A Legendary Game with a Different Character Playing "Mafia: Definitive Edition" feels like meeting your high-school sweetheart again after many years. You recognize the familiar features, remember shared moments, and then suddenly realize: she’s kind of the same, yet somehow not. Comparing the remake to the original "Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven" (2002) was the main reason I picked this game up in the first place. And I have to admit, it turned out to be a very interesting, nostalgic, and at times controversial journey. The story is essentially the same: taxi driver Thomas Angelo accidentally gets mixed up with the mafia, helps two gangsters escape a chase, gets tipped for it, and after a few (or more) missions is already driving Don Salieri himself around the city. Everything unfolds like a solid crime novel: dirty business, shootouts, betrayal, death, and, of course, friendship that’s supposed to be stronger than concrete under your shoes. The narrative foundations remain faithful to the original, but some story beats have been changed — and not always in a direction that made me want to applaud. This brings me to my main personal complaint: the new Tommy Angelo. In the original, he felt like an ordinary guy who got in over his head not out of greed or hunger for power, but because of a chain of coincidences. He seemed lost, anxious, constantly doubting himself. Here, he’s a much bolder character with a tougher outlook on life. Yes, he still has a conscience, but he adapts to the realities of the criminal world far more quickly, as if he’d been waiting for this twist of fate with a bottle of whiskey and a pack of cigarettes. For me, this Tommy feels — another. He doesn’t evoke the same sympathy, doesn’t feel like a “lost soul.” Instead, he comes across as a confident young wolf who quickly figured out how the city works and went off to make money. Even visually, the protagonist feels different: a different look, a different smile. That said, there are story changes I genuinely liked. Some dialogues are deeper, the motivations of certain characters are clearer, and the ending (no spoilers here, just in case) carries a slightly different, but still powerful, emotional tone. The scenes with Sam and Paulie were especially enjoyable — the chemistry between them and Tommy is conveyed well, with a different but still lively emphasis. Now for the visuals — applause is in order. The developers at "Hangar 13" did a tremendous job: the graphics are simply gorgeous. The city of Lost Heaven has come alive in detail. The streets I used to drive through in an old taxi back in the early 2000s now glow with a new level of realism: wet asphalt shines after the rain, and the buildings look like they were lovingly cut straight out of classic retro films, with a touch of historical authenticity. The architecture is the same — bridges, districts, streets, everything is right where you remember it. But now it’s genuinely beautiful. Just walking around the city in free roam is a pleasure in itself. Gunfights feel more dynamic. Taking cover and shooting is smooth and satisfying, without the stiff, wooden awkwardness of the original. Driving also feels much better. The cars have weight, but without the sense that you’re steering a grand piano on wheels, as it sometimes felt before. The legendary racing mission in the sports car is more enjoyable and predictable now, while still remaining tense — and, of course, far more cinematic. So what’s the verdict? "Mafia: Definitive Edition" is a very good game. It looks stunning, plays smoothly, and offers a chance to revisit a beloved story through a modern lens. Emotionally, however, it never quite reached the heights of the original for me. The drama isn’t as piercing, the atmosphere is shaped a little differently, and Thomas is no longer the same guy I followed in my youth all the way to that famous, unforgettable ending. But! What if they had taken this graphics engine, these mechanics, this direction — and simply retold the exact same story without changes? That would have been a true mafia fairy tale. As it stands, this is a beautiful, respectable, but slightly “different” version of a great game. And still — it’s worth playing. At the very least to hear old Salieri’s voice again, see familiar faces, live through an entire life, and once more sit behind the wheel in atmospheric Lost Heaven. 8 out of 10