Mafia from worst to best: ranking the series we’re waiting for The Old Country

The Mafia series has a huge fan base worldwide. Launched on PC in 2002 with its iconic prequel, the franchise is now owned by 2K and has spawned sequels and remakes that have tried to make it increasingly popular among the masses.

2K Games and Hangar13 announced the new Mafia The Old Country at Gamescom, a prequel set in Sicily in the early 1900s. While we wait to find out more, here’s how the Mafia series is ranked from worst to best. What’s the best Mafia game? Let’s find out!

4 – Mafia III

Set in the 1960s, Mafia III puts us in the shoes of Vietnam veteran Lincoln Clay, who returns to his hometown of New Bordeaux to rebuild his life, only to find himself embroiled in organized crime in the city. Compared to its predecessors, the third chapter focuses even more on the open world, but it fails to fully convince due to punishing gameplay and structural flaws. The averages on Metacritic speak for themselves: 68 on PS4 and 67 on Xbox One, dropping to 62 with the PC version.

3 – Mafia II

Mafia II, long awaited by fans of the original classic, became a reality in 2010 and proved to be a quality product thanks to an engaging story starring Vito Scaletta and a fairly varied mission structure. The general feeling that the second episode conveys, however, is that it has not really succeeded in developing the concept of the original game, and thus not in matching the same charm. Good metascores, however: 74 on Xbox 360, 75 on PS3 and 77 on PC.

2 – Mafia Definitive Edition

The remake of the original Mafia proves to be a product that honors the original work, reviving the adventures of Thomas “Tommy” Angelo and his rise to the top of the mafia in top form. The more pronounced cinematic cut does justice to the plot, despite some minor changes that may not be to the taste of fans, while the gameplay setting, modeled on the style of the most recent installments, manages to modernize the 2002 title enough to make it still enjoyable today. On Metacritic, the PC and Xbox One versions therefore reach a respectable 79, while the PS4 “only” settles for 76. Don’t miss our review of Mafia Definitive Edition to discover every secret of the 2K production.

1 – Mafia

At the time of its original release, the first Mafia was a small, big event. With an engaging story featuring well-characterized characters and dialogue, the work developed by the now defunct Illusion Softworks won the favor of critics and audiences, who were also impressed by the quality of the missions and the stimulating level of challenge at the core of the game. Also notable is the general realism of the game world, vivid and believable like few other games in circulation at the time. Even today, the original Mafia remains the highest-rated entry in the series, with a remarkable 88 on Metacritic for the PC version. However, subsequent ports for PS2 and Xbox were less fortunate, with averages on Sony and Microsoft consoles sitting at a mere 65 and 66 respectively, thanks to a less-than-brilliant conversion job.

Playstation 5 Console Standard Slim Edition is one of the best-selling consoles at the moment.