Mafia: Definitive Edition

Mafia: Definitive Edition is stuck between a rock and a hard place then: neither a slice of nostalgia nor a particularly good modern experience in its own right. Temper your expectations and there’s a 10-hour campaign to enjoy, but it’s hard not to feel like this is a missed opportunity all around.

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 how a remake should be done. By taking and meticulously remoulding the original game, Mafia: Definitive Edition sings with a deliciously authentic 1930’s gangster shooter experience that’s enriched to no end by a chapter-based story that keeps the focus on the story and its characters.