izigame.me

I have never played this game before I bought it on Steam, so my review is not tinted by nostalgia. And I must say, what an amazing game from 2002 with a mature and cynical plot. I can't believe it was from 2002. GTA:VC, released in the same year, feels almost cartoonish in comparison.
As a cinema-lover (I am reluctant to call myself a cinephile though, since I don't watch that many films), I am often disappointed with stories in games. The storytelling in this game is a breath of fresh air and one of the best I've seen. The interweaving of past and present, the perfectly animated cutscenes, and the ending! Wow! A lot of games tried to be films, but many failed miserably on that front. (Either the cutscenes were too long, or cringy. You know what I'm talking about.) IMO, Mafia has the perfect balance of gameplay and cutscenes, and for a story-driven game like this, the cutscenes are never too long.
Admittedly, the gameplay aspect is a bit dated. Without a cover system, you can easily die in gunfights, and replaying the same mission over and over again seems to be a regular occurrence. Worrying about speeding in the city is probably the worst part of the game. But these are minor annoyances in the grand scheme of things.
I wholeheartedly recommend it to people who also enjoy classic crime films like Godfather and Goodfellas. Remember to replace the texture and restore the music (removed due to licensing issue) with mods for full enjoyment.
texture mod
music mod
One last thing to note: Don't expect to get a full-blown sandbox open-world experience from this game. This game is very linear, as its focus is on the plot. My only complaint is that the game isn't long enough, and I was a bit sad to see the story ending so quickly and abruptly for our protagonist.