With Grand Theft Auto being one of the most popular video games of all time, it was no surprise to see other developers try and get a piece of the pie. This is where the Mafia series was born. 2K Games originally introduced the franchise with the sole purpose of rivalling Grand Theft Auto, but with a proper 1930s gangster approach. While it never achieved the same global recognition that the GTA series did, it still left a mark on the gaming world. Arguably, the game’s story was richer and more relatable than that of GTA, and the best way to experience it is to play all Mafia games in order.
Like Grand Theft Auto in many ways, Mafia had an extensive wait between games. The original Mafia and Mafia 2 were released eight years apart. And as mentioned above, they were competing with Rockstar Games and Grand Theft Auto, a juggernaut studio and game that, sadly, Mafia was always going to be compared to. First, we’ll provide a breakdown the games’ releases:
*Re-released on new consoles in 2020 as part of the Definitive Edition
**To be released in August 2025
Here is a breakdown of all Mafia games in chronological order so you can experience the story to its fullest.
Image Credits: 2K
The game that kicked off the original Mafia story was released in 2002. Initially, Mafia could only be played on Windows but the PS2 and Xbox would eventually receive it as well. At the time, the game was certainly benefiting from a more modern look, or as modern as you can get in 2002, with Grand Theft Auto III still in the more cartoon-centric tone.
Mafia benefited from ties to one of the most popular movies of all time, The Godfather. The inspiration was scattered throughout the game, with players finally able to act out their wishes of being one of the main people in the Mafia.
Image Credits: 2K
Eight years after the release of the first game, Mafia 2 hit stores in 2010 on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. So that’s an 8-year wait between two mainline Mafia games which left many fans yearning for the next chapter. However, with how advanced the graphics were becoming, the game had to be delayed. 2K were simply caught in a tough place between two major console generations (PS2 vs PS3 and Xbox vs Xbox 360) but they (thankfully) decided to prolong the development period and bring it to modern consoles at the time.
And to be fair, the game was stunning for a PlayStation 3 game, the movement was cleaner, the map was expanded, though it received criticism for limited sandbox material. Still, the story was great, albeit with a few plot holes, and the driving physics were improved to such an extent that it almost felt like a real driving simulator, rather than a semi-open world sandbox action game.
Image Source: 2K
In a similar time frame to Mafia 2, fans had to wait six years before they could get their hands on a brand-new Mafia game. With the original story starting to wind down, players got to enjoy a new set of faces, along with a couple of familiar characters in the third instalment of the game.
This story is all about revenge, and who doesn’t love a good revenge story? You are playing through the eyes of Lincoln Clay, who is tasked with hunting down the family that killed his family. Similarly to Mafia 2, fans were left wanting more in terms of exploration. With Grand Theft Auto having the blueprint already there, it was a surprise to see such a limited map to explore, despite the stunning representation of New Orleans looking as gorgeous as it was.
Image Credits: 2K
Although the previous titles did well for the time period they were released in, the developers felt they could do better. And this is where Mafia: Definitive Edition came in! It still follows the same stories as the old games, but this time, there are more scenes, a modern engine, and a map that has been built from the ground up, offering the players a much better experience than before.
The disappointing exploration and lack of true sandbox free-roam were one of the biggest gripes that fans had with each of the first 3 Mafia games. And while Lost Haven and Empire Bay got a shiny new coat, the exploration aspect of the Definitive Editions was largely unchanged. Though missions weren’t timed as often as in the originals, so at least there’s that.
Image Credits: Hangar 13
If you enjoy the Mafia games, you’ll be happy to know that Mafia: The Old Country is releasing soon! You can also check out some trailers and in-game footage while you wait, that is, if you don’t want to go in completely blind (as you should as a hardcore fan). For more information, this game is a direct prequel to Mafia 1, setting up the main story. It will take place in Italy where life began for most of our beloved characters (and some new ones).
It will be interesting to see how the community reacts to this game, given that it’s more focused on narrative-driven scenes as opposed to the open world experience Mafia players have been craving for a long time.
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