The Mafia series is set to return soon on modern platforms with a rerelease of all three games in one package as the Mafia Trilogy. 2K and development studio Hangar 13 are set to reveal more about the new release next week, but a new trailer seems to point at the original 2002 game getting remade from the ground up.
Initially released for the PS2, the original Xbox and PC, the first Mafia followed humble taxi driver Tommy Angelo as he gets caught up in a mob war during the Depression. Players stick with Tommy every step of the way as he becomes an infamous hitman and getaway driver for Don Salieri's crew.
The original game was hailed for having a more grounded, down-to-earth take on its organized crime plot and open world gameplay than contemporaries like Grand Theft Auto when it released for the PC. Reception to the console ports was less enthusiastic, but the game sold well enough for 2K to turn it into a franchise.
Mafia's success also paved the way for more gangster fiction in gaming during the 2000s, with movie franchises like The Godfather and Scarface getting their own adaptations. Rockstar and Team Bondi even drew some inspiration from the series with L.A. Noire, which had a similar dark tone and technical ambition for its time.
The three Mafia games each came out a whole console generation apart from each other, so having the entire trilogy in one place is a boon for longtime fans or more recent ones hoping to play the series together. Mafia 3 sold well, but was generally considered a weaker offering than the first two titles. We can only hope four years of bug fixes and optimization can bring it in line with the experience of the earlier entries.
The Mafia Trilogy rerelease was rumored to be in development at Hangar 13 last year, and the studio was also responsible for helping Gearbox Software add 4K resolution support to Borderlands: The Handsome Collection. 2K hasn't confirmed a fourth Mafia game, but even with the long gaps between releases, the series has remained a successful one for the publisher. Fans looking for something to satisfy their inner mobster will want to keep an eye on this one. The collection has been rumored to release on August 28, but 2K hasn't confirmed a date yet.
Mafia Trilogy is in development for PC, PS4, Stadia and Xbox One.
Source: VG247