Mafia: Definitive Edition Gameplay (PC HD)

Family is forever. 18 years fly by. Ever since Illusions Softworks made their great mark on The City of Lost Heaven, players have fondly cherished the memories of Tommy Angelo's misadventures. The Czechs' work was a crude and truthful portrait of the dark 1930s. When men in trench coats enforced the law of the street, pre-World War II America bled to death for a handful of dollars.

There is something special about Mafia. Call it nostalgia, charisma, knowing that you are being a luxurious spectator to the events of the Lost Heaven families. Friends pass; loves, too. When the rifles begin to ring, the spilled blood is the same color. Choosing this model of life was the shortcut to wealth, greatness, even happiness. A delusion that you wake up from the moment you look in the mirror and see a large target painted on your forehead.

Respecting and promoting the history of Mafia

The most important thing to know when facing a game like Mafia: Definitive Edition, is that Hangar 13 has been very respectful of the original work, modifying certain scenes just enough without losing their essence, winning, in general, With the change. There are more questionable decisions, yes, after all we are talking about a 2002 cult game, such as the change of Tommy Angelo when he first arrived at Don Salieri's bar to collect his first salary.

The Illusion Softworks classic was already very cinematic in that sense, to emphasize a story that conquered us from the beginning, such as seeing a taxi driver turned into a gangster by the whims of fate, until he decides to find a way out to escape from that criminal spiral so dangerous with the help of Detective Norman, years later. This is just as attractive. Even more.

And it is that the 18 years difference between the two Mafia cannot be ignored, where there is a tremendous leap at the graphic level with respect to the original, as is logical. That cinematographic bet has come out clearly winning today, where it is now easier if possible to empathize with all its protagonists, with that Tommy as the master of the function as he is the character we control.

Anyone who has played the classic play will see how their memories have been enhanced and improved with this update that has not neglected one iota what it is that made that Mafia so great. In fact, even its introduction scene is exactly a carbon copy of the one from 2002, but with all the technical benefits that current systems offer, also in terms of sound, with a higher quality orchestrated band. Personally, I keep getting my hair on end with its soundtrack. One of the best of the genre.

In addition, Lost Heaven is now more alive than ever and with a charm that is clearly visible, with buildings that simulate some of the most iconic of several American cities of the time, along with other noteworthy landscapes just outside. like all that part of the dam.

The story respects that evolution from taxi driver to mobster by Tommy and the structure in the form of chained missions, being again an adventure that hooks for its plot, despite the fact that there are moments where the peak of difficulty (in Classic mode) is triggered a barbarity, like a certain chase on the farm by an armed police vehicle... Because yes, it also respects its original difficulty, if we wish. And there will be no shortage of first-aid kits.

Improving (almost) all the memories of a classic

For many young people (and some who have gray hair), Mafia: Definitive Edition is the gateway to discovering the particular The Godfather in video game format. Newcomers should know what kind of game they have in their hands. Although it may seem like the typical open world of a traditional cut, it is not at all. We are facing a narrative adventure that combines third-person action with a semi-free movement, that is, we have the city of Lost Heaven at our complete disposal, but we will not find any secondary element that deviates us from the rhythm imposed by the script.

That classic adventure pattern has been repeated in the two subsequent installments, even after the third's embrace of a sandbox close to current times. Already in 2002 a push was felt towards the path of the first steps of the 3D genre. What, perhaps, was a technological or design limitation, became by its own weight a hallmark. Identity built on a series of components that allow him to create that experience that we can only find in him.

We mean driving, for example. The rough handling of the cars of the 30's carries over to perfection. They are chassis that accelerate on thin wheels and create that characteristic gliding effect. Given its weight, even the roll when turning is well reflected. They are not cars that respond artificially, quite the opposite: there is a great variety of behaviors depending on their performance, which we can know from the family garage.

On the other hand, the same happens in the way in which the gunplay unfolds. Angelo is far from having the capacity of a marine. He is an ordinary person with a gun in his hand: his pulse trembles, he errs in moments of greater tension. The shootings are a violent exchange of lead, which does not skimp on showing how our rivals lose the thread of life. The armament, scarce, leads us to the weapons that accompany the gangster's imagination. Sliding shotgun, M1911 pistol, the famous Thompson submachine gun (known as Tommy Gun), among others. Of course, its behavior is very marked among the models, which leads us to constantly change on the fly.

Every image counts

The direction of the video sequences in Mafia: Definitive Edition manages to bring nuances that we cannot find in the original. There are a multitude of shots that reveal more through silences than through words. It portrays some humanized characters, on the tightrope of morality. Honor stands aside when the rope tightens around the neck. Certain characters gain a lot of strength.

Like the first meetings of the Don Salieri family. The gift gives Tommy a chance to earn a living under his umbrella. He never directly reveals his doubts, or the mistrust that a newcomer is supposed to be. This prudence in the chain of command is distinguished by a grimace, by a frown. And so on constantly. Even in the relationship between Sam, Paulie, and Tommy, disapproval of certain events occurs silently.

That strength, again, is achieved with a careful direction and production to the extreme. We insist again on the conclusion: The Death of Art. It takes on a new nuance impossible to extract in the delivery on which they have worked. The insecurity of an ambitious man like Sam, or the unscrupulous loyalty of Paulie, in front of an Angelo who avoids pulling the trigger in front of those who are not involved with this game of adults.

What I think of the game after playing

Mafia: Definitive Edition is a massive remake. Hangar 13 has known how to treat with affection and respect a work that was etched in the retina for many who lived it in the early 2000s. The studio has not only respected the script, but has also reordered certain elements. The motivations that carry Tommy throughout the 1930s are even stronger here. It feels like a much more natural adventure, consistent with the consequences of each event. The audiovisual muscle is preceded by a quality direction. Each shot speaks beyond what it shows. In conclusion, this definitive edition is a perfect opportunity to discover or recall the myth of Illusions Softworks.

And to finish I am going to leave you that for me it is the best and represents what the mafia is