If you’ve played the original Mafia, you’ll remember the racing car mission. Early in the story, you’re tasked with first stealing a rival’s car to “tinker” with it before returning it unnoticed. Then, when your driver is beaten up by the rivals, Tommy needs to take his place.
While the mission where you steal the car was maddeningly difficult due to the very tight time limit and requirement that you didn’t damage the car, the race was next to impossible. Making it through the racing mission in the original Mafia is something you wear as a badge of honour. Proving your videogame skills.
There are many stories online from players who simply gave up on the game when they couldn’t beat the racing mission. It’s a shame because the original is wonderful. When I read that Hangar 13 had fixed the racing mission, I breathed a sigh of relief.
However, it’s still the absolute worst.
Mafia: Definitive Edition Racing Mission
As I was playing on Classic difficulty, the racing mission was almost exactly as it was back in 2002. Driving the car is maddeningly difficult and learning to feather the gas, corner, brake and stay on a good racing line is very tough. To make matters worse, the other racers’ AI rams and shoves you out of the way as they stick religiously to their lines. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing if you’re in their way they’re ramming you.
After spending a few hours trying to get through the race on Classic, I switched, mid-way through a race, to Medium and blitzed it. So, yes, Hangar 13 has improved the experience and made it so normal humans can complete it but, it’s still frustrating, painful and the worst.
It’s part of the Mafia DNA and it should be included, I just wish it wasn’t so punishing.
Mafia: Definitive Edition launches September 25.
