow to start become very long and interesting in the latter parts of the game.

All in all i no i havent covered every thing about Mafia But hopefully what i have written will incourage people to buy Mafia for 2 reasons 1) To enjoy the wonders of Mafia and explore the 3 islands of goodness that Mafia offers 2) The more buyers the more chance of an expansion and maybe just maybe i know this is to much to hope for but perhaps a sequel.

GET MAFIA

A Totally New Experience

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: October 31, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This is a phenomenal game. Set amongst the backdrop of USA in the 1930's, you play a mafioso involved with the notorious crime family, the Salieri's. As a henchman for 'Don Salieri' you must assassinate politicians and rival gangsters, escape the police, take out many a henchman Max Payne style, drive in a motor rally... the list goes on. That's why Mafia gets 4-and-a-half stars from this reviewer: each mission is totally different and unique, and all of the missions integrate into a unifying plot structure.

Essentially the game is split into two different play modes, those being on foot and behind the wheel of an old-style motorcar. When on foot you're usually firing a weapon of some description at a gangster or a union 'Heavy'. The firefights in Mafia are very exciting. You have to juggle multiple bad guys who work together (by flanking or coming at you at the same time for example), and make sure you compensate for the reload time for your weapons. Thompson machine guns have a hampering kickback you have to adjust for, but they're great for causing cars to explode that enemies hide behind.

The driving is slightly annoying. First of all the cars aren't too flash (we're not talking GTA3 Corvettes here) - but if it's always been your dream to drive around in Model-T Ford style cars on the speed limit, you're in luck! At various intervals you'll have to chase after escaping cars, avoid the police and deliver passengers on time. Ultimately the driving is quite exciting, but it gets annoying having to drive across town to a rendezvous point. Still it serves to break up the action quite nicely.

Mafia is a truly unique gaming experience that plays and feels smooth and stylish. The gunfights flow beautifully and the operation of vehicles is realistic and credible. There's plenty of cutscenes and suspense, and even a little romance. Essentially it plays like a B-grade Mafia picture (in the cutscenes) but feels like an A-grade computer game.

DONT MESS WITH THE FAMILY

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 11
Date: January 02, 2003
Author: Amazon User

What a GREAT Game! This is one of the most entertaining games I have played in a long time. Set in the 30's this game gives you the "feel" of living in a Chicago like setting. Instead you are in the city Lost Heaven. This game plays like Grand Theft Auto III but is much larger in scale and much more detailed. The automobiles drive just as they should through the game and there are alot of vehicles to drive. Through the extensive storyline (20+ missions) you will travel through the adventures of Tommy, a cab driver unknowingly thrust into the mafia, and once their finds he fits right in and quickly becomes one of the Dons right hand men. You will be in the middle of a mafia war and have to undertake shooting, driving, and even stealth missions to accomplish your goals. You will have access to all the weapons made popular in this era from a baseball bat to the tommy gun. The biggest plus though is the games replay value. You can experience the "Free Ride" aspects of the game where you just ride Lost Heaven causing trouble or the Extreme Free Ride where you undertake various tasks to unlock many different types for automobiles not seen in the game itself. A wonderful game you will enjoy for a long time. Just remember dont cross the family.

Superb "Interactive Movie"

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: September 27, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Mafia came out with very little publicity. Sometimes, those are the best games. Minus all the hype, a person can enjoy a game without all the high expectations that often are not realized. That's what happened with me here.

Not since the original No One Lives Forever, have I felt like I was "playing" a movie, not a game. Mafia has a deep storyline portrayed through well-produced cutscenes. Your character, Tommy Angelo, is a member of a Mafia family in the 1930's, in Lost Heaven, which seems a lot like Chicago. The game plays as a retrospective of the bigger events in his short career with "the family."

Mafia continues to be compared to Grand Theft Auto 3. In some ways, that's a correct assessment. But in most ways, they're very different. GTA3 is more of a cartoonish, over-the-top wild crime ride. Mafia is darker and more realistic. If you enjoyed GTA3, you may not enjoy Mafia, if you're expecting the same kind of experience.

If you're interested in a somewhat difficult, story-driven third person shooter, that also involves driving, you'll enjoy Mafia. The gameplay is a blast. Everything's here....reckless gunfights in different locales. Shoot-outs while driving vintage cars. Cops that actually pull you over for running red lights or speeding. Political assassinations. Rooftop chases. A bank robbery. Even a racing game within-the-game, which has become infamous for its difficulty, but still changes things up in a refreshing way. All of this taking place within a great storyline that takes twists and turns.

The reason I don't give it a full five stars is because of a few issues: You'll need a high end system to really get this game going. While this isn't necessarily a negative, it still has a penchant for slowdowns during unacceptable moments (mainly large gunfights when there's a lot of other activity on-screen). I know there have been a few gamers who have had other problems getting the game to run well at all. Collision detection is also a little weak in some areas and the AI isn't always too bright. When this involves characters you need to help protect, it's very annoying.

Overall, however, this is a superb "interactive movie." It takes some thinking and strategy, but it's well worth your time and money. Look for Mafia to be a game of the year candidate.

BADA BING! The Soprano's Meet 1930's Golden Age-Pre RICO!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: May 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

MADONN'! Mafia is a 3rd person, 3-D action game that takes place in a fictional city named Lost Heaven-a Chicagolike city complete with the "L" train, airport, banks, galleries, restaurants to get "gabagool", a harbor and lots of storefronts for money laundering, bootlegging & buttlegging (bootlegging cigs)!

You play Tommy Angelo, a mobbed up cab driver-cum-cugine. The game is about the daily life of a foot soldier from the depression era 1930's working the streets for your boss, "Don" Salieri.

The many missions you complete are tough enough to give any new associate the "agita" and make you "oobatz".

More than 60 vehicles are available to drive through the 12 square miles of the city. A Model T, a Roadster, delivery trucks and the like are all at your disposal. Stop your car and get out whenever and wherever you want. Don't be a jamook! Watch the cops or they will pinch you for stealing cars, running stop signs, and speeding, so be careful, INCONSPICUOUS and and most of all, keep the Omerta (vow of silence)!

Use weapons to shakedown, clip, whack, pop, or burn anyone your boss, underboss and capo have put out a contract out on. Hold up a bank, dump bodies and lots of other great mafia stuff! You get to use such weapons as a cool Tommy gun, a Smith & Wesson model 27 Magnum, a pump-action shotgun, a baseball bat to beat someone mezza morta (half-dead), and even throw some Molotov cocktails.

You lucky devil! You even have a "goomah". A hot chick named Sarah.

The graphics on this game are just completely amazing! The handling of the various vehicles is quite realistic, great practice sessions to start you out, shooting/re-loading is excellent, and overall storyline is the best!

I highly recommend this game! Especially if you are a fan of 3rd person play, "The Godfather" movies "Goodfellas" or the hit TV show, "The Sopranos".

Be a wiseguy, TODAY!

STUGOTS!

Happy Playing!

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