Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. Game Review.

#gamereviews

It does pose something of a difficulty to be doing a review on your all-time favourite game while staying clear of using language that hasn’t been overused. For which reason I will purposely refrain from doing so and just say it. Mafia: The City of Last Heaven is th-ee most epic gaming title that I, an averagely seasoned gamer, has ever played to date. It may be that this was the first-ever game I had played on my own machine and that's how come I feel so strongly about it, but don’t let that mislead you – the game is out-of-all-proportions epic. There’s no saying “epic” enough when it comes to Mafia 1.

Now, I don’t believe I’d ever have bothered to write my own take on it if it weren’t that the game had for years been out of stock across all online outlets. Needless to say there hasn’t been any way of obtaining a hard copy other than buying it sight unseen and used on Ebay, in which case, given how old the game is, I might well be getting me a dud. The longing to yet again immerse in the richness of that story was growing all the stronger as the chances of ever seeing the game reappear in stores were growing slim. And then, wonder of wonders, a month ago, after (did I say that already) years of being missed it returned. The sheer joy of the news had my heart racing. Teenhood, here I come. And here’s why YOU can’t afford to miss out on the unique Mafia experience.

1. When there is little life left to live, on the day of grand reckoning, you will look back at the years past, and you’ll wish you had played. But - ain’t life a joke - your hands will shake with palsy, your eyes will barely see, and you will have become too dumb to remember which button does what. Play now - ensure a peaceful way to go.

2. It is an authentic Mafioso drama that knows no rivals among its gaming counterparts and one that would have done credit to Mr. Mario Puzo himself. Centered around one Tommy Angelo, the protagonist, initially a taxi driver, the game tells a brutally convincing story of his chance enlistment in the Mafia ranks, and of how small fry like himself, comes to play a pivotal part in the downfall of a criminal empire. The characters are beautifully portrayed and voice-acted.

3. The script will have you hyperventillating. You will experience being plunged from the heights of feel-good excitement into the depths of apprehensiveness. The game’s mature dramatic feel intensifies as events unfold, so that towards the end a heavy brooding anxiety will keep you swallowing an ever-present lump in your throat. The finale will leave you speechless. You won’t sleep that night. And then you will go for ten more consecutive playthroughs.

4. The atmosphere of the game is heavily contributed to by an engrossing setting. The game offers one of the vastest maps yet. You will enjoy the incredible urban vibe of the American 30s with an added bonus of an enormous rural expanse.

5. The graphics look decent enough even 15 years following the game’s release. In fact, at the time of the outing it was the closest to being realistic.

6. Driving is a joy in itself. In sharp contrast to arcade-like GTA, it feels very true to life, if a bit stiff. Once you get the hang of it, you will appreciate just how exhilarating it is.

7. The game sports an impressive score of haunting jazz/orchestral tunes that add incredibly to the ever-intensifying atmosphere.

8. Missions are so much fun I can’t begin to tell you just exactly how much. Fairly challenging too. You have to try for yourself.

My overall verdict is this is the kind of game that had been destined to become a classic in the genre even before it made it to store shelves. Since then I have played a decent share of games, many of which may objectively trump Mafia in a lot of aspects, but there’s no other game in the whole world that left such an indelible imprint in my mind, that if I were to be ever asked to name one game that I will want to be stuck playing forever, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second. Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven is a number one game for me.