Mafia: Definitive Edition - An old classic gets a new lease on life

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Sep 24, 2020 11:57 pm

OK, so I decided to start a new thread on this game (Steam link) so folks could get right to the good stuff on page six... wait, I'm still on page one? Well, impressions anyway. Now since I haven't played the original since it came out, I'm going to review the Definitive Edition for itself, not as it compares to the original.

First of all, the game looks great. At least it does at 1920x1200 on my rig ( i7 4770K, 16GB RAM, GTX 1060 6GB) with all graphics settings at high. Runs nicely at 60fps [except at times during traffic]. The opening cutscene with the voice acting credits is excellent. I love open world games and this has a nice feel to it, nothing that feels rehashed or outdated. The screenie below is from the cutscene.

I've put in an hour on the game, playing on Medium difficulty except I've set the driving model to simulation just to have some fun. For those who haven't played the original, the game structure consists of segments with each usually consisting of an opening cutscene that sets up the mission, then the mission itself, then a follow up cutscene. Of course there will probably be some variation in the format but that's the basic idea. So far, and as I noted I've done an hour only, the gameplay is fun. I'm using an old X360 controller and I'm not having any issues with using it.

I'll post some more either later tonight or tomorrow, but if you have questions please post them.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 12:03 am

How are the settings? Have they been properly updated? FOV, the ability to turn off motion blur, mouse acceleration, etc?

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 12:14 am

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 12:03 am How are the settings? Have they been properly updated? FOV, the ability to turn off motion blur, mouse acceleration, etc?

Let's see... FOV, check. Turn off motion blur, check. Mouse acceleration, check. I'll post screenies of the option menus.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 12:33 am

Thanks! Nice options, provided that aim assist can be turned completely off.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 12:44 am

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 12:33 am Thanks! Nice options, provided that aim assist can be turned completely off.

Yup, I saw that as I was making adjustments, I'm pretty sure that aim assist can be turned off.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 12:53 am

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 24, 2020 11:57 pm First of all, the game looks great. At least it does at 1920x1200 on my rig ( i7 4770K, 16GB RAM, GTX 1060 6GB) with all graphics settings at high.

I'm curious why you don't run a higher resolution with that rig?

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 1:02 am

Another mission completed. The game in this respect kind of reminds me of Red Dead Redemption 2 and its mission structure, except that you don't need to go to someone to get a mission. Each segment has started off with a cutscene that sets things up, then you drive to the mission while listening to your cohorts talk, then it's mission time. Finish the mission, go back home, then watch the debrief cutscene.

In the main menu there is an option called Free Ride, which allows you to just pick a car and a weapon and just drive around the city. If you break the law the police will pursue, which gives you practice at evading them. Pretty cool.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 1:10 am

Alefroth wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 12:53 am
jztemple2 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 24, 2020 11:57 pm First of all, the game looks great. At least it does at 1920x1200 on my rig ( i7 4770K, 16GB RAM, GTX 1060 6GB) with all graphics settings at high.
I'm curious why you don't run a higher resolution with that rig?

That's the max resolution of my monitor, which is a Gateway 24" LCD monitor from 2008. Also I'm old school, I don't care if it's not 4K or 144 Hz. I'll warn folks who might not be familiar with my previous posting history, when I say graphics are fine, I'm talking about fine as far as I'm concerned on my current rig, not to what might be considered some state of the art "fine".

By the way, there are motorcycles in the game

gameoverman · Post by **gameoverman** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 1:18 am

My issue with the original, and why I stopped playing it and never went back, is that you couldn't save anywhere. If you died right before completing the mission you had to play the entire mission over again. Is it still like that?

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 1:34 am

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 1:10 am
Alefroth wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 12:53 am
jztemple2 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 24, 2020 11:57 pm First of all, the game looks great. At least it does at 1920x1200 on my rig ( i7 4770K, 16GB RAM, GTX 1060 6GB) with all graphics settings at high.
I'm curious why you don't run a higher resolution with that rig?
That's the max resolution of my monitor, which is a Gateway 24" LCD monitor from 2008. Also I'm old school, I don't care if it's not 4K or 144 Hz. I'll warn folks who might not be familiar with my previous posting history, when I say graphics are fine, I'm talking about fine as far as I'm concerned on my current rig, not to what might be considered some state of the art "fine".

By the way, there are motorcycles in the game

Now I'm just confused since you've put together a supercomputer in the general computing forum and want to run Cyberpunk at bleeding edge. You aren't going to run that computer on your 2008 monitor, are you?

Actually, I doubt the outputs of the card will match the inputs of the monitor, so you should probably be prepared to get a new monitor too.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 10:17 am

gameoverman wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 1:18 am My issue with the original, and why I stopped playing it and never went back, is that you couldn't save anywhere. If you died right before completing the mission you had to play the entire mission over again. Is it still like that?

Checkpoint saves are still the rule, but you don't have to replay the entire mission. I just played through a mission with some pretty intense gun battles and had issues with my ability. to aim with the controller. Let's just say I got some experience with the checkpoint system and it wasn't bad at all. It never took me back more than a minute or two. I guess it is saving after each major encounter or set of encounters if they are strung close together.

I've been through a bunch of the missions that I remember (the motel, the race, walking sarah home) and things are beautiful so far. My only fear now is how fast I am running through it. It may all be over tomorrow!

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 10:19 am

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 1:02 am In the main menu there is an option called Free Ride, which allows you to just pick a car and a weapon and just drive around the city. If you break the law the police will pursue, which gives you practice at evading them. Pretty cool.

I really hope some elements of Free Ride Extreme are still there. I spent a good bit of time in there after beating the game, completing challenges and collecting hot rods.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 10:50 am

Alefroth wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 1:34 am Now I'm just confused since you've put together a supercomputer in the general computing forum and want to run Cyberpunk at bleeding edge. You aren't going to run that computer on your 2008 monitor, are you?

Actually, I doubt the outputs of the card will match the inputs of the monitor, so you should probably be prepared to get a new monitor too.

You kids today are spoiled. When I was YOUR age, I played on a monitor with 230 x 110 resolution....AND I LIKED IT! Sure, I had to imagine most of what I was doing in the game because I couldn't really see anything, but that was part of the fun back then! I always say this, but I believe it: once humans went past 640K, things when to shit!

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 11:22 am

Alefroth wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 1:34 am Now I'm just confused since you've put together a supercomputer in the general computing forum and want to run Cyberpunk at bleeding edge. You aren't going to run that computer on your 2008 monitor, are you?

Well, according to the latest specs put out by the Cyberpunk folks it should run fine on my current computer, although Tom's Hardware think that is bunk. So we will see. I was planning to get a new monitor for the new computer.

I'm getting a new computer so I can run games five years from now without issues, but until I come across my first "must have" game right now that won't run decently on my current rig I'm in no hurry to get it. I thought Cyberpunk would be that game, but maybe not. I'm pretty well convinced I should be getting myself an RTX 3080, but since those cards are new it might be worth delaying getting one for a while anyway in case there are hardware issues.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 2:03 pm

i'm still using a 4:3 monitor from 2005 - VGA input only, so i'm using a DVI->VGA adapter. still not sure why i'm doing this...

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 2:17 pm

If I may - I think the point Alefroth is trying to make is that you have this sweet, high octane gaming computer, but crippling your potential experience by a very weak link monitor (relative to the rest of the system of course)

The almost inevitable car analogy: it’s like buying a 2020 Ferrari, knowing that EVERYthing about the car is OEM, but you asked them to put in your 1997 Nissan Sentry engine. :p

Meh. That’s not great. 2nd try:

It’s like paying $35K to remodel your entire kitchen - latest/greatest new appliances, new lighting, new cabinets, paint, counters, sinks - everything top quality. But you chose to leave the marred, dingy and peeling linoleum floors as they are.

Edit: FWIW I am also using old, dual 24” monitors that run at 1920x1200, but don’t have nearly the other high end hardware you do. I guess if you forced me to choose ONE part I couldn’t upgrade on a gaming rig, it would be the monitor (within reason). You would still be able to see all the new graphical bells and whistles that a new video card can produce, it just wouldn’t be as smooth (assuming refresh rate is around 75hz or below on old monitor)

JCC · Post by **JCC** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 2:26 pm

I am still gaming at 1080p. No real hurry to change that. My 5 year old gaming PC with a GeForce 970 is still doing fine.

I am tempted by Mafia. I played 2 and 3 but never did play the original. $40 is a bit too rich for me right now since I have tons of unplayed stuff. I'd like to replay Mafia 2 for that matter, but I am also balking at $30. LOL.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 2:27 pm

$60 gets you all three.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 3:04 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 2:17 pm Edit: FWIW I am also using old, dual 24” monitors that run at 1920x1200, but don’t have nearly the other high end hardware you do.

Now I'm confused. Is an i7 4770K and a GTX 1060 6GB considered high end? The processor is from early 2014. Also I'm still wondering why a nice 1920x1200 monitor running at 60 Hz is considered, as you put it, "marred, dingy and peeling linoleum floors". Looks fine as far as my gaming is concerned, I've been playing Ghost Recon Breakpoint and I've never felt like I was at any kind of disadvantage. I've seen someone playing on a 144 Hz setup and while it looked pretty, I didn't see anything that would make me think it was better for playing a game... it was just, maybe, a bit prettier.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 3:30 pm

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 3:04 pm
Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 2:17 pm Edit: FWIW I am also using old, dual 24” monitors that run at 1920x1200, but don’t have nearly the other high end hardware you do.
Now I'm confused. Is an i7 4770K and a GTX 1060 6GB considered high end?

Both pieces are better than what I have and I consider mine lower mid-range. I can still play at 1440p on 2 or 3 year old games.

gameoverman · Post by **gameoverman** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 4:01 pm

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 3:04 pm
Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 2:17 pm Edit: FWIW I am also using old, dual 24” monitors that run at 1920x1200, but don’t have nearly the other high end hardware you do.
Now I'm confused. Is an i7 4770K and a GTX 1060 6GB considered high end?

Not high end, but in most cases it's 'enough'.

I've been looking at a lot of reviews and benchmarks because I'm considering building a new computer. What I've found is that an i7 like that can run pretty much any game released to this point. In addition, if you're running the game at 1440p or below(or the equivalent with dual monitors) then your framerate will be GPU limited, not CPU limited. What I mean is an i7 4xxx/1060 combo will do almost the same as a new 6 core 12 thread CPU/1060 combo. This is for 60fps gaming.

Side factors to consider are if the new game makes use of fast DDR4 ram. Some games do. With a DDR3 based system you'll take a substantial performance hit in a game like that no matter what CPU or GPU you have. If you upgrade to something like an RTX 2070 or more, that older CPU will then start to look bad in gaming. But who would pair a new, expensive GPU with an old, cheap CPU? Another consideration is that new games are using more and more vram. So a 6gb 1060 might get you great 1080p performance but you might not be able to enable higher settings if you want to achieve that performance.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 4:06 pm

Back to the game! I just completed the "race" mission:

I won it on first try, but I'm playing on Easy

. I rolled the car twice, managed to lose the lead three time but still was ahead by a comfy margin at the end.

I'm playing with Regular, as opposed to Simulation car handing, but the driving can still be tricky. The physics model feels good, throttle-off induced oversteer is spot on and just like a 1932 racer, the brakes aren't worth squat. Good times

There are so many nice touches to the game, like this truck with what I assume are betting odds.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 4:14 pm

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 4:06 pm I won it on first try, but I'm playing on Easy . I rolled the car twice, managed to lose the lead three time but still was ahead by a comfy margin at the end.

I'm playing on normal/medium and had to restart it once. I kind of went straight through the chicane after the downhill and ended up flying through the air into the barrier on the left side and apparently there is damage because it slowed my car way the hell down.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 4:23 pm

coopasonic wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 4:14 pm
jztemple2 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 4:06 pm I won it on first try, but I'm playing on Easy . I rolled the car twice, managed to lose the lead three time but still was ahead by a comfy margin at the end.
I'm playing on normal/medium and had to restart it once. I kind of went straight through the chicane after the downhill and ended up flying through the air into the barrier on the left side and apparently there is damage because it slowed my car way the hell down.

I did the same thing!

There's something about that chicane that seduces you into thinking that the little bump there won't be a problem. It was

. I also found out that there is a "flip" button for when you are on your side or upside down.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 5:00 pm

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 3:04 pm I've seen someone playing on a 144 Hz setup and while it looked pretty, I didn't see anything that would make me think it was better for playing a game... it was just, maybe, a bit prettier.

It isn't about prettier. 144Hz isn't really better looking than 60Hz. It is, however, smoother. Much, much smoother. Enough so that getting used to a 144Hz G-Sync monitor then playing something on a regular one feels distinctly inferior. It's like comparing Gollum to Harryhausen (minus the nostalgia.)

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 5:10 pm

I despise games and devs that dont allow save anywhere. Ill play them if Im really interested in them but I dont like it one bit.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 5:27 pm

Wow, those graphics look great! Especially considering the size of the pic you posted, where you can see the detail up close. Would love to see that screen grab beside the original version to see the difference.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 5:42 pm

Completed the brothel mission. Just remember, if you think you are having a bad day, it's probably not as bad as this guy's.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 5:48 pm

For some reason on Steam I only have Mafia 2 and 3 DE versions. I dont seem to have this one. Maybe I only own it in box format. Not sure why I dont have it.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 6:27 pm

FWIW, from what I've seen of it, the intro cutscene, they've done an amazing job recreating it as it's nearly the same exact thing aside from improved graphics. And that's only just the beginning. I have to think that if they did as good a job like that with the entire game, it should be amazing.

How's the simulation driving model?

Btw the motorcycles are entirely new for the game. They weren't in the original game, so it makes me wonder if they've put some new missions in that are motorcycle related.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 6:40 pm

Green Man Gaming has it for $33.59 right now on sale.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 6:52 pm

Rumpy wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 6:27 pm How's the simulation driving model?

I tried it, it doesn't seem to be that much more difficult than the regular mode. Regular mode trying is pretty challenging at speed.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 10:20 pm

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 5:42 pm Completed the brothel mission. Just remember, if you think you are having a bad day, it's probably not as bad as this guy's.

What's Ronald doing there? Man, bad day for sure.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri Sep 25, 2020 11:43 pm

Ba da ba ba ba! I'm lovin' it!

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Sat Sep 26, 2020 12:01 am

Driving at night, look at the neon. I'm wondering if I can change the Free Ride time of day?

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Sat Sep 26, 2020 12:35 am

In Free Ride mode there is a, well I guess you'd call it a mystery mission, Letter From A Friend. There is a clue... (in spoiler tags in case you haven't come across it yet and want to solve it yourself; within the tags are info on finding the clue, plus an image and a question I have about the mystery. If you don't recognize the phrase "Letter From A Friend" then you probably haven't found the clue)

Spoiler:

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Sat Sep 26, 2020 12:37 am

I saw this post over on the Steam forum, it might be useful for some folks: For those on high refresh rate monitors (60Hz bug fix)

I posted this in another thread so thought it may help others. This is a tip from Joker Productions on YouTube, it can also be used in Mafia 3 as Mafia 1 DE is using the same engine.

Seems there is a bug with the engine when running the game in full screen on monitors greater than 60Hz (144, 240 and higher)

locate your mafia executable (not the launcher executable), right-click it and go to properties, compatibility and and check the "Disable fullscreen optimisations" box, then click apply. That should fix this. It happens in Mafia 3 as well, so should work for this game.

Your executable file should be in (your drive) steamlibrary\steamapps\common\Mafia definitive edition

Hope it helps.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Sat Sep 26, 2020 10:14 am

Posting that I have finished the game on the first page of the thread feel wrong, but here we are. Just a bit under 8 hours per steam. I did use "skip drive" quite a bit after the first couple missions. The game was MUCH easier than the original. The missions all felt familiar, though it has been a long time, so I don't think any new missions were added. Some were shorter, some were longer, one had a motorcycle sequence added.

Overall I am pleased, though I wish it would have lasted a bit longer. I will play around in Free Ride a bit just to see what's there and if there's a reason to mess with it.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Sat Sep 26, 2020 11:01 am

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 12:35 am In Free Ride mode there is a, well I guess you'd call it a mystery mission, Letter From A Friend. There is a clue... (in spoiler tags in case you haven't come across it yet and want to solve it yourself; within the tags are info on finding the clue, plus an image and a question I have about the mystery. If you don't recognize the phrase "Letter From A Friend" then you probably haven't found the clue)
Spoiler:
The clue is on the pool table in Salieri's bar. The note looks like this:
Spoiler:
My problem is that I can't figure out the location to where the note wants to send me. I thought I knew where it meant, but I didn't have any luck. Anyone who knows the location the note talks about, well, that would be appreciated.

Spoiler:

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Sat Sep 26, 2020 3:05 pm

coopasonic wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 10:14 am The game was MUCH easier than the original. The missions all felt familiar, though it has been a long time, so I don't think any new missions were added. Some were shorter, some were longer, one had a motorcycle sequence added.

I'm guessing it's the cover system that made things so much easier. But wow, 8 hours? Ouch. I could have sworn I heard that they had expanded on pretty much everything including new missions.