“The world is a stage upon which the game plays out, not the main feature”
MAFIA: DEFINITIVE EDITION remembers when open-world games weren’t second jobs
Irecently found myself searching for a new open-world game to waste away the hours with, but discovered that I’d already played all the decent ones. I fired up Days Gone hoping for a diverting, zombie-filled road trip, but I couldn’t drive for a single mile without someone awful interrupting me. Then I gave Just Cause 4 a try, but I think I’ve had my fill of explosions and terrible dialogue. So I gave up and sought solace in a familiar friend.
Mafia: Definitive Edition is an old classic with a fresh coat of paint. The 2020 version takes Illusion Softworks’ 2002 crime romp and, courtesy of Mafia 3 developer Hangar 13, gives it the look and feel of a modern open-world caper. Importantly, though, it retains a crucial element that sets it apart from the likes of GTA and Assassin’s Creed: The world is a stage upon which the game plays out, not the main feature.
In 2021, the rules of open-world games are very well defined. We’ve had decades of them. While Rockstar’s might be the most iconic,
Ubisoft is the publisher who has really defined how they work. How you explore them, and what you find when you explore, is almost always the same, whether it’s near-future London or ancient Greece. Built before all of this, however, Mafia isn’t laden with years of crap, and ends up feeling rather novel.
The city of Lost Heaven houses plenty of collectables and, through a free roam mode, can be explored for as long as you like, but most of the time it just serves as a convincing backdrop, never interrupting the story with side activities like raiding hideouts or taking friends bowling. When you’re in a mission, that’s all you need to focus on, and when you’re done with it you’re whisked away to the next chapter of the engaging criminal saga.
CAN’T REFUSE
It does wonders for the pace of the narrative. After a few hours, I’ve already been a mobster for a few years, and I’ve got friends, rivals and a gal. Instead of needing to take up street racing or poker to earn money for more cars and gear, the story gives me exactly what I need for the mission at hand.
None of this is to say that I haven’t squeezed plenty of enjoyment out of less restrained open worlds. I played Red Dead Redemption II for 150 hours and still hop into Red Dead Online every now and then. I played Assassin’s Creed Valhalla for just as long, and I’ve already got plans to return once all the DLC has been released. I love to lose myself in these worlds, even when that time is often spent on meaningless diversions. But what a treat it is to play something that feels epic without demanding I also put in an epic amount of work. ■
THE STORY GIVES ME EXACTLY WHAT I NEED FOR THE
MISSION AT HAND