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Mafia (series)

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Mafia
Logo since Mafia III (2016)
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Developer(s)2K Czech (1998–2017)
Hangar 13 (2014–present)
Publisher(s)Gathering of Developers (2002, 2004)
2K Games (2007–present)
Platform(s)macOS
PlayStation 2
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
Stadia
Windows
Xbox
Xbox 360
Xbox One
Xbox Series X and Series S
First releaseMafia
August 29, 2002
Latest releaseMafia: Definitive Edition
September 25, 2020

Mafia is a series of action-adventure games originally created and developed by 2K Czech (formerly Illusion Softworks). Since the third installment, however, the games are developed by Hangar 13 and published by 2K Games. The franchise consists of four mainline installments, along with a remake of the first game, a remastered version of the second game, and two spin-offs for mobile devices.

Games in the Mafia series are set in fictional locales modeled after real American or Italian cities, and typically feature historical settings, from Great Depression-era Lost Heaven in the first game, to 1960s New Bordeaux in Mafia III. Gameplay focuses on an open world environment where players complete missions to progress an overall story, as well as engage in various side activities, albeit in a more linear manner than other open world series such as Grand Theft Auto. Most of the games include an additional Free Ride mode, which allows players to trigger missions from the open world. The series centers on different protagonists who become involved with the Mafia in one way or another, either attempting to rise through its ranks or bring it down for wronging them. The antagonists are commonly characters who have betrayed the protagonist or their organisation, or characters who have the most impact impeding the protagonist's progress.

All games in the franchise have been well received by critics, with praise for their complex narratives, open world design, and focus on realism, although Mafia III reviewed significantly worse than the others due to its repetitive gameplay structure. The Mafia series has also been commercially successful, with combined lifetime sales of over 34 million copies sold.

Games

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Year Title Developer Home release
Console Computer Mobile
Main series
2002 Mafia Illusion Softworks PS2, Xbox
2010 Mafia II 2K Czech PS3, Xbox 360 Windows, OS X
2016 Mafia III Hangar 13 PS4, Xbox One
2020 Mafia: Definitive Edition Windows
2025 Mafia: The Old Country PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Story expansion packs
2010 Mafia II: The Betrayal of Jimmy 2K Czech PS3, Xbox 360 Windows
2010 Mafia II: Jimmy's Vendetta
2010 Mafia II: Joe's Adventures
2017 Mafia III: Faster, Baby! Hangar 13 PS4, Xbox One Windows, OS X
2017 Mafia III: Stones Unturned Windows
2017 Mafia III: Sign of the Times
Remastered editions
2020 Mafia II: Definitive Edition d3t PS4, Xbox One Windows
Mobile spin-offs
2010 Mafia II Mobile Twistbox Games Mobile phone
2016 Mafia III: Rivals Cat Daddy Games iOS, Android
Release timeline
2002Mafia
2003–2009
2010Mafia II + DLC
2011–2015
2016Mafia III
2017Mafia III DLC
2018–2019
2020Mafia II (remaster)
Mafia: Definitive Edition
2021–2024
2025Mafia: The Old Country

Mafia (2002)

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Main article: Mafia (video game)

The first game in the series, Mafia (known during pre-release as Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven), was developed by Illusion Softworks and published by Gathering of Developers for Microsoft Windows in August 2002. It was later ported to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in February 2004 and March 2004, respectively. Set in the fictional city of Lost Heaven, loosely based on Chicago, from 1930 to 1938, the game follows Tommy Angelo, a taxi driver-turned-mobster, and his rise and fall within the Salieri crime family.

Mafia II (2010)

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Main article: Mafia II

Mafia II is the standalone sequel to Mafia and was developed by 2K Czech and published by 2K Games for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in August 2010. A Mac OS X version was also released in December 2011. The game is set in the fictional metropolis of Empire Bay, inspired by several American cities but primarily by New York, from 1945 to 1951. It tells the story of Vito Scaletta, a young Sicilian-American criminal and World War II veteran, who becomes caught in a power struggle among Empire Bay's various Mafia families while attempting to pay back his late father's debts and secure a better lifestyle.

Downloadable content

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On May 26, 2010, ahead of the game's release, four content packs were announced as pre-order bonuses in America and Europe, each one available through different retailers. The Vegas Pack containing two additional cars and suits for Vito and the War Hero Pack containing two military-style vehicles and suits were available from GameStop and EBGames. The Renegade Pack containing two sports cars and two jackets was available from Amazon and the Greaser Pack featuring two hot rods and two suits was available to Best Buy customers. All pre-order packs were available for purchase as game add-ons on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, and Steam.

Following Mafia II's release, 2K Games supported the game with three major downloadable content (DLC) packs. The first, titled The Betrayal of Jimmy, was initially released as a PlayStation 3 exclusive, and features a new storyline starring the titular Jimmy, a gun-for-hire who works for various criminal outfits in Empire Bay. The second pack, titled Jimmy's Vendetta, was released in September 2010 and is a continuation of Jimmy's story, while the third, titled Joe's Adventures, was released in November 2010 and follows Vito's best friend Joe Barbaro during the missing chapters of Mafia II's story.

A version of Mafia II containing the base game and all DLC packs, titled Mafia II: Director's Cut, was released by Feral Interactive in December 2011.

Mafia III (2016)

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Main article: Mafia III

Mafia III was developed by Hangar 13 and published by 2K Games for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in October 2016. It was later released for macOS in May 2017, and for Google Stadia in October 2021. Set within the fictional city of New Bordeaux, based on New Orleans, in 1968, the game follows former criminal and Vietnam veteran Lincoln Clay, who is forced to return to a life of crime to help his adoptive family settle problems with the local branch of the Mafia. After the Mafia betrays and murders his family, Lincoln embarks on a quest for revenge while slowly building a criminal empire and seizing power from other criminal organisations in the city.

Downloadable content

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Similarly to Mafia II, 2K Games released three story-driven DLC packs for Mafia III. The first, titled Faster, Baby!, was released in March 2017; it introduces the town of Sinclair Parish, located on the outskirts of New Bordeaux, and follows Lincoln's efforts to expose the corruption of its racist sheriff, Walter Beaumont, with the help of civil rights activist Charles Laveau and his daughter Roxy. The second, titled Stones Unturned, was released in May 2017, and sees Lincoln and his friend John Donovan teaming up to stop former CIA agent and Donovan's nemesis Connor Aldridge, who stole a nuclear bomb in hopes of ending the Vietnam War. The final DLC, titled Sign of the Times, was released in July 2017, and follows Lincoln's investigation of a satanic cult called the Ensanglante.

A version of Mafia III containing the base game and all three DLC packs, titled Mafia III: Definitive Edition, was released in May 2020, and later included in the Mafia: Trilogy collection.

Mafia: Definitive Edition (2020)

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Main article: Mafia: Definitive Edition

Mafia: Definitive Edition is a remake of the original Mafia game, developed by Hangar 13 and published by 2K Games for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in September 2020.[1] The remake builds upon the gameplay systems introduced in Mafia III while adding several new features, such as the introduction of motorcycles to the series, and closely follows the plot of the original, with several alterations, mainly to the dialogue and locations.

Mafia: The Old Country (2025)

[edit]
Main article: Mafia: The Old Country

A fourth main installment in the series following Mafia III was first announced in August 2022.[2] On August 20, 2024, the game's title was revealed to be Mafia: The Old Country, confirming it would be a prequel to the first game, set in 1900s Sicily and exploring the origins of the Mafia.[3] On December 12, 2024, a full trailer debuted at the Game Awards, providing further details about the setting, narrative and gameplay, as well as a release date of Summer 2025.[4] Unlike its predecessors, Mafia: The Old Country will feature more linear gameplay and a bigger focus on its storytelling. The game is set to follow original protagonist Enzo Favara, who joins the Torrisi crime family to escape his indentured labor in Sicily's sulfur mines.[5]

Other games

[edit]

To coincide with the release of Mafia II, a mobile version was developed by Twistbox Games and published by Oasys Mobile; the iOS version was published by Connect2Media. However, the game is not a direct adaptation of Mafia II, and instead serves as a prequel that bridges the gap between the first two Mafia games. The story follows Marco Russotto, a soldato in the Salieri crime family and the nephew of the family's gunsmith Vincenzo, who travels to Empire Bay to find and kill Tommy Angelo as revenge for his betrayal of the family. The game features two possible endings, but only one is canon and leads into the events of Mafia II.

A mobile role-playing game titled Mafia III: Rivals was released to tie-in with the main game, developed by Cat Daddy Games for Android and iOS. Rivals is presented as a role-playing game with turn-based combat mechanics.[6] A free demo of Mafia III was released on March 28, 2017, the same day as the first downloadable content pack of the game.

Compilations and remasters

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A remastered version of Mafia II and all its DLC packs, titled Mafia II: Definitive Edition, was released in May 2020, at the same time as the Definitive Edition of Mafia III. Both games were later included in the Mafia: Trilogy pack, which also contains Mafia: Definitive Edition and was released alongside it in September 2020.[7]

Common elements

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Gameplay

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Each game in the Mafia series allows the player to take on the role of a criminal in a large city, typically an individual who plans to rise through the ranks of organized crime. The player character is given various missions by friends and mafia figures in the city underworld which must be completed to progress through the storyline.

The use of vehicles in an explorable urban environment provides a basic simulation of a working city, complete with pedestrians who generally obey traffic signals. Further details are used to flesh out an open-ended atmosphere that has been used in several other games. Traffic rules and regulations are stringently and realistically enforced in the games; failure to obey them through speeding or reckless driving are usually met with penalties such as citations, with further violations resulting in efforts by law enforcement to retaliate more aggressively and thus incapacitate the player.[8]

Setting

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Games in the Mafia series are set in fictional locales modeled after American cities, at various points in time during the 20th century, when the American Mafia was the height of its power. Mafia is set in Lost Heaven during the 1930s. Lost Heaven is loosely based on New York City, Chicago and San Francisco.[9][10] Mafia II is set in the 1940s and early 1950s in Empire Bay, which is a fictional version of New York, with influences from Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston and Detroit.[11][12][13] Mafia III is set in the late 1960s in New Bordeaux, a fictionalized version of New Orleans.[14]

Characters

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Character Mafia Mafia II Mafia III
2002 2020 2010 2016
Cast
Thomas "Tommy" Angelo Michael Sorvino Andrew Bongiorno Michael Sorvino
Vittorio Antonio "Vito" Scaletta Bill Buell Rick Pasqualone
Joe Barbaro Character is Silent Bobby Costanzo
Lincoln Clay Alex Hernandez
Don Ennio Salieri George DiCenzo Glenn Taranto Mentioned
Paulie Lombardo William DeMeo Jeremy Luke
Sam Trapani Matt Servitto Don DiPetta
Francis "Frank" Colletti Dan Grimaldi Steven J. Oliver
Detective John Norman David O'Brien Dameon Clarke
Sarah Angelo Cara Bouno Bella Popa
Vincenzo Ricci John Tormey Paul Tassone
Ralph Jeff Gurner Ward Roberts
Luigi Marino Paul Scannapieco Robert Catrini
Don Marcu Morello John Doman Saul Stein
Sergio Morello Jr. Renaud Sebbane Matt Borlenghi
Lucas Bertone Jeff Gurner Tommy Beck
Councilor Roberto Ghilotti Paul Ghiringhelli
Lou Kenny Lorenzetti
Dino Anthony Bonaventura
Joey Crackers Guy Nardulli
Billy Ghilotti Jarrett Sleeper
Johnny Jason Kyle
Michelle Laura Maxwell Maggie McGovern
Salvatore Jordi Caballero
William Gates Myko Olivier
Carlo Joe Chambrello
Leonardo "Leo" Galante Frank Ashmore
Henry Tomasino Sonny Marinelli
Federico "Derek" Pappalardo Bobby Costanzo
Steve Coyne Mark Mintz
Frank Vinci Larry Kenney
Alberto Clemente Nolan North
Luca Gurino André Sogliuzzo
Carlo Falcone André Sogliuzzo
Eddie Scarpa Joe Hanna
Francesca Scaletta Jeannie Elias
Maria Scaletta Joan Copeland
Eric Reilly Brian Bloom
Giuseppe Palminteri Rick Pasqualone
Mike Bruski John Mariano
Maria Agnello Carol Ann Susi
Brian O'Neill Liam O'Brien
Harry Marsden Joe Sabatino
Sidney Pen / "The Fat Man" John Capodice
Marty Santorelli Jason Spisak
Frankie Potts Jason J. Lewis
Harvey "Beans" Epstein Jerry Sroka
Antonio "Tony Balls" Balsamo Phil Idrissi
Mickey Desmond Joe Barrett
Bruno Levine Michael H. Ingram
Zhe Yun Wong James Sie
Jimmy Unknown
Rocco Mark Mintz
John Donovan Lane Compton
Father James Ballard Gordon Greene
Cassandra Erica Tazel
Thomas Burke Barry O'Rourke
Sal Marcano Jay Acovone
Giorgi Marcano Mercer Boffey
"Uncle" Lou Marcano Brad Leland
Tommy Marcano Christopher Corey Smith
Olivia Marcano Erin Matthews
Nicki Burke Dana Blasingame
Danny Burke Jeff Schine
Sammy Robinson Leith M. Burke
Ellis Robinson Justice Nnanna
Jonathan Maguire Cully Fredricksen
Alma Diaz Danay Garcia
Emmanuel Lazare Lyriq Bent
Ritchie Doucet Matt Lowe
Roman "The Butcher" Barbieri Joey Diaz
Michael Grecco Marrick Smith
Frank Pagani Jack Conley
Enzo Conti Matt Gottlieb
Tony Derazio Gibson Frazier
Remy Duvall Nolan North
Nino Santangelo Jordi Caballero
U.S. Senator Richard Blake Gene Scandur
Baka Asante Jones
Jesse Jonathan Murphy
Jonathan Cormur
Judge Cornelius Holden Richard Epcar
Police Chief Earl Wilson Glenn Taranto
State Senator Walter Jacobs Cris D'Annunzio
Alvarez Alex Ruiz
Hollis Dupree Casey Sander
Joe Anthony Michael Jones
Alex Ribaldi Chris Tardio
Stephen Degarmo Matlock Zumsteg
Charles Laveau / "The Voice" Dave Fennoy
Roxy Laveau Kalilah Harris
Sheriff Slim Beaumont John Edward Lee
Mitch "M.J." Decosta Thomas Gorrebeeck
Ezekiel Dandridge Mahmoud Osman
Connor Aldridge Andy Davoli
Robert Marshall Cayleb Long
Phillipp Baltus
Chuckie Frank Diaz
Anna McGee Sofia Vassilieva
Bonnie Blue Janna Bossier
Oscar Unknown
Lily Robinson Unknown
Note: A gray cell indicates character does not appear in that medium.

Reception

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Sales and aggregate review scores
As of September 24, 2020.
Game Units sold Metacritic
Mafia 3 million (PC) 88/100[15]
(PS2) 65/100[16]
(XBOX) 66/100[17]
Mafia II 5 million (PC) 77/100[18]
(PS3) 75/100[19]
(X360) 74/100[20]
Mafia III 7 million (PC) 62/100[21]
(PS4) 68/100[22]
(XONE) 67/100[23]
Mafia: Definitive Edition (PC) 78/100[24]
(PS4) 76/100[25]
(XONE) 79/100[26]
Mafia II: Definitive Edition (PC) 72/100[27]
(PS4) 56/100[28]
(XONE) 66/100[29]

The first two games in the series have received generally positive reviews, while the third game received mixed reviews. The series have been praised for their narratives, with the first installment particularly praised for its realism in its gameplay. However, Mafia II was criticized for its linear open-world design, and Mafia III was criticized for its repetitive gameplay and technical issues.

Mafia: Trilogy, which collects Mafia: Definitive Edition, the 2020 remake of the first Mafia, as well as the Definitive Editions of Mafia II and Mafia III, generated lifetime sales of more than 2 million units by November 2020.[30]

Controversies

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Main article: Mafia II § Controversies

Mafia II has generated some controversy following its release. Sonia Alfano, a member of the European Parliament and president of Italy's association for the families of Mafia victims and whose father was murdered by the Mafia, called for the game to be banned.[31] Take-Two Interactive responded to the issue, stating that the game's depiction of the American Mafia was no different from organized crime films such as The Godfather. They also responded to allegations of racism from Unico National, who claimed that the game portrayed Italian Americans unfairly and "indoctrinating" youth into violent stereotypes.[32]

Mafia II also used to hold the record for most profanity used in a video game, particularly with regards to the word fuck, which appears more than 200 times, beating out previous record holder The House of the Dead: Overkill.[33] However, it was beaten in 2013 by Grand Theft Auto V, in which the word fuck is either spoken or read in excess of 1,000 times.[34]

References

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  1. ^ Winslow, Jeremy (May 19, 2020). "Mafia: Definitive Edition Remake's Release Date Confirmed For August". GameSpot. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  2. ^ Bailey, Kat (August 29, 2022). "'All-New Mafia Game' Confirmed to be in Development". IGN.
  3. ^ Fenlon, Wes (August 20, 2024). "'Mafia 4' officially revealed as Mafia: The Old Country, set in 1900s Sicily during the 'origins of the mafia'". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  4. ^ Lewis, Catherine (December 12, 2024). "Hours before Mafia: The Old Country's "full world premiere reveal," a trailer and summer 2025 release window appear to leak early via a YouTube ad". GamesRadar+. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  5. ^ Conditt, Jessica (December 13, 2024). "Mafia: The Old Country is a Sicilian prequel arriving summer 2025". Engadget. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  6. ^ Davenport, Corbin (October 7, 2016). "Mafia III: Rivals now available for Android, met with mixed reviews". Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  7. ^ Bonifacic, Igor (May 13, 2020). "Publisher 2K Games announced the Mafia: Trilogy". engadget. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  8. ^ Kasavin, Greg (January 27, 2004). "Mafia Review". GameSpot. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  9. ^ Mafia - Amazon.com
  10. ^ Smith, Edward. 10 Years On: Interview With Mafia Director Daniel Vavra, ibtimes.co.uk November 29, 2012. Retrieved on October 5, 2015.
  11. ^ Interview: 2K Czech discusses 'Mafia II'
  12. ^ Ivan, Tom (October 19, 2008). "First Mafia 2 details roll in". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  13. ^ "GC09: Mafia II interview". Gamereactor Deutschland. August 25, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  14. ^ "Mafia 3 Hands On". April 19, 2016.
  15. ^ "Mafia for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
  16. ^ "Mafia for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
  17. ^ "Mafia for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
  18. ^ "Mafia II for PC". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  19. ^ "Mafia II for PlayStation 3". Metacritic. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  20. ^ "Mafia II for Xbox 360". Metacritic. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  21. ^ "Mafia III for PC". Metacritic. Retrieved December 24, 2016.
  22. ^ "Mafia III for PS4". Metacritic. Retrieved December 24, 2016.
  23. ^ "Mafia III for XONE". Metacritic. Retrieved December 24, 2016.
  24. ^ "Mafia: Definitive Edition for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  25. ^ "Mafia: Definitive Edition for PS4". Metacritic. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  26. ^ "Mafia: Definitive Edition for XONE". Metacritic. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  27. ^ "Mafia II: Definitive Edition for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  28. ^ "Mafia II: Definitive Edition for PS4". Metacritic. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  29. ^ "Mafia II: Definitive Edition for XONE". Metacritic. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  30. ^ "NBA 2K21 drives Take-Two earnings". Games Industry. November 5, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  31. ^ "Mob violence victim calls for Mafia II ban News • News • Eurogamer.net". Eurogamer. December 17, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  32. ^ "Take-Two rubbishes Mafia II racism claims News • News • Eurogamer.net". Eurogamer. August 19, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  33. ^ "Guinness Gives Mafia II The F-Bomb Record". Kotaku.com. September 16, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  34. ^ "Every Swear Counted in GTA V's NSFW Supercut". Kotaku.com. April 22, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
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