Mafia: Definitive Edition Reviews
This is a gripping tale of crime families, sharp shooting and sharper suits – but has this remaster lost some of Mafia's charm?
The definitive edition of Mafia isn't perfect, but the experience is charming thanks to its ability captures the soul of an exciting era to tell us one of the best crime stories in video games. The experience is enough to reinvigorate a game loved by many, but it falls short when it comes to fulfil its full potential.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Mafia: Definitive Edition is tedious enough as it is by 2020 standards. Clunky gunplay and lousy vehicle handling make the shootouts as frustrating as the getaway drive. The promising setup can’t avoid getting whacked either as it disappoints through its inability to meaningfully execute on its multiple beats. The talented cast and better realized 1930s world outdo its 2002 counterpart, but the rest of its blunders come together and result in an offer that’s relatively easy to refuse.
Mafia: Definitive Edition is the best of both worlds. Its updated graphics bring Lost Heaven and its inhabitants to life without burdening them with modern game design elements. While the characters themselves haven't aged as well, Mafia: Definitive Edition, though based on a game that's nearly 20 years old, feels more refreshing than most open-world games.
Mafia Definitive Edition is one of the best remake titles of this generation. The whole vibe has been captured pretty well and it really throws you back in time and brings back lots of good memories. Movie-like cutscenes, top notch voice acting and great character design, make you enjoy the story even more than the original title. There are issues with combat system and enemy AI here and there, but you better check it out nonetheless.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Mafia: Definitive Edition is a great remake of the original game, bringing back that classic gameplay while greatly enhancing it for the modern era.
The Mafia franchise again presents one of the medium's best-written stories, though the series still stumbles on building something special around that story.
Mafia: Definitive Edition is an engrossing and fun way to dive into the Mafia series.
Mafia: Definitive Edition is crying out for a stronger hand at the wheel and a deeper rethink, for in its current state, it's oblivious of the fact that it's been 18 years since the original. That's a long time for any piece of entertainment, more so in video gaming, and Mafia: Definitive Edition is a long way from what it needed to be.
That makes the Definitive Edition something akin to a shot-for-shot remake. It manages to capture the charm of the original, imbues it with modern technology, and freezes all of its flaws in a sepia toned amber.
Mafia Definitive Edition completes the required task: the rejuvenation of a perfect game weighed down by the weight of the years. The touch of Hangar 13 is absolutely not invasive, but rather enhances the innumerable qualities of a video game cult.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Mafia: Definitive Edition, despite some technical hiccups, is still one of the best and most faithful remakes I had the pleasure of playing this generation. The story is engaging and thoroughly entertaining, the voice acting is terrific, the writing and characters are phenomenal, and the visuals are spectacular for modern hardware.
Like Mafia 3, Mafia: Definitive Edition is a game that works as a good movie. It's not a game that works as a good *game*. It's buggy, it's clunky, and is often just frustrating or unsatisfying. Hopefully, Hanger 13 is able to learn more lessons from this game because I'm not sure a fourth Mafia game can survive this sort of treatment.
Mafia: Definitive Edition's gorgeous open world is weakened by its mediocre campaign and flat combat mechanics.
Mafia: Definitive Edition is genuinely one of the best remakes of this generation. It gets so much right in terms of staying true to the source material and preserving what makes it so awesome. Sadly, that only ends up hurting it due to a dated mission structure and poor AI. Still, it was fantastic to be able to play such an updated version of the classic.
Even with its faults, Mafia: Definitive Edition is a fantastic remake of the original game. Its story is as engrossing as ever, tempting you to play just one more chapter before hitting that quit button. And while the gameplay isn’t perfect, it’s solid enough to keep you entertained.
The hardcore fans of the original will find a lot to nit-pick. But they can return to the original, to remember how archaic it is, or can they try to beat the game in classic mode, "enjoying" the quirks of the original recipe. Despite the criticism, we have to admit that Hangar 13 managed to take an 18 years old game and make it work in 2020, without crushing its soul.
If Mafia: Definitive Edition‘s gameplay hasn’t moved far beyond 2002, it’s still a gorgeous, reverent glow-up which should satisfy fans both old and new.
Mafia: Definitive Edition is a stunning recreation of a classic game, adding competent gameplay upgrades and a polished recreation of its plot. As solid as the overhaul may be though, it doesn't do much else to evolve the experience beyond the bare essentials. Not that you heard that from me, capisce?
Overall, Mafia: Definitive Edition really is a fantastic update to Mafia, foils and all.