When rumours first started to surface that Mafia II was getting a remaster, it couldn’t have happened at a better time. You see a month or two prior I had jumped on a promo offer and re-subscribed to PlayStation Now. When scrolling through the vast amount of games, Mafia II caught my eye. I wanted to dive in, but held firm. Clinging to hope that a superior version was indeed en route as ratings boards had suggested.
Mafia II is one of my favourite PlayStation 3 games. I think I played through from start to finish three times, getting the platinum along the way. It had been about eight years though, and after Mafia III not quite living up to expectations I was ready to re-live Vito’s epic adventure. So when the Mafia Trilogy was announced by 2K, and then a Mafia II Definitive Edition release date was accidentally posted on the Xbox store for the following week – I decided to wait.
You play as Vito Scaletta, a Sicilian immigrant who has just returned home from the war on a months leave. The Nazis had generously put a bullet in him, allowing him some time at home to see his family and friends. He is picked up from the train station by his childhood friend Joe, who is so happy to have his confidant back that he orchestrates Vito’s discharge from the army. You see in Vito’s absence Joe has became a big deal in the mob. Well, at least he thinks he has.
Throughout the roughly twelve hour campaign you will undertake different jobs for the Mafia, with numerous twists and turns along the way. Initially in the 1940’s and later the 1950’s, the game is set in Empire Bay. A fictional city based on New York. I can’t express enough how nice it was to play an open world game that was a manageable size. It takes you back to a time where over the course of a game you could get familiar with a map and begin to know your way around without the mini-map.
It’s also a great example of an open world being built to fit a story, rather than the story being thrown into the biggest world a development cycle would allow. I mentioned the game being set over two decades earlier and that was another highlight for me, even all these years later. While the map remains the same, it’s furnished differently. Roads are cobbled, streets are better maintained and the world is brighter. During the opening chapters you get the sense that the war has taken it’s toll, but once you enter the 1950’s the fictional city of Empire Bay has came out the other end you can sense a weight has been lifted. It reminded me a little bit of PS3 gem The Saboteur, only less pronounced.
From the moment you boot up Mafia II Definitive Edition, the difference from the original is clear as day. New textures and lighting look great and are present in character models, cars, buildings and everything in-between. The animation is largely untouched though, so while it does have a new coat of paint, you can tell the game is dated. This is most noticeable during cutscenes, when characters faces are shown up close.
Gamers unfamiliar with Mafia II may well see this title and expect a GTA style experience. That is definitely not the case. While there are over the top aspects to the game, overall it is a more grounded experience. Police will chase you for speeding or causing a crash. Even when you give them the slip they will radio dispatch about your appearance and the car you’re driving. This forces you to change clothes, switch cars, or take your current car to a body shop and pay for new license plates.
While some gamers will find this extra level of authenticity annoying, I loved it. It allows you to get more lost in the experience. There is even a speed limiter you can turn off and on should you want to abide by the law when driving around. Joe and other members of the mob will actually call you out for driving like a maniac if you get too out of hand. These people kill others without a moments hesitation, but run a red light? That’s bang out of order!
Gameplay is good, but does begin to show it’s age at times. Fist fights become easy once you master the dodge mechanic and gunplay is well executed with a decent array of weapons. Cover mechanics are not only available but necessary, as you can die with two well placed shots even on normal difficulty. Driving is the highlight though, with different cars feeling unique to handle. The time period jump from the 40’s to the 50’s also brings with it better, faster vehicles. The commitment to making the two decades not only look, but feel different is admirable.
The Definitive Edition also comes packing three expansion packs. The Betrayal of Jimmy and Jimmy’s Vendetta are skippable but I do recommend playing through Joe’s Adventures, which help fill in your partner in crimes story. These are a nice addition and worth checking out if you, like me, had never played them before.
It’s not all plain sailing for Mafia II though. Outside of the main missions there is very little side activities to keep you entertained. You can rob shops, which is cool, but once you have reached the requirement for the trophy there is little incentive to continue doing so. Likewise with selling or scrapping cars with characters you meet in the world. As with the original game there is no post story free play available, largely because there isn’t really anything worthwhile to do.
Then there is the technical issues. This is the main drawback of the game. Going in I was hoping for improved visuals and a 60 fps frame rate. Unfortunately what we currently have is a game that often times drops into the 20’s and around chapter 8 – 10 on PS4 Pro can plummet further. I watched a performance breakdown on YouTube by Digital Foundry and they concluded that the Pro was the worst affected version, for reasons unknown to them.
The game will stutter regularly while you drive and going through certain tunnels in the game automatically drops the frame rate. This is least noticeable in the first and last few chapters, so you will finish the game perhaps more forgiving of the issues. It is certainly something that needs addressed in a patch as soon as possible though.
The trophy list remains the same from the original release but it is a decent list covering all of the usual bases. I could have done without the trophy for completing the game on hard as Mafia II remains very unforgiving and you can find yourself swimming with the fishes real quick. Also worth noting is that the Playboy magazine collectibles can’t just be picked up at any time. They are chapter specific and if you miss one, you will need to replay from the beginning of that chapter to collect.
Overall Mafia II is still the game I know and love from 2010, with memorable missions, characters and a tone and time period that it nails as well as LA Noire. But there’s no denying this Definitive Edition is not in an optimal state. I don’t often mention review scores while writing the actual review itself, but in this case I feel compelled. Without any technical issues, it’s an 8/10. Even all these years later it holds up better than most. Unfortunately in it’s current state it’s a 6/10. If you are reading this down the line and a patched has been deployed that fixes the issues, I urge you to buy this game. Until then though, your experience may be compromised.
-VDZE
A review code for this product was kindly provided by the publisher. Reviewed on PS4 Pro.
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