When the PC version of Mafia hit computers everywhere in 2002, it was hailed as the best action game of the year.  Beyond the ability to steal cars and kill civilians with every weapon available, Mafia was completely story-driven from beginning to end.  Intermixing convincingly real gun action with not so fast-paced driving sequences, anyone that played the PC version found a place in their gaming heart's for this gangster thriller.  Now, after almost 2 years, Gathering is giving XBOX and PS2 owners a whack at the classic.  Unfortunately, though the game holds its story-driven significance, ports never meet or beat the original game version and Mafia is living proof of that.

You take on the role of Tommy Angelo, a cab driver involved in the wrong kind of company.  You take on jobs which more often than not lead up to car chases to escape your enemies.  On the side, you enjoy the "quiet" life of the city, Lost Heaven.  The gameplay is similar to that of Grand Theft Auto, giving you free range of the city.  It's apparent that GTA offers more freedom for exploration, and the linearity of Mafia tied with hard handling cars makes joy riding less enjoyable.  The cars that you can jack are slow and very hard to steer, which makes on-foot transportation so much more useful when moving around short distances.  More often than not, your missions will consist of you driving from one side of the map to the other.

No one wants the word "murderer" imprinted on their resume.  Tommy is no exception, but its a part of what he has fallen into, the troubled life of an organized crime affiliate.  With a plentiful collection of real weapons from the early 20th century, you must silence your foes and any civilians that get in your way.  Grand Theft Auto made this macabre aspect of gaming into a regular addition to any action game, and Mafia is no stranger to a little brutality.  One thing you will notice the second you shoot, stab, maim, blast, blow up, gut, run over, or assassinate, is that there is no mess of blood and guts coming out from your victims.  With such a rating as M-branded on the game, I'm amazed that with the technological capacity of the XBOX, the developers decided to keep it clean with changing it to Teen.  I did find the drive-by shooting capability to be a nice touch, adding to the realism of people leaning out of car windows (no seat-belt protection, mind you) and putting holes through fleeing automobiles.  Navigation through the city is actually very simple with the use of a map on the screen and in your box.

For those of you who have played Mafia on the PC, there is a lack of a certain environmental ambiance on the XBOX.  The sounds of the city, cool Jazz as you whiz by certain buildings, and the attention to detail on every street corner isn't up to snuff on the XBOX's interpretation of the port.  The graphics that once looked amazing on the PC only look mildly impressive and surely not pushing the limits on what the XBOX can do.  Looking through screenshots of the PS2 version, there are striking similarities in the graphical appearance (Here's a tip:  Never make a non proprietary title that features the same quality graphics on all consoles.  XBOX users will think you are too lazy to make improvements and PS2 owners wont find a reason to purchase an XBOX).  The cutscenes look toned down as well namely, because they converted cinematic beauty to restrictive video.  The models look fairly good, and the facial expressions look particularly excellent.  The audio didn't change much from the PC version except for the "sounds of the city" soundtrack.  The sound effects made out nicely as did the voice acting.  The introduction carries a haunting tune to resembling the times of the era that came out beautifully.

If you haven't played the PC version of Mafia, do it.  If you are looking for an alternative to GTA on the consoles, you wont be disappointed with the XBOX version.  However, the translation of gameplay and graphics isn't as great as it could have been, much less improved.

Gameplay: 7.1
You'll have a good time with Mafia, though there is little comparison between the PC version and the XBOX port. 

Graphics: 6.9
No matter how you cut it, Mafia didn't make out very well in terms of graphics.  The translation from the PC version took a heavy toll on the quality of cinematics and detail of the city.  And though I was impressed with other parts of what Mafia had to offer visually, the XBOX has the potential for so much more.

Sound: 8.0
No ample presence of "sounds of the city" to boost the realism in the Lost Heaven, but solid sound effects, nice voice acting, and the haunting intro track really makes up for it.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard

Concept: 8.0
I have never admitted in public (except for this small blurb) that I never have seen any Godfather film, Goodfellas, Casino, or Scarface.  But based on the outstanding work of Lloyd Bridges in Mafia!, its obvious that there is a niche in the market for gangster titles and such a game based on the 1930's organized crime spree seems fit.

Overall: 7.0
Don't get this game specifically for the driving or the shooting sequences.  Rather, pick it up if you appreciate a solid story based action game with the mimicry of GTA (without all of the bells and whistles).