8 Video Game Remakes That Were TOTALLY Justified
5. Mafia: Definitive Edition
Despite having released a year after the meteoric success of crime sandbox behemoth Grand Theft Auto III, 2002's Mafia was not, as it may have looked, intended to capitalise on the burgeoning new genre.
Mafia's gameplay is considerably more grounded. Unlike GTA's 6-Star standoffs with the military, players can be booked by police for carrying a visible weapon or even running a red light.
Unfortunately, this can at times make the game feel incredibly clunky and weighted heavily against the player. And that's not to mention the infamous "Fair Play" mission - a racing section so broken and awkward that many took it as a cue to nope out entirely.
After the success of following Mafia entries, Mafia III developer Hangar 13 set about remaking the original from the ground up in order to bring it up to date with the rest of the trilogy. The result is an absolutely stunning recreation of the city of Lost Heaven, keeping the story intact but expanding it just enough to improve upon it.
With retooled gameplay that borrows from Mafia III, Mafia: Definitive Edition feels much more polished and responsive than its forebear, and the updated graphics, voice work and animation allow the game to tell its story more convincingly than ever. Most importantly, however, Fair Play is actually, well, fair.