The Mafia has been released as a free game on Steam for those who missed the classic, celebrating its 20th anniversary on PC.
For the uninitiated, Mafia is an open-world third-person shooter with a compelling storyline that will draw you in.
Thanks to this and the impressively woven atmosphere the game uses, it still looks good today. So it’s great to see the title join the ranks of Steam’s best free games.
The Mafia is free from now until September 5 (opens in a new tab), and as you may remember, there’s something else to remember: The Mafia has benefited from a recent remake (in 2020). This final edition isn’t free as you can imagine, but it’s heavily discounted on Steam, with 65% price cut until September 8 (opens in a new tab).
This celebration not only marks the 20th birthday of the original mafia, but also promotes the recent announcement that a new game is being developed in the franchise.
Analysis: The graphics don’t make the game (but you can always improve it)
If you’re planning on hopping into a Mafia game right now, one thing you need to keep in mind is easing your expectations with the graphics. Of course, this is a game from two decades ago, so it’s no surprise that it looks dated – though the rest of the experience and atmosphere makes up for it easily. Especially if you’re the type of player who can rely more on your imagination and not get harassed by the looks (and potential glitches here and there) of the older game.
There are options to improve graphics, mind as there are social modpacks to improve graphics (such are of course the joys of playing on PC). Alternatively, you can buy and play the remake, Mafia: Definitive Edition, which has a full update in terms of all graphical bells and whistles.
It’s important to note that, looking at criticism, not everyone is happy that the Definitive Edition doesn’t stick to the original in terms of narrative tweaks, in particular the more contemporary framework around things like dialogue. That said, we felt the reboot was a good effort.
By VGC (opens in a new tab)