Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven

The early 2000s saw the emergence of video games as an intelligible medium of storytelling and great series like Call of Duty, Final Fantasy, Grand Theft Auto were born which are still running as the biggest profit earners for the gaming industries. In that golden era, a critically acclaimed masterpiece transpired and took the players by storm. Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven is a 2002 action-adventure video game developed by Illusion Softworks and published by Gathering of Developers. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and Xbox and follows the rise and fall of Tommy Angelo a fictional gangster in the 1930s. What are the aspects that make this game fresh and unique to this day? Let’s find out.

The Story:

Tommy Angelo, a Taxi driver in 1930s gets unwittingly involved in an ambush helping two members of Salieri family- Paulie and Sam. After the successful escape, Don Ennio Salieri offers him to be a part of his mafia. Unlike, Grand Theft Auto where the player gets an immersive experience of power and control of a gangster, Mafia gives a more realistic and relatable approach where player witnesses the struggles and grief of being a gangster. The story never let the players feel good about themselves for being a criminal in its 20 mission narrative, it rather shows the abnormality a person can suffer by going down this path. Tommy is a flawed human and indirectly accepts the fact that he has the worst job in the world. This aspect of the story gives the game a very refreshing take on open-world gangster genre which we are not used to.

The Gameplay:

Players dive into the beautiful fictional city of Lost Heaven, which includes a countryside, an airport, a museum, church, a hotel, an abandoned prison, and restaurants. The dynamic weather changes and day/night cycles also give a realistic time-lapse experience. The game includes 51 classic American vehicles with excellent handling and real-time deformation, which was a rare factor in those times. The law and order in the city are strict as a player is booked for minor offenses like speeding, running a red light and car accidents and arrested or even eliminated for major offenses like a physical assault. The player gets a wide range of weapons ranging from a baseball bat to the classic tommy gun. The gun mechanics and shooting aspect of the game was a big milestone as the physics was grasped accurately. The game also features a free extreme ride mode which is unlocked after the completion of the main storyline where the police patrol doesn’t exist. The side missions include stealing cars and killing gangsters which adds more violence and thrill and supports the narrative.

Technical Aspects:

One of the most astounding achievements of the game was its soundtrack. Even after being completely authentic to 1930s America, it beautifully captures the fear, the sorrow, the highs and the lows of Tommy’s life and is considered as one of the most nostalgic original music composed in a video game. The facial textures and animation are way ahead of its time and the warm lighting given to the city establishes the subtlety and also gives a darker tone to the acts that are committed. The reflective properties of the objects are extremely persuasive for a game from 2002.

Final Thoughts:

Mafia-defined open-world games still make notes, and creators take this game as a guide. The flashback storytelling style of the game was a milestone in the video game industry. The game shines to this day with unique characteristic features that renders it best in the genre. Gamers who appreciate a storyline and a realistic approach to a game should definitely give it a try.