Mafia

Illusion Softworks really did create a veritable diamond in the rough with Mafia. It's a game that received relatively little or no media attention, but which really excels in being enormously entertaining and engrossing. It has one or two negative points, but they are quite minor, and mostly easy to overlook. With a fantastic plot, spot-on music, memorable characters and a unique setting, Mafia is to-date the best experience available in gangster themed gaming.

Like any true classic gangster film or game, Mafia is set in the 1930's prohibition era of the United States, in a fictional 'New York-esque' city called Lost Heaven. You play as Thomas 'Tommy' Angelo, a taxi driver who is suddenly roped into working for the Saleri crime family, when two members of the family hijack his taxi. From there, Tommy travels deeper and deeper into the criminal underworld, and this serves as the basis for most of the game. Most missions consist of some driving, shooting, plot development and then perhaps a little more driving. The storyline is absolutely top-notch, serving as deep and interesting right from the beginning. It feels like it's been pulled straight from 'The Godfather' or 'Once Upon a Time in America', and naturally I can't really say that much more about it without spoiling it. All of the characters seem believable and realistic, and are wonderfully brought to life by the excellent voice acting.

Driving the 1930's era automobiles is a singular experience. All the in-game cars are based upon real-life counterparts from the time (such as the 'Bolt' automobiles are an obvious rip-off of 'Ford'), and this being the '30s; they don't go all too well. Handling is easy and enjoyable, but don't expect to be speeding around at over a hundred miles an hour. Some cars can't even get above fifty. The police are some of the most realistic ever encountered in gaming. For breaking minor traffic laws, such as speeding, running red lights and crashing into street furniture, they are liable to come and issue a hefty fine. However, when weapons are shown, or civilians injured, their attention becomes substantially more brutal. All of this just adds to the theme and general feel of the game, enhancing the experience.

Shooting, on the other hand, is equally well done. Aiming is nice and simple with a handy targeting reticule, although there is a slightly annoying panhandle effect that is liable to happen sometimes when you whirl around. There is pretty decent and realistic recoil delivered whenever you fire. Gun and explosion sounds are generally superb, including a nice variety of 'pings' when bullets ricochet of walls. Unlike many other games, when you reload, you realistically loose any bullets which were left in the previous clip, which was a nice little touch, and leads you to be more conservative when it comes to using ammunition. It is also normally easy to fight with melee weapons and hand combat, although this happens progressively less the further through the game you progress. Moving around on foot generally is handled perfectly well, although the panhandle effect can come into play again.

It must be said that Mafia is quite difficult in a general sense, even on an easier difficulty setting, and I was frequently dying at the hands of mobsters and being forced to reload. However, this may just have been my poor shot and slow reactions. If you enjoy the challenge of beating something, look no further.

Graphically, Mafia is mainly impressive. Lost Heaven features a variety of districts, including a downtown business area and more suburban and working class neighbourhoods. Citizens stroll through the streets, pausing often to talk to each other, and drivers every so often pull up on the curb and get out or into vehicles. There is also an expansive countryside area, which can be explored during the Overtime mode, although none of it feels very lively, as there are no citizens out walking about, or doing farming work. The drawn distance of the environments is generally rather disappointing, as is the transition from viewable to 'out of sight' area, which features minimal fogging and texture pop-in can sometimes happen quite abruptly. However, on the upside, the interiors are all fantastic, in that they are both detailed and realistic, although not particularly interactive. Character models are also nicely done, and blood from dead characters forms in pools on the sidewalk.

The music really does hit the target in all respects. Whilst exploring the different Lost Heaven districts, a great variety of genuine vintage 1930's music is played, including amongst others some bouncy Django Reinhardt tunes on guitar. This themed music is accompanied with a full orchestral score during cutscenes and other gameplay, mirroring the similarly sweeping musical accompaniments of many gangster films. As already mentioned, the voice acting is faultless. General sound effects, such as car engines and city sounds, are normally good too.

Overall then, Mafia is a true piece of genuine lost gold. Although it is not without its minor irritations and afflictions here and there, the worst probably being the abrupt drawn distance, these can be overlooked without too much trouble, leaving behind a game that is cinematic, enthralling, and generally tremendous fun to play. A definite must for any collection.

Now, I must go and find that horse's head I left lying around somewhere…