The first Mafia game was one of the early pioneers of cinematic open-world action, an earnest Czech homage to Prohibition-era American crime novels, where the criminals were Italian, the police were Irish, and the booze was Canadian. Mafia: Definitive Edition is a charming, wonderful, and completely fantastic reimagining of the acclaimed but not very gracefully aged 2002 original. There were some rough edges that slowed down the missions, but apart from that I found it to be a very fun way to relive one of my favorite games of the early 2000s.

The story of Mafia is set in the 1930s, including the final days of Prohibition, in a town with a soap opera-like name: Lost Heaven. It’s a beautiful realization of Chicago, one of the main epicenters of organized crime in the gangster era. After a well-crafted intro that beautifully recreates the Lost Heaven tour that preceded the 2002 original, Mafia: Definitive Edition wastes no time getting to grips with its 20 missions.

It should be noted that despite the open-world backdrop, Mafia is a mostly linear, story-driven action game, and the Definitive Edition remake doesn’t change that approach. The game is strictly single-player, with the story propelling you from mission to mission, while free-roam remains a standalone mode. I’m certainly not a fan of pointless filler, and while some missions have been tweaked or expanded, it’s a bit disappointing that developer Hangar 13 didn’t see fit to add a few story missions to add a bit of story action to some of the action of moving through unused corners of the map. For example, it’s great to see Hangar 13 take advantage of the obvious opportunity to incorporate some relevant cameos into the iconic ending, but – and I won’t spoil it here – it’s a bit silly to stage a seemingly exciting full-scale gang war, even though they could have made it playable as a cutscene montage. A few new surprise missions might have been nice, especially for experienced Mafia players. I understand that it’s important for a remake to stay true to the original, but the Mafia story arguably races through a decade at the right pace, and a “director’s cut”-inspired approach might have been an effective way to fill in some gaps.

So we are lucky that this story is as good as ever and worth re-reading. The story of crime family feuds, alcohol and betrayal follows a well-trodden path, but in my opinion, it is the best of the Mafia trilogy. Tommy Angelo, a taxi driver turned Mafia soldier, tries to save himself from a sudden and severe lead poisoning at the hands of a gangster who has turned his back on him. The mission takes place in flashbacks, where Tommy tells the detective who has been pursuing him for years the story of his own rise and fall in the city’s notorious Salieri family. The missions unfold in the same order as they did in 2002, but the story basically follows the events of the original, although all the dialogues have been completely rewritten with new performances. This has greatly improved the script; it seems more organic and is full of typical terms, phrases and clever people of the time that were not fully captured in the original.

Lead actor Andrew Bongiorno’s portrayal of working-class gangster Tommy is particularly strong and nuanced. I can’t say I’ve ever necessarily felt sympathy for Tommy, but there’s a gravitas and real power to him that makes him undeniably convincing and believable as he is played by Bongiorno. The exchanges between Tommy and Detective Norman are particularly intense, with both men full of suspicion and verbal banter to gain the upper hand in their unlikely conversations.

You Rascal, You

Definitive Edition is a very beautiful and contemporary makeover, from the amazingly detailed faces to the stunning reflections and the texture of the simple hats to the shiny, handmade metalwork look on many of the hats, as well as the antique cars. There’s some impressive lighting at night as well, particularly the neon signs and the way the brake lights cut through the evening fog. There are some missteps, though. The fire is pretty weak, considering that nearly every thug seems to be carrying a Molotov cocktail and throwing it at you. There’s also a weird but consistent visual bug where the glow on enemy scopes remains after they die. If they fall off their chairs, they get a weird, soft glow on their heads. The Xbox One also has a weird ghosting effect, but only on certain surfaces.

The audio is consistently top-notch, though, from the whine of Tommy’s gun to the squeals and screeches of vintage thin rubber. The music is strong, too, from the original score inspired by the original to the soulful sounds of Louis Armstrong blaring from the radio thanks to the new soundtrack.

Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangster

Mafia: Definitive Edition retains most of the features of the original. The closest to this is Classic Mode, where enemies are smarter, first aid kits are less effective, and reloading a weapon before it’s empty destroys all the cartridges in the magazine. The default difficulty setting is realistic rather than punitive, but you can also choose some of the simulation-based gameplay modifiers, such as Mafia’s infamous, yet cleverly nuanced crime system, which punishes speeding and other traffic violations in a way that games like GTA don’t. Even for minor infractions, you can just stop and pay a symbolic fine and keep driving, since there’s no currency to collect or use. As a concession to players who dislike this traditional quirk of the original, know that the system can be set to ignore minor indiscretions. A complete list of differences between Mafia and Mafia: Definitive Edition can be found here.

Vehicle handling can also be switched between normal and simulated, but the difference between the two doesn’t seem to be as big as it was in Mafia III. Normal is slightly lighter, more responsive, and more forgiving under hard braking because the ABS effect is applied, allowing you to steer even under hard braking. This isn’t the case in the simulated, where if the wheels lock you’re thrown further and further forward. But I still prefer it that way. The weight of the vehicle is excellent while struggling with the small tires, and I love how it turns 90 degrees when you get going, although it can certainly take a while for vehicles built before WWII. Motorcycle handling is also strong. These are new additions to Mafia: Definitive Edition, and I’m a big fan of driving the bike properly and freeing up the rear wheel to prepare for a quick corner exit. I think the driving experience is the best of the series so far. I’m also a big fan of the GPS-inspired directional indicators that are organically inserted into the world as road signs. It takes the frustration out of navigation and lets you just get going. I enjoy zipping through the city at speeds that might peel the wax off your moustache.

In contrast, when you’re walking around, you’re not as waterproof as you are on the road. Tommy’s own mass and presence is great, and the transition from a leisurely stroll to a frantic sprint is handled smoothly, but third-person shooting from cover is a bit bland, basic melee combat is prone to camera errors, and I was hampered several times by strange bugs that forced me to manually return to a previous checkpoint. For example, I was once chasing an enemy stuck in a part of the environment, but I couldn’t attack or shoot him because he hadn’t yet reached the part of the chase that the script allowed me to. On another occasion, I crawled out of an overturned car during a car chase only to quickly fall off the map. It wasn’t a big complaint, as the time lost to the checkpoint system was only a few minutes, but it is a drawback.

Mafia: Definitive Edition offers some great looking locations for shootouts, from a detailed art gallery to a dark abandoned farm in a raging storm, from a bullet-riddled Italian restaurant to an old-fashioned parking garage, but that’s it. It’s pretty traditional. I can’t say I found anything significantly different from the competent third-person shooters of the past decade.

Verdict

Mafia: Definitive Edition has been rebuilt from the ground up, with great performances from the new cast, a great driving model, and a beautiful, authentic city dripping with 1930s atmosphere like a crowded cannoli. The game is a bit hampered by somewhat dull third-person combat, and it arguably wastes its potential by not inventing some new ways to make more use of its completely remade world. Still, the game manages to revive one of the best stories in the series’ history, allowing it to stand shoulder to shoulder with 2016’s Mafia III rather than as its outdated but brooding ancestor.