Few phenomena in history have inspired quite the same romanticism of violence, dramatic stories of betrayal, and revelations of government conspiracies than that of the Italian-AmericanMafia. Dating back to the early 1920s and exerting their influence right up to the present day, “the mob” have had their fingers in just about every pie that’s ever crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Europe.
From the notorious Five Families to figures like Capone and Siegel, the mafia haslong been an inspiration for novelists, filmmakers, and now game developers, too.
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If you are interested in exploring mobster life, especially those operating in the United States, here’s a list of great movies to watch.
Spanning many genres from action-heavy, open-world adventures to more laid-back management sims, the following games all encapsulate the key themes within the mafia genre, largely centering around notorious crime families and their illicit activities.
8The Godfather: The Don’s Edition
A Solid Adaptation of a Crime Classic
The Godfather: Blackhand Edition
While it’s rare to find many good video game adaptations of Academy Award-winning blockbusters, and The Godfather: The Don’s Edition is no exception, it is still a respectable title in its own right and provides an immersive open-world experience set within Mario Puzo’sGodfatheruniverse.
As a GTA clone, the game does fall short in some respects—with a bland and relatively empty game world. However, the story and cutscenes are of a very high quality and really give the game the cinematic feel that its title demands.
Playing as Aldo Trapani, you will work your way up through the ranks of the Corleone crime family before eventually becoming The Don of New York itself. The game does a good job ofweaving in events from the films and book, without directly ripping from their stories excessively.
7Scarface: The World Is Yours
Hello, Little Friend
Scarface: The World Is Yours
When it comes to video game remakes of classic gangster films, it’s hard to think of many better than Scarface: The World Is Yours. Developed by The Simpsons: Hit & Run creators, Radical Entertainment, Scarface: The World Is Yours isa GTA-style open world gameinspired by the 1983 crime thriller.
As Tony Montana, you’ll re-enact many key plot points from the legendary gangster movie, as well as many new additions which help build on Tony’s overall character and story.
While it might not be the best mafia or gangster game by any means, it will certainly delight any fans of the classic Scarface movie. It is also noticeably higher in quality than many comparatively similar titles like The Godfather video games.
6Empire of Sin
Turn-Based Tactical Chaos
Empire of Sin
Empire of Sinis an XCOM-style strategy game set in prohibition-era Chicago. It’s a nice twist on the turn-based formula, adding in more RPG elements and business activities, all the while draped in an art-deco aesthetic which perfectly befits the game’s themes.
After choosing from a selection of different mob bosses with varying traits and talents, players will then have to establish and take over illicit businesses,train hired guns and other skilled workers, all the while fending off rival mafias as they attempt to disrupt your plans. There is also a fair amount of production management as you establish chains between breweries and speakeasies or brothels and casinos.
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Though the game suffered from a notably buggy launch, many issues have since been fixed. Nonetheless, Empire of Sin is a game that is better in its concept than execution, but for hardcore fans of the Mob genre, it is certainly worth checking out.
5City of Gangsters
A Deep Criminal Management Sim
City of Gangsters
Set at the dawn of the prohibition era, City of Gangsters is a highly immersive management game and RPG-lite in which players must establish production chains and gain the trust of the local community. Whether it’s digging up dirt on corrupt officials to blackmail them orextorting small business owners for protection money, there is a huge variety of criminal activity to engage in.
The main challenge of the game is balancing your reputation and influence within the community. On the one hand, you must be respected and feared enough to demand favors, but on the other, you don’t want to be sold out or betrayed by a disgruntled business owner.
While the gameplay can feel repetitive after a while, there is a lot to learn when it comes to City of Gangsters and its various production chains. Overall, it is an interesting spin on the mafia genre and one which works well if you’re a fan of strategy and management sims.
4Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
An Iconic Open World Classic
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice Citywas an instant classic of the PS2 era and remains one of the most beloved titles in the franchise for good reason. Protagonist Tommy Vercetti is the definition of a gangster, running all manner of operations, from drug dealing and car thieving to real estate manipulation and gang warfare.
The 1980s setting is certainly one of the more memorable in the series, with Vice City’s neon lights, synthwave music, and Scarface aesthetic all contributing to the game’s incredible atmosphere.
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While it might not be the conventional prohibition-era mafia story, it most certainly features its share of interesting characters and activities, all taking place within a grotty criminal underworld.
Unlike most GTA games, Vice City follows a bit more of an open structure with a variety of missions available at any given time. While there is an interesting story to progress through, there is more of an emphasis on building a criminal empire through the game’s side activities and businesses than in the other GTA titles.
3Grand Theft Auto 4
Arguably The Best Story In The GTA Franchise
Grand Theft Auto 4
The term “gritty” might be something of a cliché these days when it comes to action-heavy games, but there is really no better word to describeGrand Theft Auto 4than that. As Slavic immigrant Niko Bellic, you will not only encounter the smaller Jamaican and Puerto Rican gangs of Liberty City, but also the Irish, Russian, and Italian mafias.
Starting out as a taxi driver and drug dealer, Niko will eventually work his way up tobecoming a paid assassin for some of Liberty City’s top mob bosses, as well as corrupt police officers and more. The Episodes of Liberty City DLC also enables players to experience the stories of biker Johnny Klebitz and nightclub bouncer Luis Lopez, whose stories all intertwine at several key junctures.
Overall, not many games offer the same amount of freedom, mission variety, and depth of story as GTA 4, let alone the extensive side activities that are also available. The game still holds up remarkably well today despite being almost two decades old, and, in my opinion, it is thebest game in the Grand Theft Auto series.
2Mafia 2: Definitive Edition
Mafia 2: Definitive Edition
If you’re looking for mafia-themed games, then it doesn’t really get much better than the Mafia series itself.Mafia 2reallypushed the boundaries of immersion and atmosphericswhen it was first released in 2010, providing an authentic 1940s open world experience with intense combat and driving to go with it.
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Although the story is reasonably self-contained, it picks up following the events of the first Mafia game and continues to follow Vito as he rises through the ranks of the Falcone crime family. The game offers slightly more freedom than the first game and a bit more to do in terms of side activities, but it is still largely narrative-focused.
While some familiarity with the series and its characters will certainly help going into Mafia 2, it can even be played before the original since both stories are good enough to stand on their own, but inevitably, some events from the first game will be referenced here.
1Mafia: Definitive Edition
An Expertly Remastered Classic
Mafia: Definitive Edition
The original Mafia game might be somewhat dated nowadays, but theDefinitive Editionbrings it up to date masterfully and is arguablyone of the best remasters around. In addition to refining visuals and gameplay features, entire cutscenes have even been reworked to give them more of a cinematic feel - though the story and its content remain unchanged from the original.
As the young Italian Vito Scaletta, you’ll work your way up from being a simple cab driver to one of the mob’s top “made men.” This involves carrying out robberies, racketeering operations, and even outright assassinations.
If you want to becomeimmersed in the world of 1940s mafia culture, it’s hard to think of a better game than Mafia: Definitive Edition. While its sequel is also a worthy successor, things take a detour in the third installment of the series, which is instead set in 1960s New Orleans.
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The original Mafia is also free on Steam for a limited time next month
