Amazon Prime Just Added The Best Game In A Classic Open-World Crime Trilogy
A perfect pitstop before heading to The Old Country.
The open world video game has been tied to organized crime from the very beginning. From Grand Theft Auto 3 and The Getaway, to the True Crime series (which gave us the cult classic Sleeping Dogs), and the original Mafia, all these 2000s era games sought to insert players in a gangster classic straight out of Hollywood where they get to leave their mark as they take over a fictional urban sprawl.
In the next decade, however, the open-world crime game had become old hat for everyone not called Rockstar Games. After all, playing as a (probably white) gunslinger who wants to own the city will always be less interesting than playing as Gotham’s Dark Knight, or a wizard, or even a stoic Yakuza who’s great with kids and loves karaoke with buddies. But as the industry zagged towards creative spins on the open-world formula, developer 2K Czech doubled down on that original vision, Mafia 2. And this month, Amazon Prime Gaming is giving away the Definitive Edition of this fantastic follow-up for free.
In Mafia 2, players fill the leather loafers of Vito Scaletta, a WWII veteran returning to his home city of Empire after a lengthy tour in Italy. Hoping to make the best of his situation, Vito reconnects with his childhood friend Joe who’s managed to make a small name for himself among Empire City’s criminal underbelly. He’s been a reliable hand for these families, and Joe wants to get Vito in on the action.
Vito is returning home from WWII at the start of Mafia 2.
Mafia 2 is an immersive, vibes heavy game. The seasons change throughout, reflecting Vito’s years-long journey up the ladder, and no section conveys that better than the game’s snowy intro. The moody, silent city that gets louder as you approach its bustling streets filled with city folk going about their holiday business. It’s all backed exquisitely to the tune of 1940s-50s crooners like Dean Martin and Little Richard. Few games nail a time and place as well as Mafia 2 does.
Like the first game, Mafia 2 isn’t the criminal fantasy fulfillment that something like Grand Theft Auto is. You’re not going to go on murderous rampages. Its open world isn’t brimming with side activities, as linear missions make up 90 percent of its runtime. Heck, you’ll barely get away with breaking the speed limit without getting ticketed by Empire City’s vigilant police. Instead, Mafia 2 prioritizes spinning its fairly intricate tale of what it means to become a career criminal, and what one must sacrifice to keep up the charade.
Mafia 2 isn’t breaking new ground, especially if you’re a fan of the filmic source material 2K Czech was clearly inspired by. But for a 15-year-old video game, it's a fairly nuanced story with believable characters, strong voice performances, and a mature vision for the genre. This was the first Mafia game where developers got to take advantage of the kind of graphical fidelity we take for granted now, and shows in all the best ways even all these years later.
What makes Mafia 2 especially worth playing in 2025 is its potential ties to the upcoming fourth entry in the series. Mafia: The Old Country is slated for this summer and takes place in 1900s Sicily. As Mafia 2’s first chapter literally takes place in The Old Country (and features a gripping scene of Vito noting the strength of the country’s powerful ruling families firsthand), there’s a decent chance the two will have minor story ties. There might be no better time to revisit both the original Mafia (which has an excellent remake currently available on Xbox Game Pass) and its underrated sequel while they’re free.
Mafia 2 is a fun old time that can be blasted through in a weekend. It’s got some cool action set pieces and a surprisingly engrossing story that will hype you up for what’s in store later this year. This one is well worth your time, especially at the all-time low price of free.
