Mafia

The Mafia series began in 2002 with the release of the original game developed by Illusion Softworks and published by Gathering of Developers. The franchise has since grown to include four mainline installments, a remake of the first game, a remastered version of the second, and two mobile spin-offs. Since the third game, development has been led by Hangar 13 under the banner of 2K Games.

Each entry is set in a fictional city modeled after real American or Italian locales during a specific historical period. The original game took place in Lost Heaven, a city inspired by Chicago during the Great Depression. Mafia II moved to the 1950s in Empire Bay, while Mafia III jumped to 1968 New Bordeaux, a stand-in for New Orleans. The most recent release, Mafia: The Old Country, shifts the setting to 1900s Sicily. Gameplay typically combines story-driven missions with an open world, though the series has always prioritized a linear narrative structure over the free-form exploration found in games like Grand Theft Auto. A Free Ride mode is included in most titles, letting players roam the map and trigger optional missions.

The series has sold over 34 million copies worldwide. The original Mafia was critically acclaimed, with GameSpot scoring the PC version 9.3 out of 10 and calling it one of the best games of the year. Mafia: The Old Country received a Metascore of 73 on PC, with praise for its characters and setting but criticism for its dated mechanics. The New York Times included it among the top 10 video games of 2025. [edit]

The Mafia series combines third-person shooting, driving, and stealth in an open-world environment. Players complete missions to advance a linear story, but can also engage in side activities like racing or collecting hidden items. A notable feature in the original game is a major and minor offense system that penalizes players for committing crimes outside of missions, reinforcing the game's emphasis on realism. The Free Ride mode, present in most entries, allows unrestricted exploration and triggers side missions from the world. Mafia: The Old Country introduces an in-game currency for purchasing weapons, outfits, cars, and horses, and includes an explore mode for free-roaming that the developers have pledged to improve post-launch. [edit]

The series follows different protagonists who become entangled with organized crime. In the first game, Tommy Angelo starts as a taxi driver in 1930s Lost Heaven and is pulled into the Salieri crime family, eventually rising through its ranks before testifying against them. Mafia II follows Vito Scaletta, a World War II veteran returning to Empire Bay who gets involved with the Falcone family. Mafia III centers on Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam War veteran who seeks revenge against the Italian mob after they murder his surrogate family. Mafia: The Old Country is a prequel set in 1900s Sicily, following Enzo, a child laborer in a sulfur mine who escapes and becomes a member of the Torrisi crime family. The game is directed by Alex Cox and written by Cox and Matthew Aitken. [edit]