Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven is a third-person shooter with driving elements developed by the Czech studio Illusion Softworks, which later reformed into the company 2K Czech. The publisher was Take-Two Interactive.
Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven tells the story of an unremarkable taxi driver named Thomas Angelo. As is often the case in games of this type, his path crosses with organized crime, which is split between two mafia clans that hold power in the city. Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven faithfully and meticulously conveys the atmosphere that prevailed in the United States during the time of the 'Great Depression' and 'Prohibition'. Because of this, the game received numerous positive reviews and ratings from both players and various reputable publications. Moreover, the audience appreciated the cinematic quality and the careful design of the city where all events unfold.
Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven is divided into a prologue (5 missions), Intermezzo 1 (6 missions), Intermezzo 2 (4 missions), Intermezzo 3 (4 missions), Intermezzo (4 missions), and an Epilogue. The beginning of each chapter offers players high-quality and well-thought-out cutscenes reminiscent of well-known American mafia films.
The entire game takes place in the fictional city of Lost Heaven in 1938. The plot is presented as Thomas Angelo telling his criminal life story to a detective investigating the case. At the start of the game, it becomes clear that Angelo regrets his career in the Salieri mafia clan, with which he has been associated for several long years. The Salieri clan's rivals are the Morello clan, whose leader is a man utterly devoid of any moral values.
Gameplay allows players to freely roam Lost Heaven on foot and by vehicle. Thomas Angelo often needs weapons, which are sufficiently available in the game. At any given time, the main character can carry up to seven units of firearms and melee weapons. In various situations, unwanted firearms can be disposed of simply by throwing them away. The police are zealous about maintaining law and order, and thus an arrest will occur if officers see a gun in Angelo's hands. For shooting and disobedience, police will open fire on sight. To shake off a pursuit, the main character must hide or flee the crime scene.
Melee weapons include: a crowbar, bat, brass knuckles, knife, steel rod, and several plot-related murder items.
Among the firearms, there are several types of pistols and revolvers, a shotgun, a sawed-off shotgun, a Thompson submachine gun, and several rifles. For example, 'Mosin Rifle' and 'Springfield M1903'. Additionally, players have access to Molotov cocktails and grenades.
The city is filled with various cars that can be stolen. To do this, one must master the art of lock-picking, which some game characters teach Thomas Angelo. Most cars have fictional names.
Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven has 4 game modes. The campaign consists of narrative missions that must be completed to progress the story. Side modes include Walk and Big Walk, in which the player is left to their own devices. There is also a Racing mode.