Mafia
is set in the 1930s, between the fall of 1930 through to the end of
1938, during the later part of Prohibition, which ended in 1933. The
game is set in the fictional American city of 'Lost Heaven' (loosely
based on New York City and Chicago of the same time period).
The
player takes the role of taxi driver Thomas (Tommy) Angelo, who, while
trying to make a living on the streets of Lost Heaven, unexpectedly and
unwillingly becomes involved in organized crime as a driver for the
Salieri crime family, led by Don Salieri.
Through the events of
the game's story, Tommy begins to rise through the ranks of the Salieri
'family', which is currently battling the competing Morello family, led
by the sharply-dressed Don Morello. Eventually becoming disillusioned
by his life of crime and violence, Tommy arranges to meet a detective
(Detective Norman) in order to tell him his story, to be given
witness-protection, and to aid the detective in the destruction of the
Salieri crime family. The 'Intermezzo' chapters of the game depict
Tommy sitting in a cafe with the detective, relating his life story and
giving out important pieces of information at the same time.
Most
of Mafia's 20 large missions are split into sections. You'll usually
watch one of the game's long but well-done in-engine cutscenes, get
assigned a few weapons, choose a car, and then drive through the city
to a given destination. At this point, a separate level--generally a
third-person action sequence--is loaded. After you complete the level,
you'll usually drive home. Some missions mix the structure up a little,
and some offer an optional bonus task on the drive home. The most
serious complaint that can be made about Mafia is that the city isn't
as tightly integrated into the missions as it is in Grand Theft Auto
III. Often, driving across the city is more of a mood-enhancing
interactive cutscene than a gameplay element that poses an actual
challenge. This is fine in the beginning, but by the time you've
reached the halfway point, you may find yourself wishing that you could
simply fast-forward through these parts. You're often free to deviate
from the quickest path to your destination and go exploring, but unlike
in Grand Theft Auto III, there's little reason to do so. There are no
bonuses to find, and, while you can run people around in a taxi for
money, this option is available only in a mode that's completely
detached from the single-player campaign and must be accessed
separately from the main menu.
Mafia's realistic car physics and
police behavior both add to the occasional tedium of the
straightforward driving segments. For the most part, the game's 60 or
so 1930s-era vehicles aren't rocket cars. They don't often go very
fast, they don't always start the first time you turn the key, and they
have some serious problems climbing steep hills. You won't be making
300-foot barrel-roll jumps in any of them. Furthermore, the Lost Heaven
PD will see to it that you don't even drive as fast as the cars will
go. They'll pull you over for driving over 40 and running red lights,
among other things. Even if you're in a really cool-looking old-time
car, a simulation of driving the speed limit isn't exactly a recipe for
thrills.
