May 2023 announcement Mafia: Definitive Edition came as a complete surprise to the public. Moreover, the studio Hangar 13responsible for the release Mafia iii, offered not a standard plastic tightening of outdated graphics in the form of a higher resolution and the ability to work on modern systems, but in fact a full-fledged remake, because the game was created practically from scratch, retaining only the old scenario skeleton. But opinions were divided. For some, a dream project was looming, while others began to treat the Definitive Edition rather skeptically, because the third Mafia mentioned above was, to put it mildly, a controversial game, and a remaster Mafia II, which also saw the light of day after the announcement of the remake of the first part, did not avoid technical problems. Now that the agonizing months of waiting have finally come to an end, we can assess the studio’s work and decide if Mafia: Definitive Edition lives up to its hopes and expectations.
Without unnecessary prefaces, we can say with confidence: the scale of the work on the transfer of the beloved by the players Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven on modern rails is really impressive. Almost every element of the game, starting with graphics and ending with certain changes in the course of the narrative, has been reworked.
And let’s, since we touched on this topic, let’s talk about the plot. It’s 1938, and our hero, Thomas Angelo, is talking to detective Norman, revealing to him the whole ins and outs of the life of organized crime in the city, since the early 30s, when the protagonist was still a simple taxi driver. In exchange, Tommy asks to provide him and his family with protection from revenge from the family of Ennio Salieri – his former boss, whose path Tommy crossed by coincidence. On the one hand, the developers have kept the general flow of the story. All significant events, characters and scenario twists are in place. On the other hand, many small details are woven into the plot of the Definitive Edition. Some add depth to the story, explain and complement events, which is certainly a good thing. For example, in the remake, much more time is devoted to Sarah, Tommy’s wife, while in the original she appeared in one or two cutscenes. The game’s dialogue has also been partially rewritten to better reveal the characters, their motivations and attitudes. Thus, the developers fill in the gaps and controversial points in the original script.
But in the updated plot there are also not so unambiguous decisions. The fact is that in the original game, Tommy appeared before the player in the form of a simple guy who is alien to the life of crime. And even when he was mired in her head over heels, he still retained certain moral principles that sometimes forced him to go against the interests of the family. Tommy from Definitive Edition, in turn, leaves the impression of a guy who, in general, always wanted to become a mafioso and himself rushes forward, almost begging the Don for a chance to prove himself. Moreover, where the hero from 2002 adhered to his own moral values and did not sink to the very bottom in his deeds, his version from 2023 does not commit a low act just because another character asks him not to do it. Yes, there is very little of this in the remake and, in general, the narrative does not turn upside down, but I am sure that a certain category of players may not like such decisions.
