Gear yourselves up for a ride through our pick of the best mafia games which have all the gritty wise guy charm that you crave from such titles. Most of these games have been inspired by the rough yet sophisticated underworld happenings that were prevalent in mid-nineteenth century America. Films like The Godfather and Goodfellas serve as worthy inspirations to them. Some gangster games are even set in recent times, and cover their canvasses with settings as modern as the 80s and the 90s.
But what’s important is how beautifully these games capture the entire nexus of organized crime and all the aspects surrounding it. Playing mafia games is a treat, for they offer you an immersion into their crime-filled underground universes while forcing you to make good choices even as you play as the bad guys. Let’s take a peek at eight such titles (in no particular order) that do not fail at the task of keeping us busy.
1. Scarface: The World Is Yours
Tony Montana’s story may have ended with this death in the famous film from 1983, but this game diverts from the story a bit by portraying that he actually survived the final attack on him. And that’s where its narrative begins. Tony must now embark on the dangerous mission of rebuilding his fallen empire.
Scarface: The World Is Yours embraces the open–world model, and thus, there’s a plethora of things to do other than the story. One of the most exciting aspects of this game is its Rage mode which lets you fight with a first-person perspective for a limited period with unlimited ammo and without taking any damage.
2. The Godfather: The Game
This list of mafia games would be incomplete without the inclusion of The Godfather: The Game. If the fantastic recreation of 1930s New York isn’t enough to grab your eyes, this game even kicks in sandbox elements that keep you busy with tasks such as carrying out business extortions, controlling warehouses, undertaking contract hits and fighting mob wars.
It has you take control of Aldo Trapani, who’s working for the Corleone family in a story which lets you interact with most of the popular characters from the original film. What’s more is that some of them even have the actual actors lending their voices to their in-game personas.
3. Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven
With the third title in the Mafia series brewing up in 2K Czech’s laboratory, this might be a nice time to catch up on the story by playing the first game. This title came out in 2002 for the PC and made its way to the PS2 and the Xbox in 2004.
Its realistic depiction of the mob business during the 1930s doesn’t take much time to engage you in its spectacular story. It contains a large sprawling open world environment and has thrilling and adventurous missions spread across it.
4. GTA: Vice City
Rockstar Games’ 2002 offering came with a bang, and gave gamers one of the best mafia games of this generation. Heavily influenced by Brian De Palma’s Scarface, this game tells the story of a mafia hitman known as Tommy Vercetti, who eventually goes on to snatch power from the hands of other criminal organizations in Vice City to establish his own crime empire.
And who’d want to miss the trademark GTA gameplay which makes sure that there’s always something to do within the game.
5. Gangsters 2
Although this one’s quite an old game, we’ve decided to include it in our roster anyway, owing to its incredibly charming strategy gameplay. It came out in 2001 exclusively for PC and managed to grab quite a bit of popularity among gamers. It uses a simple point and click interface, and lets you assume control of the business factors involved in running a mob. Everything from setting up illegal businesses to claiming others’ businesses to kidnapping to murder can be included in its objectives.
6. The Godfather II
Number six on our list serves up an excellent blend of strategy and third-person action gameplay. Released for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC in 2009, The Godfather II relies upon the second film in the Godfather trilogy for its backstory. You play as Dominic who’s ordered by Michael Corleone to assume responsibility of the family following the death of Don Aldo Trapani (the protagonist from the first game).
Times have changed, and players must now face international families instead of homegrown ones. They must embark upon a quest to become the most powerful Don in America and Cuba by taking control of various businesses and crime rings in the two countries.
7. GTA: San Andreas
Quite a few games manage to leave such a lasting impact on your minds as GTA: San Andreas does. This game convincingly explores a number of different themes throughout its entire duration. Its story revolves around Carl Johnson who’s trying to avenge the killing of his mother.
Set during the 1990s, its narrative spans across three fictional cities, that are all based on real life towns, and involves all kinds of criminal activities that transpire in their underbellies.
8. Mafia II
The most recently released among all these games, this intriguing title crafted by 2K Czech is a grand saga in itself in spite of its average length. Its open world gameplay is something that’s quite impossible not to fall in love with for those who fancy such titles.
With spectacular voice-acting and old school music, the game easily captures the spirit of the 1940s. Its story revolves around Vito and his childhood buddy Joe, who decide to enter the world of organized crime in order to make it big in the business.
Conclusion:
Those were all the additions to our compilation of the best mafia games around currently. If you’re a fan of such titles make sure to check out all of the above to treat yourselves with the ultimate gangster experience. And don’t forget to get back to us with your feedback. Keep yourselves hooked to this space for more such lists.