hen I started playing this game, I thought, "Okay, this is kind of like GTA III." Then I started getting into it, and I thought, "Holy crap! This is a lot like GTA III. Awesome!" There's no shame in taking a proven gameplay formula and changing it a little bit to fit a scheme of your own. In Mafia's case, this idea has been virtually perfected. I've rarely seen this level of detail and precision breathed into a game. From the living city in which you reside, to the incredibly realistic vehicles, this title has the heart and soul of a blockbuster.

Set in a vibrant 1930s world, Mafia takes you back to a time where prohibition rules, and the cars top out at about 60 mph. The story unfolds like the gangland classic Donnie Brasco, as your character, Tommy Angelo, begins spilling his guts to an Irish cop in a local diner. During this retelling, you're transported back to the highlights of Tommy's career in crime. As most of us have fantasized about living out a life involving tuxedos, hidden pistols, backrooms, and a dinner table where "business" is never discussed, Mafia is an excellent alternative to the genuine article, where becoming some large cellmate's wet-nurse is a very real possibility.

In keeping with the GTA III vibe, this title will have you driving from one end of a huge city to the other to perform various duties, but everything looks and feels much more real. The cars take accurate damage (cops will shoot out your tires if you get in a chase), and look incredible while doing it. The character models also excel in the visual department with some of the most amazingly detailed faces I've ever seen. Unfortunately, the clothes and hands attached to these people are blocky and drab, but I doubt you'll mind that much. While you progress through missions and gain Don Salieri's trust, you’ll adventure through the entire city of Lost Heaven. The nine boroughs pulse with life, and you'll soon find that you're just one person in a huge city. During one mission, I was running through the back alleys of Little Italy, and while I sprinted under laundry lines dipping from the weight of the clothes hanging from them, people lounging on their fire escapes watched me as I ran for my life. There's always something new to see or try in Mafia – the mark of any excellent game.

Another mark of a title that stands above the rest is the writing. Whoever decided to spend some cash on a good script for Mafia should be canonized; I was completely engrossed by the plot and the cutscenes. I never once had one of those sphincter-clenching "Oh, c'mon" moments like I did yesterday as I watched Orange County. This game does suffer from some control difficulties while in and out of vehicles, but I'm guessing that you'll be too enthralled with the experience to care. Do yourself a favor and pick this game up before it sells out – because it most definitely will.  

MATT HELGESON   9.25 Mafia doesn't just take a page from the Grand Theft Auto III playbook – it takes the whole damn thing! It's a clone, yes, but in this case that is not a bad thing. In fact, Mafia does improve on the PC version of GTA in a number of ways. It looks better; the evironment is even larger and more detailed than Liberty City; and the out-of-the-car action is more compelling. The story, told through a series of flashbacks, is excellent, and gives the game a feel closer to The Road to Perdition than the campy, satirical GTA III. However, I do have a few reservations about the game. One is the fact that it unfolds in an essentially linear fashion, which means that you don't really have any free time to explore the city. Secondly, cars from the 1930s are slow and crappy. I know this is historically accurate, but knowing that doesn't make 45 mph car chases any more fun. These minor gripes aside, Mafia is the closest any game has come to capturing the GTA mojo.