#5: Car Handling (And Ramming)
Cars are still sluggish, as befitting of the 1930s setting, but their handling has been greatly improved in the remake. Cars actually drive pretty smooth, even if it takes some time to reach top-speed. In addition to smoother handling, you’ll also get a ram button to smash cars out of your way.
For fans of the original, you’ll be happy to know that cops will still pull you over if you drive over the speed limit, and there’s still a speed limiter button. You can get ticketed if you’re caught, so better to drive carefully.
Cars also explode when shot enough. I’d riot if cars didn’t still explode.
#6: The Cast & Music
Here’s the most controversial change in the game. The cast has been completely replaced with different actors and it gives an entirely different feel to the game. The actor playing main character Tommy Angelo (Michael Sorvino in the original, Andrew Bongiorno in the remake) has a totally different feel. He seems gruffer in the remake, with more of that expected Vito from Mafia 2 energy.
The saddest change is the music. The original score of the game is incredibly memorable — and it’s all been replaced with orchestrated music that’s good, but doesn’t have the same impact. The themes have been changed, so it isn’t even an adaptation of the original score. Why? How?!
#7: Place Names On The Map
The locations on the map have been revised to fit Lost Heaven into a loose approximation of Chicago, instead of the fantasy New York it started as in the original game. Hoboken is now Holbrook — and the map has been revised to show the entire countryside location north of the city. It’s a small but important change.
Everything in the game has been slightly un-New York-isized. The voice actors now have accents closer to Chicago. More obvious references and rip-offs — like Paulie’s character — have been slightly smoothed over, so they’re not quite so on-the-nose. Personally, this is a change I can approve of.
#8: Tons Of Collectibles
Befitting a modern game, there are collectibles to find this time around. They’re hidden in each chapter / mission area — mostly, you’ll find magazines. There are also cigarette cards with photos of character from the entire series. It’s a small but welcome change. Something to do while hunting for those precious achievements / trophies.
#9: A Whole Lot Of Easter Eggs
Yes, there are new Easter eggs hidden in the city. Not just the returning characters on cigarette cards like Frank Vinci or Leo Gallante from Mafia 2 — you’ll also find subtle references to Empire Bay and even New Bordeux from Mafia 3. There are more, we’ve just got to track them all down.
#10: And The Ending [SPOILERS]
There’s a major ending spoiler — and if you’re fans of the series, you should already see this coming. If you haven’t beaten the game, I recommend you stop scrolling now and turn away. In fact, I’ll throw up a nice picture of Mafia as a buffer.
Okay. Let’s talk about the ending. After escaping the Salieri family, Tommy Angelo meets a federal agent and becomes a state witness. Many, many years later we return to Tommy Angelo, an old man, as he’s greeted by a pair of men on his lawn. Before executing Tommy, one of the two says “Mr. Salieri sends his regards.” — then BLAM with a sawed-off shotgun. It’s a sad ending that gets tweaked in the sequel.
In Mafia 2, the ending scene is remixed with a new twist. We learn that the main characters Vito and Joe were the killers — sent to take out the man that betrayed the family once he was discovered.
And the ending is remixed a third time in Mafia: Definitive Edition. This time, the scene plays out with Vito and Joe instead of the faceless goons present in the original ending. The game lifts the audio from Mafia 2, making this the canonical ending. Even Vito and Joe get a current-gen facelift! For fans, this is what we were all hoping to see and Hangar 13 delivered.
Phew. That’s everything we’ve noticed in Mafia: Definitive Edition. There’s probably a lot more — including a mystery hidden in the Free Ride mode. We’ll have to investigate deeper into this crime-ridden conspiracy and report back soon.
