personally it's one of the only games i consider a 'masterpiece' as it has that high quality experience which you only get from top quality mob themed movies and movies in general for that matter.
i have replayed this many times over the years since it was new in Aug 2002 (i played it on PC which is the only way to really appreciate it. also, use the 'unlimited draw distant' mod as it will just boost the graphics (just draws more objects in the distance) and any decent PC nowadays can easily handle it) and i still like it to this day but obviously from a visual standpoint it's showing it's age nowadays but i still feel that the core game is intact and the graphics, while old, are not TOO outdated to the point it kills the experience.
also, the ending really stuck with me to which you just can't find in video games as to get that feeling you have to go to movies. but the voice acting/characters/story etc is top notch.
but i will say... early on it's pretty slow but after you basically join the mafia it starts getting good and has some memorable missions but if you are just playing it for the first time nowadays i suspect it won't have the impact on you like it would have had you played in when it was new in Aug 2002. when Mafia was new i would have been a couple months shy of my 23rd b-day.
it's pretty frustrating and boring having to drive everywhere in horrible cars with horrible driving physics. I know it's realistic, but it really does suck, we're meant to play games to have fun, not be bored to death.
personally i like the driving mechanics on Mafia as it takes a bit more skill to drive around and makes it more fun than the usual GTA variations plus you get to absorb the scenery etc more that way with the old days feel etc.
also, when you do get faster cars as the game progresses it makes you appreciate them more vs the cars early in the game since those are pretty slow ;)
But where people really praise Mafia, it seems, is in the voice acting, story and writing. And so far, all of it's just horrible
it's hard to take you seriously with comments like this as the voice acting is still top notch to this day. hell, it has some voice acting of actors from the TV show 'The Sopranos' (in my Top 2 TV shows ever along with Breaking Bad) in it.
but personally... i think you are just frustrated with the gameplay since you said is too hard for you which is probably dulling an otherwise solid game.
And the gameplay style is also not good at all, if I'm honest. Whilst Mafia II fixed this with the duck and whack-a-mole shooting style, which was really fun to play, in Mafia we just basically have luck, trial and error or remembering where the enemies are hiding from the twenty times you've had to redo the mission because it's so hard.
personally i like Mafia better than Mafia II's as Mafia you had to think and be more accurate and cannot just reload your gun constantly as with Mafia it forces you to manage your clip changes as in Mafia when you change your clip any ammo in the clip will be wasted which makes you use it to empty or near empty before reloading. like for example... on Mafia II say you got a Tommy Gun and have a 50round drum on it with say 100 rounds of ammo in reserve, and fire one shot and then reload the gun you will then have 50 rounds back in the drum with 99 rounds in reserve where as in Mafia if you do that same thing you will have wasted 49 rounds of ammo. personally, as i was saying, i like Mafia's method more as it makes using the guns more fun/challenging since it forces you to think and manage your ammo while shooting the bad guys.
people nowadays are just used to having everything easy in games as games nowadays just ain't as fun to play as most games ain't even worth playing and even the ones that are still have never replicated the experience Mafia (on PC) gave me as that was a EXPERIENCE and not just a video game.
Mafia II's general shooting, while i like it, i still think i prefer Mafia's overall as like i was saying it makes it a bit more challenging given that you have to manage your ammo and it can be great at times when you can go full auto on cars rushing in to get you as if you are somewhat close, but not too close, you can spray the engine area and watch the cars blow up but this is only safe if you are at a area you KNOW will have ammo to spare otherwise it's risky. so on your first playthrough it's best to not be too trigger happy in general.
also, the recoil on the guns is more in Mafia than it is in Mafia II which i like as it makes the general shooting a bit more challenging as if you got a Tommy Gun you basically want to tap the trigger and go for headshots as much as possible (if you get decent at it you can take people out at a distance before they get too close) as doing this will make the ammo last A LOT longer.
but basically you will eventually learn how to play it and once you do you can play through the game again and again without TOO much problem. also, manage your health as best as you can to.
I think the reason this gets so much praise is because people at the time were blown away by the pretty stunning graphical quality, that indeed for 2002 was way ahead of its time (though some animations were pretty stiff, including a hilariously bad sex scene).
well even graphics aside it's the general experience of the game that makes it stand out and the ending (and overall game) left a impression on me which you normally can't get from video games.
bottom line... it's my #1 single player video game EXPERIENCE ever and i doubt anything will ever match that again personally.
Mafia II was solid and one of the best games in recent memory but it failed to capture the magic that the first game had that takes it to that 10/10 level. Mafia II just never had as many moments as Mafia has and it's ending don't have as much of a impact on your emotions.
but it seems Mafia II took a lot of flack due to people's super high expectations due to their praise of the first game. but putting that aside it's still comfortably ahead of any of the GTA games for me and comfortably beats the vast majority of games out there.
But seriously, just look at GTA III and GTA: Vice City - two similar games, released at the time, that are pretty much near-perfect with amazing storylines, stellar voice acting and writing, but most of all - FUN GAMEPLAY. And I'm really glad all of the first Mafia's many problems were patched up in the far better Mafia II.
bottom line for me... the GTA games don't have the lasting appeal that Mafia has and the general gameplay ain't as fun and shooting weapons is more fun in Mafia to with the overall feel of them.
Mafia is easily better than any of the GTA games to date as that left a lasting impression on me unlike nearly everything else. games nowadays are just about getting better graphics which can only carry a game so far. it would have been nice to see Mafia on Mafia II's graphics engine ;)
It's so frustrating I wanted to punch my computer screen, seriously. It's way too hard, and just not fun.
well if you got the game on the PC make sure it's patched as the original release of the game, the racing mission is hands down the hardest part of the game to where THAT is quite frustrating as you have to drive nearly perfect in order to beat that mission and continue the game. but after the patch it was made much easier.
but if you are having trouble with it now some missions later in the game you won't be too happy about. lol ;)
p.s. but if you got it on steam you probably don't have to pay attention to this since it's most likely patched.
And also, it's hilarious bugged up. I just have so much fun watching dying gangsters crawl through mid-air, or get stuck falling over in doorways, or pedestrians dancing in front of my car randomly when I'm parked.
i never had much of a issue myself with it. maybe a glitch here and there but nothing major.
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