Many gangster games lean into the romanticized or over-the-top nature of the criminal underworld. Mafia: Definitive Edition takes a different path, telling the much more grounded story of Tommy Angelo. His journey through the NYC stand-in of Lost Heaven as a member of the fictional Salieri crime family is compelling, emotional, and filled with interesting characters. As I progressed through the game, I found myself increasingly more invested in Tommy and the people around him. Without this investment, I don’t think I would have finished the game as the combat is mediocre and really served as filler for me between the story beats. There are a few memorable missions (a high speed chase in a race car sticks out), but many are just cover-based shootouts that grow tiresome quickly. With no sort of character progression (or any progression really outside of the story), there is no hook pulling you forward aside from seeing what happens to Tommy. That being said, if you find yourself interested in what happens to this made man, then you’ll find Mafia: Definitive Edition a fun romp through the 1930s Italian mafia.

Likes
- I am a huge fan of Nioh and this is basically Nioh combat, but with the added twist of a mechanic called Soul Burst which allows you to finish off enemies to damage others and gain MP
- Soul Burst is incredibly satisfying to use
- Lots of gear which means you’re constantly upgrading with new equipment
- A multitude of save spots, ensuring even when you die, you don't have to start again too far back
- Instead of letting the villains wax poetic with their monologues, the main character interrupts them
- Great use of the haptics on the DualSense 5 that enhances the experience tremendously
- While story isn't great, the ending is fun and very climactic with an interesting twist
- I love the use of Sinatra’s My Way as the theme song

Dislikes
- Job system gets boring quick and lacks depth
- Once you find a job you like (or one of the best ones), there is no real incentive to go back and switch to another job
- At least for your first play through, there doesn’t seem to be much of a point to upgrading specific items since you are just getting new equipment constantly
- Confusing areas, easy to get turned around
- Story is borderline nonsensical, dialogue is very cheesy to the point of almost comedic
- Some enemy encounters are frustrating due to attacks that stun or cause loss of control

It's taken me eight months to complete this game and while there were times I set it down, I have over 100 hours of playtime and I don't regret a minute of it. From the interesting story to the engrossing social aspect of building your team, this game was everything I wanted from an X-Com-like.

The few complaints I have is that the story does drag a little towards the end and the combat never really opens up in a way that is really rewarding. That being said though, I thought it was a phenomenal game and even though the likelihood of a sequel is low due to the game's underperforming sales, if there is one, I will be there on Day 1!

As a fan of the Saints Row games, I really wanted to like this one, but it felt so incredibly half-baked. They set up four mildly interesting characters in a city that seems ripe for criminal hijinks, but then the blink and you'll miss it story is over. Sure, you could go back to the open world and keep playing, but I feel like with the main story over so quickly, your motivation for doing so is largely diminished.

I might try and build up the Saints empire some more, but without a story based reason to do so, I am not sure if I ever will.

I think with more time this game could have been a lot better and it is a shame such a storied studio as Volition went out with such a whimper.

When I read that this was one of the best Final Fantasy games, I was extremely skeptical. As a fan of the series, I couldn't see how an MMO version of a traditionally single player RPG could match the previous iterations. Now that I have finished the base campaign for Final Fantasy XIV, I can confidently say that this is one of the best Final Fantasy games. Don't let the MMO nature of the game discourage you either. I was able to complete the main story almost exclusively playing alone, as the game will provide you with NPC party members for the times when you need to complete an instanced dungeon.

I can't wait to continue the story and see what else this outstanding game has to offer!