Pagi84
League 1
Original Mafia is one of my fave games ever. Great characters and story.
[General Discussion] What have you been playing this week?
- Thread starter Carl
- Start date
- Staff
- #1,952
Im on consoles. Graphics are meh, lets be honest. It doesnt look as bad as some older games, but the world just doesnt feel as alive as you'd like in an rpg.
Additionally - what really annoys me is that apparently due to budget and time restraints - they cut like 50% of the game out before it was released.
To think what game it could have been...
But
The gameplay is awesome and definitely still holds. Controls dont feel clunky - combat is fluid and insane.
There are also some fantastic mechanics in it, like climbing big monsters during fights, or the AI Companions system.
You create one AI companion and add (up to) another two to your party. The other two are other players Companions.
You cant level them up, but they gain Knowledge.
So if, lets say, the other player had his companion in a dungeon that you're about to explore - his Companion will be giving you hints, coz they are familiar with the place.
Same when they fight specific monsters. They learn how to fight them effectively.
In the meantime - your companion is being 'borrowed' by other players and also learns.
So yeah - fantastic systems and awesome combat and the good news is - they confirmed that this formula will be kept for the sequel. So no forced multiplayer, like all other games do these days.
It does look fantastic. I found this game while looking for alternatives for monster Hunter. Ill check it out and see if I get a good price. Let me know if it manages to hold you and you keep playing it
- Staff
- #1,954
Will do. I have about 20 hours done on it. Its hard. Doesnt tell you much. Even main quest is just one of the quests. You literally dont know which is the main quest..
But its one of those games that are worth playing now if you missed them.
Just shows the depth the games used to have. Im sure you find it on sale for peanuts somewhere.
Ps.
I never played Moster Hunter. It was one of those games I kept looking at, but never bought. The idea of the game looked great, but
1. There was many versions of this game and I didnt know what is what
2. They had massive, anime looking swords and I didnt know how this translates to combat. Is it fun, or is it very... japanese. (Im not a big fan of manga and all this stuff)
PES4eva
Red Devil
- 1 June 2023
I’ve been playing Diablo 3 Eternal Collection on switch. Ive heard of Diablo for many years but I’ve never actually played a Diablo game because the genre isn’t really my thing. I saw it cheap so picked it up and gave it a try. There’s not much to it as far as combat is concerned but for whatever reason I’m finding it extremely addictive.
I just started playing MH as I had tried numerous times and always dropped off. Im with you that the anime thing didnt really get me. MH: Rise is on Gamepass and tried 3 times to get into it but couldn't click. Tried the one before that has more realistic graphics (MH:World) and has been enjoyable. Its mostly combat which I am interested in, I have no clue what the story is but basically its mission based: go kill this. And the mission is complete.
But its fun to find a weapon, kill some animal and forge a new better one. Don't know why Dragons Dogma is recommended when they talk about that game, they seem very different. Def look for videos of MH: World, see if it might be up your alley if you find it cheap.
Anyway found a cheap dragons dogma, will try it later
Its a very simple hack and slash but I have many hours in it. Did you make it to end game? The story for me was meh, but end game and climbing rifts with different sets of items was pretty good. Satisfying to blow up a bunch of monsters on screen. In fact, diablo 4 made me go back to revisit diablo 3
PES4eva
Red Devil
- 1 June 2023
@el niche
No I’m fairly early in the game I think. I’ve recently defeated the
but I’m having a blast so far. I’ve been using the crusader class. Not really sure how to pair up weapons and armour so I generally just pick the most powerful.
Also, I’m never really interested in story for games. It’s about the gameplay for me. If I want story I’d read a book lol
Having said that, I liked the story for soul sacrifice when I played that.
No I’m fairly early in the game I think. I’ve recently defeated the
Skull King
Also, I’m never really interested in story for games. It’s about the gameplay for me. If I want story I’d read a book lol
Having said that, I liked the story for soul sacrifice when I played that.
- Staff
- #1,958
I think its the general idea of big monsters and ability to climb them... (?)
I dont even know if you can climb the monsters in MH, but I always presumed you could..
In Dragons Dogma you'll be fighting some huge Ogres, Trolls, Gryphons and other weirdos and you can climb them and stab them in the eye.
I know about MH Rise on Gamepass and the reason I never tried it is that I thought (and seems that I was right) this wasnt the best version and the one so many people fell in love with was different.
You said MH World had more realistic graphics and thats the one I need to try if I see one on the cheap, or gamepass/PS Plus.
- Staff
- #1,959
wow, while searching for Dragons Dogma I found this post from over 2 years ago. The list I made is long lost, but somehow I was still going by it.
and the progress I made is much bigger than I thought it would be when I was making it.
1. Rdr2 - Completed
2. Days Gone - Completed
3. Witcher 3 (plus all DLCs) - Completed
4. Death Stranding - in progress
5. AC Valhalla - in progress
6. Long Dark - played
7. Last of Us 2 - Completed
8. Ghost of Tsushima - Completed
9. Horizon Zero Dawn - didnt like it.
10. Dragons Dogma - in progress.
It looks like I have much more time to play than I actually do!
Pagi84
League 1
What's wrong with Horizon?wow, while searching for Dragons Dogma I found this post from over 2 years ago. The list I made is long lost, but somehow I was still going by it.
and the progress I made is much bigger than I thought it would be when I was making it.
1. Rdr2 - Completed
2. Days Gone - Completed
3. Witcher 3 (plus all DLCs) - Completed
4. Death Stranding - in progress
5. AC Valhalla - in progress
6. Long Dark - played
7. Last of Us 2 - Completed
8. Ghost of Tsushima - Completed
9. Horizon Zero Dawn - didnt like it.
10. Dragons Dogma - in progress.
It looks like I have much more time to play than I actually do!
- Staff
- #1,961
It sounds silly (especially looking at other games on the list
), but I just did not believe in this world. couldnt get immersed in it.
Loved remnants of the old world, love the idea of humanity sent back to tribal communities, but robot dinosaurs were just a bit too much.
Also - one of my favoutite weapons in games is always Bow and Arrows and here, in a game primarily focused on it, bow and arrow gameplay and physics were just.. shite. very, very shallow.
Playing Dragons Dogma as a Ranger I feel like fucking.. Legolas!
In Horizon I didnt really feel anything.
Tried this game twice. first time I only got to first tribal initiation.
Second time I got much further, but I felt like I was forcing myself to push through it and story did not hook me at all.
bsmaff
International
Glad not the only one who didn't like Horizon.
millossobek
The 3-Stars Cup
"A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man"
As a massive fan of the Godfather series, this looks awesome!!
etb10dmk
* my favorite PES horror story...€urosFootball !!!
- 30 July 2021
- Manchester United
Of course, those two Mafia volumes are the best gangster videogames ever made (alongside their classic versions of course). There's implemented even a full driving system with rules where cops will just stop you if you're passing on red lights, doing shitty driving movements, surpass the speed limits, when you don't holster your guns, or being cocky on the streets. That's very cool because during slow paced missions you're just driving slowly carefully like everybody in the city enjoying the narrative and the view of that world, then on action scenes you have that big jump in pace going crazy in intensity with pursues, drive-by, smashes, explosions (driving feels so great in those Mafia games, I just love it). Then, there are those great packages of diverse story missions inspired from movies like Godfather or Goodfellas where you're just feeling like a badass gangster from Cosa Nostra depicting so well that period with very plausible stories, characters, trafficking with anything and competing with all the culture groups from that period while experiencing great plots between those families.
I'm also a big fan of Godfather vol. I&II, I think it's one of the best movies ever made, but I also love as much or even more the raw gangster horror scenes from Goodfellas or Casino.
Look at the beauty of this intro:
...or this little guy that was a total psycho the entire movie being the inspiration for the Paulie character in Mafia:
Nonetheless, he's a very "funny guy" !!!
...or this little guy that was a total psycho the entire movie being the inspiration for the Paulie character in Mafia:
Nonetheless, he's a very "funny guy" !!!
Just Another Customer
Non-League
- 7 October 2020
Been playing Bomb Rush Cyberfunk great collection of music and gameplay is like Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Jet Set Radio Future have a child.
- Staff
- #1,967
i havent played the remake, but as far as I know - they removed all these awesome things in them (could be wrong tho)
Original Mafia also had all the cool details like empty gun mags being left on the ground, bullets cases, bullet holes in cars and environment.
I think all of this was removed in remakes. Hence I never played them. didnt want to get annoyed.
Pagi84
League 1
Agreed. I haven't played the remake either, no interest to at all, as yeah may be better graphics etc, but I know they will dumb down the gameplay and dilute the characters and story. No way they'll improve anything that really matters and that actually touches you.
bsmaff
International
Taken from the Mafia 1 Remake Forum:
Finished the remaster.
The final 3 missions had been massively cut in size compared to the original.
Pretty much everything which made the original an absolute classic, has been removed from the remake.
The story has been changed slightly, but to the point it is worse than the original - Just little changes, but enough to not enjoy it as much.
Gameplay wise it was obviously a GTA clone from the start, rather than making it a Mafia remake and keeping the parts which were so good.
The driving is much faster and there is not a massive distinctive difference between the cars, unlike the original.
But the worse element is the Police part, they are all marked on the map so you can see them a mile off.
They eliminated all the traffic offences pretty much, by having a severe lack of Police and removing all the traffic lights.
When the Police do chase you it is incredibly boring, and they are easier to lose than a tenner in a strip club.
I don't even know if I would even recommend the game after completing it - Even on Classic the game becomes quite easy, once you get used to it.
There are way too many HUD displays and hand holding - The missions have been changed too much and some of the original missions like 'Lucky Bastard' have been cut from being over an hour long to 20 minute missions - They obviously felt it involved too much driving around, so lets just make it 10 minutes of fast paced fun..
It is a 6/10 game, and I really can't think of anything massively positive to say about the game.
Quantity not Quality.. The Hungry Horse of remakes!!
The other weird thing I noticed as well..
It took me 12.7 hours to complete the Remaster and 17.1 hours to complete the original.
That is 4 1/2 hours difference - That is how fast paced the remaster is.
Finished the remaster.
The final 3 missions had been massively cut in size compared to the original.
Pretty much everything which made the original an absolute classic, has been removed from the remake.
The story has been changed slightly, but to the point it is worse than the original - Just little changes, but enough to not enjoy it as much.
Gameplay wise it was obviously a GTA clone from the start, rather than making it a Mafia remake and keeping the parts which were so good.
The driving is much faster and there is not a massive distinctive difference between the cars, unlike the original.
But the worse element is the Police part, they are all marked on the map so you can see them a mile off.
They eliminated all the traffic offences pretty much, by having a severe lack of Police and removing all the traffic lights.
When the Police do chase you it is incredibly boring, and they are easier to lose than a tenner in a strip club.
I don't even know if I would even recommend the game after completing it - Even on Classic the game becomes quite easy, once you get used to it.
There are way too many HUD displays and hand holding - The missions have been changed too much and some of the original missions like 'Lucky Bastard' have been cut from being over an hour long to 20 minute missions - They obviously felt it involved too much driving around, so lets just make it 10 minutes of fast paced fun..
It is a 6/10 game, and I really can't think of anything massively positive to say about the game.
Quantity not Quality.. The Hungry Horse of remakes!!
The other weird thing I noticed as well..
It took me 12.7 hours to complete the Remaster and 17.1 hours to complete the original.
That is 4 1/2 hours difference - That is how fast paced the remaster is.
bsmaff
International
This is also a quote from Emroth on the thread too:-
If someone didnt play the original - this one might seem like a fun game.
But every little thing that made first game great was removed.
It doesnt have the same atmosphere, it doesnt have the same level of details.
Small things like speed violations, running red lights, empty ammo mags and bullets left after every shootout - its all gone. Now its a poor gta clone.
Things that back in the day made me go "wow, this game was made with so much love and attention" - are all gone.
This is a cheap and quick cash grab made without love towards the original, but towards our wallets.
I have played it for a bit in mates house and after 15mins I knew its not the Mafia remake I wanted. There is no depth here.
=============================
I added this bit, as this best describes the changes IMO:
Mafia 1 Remake was for a different generation - The face paced ESports generation who want everything to be easy, fast paced and hand holding.
Mafia 1 original was for a generation who wanted a game to be realistic, atmospheric and engaging.
If someone didnt play the original - this one might seem like a fun game.
But every little thing that made first game great was removed.
It doesnt have the same atmosphere, it doesnt have the same level of details.
Small things like speed violations, running red lights, empty ammo mags and bullets left after every shootout - its all gone. Now its a poor gta clone.
Things that back in the day made me go "wow, this game was made with so much love and attention" - are all gone.
This is a cheap and quick cash grab made without love towards the original, but towards our wallets.
I have played it for a bit in mates house and after 15mins I knew its not the Mafia remake I wanted. There is no depth here.
=============================
I added this bit, as this best describes the changes IMO:
Mafia 1 Remake was for a different generation - The face paced ESports generation who want everything to be easy, fast paced and hand holding.
Mafia 1 original was for a generation who wanted a game to be realistic, atmospheric and engaging.
Last edited:
Marlon Anthony
Purist
I didn't play the original Mafia but played the remake. The strongest point is definitely the voice acting and story. They nailed the Goodfella's/Sopranos influence they were going for and doesn't feel cliched or derivative.
But I did find the gameplay a slog and maybe I'm not that good at the game but I died a lot during my time and there's nothing more offputting and deflating in a game than dying, waiting for a long ass loading screen and then a checkpoint that puts you right back at the cutscene before the gameplay section you're stuck on.
I gave up and uninstalled after enough of this torture. I did like that you can skip some of the car journey and just get on with the task at hand though. Driving around in this massive game loses its appeal after a while.
But I did find the gameplay a slog and maybe I'm not that good at the game but I died a lot during my time and there's nothing more offputting and deflating in a game than dying, waiting for a long ass loading screen and then a checkpoint that puts you right back at the cutscene before the gameplay section you're stuck on.
I gave up and uninstalled after enough of this torture. I did like that you can skip some of the car journey and just get on with the task at hand though. Driving around in this massive game loses its appeal after a while.
- Staff
- #1,972
To be fair - if you take a slow paced, realistic, detailed and atmospheric game and strip it of all the little things that made this game unique, so all that you have left is a slow paced and clunky GTA clone - then no wonder the game feels bad.
I often wonder if this is the case.
Obviously I agree with you, but I just wonder if this hand holding, fast paced games really are what people want, or are they just an accepted formula these days.
Coz whenever you get a game that doesnt hold your hand, is not fast paced and requires a bit of thinking, like Elden Ring, Subnautica, Sekiro, Long Dark - they are hailed masterpieces.
Baldurs Gate 3 sold over 5 milion copies and thats before its even out on consoles.
I often wonder if this new formula of fast, shallow, dumbed down games is something people want, or developers THINK that people want.
etb10dmk
* my favorite PES horror story...€urosFootball !!!
- 30 July 2021
- Manchester United
I totally disagree with everything posted there:
1) I also played the original classic version of Mafia, completed it at least 5 times and I enjoy this game as much as the classic version.
2) What's removed as "every little thing" that made the first game great? It gets confusing...
3) It has more atmosphere and even more level of details because of the graphical enhancements, so that statement it's very contradictory (a video will show that).
4) Speed violations, red lights (totally false, got that lots of times, so I guess the person that mentioned that didn't played the game at all).
5) Poor GTA clone? Wasn't intended to be a GTA clone, the story is far superior (is not a game that you should go to play bowling with Roman).
6) If the game will not be made with "love and attention" people will not give this score on steam and that's from a lot of people that are long Mafia fans (not eSports guys):
7) Cheap, Cash grab... totally disagree (but what's more mind boggling comes next !!! ⬇️)
8) "I have played it for a bit in mates house and after 15mins I knew its not the Mafia remake I wanted. There is no depth here." Well this feels insulting to be fair after I was trying to respond on those previous 7 points... My opinion is my very own straightly from this screenshoot:
The original version of Mafia has also bad mechanics in it: the movement of the character, shitty camera, physics, exaggerated recoil system from weapons, shittier melee combat, rolling that makes you killed without any cover system, pointless minimap (and I could find more...) So to conclude this, there are parts that I think are less developed in the remake as they should, like the throw animation that feels very bad executed or the generic automatic shooting function implemented while driving (those are very bland indeed and I think they should did more on that), but to get to the conclusion that's a dumbed down game played by eSports guys after 15 minutes of play on some mates house is very hilarious and laughable (I think it's just a nostalgia perspective).
This video shows exactly with footage what's improved in the Mafia Definitive Edition comparing it to the Original version and also what's better in the original:
After this, excuse me, coz' I'm going into my second playthrough of the remake and the "free ride" (that means I like it like the 86% or 88% of users from steam)...
Marlon Anthony
Purist
I mean, I get at some point, modern games have to have quality-of-life improvements to make things more convenient to the player and not needlessly waste the player's valuable time, such as the trip skip I mentioned earlier.
Something I'd love to see in the future is much like how on PS5 you can have game defaults that set universal preferences for all games you start, I wish there was one to switch off tutorials for all games going forward too.
Games in a given genre usually have a formula or blueprint of control schemes now and I'm sick to death of a forced tutorial/training mission that treats me like I've never held a controller and don't know what a left or right stick is, I get that there are new players out there who are playing their first ever game but some of these tutorials are obnoxiously longwinded and disruptive, and a forced one in a game instantly puts me off.
Pagi84
League 1
You have an argument, but in my opinion it's the negative trend of more modern games, that they are more focused on $ and less focused on quality and care.
As an example, the original Mafia seems to have been made with such care and attention, yeah there are limitations, but they did what they could. It's like the creators thought, OK, let's make a really engrossing story and world and hope others appreciate these things and thus buy the game.
Whereas many newer games developers seem to think the opposite, they think how can we make as much cash as possible? I know! Dilute the quality and complexity and intricacies of the game, dumb it down, so it appeals to more people in general and thus we will make more money. Yeah we will have to compromise in terms of artistically and creatively, it wont be our original unique vision, but whatever it'll make us more cash.
As an example, the original Mafia seems to have been made with such care and attention, yeah there are limitations, but they did what they could. It's like the creators thought, OK, let's make a really engrossing story and world and hope others appreciate these things and thus buy the game.
Whereas many newer games developers seem to think the opposite, they think how can we make as much cash as possible? I know! Dilute the quality and complexity and intricacies of the game, dumb it down, so it appeals to more people in general and thus we will make more money. Yeah we will have to compromise in terms of artistically and creatively, it wont be our original unique vision, but whatever it'll make us more cash.
- Staff
- #1,976
I think it goes much deeper than in game tutorials tho.
There also seems to be a confusion in whats quality of life improvement and whats hand holding.
If im starting new game - I dont mind tutorial to explain me whats what.
Maybe not to the point of "Look around with Right Stick", but its nice to know some game-specific controls.
But once I go deeper into the story I want the feeling of exploration and reasonable challenge.
If the game holds my hand for the whole duration of it - where's the fun in that?
Stuff like:
- here. a puzzle. you need to solve it to progress. go there. pick this up. place it here. congrats.
- ...but I didnt solve anything... you told me what to do...
- shut up! take this trophy!
Or action sequences, where you run and all the jumps are pre-designed, so there is no need to time anything. you just literally watch the screen and press one button, which you could press with your toe.
A lot of games are so dumbed down these days that its insulting.
And when someone release a game that has a bit of thinking and freedom involved - suddenly its amazing.
bsmaff
International
You quoted what Emroth put and not myself - But will answer
2) All the little details were removed from the game.
Driving on the new game was complete garbage.
Every car felt the same it was fast paced so people wouldn't get bored of driving.
Traffic offences were pretty much removed from the game, traffic lights were non existent and rarely got caught.
AI cops during the chases as well were incredibly dump and so easy to lose.
There is quite a few bits attention to detail that were missing from the remake.
3) The first game so much better paced than the remake and the cutscenes were slower and felt way more atmospheric/cinema like compared to the remake.
Was not talking about the graphics, because well the graphics are bound to be better and show more detail - I was not talking about graphical detail.
5) The remake is incredibly fast paced and hand holding - The hud gives away more information than an ESP cheat in FPS games.
The controls are pretty clunky in the original but that was technological issues, the limitations in the remake weren't there and the game should of been alot better because of this.
6) Those are Steam reviews - How many of those people played the original?? Not many I reckon.
I completed the original 4 times and absolutely loved it - The remake I played once and that was one time too many.
8) If he just roamed the city 15 minutes of play is easily enough time to notice the game isn't the same as the original and they completely ruined the driving mechanics and that all the unique aspects of driving in the original were missed in the remake.
To put it blunt the remake was a TURD compared to the original and don't get me started on the stupid story line changes which took away the humanity of Tommy.
- Staff
- #1,978
I didnt know who he was talking to, seems like he put a mix of both of us, coz I never said I played it.
And all the informations I got about removal of "the little things" were from people who played it and reviewed it on youtube at the time. So I didnt want to waste my time.
etb10dmk
* my favorite PES horror story...€urosFootball !!!
- 30 July 2021
- Manchester United
Here you can have some answer, was captured now in the free ride mode (didn't responded to it earlier because I wasn't sure about those "little things"):
Car bullets, on the left with the pistol, on the right part of the vehicle used just a little the Thompson coz' police was already on my neck. On the right image is the glass, did it with a Lupara (short shotgun)...
Also wood destruction with Lupara, after I was going into the woods to use it the Thomson more on the car until I was blowing it up.
Third image: lupara on brick (left), pistol window (on the middle), iron door on the left (tommy gun). Second image: blood spashes on the police car.
hydrant.
Gun mag and shells...
Ok. Well, Emroth said he didn't played it (tough if you played it I don't know why you've posted something of his
, instead of yours). Also I was reading now your bullet points and I respect them even if we had quite a different experience...That was strictly responded on his post (didn't knew to which Emroth user he was referring to because you've mentioned on another post that you didn't played it, so I wasn't sure he was referring to a post of yours). But in the end yes, this post it's a cocktail answering on both... Also, thanks for sharing, it's nice to see also different views and opinions about this remake...
etb10dmk
* my favorite PES horror story...€urosFootball !!!
- 30 July 2021
- Manchester United
Now, focusing the subject on the "holding your hand" part, what do you guys think about this game? It will be like the previous FromSoft games? Or will be more like some very direct straight forward approach from Point A to Point B via missions and that could be all of it? Got it some days ago on Steam but the release date is tomorrow, so the only thing that I can do now is just to preload it...
Normally I'm not so much into this kind of "mecha" genre, but the story feels so rich inSCI-FI and also finishing every game so many times that FromSoft created previously, I just couldn't stop myself to purchase it. That's pure FromSoft addiction that triggered me to get into it. On those official FromSoft videos that I saw regarding AC6 there is a lot of customization that could influence the overall gameplay, but I don't really know for sure how deep the rabbit hole goes on the "souls-like" elements - eventually will be none of that or just some tiny little mechanics. Either way, I hope this will be another solid FromSoft game release...
Normally I'm not so much into this kind of "mecha" genre, but the story feels so rich inSCI-FI and also finishing every game so many times that FromSoft created previously, I just couldn't stop myself to purchase it
. That's pure FromSoft addiction that triggered me to get into it. On those official FromSoft videos that I saw regarding AC6 there is a lot of customization that could influence the overall gameplay, but I don't really know for sure how deep the rabbit hole goes on the "souls-like" elements - eventually will be none of that or just some tiny little mechanics. Either way, I hope this will be another solid FromSoft game release...
Last edited: