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Games => General Gaming => Topic started by: MysterD on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, 04:12:08 PM

Title: MAFIA Trilogy (Remasters & Remake) announced by 2K
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, 04:12:08 PM
More Remasters & Remakes coming.
This time, Mafia trilogy is getting the Remaster & Remake treatment.

Mafia Trilogy announced by 2K:
https://www.gamesradar.com/mafia-trilogy-announce-trailer/

Mafia Trilogy - Teaser Trailer:


Mafia 2 & 3 are HD remasters....
...but Mafia 1 is actually getting the full-blown Remake treatment here...as Mafia: Definitive Edition!

Yes, Mafia: Definitive (which is what Mafia 1 Remake is being called) is going to be like RE2 Remake - with brand new assets, expanded story & a running on a brand new engine entirely.

Link on the news from Push Square:
http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2020/05/mafia_definitive_edition_is_a_full_remake_with_expanded_story_not_just_a_remaster
Title: Re: MAFIA Trilogy (Remasters & Remake) announced by 2K
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, 04:12:22 PM
Mafia: Definitive Edition - TRAILER:


Mafia II: Definitive Edition - RELEASE TRAILER:


Mafia III - Definitive Edition - OFFICIAL RELEASE TRAILER:
Title: Re: MAFIA Trilogy (Remasters & Remake) announced by 2K
Post by: MysterD on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, 03:28:56 PM
Details on Mafia Trilogy:
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-05-19-2k-formally-unveils-mafia-1-remake-details-mafia-trilogy-bundle

Info:
- Mafia: Definitive is a full blown remake of the original Mafia game.
- Mafia: Definitive is on a new engine, has new features & has new gameplay sequences.
- Mafia: Definitive also has additional cut-scenes & an updated script.
- Mafia: Definitive will be released on August 28th.
- Mafia II: Definitive has 4K support.
- Mafia II: Definitive contains M2 base-game, all of the content DLC's, and all of the Packs.
- Mafia III: Definitive compiles Mafia III base-game, all of its content DLC's, and all of the Packs.
- Mafia II: Definitive Edition and Mafia III: Definitive Edition are out now!
- Mafia II (old edition) has been renamed to Mafia II (Classic) on Steam.
- Mafia II: Definitive is a new entry unto itself on Steam.
- If you do buy Mafia II: Definitive, you also will get Mafia II (Classic) on Steam for free.
- Owners of Mafia II on Steam get the new Mafia II: Definitive Edition for free.
- Owners of Mafia III on Steam, X1, and PS4 get upgraded to Mafia III: Definitive Edition for free.

- You may buy all of these in the Mafia: Trilogy pack or buy all of the games separately.
Title: Re: MAFIA Trilogy (Remasters & Remake) announced by 2K
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, May 31, 2020, 08:36:51 AM
D3T 3D and 2K are planning to fix the M2: Definitive Ed:
Push Square - http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2020/05/mafia_ii_definitive_edition_developer_working_with_2k_to_fix_poor_remaster

Info:
- Given the out-cry of complaints of the performance & issues, D3T 3D & 2K plan to fix M2: Definitive.
- Especially on PS4 Pro, performance-wise this is the worst of the remasters, according to Digital Foundry.

- Digital Foundry video on the remasters:
Title: Re: MAFIA Trilogy (Remasters & Remake) announced by 2K
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, May 31, 2020, 08:38:04 AM
Here's a video comparing some technical stuff on M2: Classic (original version) vs. M2: Definitive (new remaster):

[/youtube]
Title: Re: MAFIA Trilogy (Remasters & Remake) announced by 2K
Post by: MysterD on Monday, February 15, 2021, 04:51:44 PM
Mafia: Definitive Edition (Steam/PC)

My Thoughts & Impressions....


MAFIA (Original) = 02-14-2021:
I can remember buying the original Mafia (PC version), like it was yesterday. In a jewel case, all patched-up to its latest version at that time at WalMart's for around $10 (before tax); back in the days when PC games were often still bought at a retail level and not digitally. At its time, there did not feel like a ton of games were like this, back in the day. While this game wasn't truly open-world in full, as there wasn't many - heck, if any, side-missions/side-content in the main campaign - this game delivered the good on everything else.

With outstanding voice-acting, storytelling, narrative & writing, all while being also cinematic as can be, Mafia felt like something special. Mafia also felt purposely built to feel & be more of a realistic simulation than the GTA games (those were more arcade-y and action-y, back then). This all here led me & drew me into one of the great mafioso video-game experiences, feeling like we had found The Godfather of video games here.

This story & game of a cab driver, Tommy Angelo, who is trying to make a living in the 1930's somehow winds up involved helping out a gangster...and then eventually joining a (Mafioso) Family that are at war with other gangster & crime families is memorable as can be.

And now, we're back...with Mafia: Definitive Edition, a Remake of the original classic, which they've remade & moved over to a tweaked-up version Mafia 3 Engine.

MAFIA: DEFINITIVE EDITION = 02-14-2021:
I'm around 2.9 hours into this Remake, according to Steam. So far, I have to say this: I'm really impressed with this Remake.

By re-making this classic game on the Mafia 3 Engine, we also now have the combat & cover system from that game. So, a lot of the clunky-ness of trying to duck behind boxes & objects to try to hide & take cover behind from the original version of Mafia is gone here in the Remake. There's now a cover system here and the combat feels really good, just like it did in Mafia 3. There are also stealth mechanics in Mafia: Definitive here, which also is coming right from Mafia 3. The car mechanics, including the ram mechanics from Mafia 3, is also here.

Everything was fundamentally & mechanical really sound in Mafia 3 and seems to be here in Mafia 1: Definitive. Mafia 3 had issues of grind, repetition & UbiSoft open-world side-quests everywhere & collect-a-thons everywhere, getting often in the main of the excellently presented story, narrative, character development, and all of that game's ebb & flow - and so far, I haven't run into any of that in Mafia 1: Definitive. There are some collection items & things to find - yes, just like in Mafia 3 - here in Mafia 1: Definitive. But, this all doesn't feel really over-bearing & feel like it's everywhere around almost every step of the way and every corner, interrupting the flow of the story.

It seems like Hangar 13 has learned from the Mafia 3 problem and is also honoring the legacy of the original Mafia here, since just like the original Mafia game and also some of the Mafia 3 DLC's - it's sticking to great missions, story, narrative, and immersion. Mafia 3's Faster Baby DLC & Sign of the Times DLC, for example, which are all short and excellent, BTW - were all killer and no filler, just like how Mafia: Definitive here feel. Mafia: Definitive here is - well, at least so far - doing its best to be all killer & no filler, sticking to the excellence of its main story...and I hope it remains this way, too.

There are some other settings for the player also. While there are modernizations here - namely coming from Mafia 3's engine, gameplay, gunplay, combat, and mechanics here - there are extra settings here for those who loved the original game and its aim for realism & Simulation. I'm playing as Hangar 13 intended, on Medium and with the Normal settings, as they expect most new players to play the game as. There are other settings, for those who want to make the game more of a Simulation for it to be more realistic (like the old Mafia 1 game), where you will need to obey the law to stop at stop signs; stop at street lights; and drive the Speed Limit. I don't have all of those on, but for those who want to original game experience: there's settings there, for fans of the classic game that might've also wanted this to be also done in that game's more realistic style.

While this doesn't retain entirely the voice-actors and the music & radio stations from the original game; the tone feels at times a bit darker & meaner; and not as innocent; and Tommy doesn't seem as innocent as he was in the original title (especially in the very beginning) - what's here & also what's new, so far, are all still great. The voice-acting, the graphics, the music, and the game-world: this all sounds great and just looks great. Just like Mafia 3 and the original Mafia 1, this game just oozes with immersion, immersing the player right into the world & atmosphere of the game.

Everything looks and sounds great, on this engine and in this game. Textures everywhere are detailed, even if it feels like this game really might've needed more AA options available to it. I might need to try some forcing of other AA methods, as some things in the distance look a bit blurry, just like in Mafia 3. But up close, stuff looks great. It might not be the best technical-looking game - yep, just like Mafia 3 - but the textures and everything looks so fitting of the time period; and it feels like you could really live in this world.

Performance is definitely fine here, as the game's running smoothly at 1080p60fps at its maxed-out settings with no hitches, no slow-downs, nothing. I'm running this here on my new PC (from Dec. 2020), loaded with these specs: i7 10700KF; 16 GB RAM; 8GB RTX 3070; W10 x64. It's running smooth as butter & silk; and like an absolute dream here.

With all of this Mafia: Definitive talk and all of my thoughts here so far, I think I need to make my way back to Empire Bay.

MORE ON MAFIA: DEFINITIVE = 02-14-2021:
I'm some 6.9 hours so far into this awesome remake. Some more things worth noting, on this remake.

Via the NVidia Control Panel, I have cranked-up a few things: FXAA to 8x; AA set to Enhance the App; Image Sharpening to 1.00 with 0.17 on Film Grain; SuperSampling to 8x's. Texture Filtering on High Quality; Trilinear filtering with Trilinear optimization is On. No framerate loss, no hits, nothing. Still hitting 1080p60fps without an issue here; and the game in looks a lot clearer & sharper.

The infamous racing mission doesn't seem as difficult here as the original Mafia - well, at least at the difficulty that I have it on (i.e. what the game suggests by Default). The main missions have been awesome & memorable missions, even if they have been modernized in some ways and made a cinematic at times.

Also, there is an option when driving to skip the actual driving part. In the original game, there was a lot of driving, in which...nothing of much was really happening and you were just soaking in the atmosphere & traveling in the game-world. Options are always a great idea, so the option to skip this is appreciated, as some might not care about this stuff.

You can still do the driving part yourself, if you'd like. Though, the thing here in Mafia: Definitive is this: you (as Tommy) will be often riding with someone and get a lot of insight into the game-world, characters, story, plot, thoughts, details, and whatnot - well, at least with the first go around here - you actually might not want to skip these drives.

The drives from place-to-place actually here have a lot of voice-over work - yes, like what GTA games do a lot of - and will likely clue you in with something that you might want to know. Some might be wanting to get to the action & push the game ahead - but if you appreciate story, character, dialogue, and voice-acting, and/or you want to joy-ride around the game-world - you might not want to skip this stuff.

Since I've said & typed plenty here, I'll wrap this up. Can't wait to get back to this game and play some more of this awesome remake.
Title: Re: MAFIA Trilogy (Remasters & Remake) announced by 2K
Post by: MysterD on Saturday, February 20, 2021, 05:34:10 PM
CONCLUSION = 02-20-2021:
After 11.2 hours according to Steam, Mafia: Definitive Edition with its Story Mode/Campaign comes to an end...and indeed, what an end it was!

Mafia: Definitive Edition is nothing short of great, modernizing & improving on some of the issues of the original classic Mafia wherever necessary; much improved combat & gunplay (namely from Mafia 3's combat system); much improved graphics; and a retelling the classic Mafia's story. If you love gangster movies and video games: this is one here for the ages, as the voice-acting, dialogue, cinematics, and everything is excellent here.

When it comes down to it: this is an excellent remake of the original game that fans of the original classic and especially gamers who never played the original classic should take on.

Mafia: Definitive Edition is an offer that no gamer should refuse.