Grab the complete Mafia series in this can’t-refuse offer

2K finally announced what Hangar 13 has been working on during Gamescom Opening Night Live, and unsurprisingly it’s a prequel to the Mafia games we previously reported on in 2022. After years of turmoil, Mafia: The Old Country is finally here, and it’ll take us back to the origins of the mafia in 1900s Sicily when it releases next year. That should give you all just enough time to play the existing Mafia trilogy, which just so happens to be remarkably cheap right now.

On Steam and Xbox, you can currently purchase the complete Mafia Trilogy, a compilation that collects the definitive editions of the first three titles, for $15. That includes a remake of the first game, a remaster of the second (with all DLC included), and Mafia 3 and all its DLC. I guess you could say 2K Games is making you an offer you can’t refuse. You can also get each of the games individually on Steam. Mafia: Definitive Edition

costs $8 on Steam and Xbox, but is also available via Game Pass for both systems and in the PS Plus catalog. Notoriously a bit of a slow burn, I remember the original game being incredibly moody, and a more direct parallel to its cinematic influences than other games around it at the time. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting from an open-world crime game, though my experience at the time was pretty limited to Grand Theft Auto, and I think I’d actually quite like it and its atmosphere today. If you want to stick to that classic feel, the original version of Mafia is now also available on Steam for around $5.

Mafia 2 came out about a decade later in 2010, and while it was criticized for its linearity – although I suppose that means it doesn’t suffer from open-world bloat – it’s still probably my favorite. I remember being impressed by the production values, a staple carried over from the original game, and the attention to detail. While other open-world games certainly upped the fidelity and size of their worlds, Mafia has always been a series more interested in the small details, which always led to interesting wrinkles and systems that flew under the radar despite the obvious success and longevity of the franchise.

In Mafia 2, one of those systems was the ability to interact with certain objects in two ways: neutrally or in a more violent way. It was a subtle system that may not have meant much to many people at the time, but in terms of roleplaying tools that help build immersive worlds and characters, it was absolutely amazing.

Mafia 2 was also just a tried and tested mafia story, full of the kind of pathetic characters and tragic twists you’d expect from your favorite mafia movie. Yes, I am a Mafia 2 apologist, and you can be one too if you take it up as part of the Mafia trilogy or on Steam, where it’s currently available for $7.49.

Mafia 3is the most recent version, released in 2016. This version and its accompanying DLC ​​have now been combined into a definitive edition that you can purchase on Steam for $7.49. I’ll admit I haven’t played this game, but it’s at the top of my to-do list because of the main character, Lincoln Clay. He’s a black Vietnam War veteran who returns from overseas only to find himself in a life of crime in the Deep South, where he still feels the effects of racism and segregation as he rises through the ranks. Games that deal candidly with topics like institutional racism in America aren’t exactly a dime a dozen, and while Mafia 3 sounds like it might struggle to overcome some technical hurdles, I’m happy to hear it.

Overall, the Mafia series is one of the more interesting open-world crime franchises, straying from the do-it-all madness of its closest competitors with more somber, linear storytelling and some unique systems. Everywhere the developers at the helm of the series could (and perhaps should) have zigged, they have zigged. I think that makes the series bolder and more unique than the dozen other GTA clones that have come and gone. And after all of this, the Mafia series is still going strong, and even has a fresh new game on the horizon, so these games clearly stand the test of time.