MAFIA: Rated 'M' for Matured Violence

*this is the same review I used in PCGR.com, so there is no plagiarism btw.


For a game that started production before Rockstar’s now-classic criminal romp Grand Theft Auto III, Mafia has been widely addressed as a shadow hoping to cash in to GTA’s unsurpassed popularity. But most gamers should be surprised to know that Mafia is nothing like the Grand Theft Auto series; there are some similar mechanics behind the gameplay, though---to much surprise---it remains intact unto its own unique originality. An obvious no-brainer, there was a lot to admire from Rockstar’s controversial game, but a title like Mafia undoubtedly pulls it off to a greater extent. It is (dare I say it) boldly matured and infinitely more fully realized.

Illusion Softworks, the developer of Mafia, has been working hard and tirelessly for the past three years, sometimes even dedicating 40 hour work schedules to get the game done right. And upon starting up a new game, it’s not hard to tell where all that extra effort went. The opening credits start out well with a strong musical score as a low flying camera sweeps through the 1930’s era of the City of Lost Heaven, giving the player an impressive taste of the environment. And soon we’re introduced to Tommy Angelico, dressed respectively in a snazzy suit and tie. He walks into a corner diner and sits down next to a cop. For reasons yet to be explained, Tommy spills his guts that he’s part of the Salieri family---a notorious Mafioso group, and in flashback, tells the cop everything he wants to know.

Those flashbacks are what drive the story, which are very well told, thanks to the in-game cutscenes which are traditionally enhanced to really give it a polished feel. They’re superbly animated and sport fancy additions like lip-synching and motion capture to add a sense of realism to the otherwise digital actors. And with cutscenes that look so good, Mafia takes its time to tell a story---most can be as long as the scenes found in Monolith’s No One Lives Forever.

As Tommy tells his story, more missions unfold in chronological order, spanning from 1930 to 1938. Each mission usually varies---most are longish, typically with divided “sub-missions” that make up one entire episode. The tasks behind every level all carry their own special flavor, so that not every mission is the same redundant errand (In one mission, I had to rescue a friend inside a motel with lots of armed thugs. And in another one, I had to chase down an amateur robber through the city’s outskirts.). But the missions themselves can be exceedingly difficult---the early levels serve as frustrating tutorials on how to drive a car. And adding to the frustration is a stopwatch in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, which indicates how much time you have left to complete the specified objective. And nearly every mission is timed, meaning that most of the levels can certainly not be completed in one sitting. It’ll require a few tries before you succeed. And although there is no saving during gameplay, each level is split into several sub-missions that automatically save upon completion of each one. So if you fail, you can rest assure that you don’t have too long of a way to backtrack.

Driving in Mafia is a major element. Missions always require you to patiently drive from one place to another, rather than just instantly teleporting you to each location upon startup (as most games do). But thanks to the game’s remarkably complex traffic system, these long drives aren’t as bland as you might assume. The law enforcement AI is far more developed than say…the AI found in Grand Theft Auto III---the cops behave realistically like their real life counterparts. Expect to be in trouble if you accidentally crash into another car, run a red light, drive above the speed limit, or (of course) run over a pedestrian. Thankfully, the cops aren’t always around, and the player can be warned to drive carefully when a blue dot is seen in the game’s radar system, which indicates a police car nearby. And fortunately for those who can’t accelerate correctly, pressing “F5” will set your car to the maximum speed limit.

Another well-handled element in Mafia is the combat. Because Illusion Softworks had a hand in the creation of the tactical shooter Hidden & Dangerous, Mafia’s shootouts are just as engaging as it’s in-depth car handling. Don’t expect to rush into a room and start blasting away; weapons like the Thompson (a.k.a. Tommygun) don’t aim very well because of the jolting recoil, so expect bullets to fly everywhere if you’re not so hot with a gun. And unlike most other shooters, Mafia strives to be authentic---reloading in the middle of a shootout takes as long as it does in real life, so be sure to duck for cover. And because ammo is stored in separate clips, you’ll lose precious bullets if you decide to reload even when a few rounds are still left in the chamber. These elements effectively add to the suspense in shootouts rather than detract. In one situation, I was cornered and used an open door for cover to reload. And in an interesting twist, the enemy AI also has to reload, and believe it or not, they too can run out of ammo.

Besides going trigger-happy while roaming around on foot, you can also do drive-bys that put GTA3’s lone Uzi to shame. As you’re driving, you can steer with the keyboard and aim with the mouse at the same time, but you can only shoot on the side you’re on (driver side or passenger side). If you manage to hit a car’s tire, then it’ll blow out (be careful, the cops also use this technique on you). This is all pretty hard to master because shooting from a car window at 60 mph isn’t easy, but the complexity of it all just adds to the game’s charm. During a car chase, I managed to shoot out my opponent’s two right-hand tires, and he swerved off the road during a sharp turn.

The City of Lost Heaven is a sprawling environment equal to Liberty City found in GTA3---pedestrians and traffic fill up the streets and sidewalks to create a pretty impressive experience. Covering 12 square miles of urban city (which is bigger than you think) and featuring an unmapped back road of countryside, the City of Lost Heaven really does feel alive. A few indoor environments litter some areas, but are unfortunately not seamlessly integrated to the outdoor areas (meaning that it’ll have to load up). And aside from Mafia’s standout traffic AI, the city feels like a head-on simulation; for example, your car will eventually run out of gas, and thus you’ll have to go to the gas station. The pedestrian AI is also fairly well done, but isn’t as deep as the traffic system. They don’t do much, but nonetheless do react faithfully when they see you brandishing a shotgun, or when you “accidentally” swerve your vehicle into a large crowd.

For such a huge city, the game looks fantastic, and the LS3D engine used to render the city is nearly flawless (my framerates were continually stable, even in dense outdoor areas). Admittedly, the textures in the game look blotchy and low res, but there’s just so much detail that this minor hitch is instantly forgivable. Some objects are vaguely interactive: shoot a fire hydrant and it’ll spew water, ram into a wooden telephone booth and it’ll shatter---splinters and all. The pedestrian models have reasonably high polygons and animate pleasantly smooth. Even better than the pedestrians are the automobiles, which are the true showcases for the game. Crafted from photos of real-life period autos, Mafia successfully mimics their own individual speed, acceleration, and physics. Don’t expect any cars that’ll rocket down the road like a 2002 sports car; these cars are 100% authentic in every way to their thirties counterparts. And though it may not seem that way at first glance, the cars deform wonderfully. Rather than having separate parts that just simply break off, the cars in Mafia actually warp and bend their metal bodies. If you hit a car door long enough with a baseball bat, it’ll eventually dent in a variety of ways. Glass also breaks and shatters, and if you want to cap that driver in the front seat, all you got to do is aim through the windshield.

Perhaps even more impressive than the automobiles are the meager indoor environments. Despite not always being seamless with the rest of the city, indoor areas benefit from this fact by being able to cram in more detail. Lighting is most noticeable and the shading is entirely beautiful to gawk at. But all the little things like pool tables, chairs, lamps, etc… seriously bump the graphics up a notch.

And working itself as hard as it’s fully scaled graphics, Mafia sounds perfect…or nearly perfect anyway. If you manage to ignore a few scratches and inconsistencies that queerly arise from the soundtrack, Mafia’s environmental audio and voice acting are all top-notch. An early level was particularly stirring in the use of sound: as two rival gang members chased me down an ally, I could hear their bullets chipping brick walls and whizzing past my ears---all that was only a handful of sound effects, yet it was so crisp and refined that I was awestruck. Other effects like rainfall and car engines vary so much in a wide spectrum of small details, that it’s hard not appreciate the sound more so than the actual graphics. The voice acting, however, ranges from professional to amateurish. The actors all seem to embody natural Italian American accents found in movies like Goodfellas, but in some cutscenes, the voices become rather stale in expression, most notably in the lead character Tommy.

With such a great concept and execution, the developers have tossed in a nifty “Freeride” mode that enables the player to freely explore and do whatever he/she pleases. While this mode isn’t anything enticing compared to GTA3’s immensely addictive (and fun) open-ended nature, Freeride requires some exploration to really get it going. Upon first inspection, it looks small and resembles a disappointing novelty item. But as the player completes more of the story-driven levels, more objectives/areas/items/cars will be unlocked in Freeride. The replay value in this mode is destined to waste a few hours, and the many things the player can do like get into gangland shootouts or terrorize the city, will surly make that money worthwhile after having completed the levels.

In a year with so many Grade-A single player games so far, Mafia takes the bullet as one of the top five of the year. The driving and traffic system is by far one of the most complex I’ve ever seen, and the gangland shootouts are simply tense and brilliantly conceived in their use of scenarios. The story-driven aspects of the game should last a long time, especially if you’re up for a tough challenge. And while the game’s Freeride mode may not be fully realized, Mafia deserves its merits as a finely told cinematic gem. It’s wholly unique, and in a way, serves as an alternate medicine for gamers who prefer their senseless violence served on a five-star platter.