The recent release of the definitive and remastered versions of Mafia II and Mafia III along with the upcoming remake of the first Mafia title due in August 2020, means that now is a good a time as any to get into the series. Even though the games are set in an open-world environment, their main focus is telling a strong story with shocking twists and a powerful narrative.
In addition to being crime sims, The Mafia series is also period dramas set during the 1930s, the 1940s-50s, and the late 1960s. For veterans of the series looking to dive into another series with a similar setting or characters while they wait for the Mafia remake let’s take a look at other games that fans they may love in the meantime.
Updated December 28th, 2020 by Michael Llewellyn: The remake of Mafia: The Definitive Edition released to much critical acclaim. It received a beautiful visual makeover that not only exceeded expectations but looked like a genuine glimpse into the future but runs beautifully on all hardware. More importantly, Mafia’s strength in storytelling and characters transported its players into a different time and a different place. There still aren’t that many games that offer a similar experience when it comes to the setting but players still have some more options when it comes to quality mobster stories.
15 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
First released in 2002 for the PlayStation 2, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is still one of the series most popular titles. The 1980s setting, the fully voiced characters, and music made for one of the most iconic open-world games of all time.
In terms of story and atmosphere Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is about as mobster as it gets for fans of the Mafia series. It stars Goodfellas lead actor Ray Liotta as the game’s protagonist Tommy Vercetti and took inspiration from films and TV shows like The Godfather, Scarface, and Miami Vice.
14 The Getaway
Released on the PlayStation 2 in 2002, The Getaway was a Grand Theft Auto clone that took inspiration from British gangster movies like Get Carter, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch.
Unlike the Grand Theft Auto series it’s modeled after, however, The Getaway takes place in modern-day London. As a result, the setting feels more authentic than the usual modern-day New York and Los Angeles setting. Furthermore, players will also have to deal with rivals gangs like the Yardies, the Bethan Green Mob, the 14K Triads, and others.
13 Max Payne 3
Released in 2012 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC systems, Max Payne 3 is a third-person action shooter that once again puts players in the shoes of the iconic and titular Max Payne. Unlike the Mafia series, Max Payne is a completely linear shooter that focuses on character development and keeping the momentum of the story going.
However, it is very story-driven and many fans have argued that the Mafia games should lose the open-world setting and employ a more direct and focused approach to the story.
12 Blood & Truth
Released in 2019, Blood & Truth is a first-person shooter created exclusively for the PlayStation VR. It’s an on-rails cinematic shooter so its gameplay mechanics couldn’t be any more different than the Mafia series.
However, the story is about London mobsters in the vein of a Guy Ritchie movie or the TV series Gangs of London which would appeal to fans of the story-driven games with narratives that have similar twists and betrayals that are seen in the Mafia series. The “Cockney Geezer” stereotypes and dialogue can get a bit tiring after a while but Blood & Truth’s action is the closest players will get to starring in their own action/gangster movie.
11 Sleeping Dogs
First released on last-gen consoles in 2012, Sleeping Dogs was eventually released as Sleeping Dogs: The Definitive Edition on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2014 with improvements to its graphics, framerates, and lighting.
The game puts players in the shoes of an undercover Chinese-American cop Wei Shen that’s infiltrated the Triads in Hong Kong. Unfortunately for Shen, many of his childhood friends are in the Triads and he has a hard time separating his job from his emotions.
10 Omerta: City Of Gangsters
Released in 2013 for the PC and the Xbox 360 Omerta: City of Gangsters is a tactical strategy game set in Atlantic City during the 1920s Prohibition era. Players have to step into the shoes of a mobster with the goal of becoming the most powerful crime boss in the city while controlling speakeasies and fighting off rival mobsters.
The gameplay in Omerta is split between its XCOM-like turn-based combat and running businesses throughout the city. It may not have the same kind of narrative as a Mafia title but Omerta will allow players to become a “made man” in control of their own empire.
9 The Hitman Series
The Hitman series first launched in 2000 and put players in the shoes of the titular Hitman who is also known as Agent 47. While the series is more of a sadistic James Bond/Mission Impossible stealth game than it is a mob game, Agent 47 will still find himself up against the Sicilian mob, Yakuza, and Eastern European gangsters more than once throughout the series.
Additionally, fans of the Mafia series that enjoyed the open-world nature of the series will find some of the best self-contained sandbox missions with their own stories to tell ever designed in a videogame.
8 Grand Theft Auto V
When it comes to setting benchmarks for open-world action games the Grand Theft Auto series has always been at the top of the heap. Grand Theft Auto V was groundbreaking at the time of its release and still has one of the best single-player campaigns in the series.
While it’s not a period piece like the Mafia series the character stories from the point of view of three very different protagonists Michael, Trevor, and Franklin. The game’s world of Los Santos is vaster than anything in the Mafia series and is complemented by tons of side missions to participate in.
7 Red Dead Redemption 2
Released in 2018 and created by Rockstar the same studio behind the Grand Theft Auto series, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an open-world action-adventure game set in the American Wild West. Despite its very different setting to the Mafia series, players of Red Dead Redemption 2 will still find themselves operating on the wrong side of the law.
In addition, gamers that love diving into a gaming world set in a different time period won’t go wrong with RDR2. It was one of the most beautifully crafted and dynamic gaming worlds ever created and is loaded with content.
6 Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
Released in 2015 for the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate is an action-adventure game set in London during the Victorian era and at the tail end of the Industrial Revolution.
While the game maintains all the staples of what makes the Assassin’s Creed series to popular with its fans, there is a large emphasis on gang warfare and taking over territories from Templar controlled gangs. In addition, to fighting rival gangs in the streets, players will also work toward sabotaging their businesses and weakening their grip on London.
5 Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Released in 2020, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the seventh entry in the long-running Japanese crime saga. Like a Dragon is the beginning of a new story arc with a brand new protagonist so new players can comfortably jump right into the series.
The game also employs a turn-based combat system that is reminiscent of old JRPG classics from the 80s and 90s. Like a Dragon is capable of delivering an emotionally charged storyline with humorous side quests in a way that feels perfectly balanced.
4 Empire Of Sin
Released in 2020, Empire of Sin is a turn-based strategy that plays like the XCOM series and Omerta mentioned above. While it plays very similarly to Omerta it’s a far more polished experience that looks and plays more like a AAA game. Players will be responsible for running casinos, speakeasies, and brothels.
Empire of Sin was developed by the husband and wife team of John and Brenda Romero who are best known for their work on Doom and Wizardry respectively. The game is set during the Prohibition era in Chicago and players will be interacting with mobsters that are inspired by the infamous gangsters that ruled the streets during this time period.
3 L.A. Noire
First released in 2011 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and the PC L.A. Noire was remastered and released again in 2017 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch. This time, however, gamers are on the right side of the law as the play as a detective in Los Angeles.
Just like Mafia 2, L.A. Noire takes place just after the war and the time period will definitely appeal to fans of 2K’s mob series. The game’s world has been beautifully recreated and the developers have put a ton of work into making the 1940s L.A. as authentic-looking as possible.
2 Cyberpunk 2077
Released in late 2020 for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and the PC, Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world science-fiction RPG with a setting that lives up to its namesake. While it’s true that the game has been criticized for its controversial launch there’s still a solid game that’s worth persevering with.
Players are placed in the shoes of a custom-made character called V, as they have to deal with several dangerous gangs, corrupt police, and government officials. In many ways, Cyberpunk feels like a futuristic mobster game as it’s best moments are in dealing with Night City’s criminal underworld.
1 The Yakuza Series (The Kiryu Saga)
The Yakuza series began on the PlayStation 2 in 2005 with a seventh title due to be released in the west sometime in 2020. The entire series has been remastered or remade and is available on the PlayStation 4. However, the best place to start is the prequel Yakuza 0 for what is arguably the greatest crime saga series in gaming.
The Yakuza games are action RPGs that take place in stunningly recreated versions of Tokyo’s Kabukicho district. Each title is a self-contained story that focuses on its lead protagonist Kiryu a former member of a Japanese crime syndicate that keeps getting pulled back into Tokyo’s seedy underbelly no matter how hard he tries to leave it behind.
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