Mafia saves a game at certain checkpoints. There are anywhere from 1 to 5 checkpoints in any given mission where you can start from that point. Some are long, some are short. But regardless, there were moments that brought the glory and thrill I had when beating Mike Tyson in Punch Out for the old NES, or beating Rush'n Attack because you only had three continues. Frustration of wanting to chuck a controller clear across the room was there again! And I LOVED IT. Every single last drop. I felt something in a computer game that I have not felt for a long time. Accomplishment. And this is something that first and third person shooters need more of. It's all too easy to allow a player to save their game in any spot. Make them EARN it. Earn their saves. Anyone that is developing new Doom III engine FPS's, please take notes about that. To give gamers the ability to save their games at any point, results in lack of challenge or consequences for losing. Mafia brought that back. And I ate it up faster than garlic cheese bread, a plate of saucy lasagna, and a glass of red wine.

Conclusion
Overall, this is going to be known as one of the great games of our time. What might even be a franchise title in the making. We need more of these. We need new ideas flown into our gaming habits. And we need more challenge. This piece did just that. Challenge, excitement, suspense, consequences, graphics, music, and a virtual world that when you turned on your computer and booted up this title, made you feel like none other than Al Capone himself. Even with a couple of annoying script bugs, I cannot recommend this game enough to our readers. If you have not played this yet, there is now a demo out. Do not expect the price to fall for a while, as I am sure this is still a hot seller even today.

Game: Mafia
Publisher: Gathering of Developers
Author: Mike Nelson
Date: December, 2002
Best Price: 30 USD at Guru3D.com Pricewatch