Which, compared to the built from the ground-up remake we're getting for the original Mafia the result here is a crisper version of the 2010 original. But, Mafia II: Definitive Edition does pack the original game and DLC content together, and on PC at least it performs and runs better than ever.

A snippet.

There’s always been a bit of confusion about Mafia II, a mob-epic released at a time where the mere act of driving from one side of a digital city to another was viewed as a riff on Grand Theft Auto. Or, an open-world crime simulator where running over pedestrians was a sure-fire way to rack up some wanted status and cause the fuzz to dispatch a few boys in blue to chase you down. Naturally, they’ll bypass the whole arrest thing by giving you a lead-filled send off.

Empire Bay, the fictional city found in Mafia II, isn’t so much a sandbox in which you get to play in as it is a lavish bit of set-dressing to help set the mood. That mood, a mob epic in the style of Scorsese’s Goodfellas with a slice of Coppola’s The Godfather. Digital sets, vehicles, and NPC extras, all there to create the illusion of life as a mobster in the 1940s and 1950s. And as far as capturing the spirit of its inspirations, Mafia II does a commendable job. Thanks to the authentic fashion plus the look, feel, and sounds of the cars you get to drive - and the radio stations you get to listen to. A large part of the appeal with Mafia II comes down to simple aesthetic immersion.

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