here are two kinds of games: those that stand the test of time, and those that don’t. I’m sad to report that Mafia is most definitely in the latter category. I was eager to play this PS2 port, as I remembered having quite enjoyed the PC version two years ago.

On one level, this is a very solid port. It certainly does a good job of translating the PC visuals to the PS2, especially in the cutscenes, which are rendered here is startling fidelity – an extremely impressive technical accomplishment.

So, while the plot and Depression-era ambience still held me rapt, the gameplay itself was, quite frankly, pretty dull at times. Most of this is due to the dreary driving sequences. Although they have raised the maximum speed limit to 60, tooling around on "pizza delivery" missions in an old jalopy just isn’t that fun. There’s still some good gunplay to be had, but games can’t get by on the free-roaming city environment concept anymore. It’s not enough to just create a living, breathing virtual world – you’ve got to give me something interesting to do in it. While I can still appreciate this game for its strengths, its flaws have become much more noticeable than they were when it launched on PC.  

ADAM BIESSENER   7 For all of the skill evident in the authentic ambience and faithfully recreated 1930s cars and firearms, Mafia fails to deliver in the all-important gameplay department. A headache-inducing bouncy driving camera, bad on-foot controls, and some of the worst load times I’ve ever seen make this is a title only mob enthusiasts should consider.