High on LS3D…
Mafia has got to be one of the most beautiful games ever. From the lowliest fire hydrant to the huge blimp that lies dormant in Lost Heavens airfield, every single detail has been added to make every single polygon radiate style. When night time rolls around and the street lamps and headlights switch on then you really see what the LS3D engine can do. I’ve never been as impressed by a game’s graphics as I was by Mafia’s. I mentioned before that the game requires a hefty PC to run properly, but you can see why all that power is required. Shadows look utterly stunning, whilst the beams from car headlights work wonderfully.
"Hey Mickey, let’s take a look at this beauty uh?"
The cars in Mafia are excellent. Based on authentic motors of the 1930’s they are perhaps the games shining quality. Unlike the clunky boxes of the OTHER game, these cars react realistically to damage. Shooting a car door continuously will cause the door to drop off its hinges. Shooting the windscreen causes it to smash, allowing you to shoot the driver and any unfortunate passenger that happens to be sitting next to them. Hit a gas tank and get ready to watch some fireworks. My personal favourite is to shoot the tires of another mobsters car, sending them spiralling out of control. Interestingly enough, should you manage to wrap your car around the nearest street lamp; you yourself will be injured, making the driving of the car a game of ability as well as nonsensical speed.
Even the public transport of Lost Heaven is beautiful, when you catch a train, you don’t simply watch it move to its destinations, you are in the train, you can shoot the passengers, shoot the windows, shoot people from the windows. It truly is a wonder to behold, and hats go off to the developers on the shear detail of the game.
Draw!
Unlike its greatest influence, Mafia’s draw distance goes on for ever, and there’s none of this “three different segments that need to load” nonsense. All of Lost Heaven can be traversed immediately, and although there are three definite areas the transition between them is seamless, requiring no loading of any kind. Similarly. The game seems to have shrugged off the Alzheimer’s that plagued Rockstar’s effort, unsurprising considering that Mafia was designed for PC rather than console.
Bugs
Occasionally the game freezes, usually while a car chase is occurring. I have the feeling that this is a specific compatibility issue rather than a general problem with the game code though.
Mods/Patches/Upgrades
At the time of writing there are none available, but as soon as people start complaining I’m sure they’ll be some at Take 2 Games homepage.
