Mafia PS2

Originally released for the PC way back in 2002, Gathering's depression-set, mob-crime adventure has finally made its way over to the PlayStation 2. The last two years have seen a considerable amount of tweaking and (we are assured) enhancement for the new host platform, so the countless Sony fans are now given the opportunity to explore the fictional city of Lost Heaven and get their hands dirty amidst the underworld of 1930s America. In true Goodfellas style, the story sees players charged with the dangerous task of joining a Mafioso family, starting at the bottom. In this case it's the notorious Salieri family, who are currently in the middle of a vicious and deadly turf war with the rival Morello family, as well as under constant scrutiny from cops and the feds. Starting out as a lowly but (obviously) well-dressed foot soldier, players must prove their worth and work their way up through the ranks to the enviable position of becoming a Made Man, along the way taking on various roles, such as hitman, enforcer and getaway driver. In similar fashion to the likes of Grand Theft Auto, the game takes place amidst a faithfully recreated, fully explorable city, which spans an impressive 12 virtual square miles and must be traversed by taking the wheels of a wide variety of vehicles. From here an extensive array of missions must be undertaken, each with its own selection of sub-quests, all at the request of big man Don Salieri - prove successful and you'll be handsomely rewarded, as well as earn the respect required to climb the ranks. As you may expect, the full schedule of seedy dealings, criminal acts and other unsavoury tasks must be completed, including the likes of mob hits, car chases and large-scale shootouts. Considering it's such popular subject matter, it's surprising that there aren't more games based on the original, Mafia-style gangsters. Who knows, maybe soon we'll be able to expect sequels in the form of The Godfather or The Sopranos...