Where do gangsters go when they die...not to the place where angels fly. The lyrics to the song in the closing credits of Mafia pretty well sum up the often brutal and ruthless lifestyle of a typical gangster. It seems that in gang-land what comes around goes around, its an eye for an eye, and eventually every gangster finds himself with his back to the wall. In Mafias City of Lost Heaven money talks, and since the mafia controls most of the money in town they establish the rules for just about everyone, including local law enforcement and political representatives.
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The heavily plot-driven story in Mafia twists and turns like a snarled briar patch. One minute youre running from the cops, the next youre running from rival gangsters out for revenge. Holding it all together is an extensive series of cut-scenes that play out just like a 1930's gangster flick. In fact, if Mafia were to be made into a full-length feature film, all that would need to be done is to enlarge it to fit the screen. No editing necessary. From the several-minute long intro movie to the ending prologue, the storytelling in Mafia is unparalleled. Daniel Vavra at Illusion Softworks (the game developer) should receive an Oscar for writing and producing such an intricate story. Simply put, Mafia offers an incomparable gaming experience.
So where does one begin with assimilating oneself into the mad world of the mafia? You play the part of Tommy Angelo, a hardworking taxi driver who finds himself in the right place at the wrong time. As Tommy waits by his taxi for the next customer, he inadvertently becomes an involuntary getaway driver for some gangsters on the run. It turns out Tommy is an exceptionally good driver who impresses the Salieri mob boss enough to offer him a full-time job. With some reluctance Tommy accepts the job because Mr. Salieri makes him an offer he cant refuse - lots of cold, hard cash and promises of a cushy lifestyle. From that moment on, Tommys simple and straight-forward life is forever changed, and consequently, the uncertainty of what lies around each corner drives the nail-biting momentum of the rest of the game.
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As a new member of the Salieri family, you are given only the most basic tasks. Youll have to earn the trust of Mr. Salieri before you can move up to anything else. The first few jobs involve nothing more than driving people from one location to another, and even though Tommy has been a taxi driver for quite some time, these rather mundane jobs will give you the chance to become familiar with the different parts of the city. This is also a great opportunity to learn how to drive vehicles since youll be doing plenty of driving in Mafia. A tutorial is offered before the game begins, but the learning curve is not too steep even if you skip the tutorial. Once you become accustomed to the physics modeling of the vehicles, driving comes naturally . Youll quickly learn the territory controlled by the Salieri family, and the areas controlled by the rival gang lead by a Mr. Morello. Becoming familiar with the local police force is part of the job.
Mafia is somewhat of a hybrid in that it is part driving game and part third-person shooter. The mix is about 70/30 with driving having the most prominence. However, the shootouts are hot and heavy and the lengthy cut-scenes compose a significant portion of the game. The story in Mafia is portrayed by Tommy through a series of recollections as he spills his guts to a police detective after deciding to call it quits. The detective is one of ten key characters in the game, and youll become well acquainted with several other players. The opposition gang run by Mr. Morello remains largely anonymous and Morello himself is rarely seen. Superb voice acting by the characters adds to the flavor of the game, as they all speak with authentic New York accents.
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