Mafia: Definitive Edition

Mafia: Definitive Edition retells the first part of the Mafia saga as a completely newly developed action adventure. The new edition of the 2002 game comes from Hangar 13 and remains a self-contained single-player story rather than an open online world. The setting is the fictional US city of Lost Heaven during Prohibition in the 1930s.

The story follows taxi driver Tommy Angelo from a chance encounter with two gangsters into the middle of a power struggle between rival families. Car rides, chases, shootouts and staged missions form the gameplay parts of this crime story.

The 2020 remake was released internationally on September 25, 2020 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The PC store Steam lists September 24 regionally, while 2K dates the worldwide launch to September 25.

Since August 14, 2026, standalone versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S have also existed. This is a native generation change and not merely the older console version running in backward compatibility mode. The later versions were technically improved, not released as a new campaign.

The remake is natively available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. On PC, official digital stores include Steam and Epic Games, among others. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series have had their own downloadable version since August 2026.

The split mainly matters for older purchases: 2K offers a free digital PS5 version for eligible PS4 owners and a matching Xbox Series version for eligible digital Xbox One buyers. PS4 disc upgrades require a PS5 model with a disc drive and the original disc still inserted. Monthly versions claimed via PS Plus are excluded from the free upgrade.

The campaign combines conversations and cutscenes with playable missions, in which Tommy has to tail people, drive vehicles or fight enemies. The missions follow a set story. Lost Heaven can be driven through, but the plot is far more guided than in a typical open-world sandbox game.

Hangar 13 reworked the controls and flow of the action without reducing the story to a pure shooter series. Driving, cover-based gunfights and the preparation for individual jobs alternate and set the rhythm of the chapters.

2K lists, among other things, bonus outfits and vehicles as additional content for Mafia: Definitive Edition, for example the Black Cats Motorcycle Pack for linked 2K accounts. Such extras change the look or the vehicle fleet, but do not replace a separate story expansion.

Mafia: Trilogy is a collection of several standalone games. It should therefore not be confused with a single add-on mission for Mafia: Definitive Edition.

Steam lists as minimum requirements Windows 10 64-bit, an Intel Core i5-2550K or AMD FX-8120, 6 GB RAM, a GTX 660 or Radeon HD 7870, and 50 GB free storage. DirectX 11 is required.

Recommended are, among others, a Core i7-3770 or FX-8350, 16 GB RAM and a GTX 1080 or Radeon RX 5700. These figures refer to the Windows version and not to the technical requirements of the console ports.

Tommy initially earns a living as a taxi driver. After he unwillingly gets caught up in a criminal dispute, he gets closer to Don Salieri's organization. The prospect of security and money keeps pulling him deeper into the conflict with the Morello family.

The new edition retells the classic's basic framework with a reworked script, additional scenes and more fleshed-out characters. The focus is a guided gangster story, not taking over neighborhoods on your own or building your own criminal empire.

The streets of Lost Heaven are driven with period cars and motorcycles. Vehicles serve as transport in many missions and are also involved in escapes, chases and driving tests. Speed, braking distances and getting through city traffic therefore often shape how a mission plays out.

If you prefer a closer approximation of the original driving experience, you can use the matching driving and difficulty options. The city is not just scenery for cutscenes, but a recurring part of the mission design.

Shootouts rely on dodging behind cover, precise aiming and the use of period-appropriate weapons. Enemy setups and the environment demand different decisions than the calm driving sections. The reworked combat system is one of the noticeable differences from the original from 2002.

The gunfights remain embedded in a narrated campaign. Mafia: Definitive Edition offers neither a competitive multiplayer mode nor a lasting online loot system.

Besides the story, there is the Free Ride mode. It lets you explore the city without the tight flow of the currently active story mission, try out vehicles and discover side activities on your own.

The mode does not replace a second large role-playing campaign. Its value lies in experiencing the streets, vehicles and atmosphere of the rebuilt city away from the linear mission flow. 2K has also added further discoveries to this area since release.

The remake offers several difficulty options for players who mainly want to experience the story or seek the more demanding gangster simulation. The classic challenge is closer to the demanding driving and combat pace of the original game.

The driving assist or the more simulation-style vehicle handling also affects how much precision chases demand. The choice does not change the fact that the story follows the same central characters and stations.

Hangar 13 did not just equip Mafia: Definitive Edition with higher-resolution textures. The city, characters and cutscenes were rebuilt. In addition, there is a reworked script, extra dialogue and scenes, and newly recorded orchestral music.

The core remains the story of the first Mafia game. This also sets this remake apart from Mafia II: Definitive Edition, which 2K explicitly describes as a visually reworked remaster within the Trilogy.

According to 2K, the standalone console versions from August 2026 support up to 60 frames per second and shorter loading times. It is the same story and the same basic game content as in 2020, not a narrative sequel.

An important limit of the generation change: according to official information, save games and achievements already created cannot be transferred from PS4 to PS5 or from Xbox One to Xbox Series. Anyone who continues on the new version therefore starts with separate progress.