The three games in the Mafia series don’t form a cohesive story, so players are free to enjoy them in any order they wish, but it might be better to play some games before others. In order to fully appreciate each one and all of the subtle references and nuances that they hold, players would do well to carefully consider which order they play the games in. For the best experience, it may be best to play Mafia 2, then Mafia 3, and finally Mafia: Definitive Edition, the 2020 remake of the classic first game.
In Mafia, players take on the role of various criminals as they ascend to high-ranking members of criminal organizations. Each game has its own self-contained story and narrative, which means that players can pick up and put down any one they want without spoiling anything for themselves, and are free to collect Mafia‘s cigarette cards in each game to their hearts’ content. However, there are references and nods to past games in later ones, so in order to fully enjoy them, players may want to start with Mafia 2.
Mafia 2 was released in 2010, Mafia 3 in 2016, and Mafia: Definitive Edition most recently in 2020. By playing them in the order that they released, players can see all of the references that come in later games, and since Definitive Edition is a remake of the very first Mafia, it almost serves as a prequel to the second and third. Its themes become more apparent as the series goes on, which makes it more impactful when played out of order.
Mafia Games Should Be Played Second, Third, And First
When picking up the series for the first time, Mafia 2 should be played first because it’s the earliest one to be released aside from the original. Mafia‘s secrets, including its many cars, don’t rely on stories, so players aren’t missing out on anything by picking up the second one first. Playing the original is optional due to Definitive Edition making it somewhat obsolete, which means that in order to fully understand every reference in the series, the second game should come first. Players won’t miss anything crucial and can enjoy the rest of the series while finding the callbacks that come later.
Mafia 3, as the next game, should be played second. The themes that were introduced in the first two games are built upon, primarily those of loyalty and betrayal. The Mafia 2 references can’t be fully understood without playing it first, and using all of the similar features becomes more intuitive. Mafia‘s prohibition focus is best exemplified in Definitive Edition, but 3 still calls back to it well. Although there are no clear connections in the story, Mafia 3‘s ending is the closest that the series has to a definite completion, which sets up Definitive Edition to take on a different role than it originally had.
By playing Mafia: Definitive Edition last, it feels more like a prequel than the first game in the series. Seeing the world of organized crime as it once was after playing Mafia 2 and Mafia 3 becomes an all-new experience when playing the remake last. The themes of loyalty and betrayal come to a head in the ending, which becomes that much more powerful and impactful. Since the game was remade and not remastered, there are also a lot of references to 2 and 3 in Definitive Edition, which means that players who are new to Mafia won’t be able to understand them without playing those games first.
