Mafia Definitive Edition Tips: The tricks to the remake

In this guide to Mafia: Definitive Edition you will learn, among other things:

  • What tactics will ensure your survival in battle
  • How to avoid trouble and lose the police
  • What the jobs in free ride mode are all about

With Mafia, the Czech studio Illusion Softworks celebrated one of its greatest successes over 18 years ago and laid the foundation for a brand that is still considered an interesting contrast to the GTA series from Rockstar Games.

All the more reason to be pleased that Mafia 3 developer Hangar 13 Games is now giving the game an ambitious remake for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. This guide reveals how you can quickly become Don Salieri's favorite in the role of protagonist Tommy Angelo.

Tips for close combat and firefights

The underworld of Lost Heaven is rough. Here are some rules of thumb for when things get rough in combat situations:

Keep the upper hand in brawls

When it comes to fist fights, clever counterattacks are essential for survival. The latter can be achieved by continuously hammering on the triangle button (PS4) or Y button (Xbox One) as soon as it appears. Tommy then pushes the attacker to the side, which opens up a short window of time to follow up with your own attacks. Don't forget: Collectable objects like wooden sticks strengthen your melee damage.

Cover is trumps

If enemies attack you with firearms, find cover as quickly as possible and entrench yourself by pressing the cross key (PS4) or A key (Xbox One). Surrounding objects like wooden crates or fences are only suitable to a limited extent, since they break after just a few hits. You are much better protected behind mailboxes, metal plates, concrete walls and the like.

Proven survival strategy: Fire briefly, then immediately take cover again.

Also internalize the possibility, inspired by Gears 5 (), to switch from one cover to the next in a flash. Simply tilt the left analog stick until a white arrow appears at the new cover position. Then confirm with the triangle or X key and Tommy dashes off.

Short bursts of fire to the head

Whether angry cops or hostile villains: Opponents in Mafia usually don't wear helmets. Accordingly, headshots are the means of choice to take out enemies quickly and save ammunition. Since many weapons warp easily, be sure to fire short, precise bursts.

Heal at the right moment

Tommy will not heal himself. Rather, you need to find medicine cabinets marked with a white cross on the map. Important: Always heal yourself only when you have half the life energy or less. Anything else would be a waste of the valuable medikits.

What are the best weapons in Mafia: Definitive Edition?

Tommy's arsenal of weapons is quite manageable and designed to carry only one pistol, one primary weapon, four throwing items, and one melee weapon. The following overview shows how to use the lead syringes optimally:

Magnum Pistol: If you want a lot of firepower at medium range, go for the Magnum. However, the 6-round magazine and the strong recoil are a thorn in the side of beginners.

Semi-automatic pistol: Doesn't have quite as much oomph as the Magnum, but it has more range, one more shot in the magazine, and better stability. The underworld also loves this all-round colt, which is why you can quickly get new ammunition after winning battles.

Service revolver and pocket revolver: In contrast to the other two pistols, these models fall a bit short. Only use them if you have no better alternatives!

Bolt action rifle: Combines high range, firepower and accuracy. Unfortunately, fire frequency and ammunition capacity leave a lot to be desired. Best used from a greater distance with good cover.

Submachine gun: The Thompson 1928 is by far the best automatic weapon in Mafia: Definitive Edition. Not only does it deal a lot of damage and fire at breakneck speed, but it's also easy to handle - especially at short and medium range. Opponents also use it very often, which simplifies the supply of fresh ammunition.

Old gamer wisdom: firing at barrels at the right moment saves heaps of ammo.

Lupara: The sawed-off shotgun does extreme damage at short range. Ideal, then, when you're surrounded by enemies. Biggest weaknesses: After two shots you already have to reload. Also almost useless against enemies in the distance.

Mafia: Definitive Edition - Tricks for sneaky players

The hero Tommy is a real jack-of-all-trades in combat. However, you'll often make much faster progress in certain missions if you don't raise the alarm at all. Successful stealth players should also keep three things in mind:

  • While Lincoln Clay could bug junction boxes to see enemies through walls in Mafia 3, this option doesn't exist in Mafia 1. Instead, you should always keep an eye on the mini-map at the bottom right of the screen when sneaking in a crouched position, especially since it also shows the enemies' line of sight.
  • As soon as you have overpowered an enemy coming from behind by means of a stranglehold, take him piggyback with the lower D-pad key. Hide the body in a broom closet, a bathroom or an inconspicuous side alley, for example. But be careful: You can't defend yourself while carrying a killed enemy!
  • Should you still be seen, the proven exit strategy applies: Run as far away as possible, hide somewhere and wait patiently until the guards stop searching. You will see the latter as soon as the wanted stars start flashing several times and the guards announce the termination of the pursuit shortly afterwards.

How do I keep the police off my back?

On the "Normal" difficulty level, the cops will usually only move in if your behavior causes harm to others. If you play on "Simulation", on the other hand, they will come after you if you collide with traffic, run red lights or speed.

The sniper rifle is only used in selected missions.

But even careless car thieves who casually smash the side window quickly call the LHPD on the scene. If you want to avoid such trouble in advance, it's better to crack the car's door lock by holding down the left D-pad button. Caution: It is not uncommon for the owner to be nearby and still sound the alarm.

You have several options to get rid of law enforcement officers. If only one search star is active, you can simply pull over, get out and dutifully pay the ticket. If there are two stars and a handcuff symbol, you have to go into hiding. In other words, build up a greater distance to the patrol until they lose visual contact.

If the Wanted level climbs to three stars, you have to expect more roadblocks, which you should avoid as far as possible. Use ramps whenever possible, escape through narrow alleys and watch your radar so that you don't drive directly into the arms of other patrols.

Tip for gangsters on foot: If the police chase you through the city center, go to a streetcar stop. Once there, simply stand next to the stop sign, press the lower D-pad button, and you're back in Salieri's bar. For this to work, however, the police must not be in the immediate vicinity. You can see where the streetcar lines run by looking at the orange dashed lines on the map.

Ramps are usually found at construction sites. Use them to beat the pursuing policemen.

From the fourth and fifth wanted star it becomes critical. The only thing that helps here is a fast car and a lot of driving skills. Also proven: A pike roll out of the moving car. Closely followed by the escape into unclear terrain.

Tips & tricks for the chases

If you are chasing someone, stay as close to them as possible. By pressing the upper left shoulder button, Tommy will attack with the gun while driving. It's best to shoot the driver of the other vehicle or the tires of the vehicle. If they burst, the hunted goes into a spin.

But also a spirited ramming maneuver with the help of the cross or A key works wonders. Aim for the left or right side of the rear, so that the car of the chased person swerves violently. However, you shouldn't get too cocky, because each of these actions will also damage your vehicle.

During chases, also pay attention to the condition of the objects around you. You can easily ram benches, parking meters, picket fences, construction site signs, trash cans, newspaper racks, hydrants or scaffolding out of the way without taking any damage.

Phone booths, lampposts, advertising columns and other massive obstacles, on the other hand, cannot. If such objects are hit at too high a speed, there is also a risk of total damage.

What can I discover in the free ride mode?

Just like the original, Mafia: Definitive Edition also offers a free ride mode. Here you can explore Lost Heaven without any mission stress and experiment with all weapons and vehicles. However, the developers have also integrated some surprises. One of them are the clues scattered all over Saleri's bar.

Each of them directs you to a certain place on the map, usually to stand-alone phone booths. Pick up the phone and receive a hint about what to do next. The resulting tasks are quite challenging and range from turbulent cross-country drives in an experimental electric car to defending a transporter in the harbor.

The reward for the effort is usually the unlocking of the vehicles used in the special mission. If you like, you can also use the free ride mode to relax and track down a total of 116 brand-new collectibles in the game. We will provide you with detailed vehicle and collectible guides shortly.

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