I have never played the original version of this game, but I have played Mafia 2.

I loved it. The story was great, the characters were really likable. Just the general aesthetic of the world was great. It's kinda odd having a linear story take place within an open world, as there's nothing to really do with that open world if you're not going for the objective.

This has really made me want to go back and replay Mafia 2.