Mafia Vs The Godfather

There’s plenty in the organized crime world to build a game around. Of course, adapting The Godfather is a no-brainer, and there are already a couple of games that do that. But the Mafia series also takes an interesting point of view, often focusing on the rise of a “nobody” through the ranks of the most powerful crime families. But which one offers a superior gaming experience? Let’s find out in our Mafia vs The Godfather article below.

What is Mafia?

Mafia is an action-adventure game series from the developer 2K Czech. So far, there have been four mainline games, with the latest Mafia: The Old Country launching in 2025. Since the third entry, developer Hangar 13 and 2K Games have taken the reins of bringing the series to market. 

Digging a little deeper, the Mafia series has been a single-player, third-person shooter action-adventure, using the sandbox gameplay style to tell its narrative. The games star fictional crime families, set in different periods in the 1900s, in fictional or reimagined American cities and Sicily. 

What is The Godfather?

The Godfather, on the other hand, is an action-adventure game that launched in 2006. In the driver’s seat of development was EA Redwood Shores, and Electronic Arts as the publisher. Thereafter, The Godfather II sequel launched in 2009. 

The Godfather takes place during the events of the first film. Set in New York, between 1945 and 1955, you unfold the plot of the first movie. However, players create their own character and are challenged to climb through the ranks of the Corleone family. Eventually, you become the Don of your own mafia family. 

In the sequel, the developers expand on the gameplay of the first game. You’re free to build and manage your own criminal empire, running illegal operations across New York, Las Vegas, Havana, Cuba, and Lake Tahoe. You also get snippets of Sicily, as flashbacks, where Vito Corleone grew up.

Story

Mafia’s stories often follow the same story arc of a “nobody” rising through the ranks of a fictional crime family. They are often attracted to organized crime by the allure of power and wealth. However, at the height of success, they often are faced with conflict and consequences that force them to rethink their choices. They may lose their power and wealth through betrayal and violence, among other mature themes of moral dilemmas. 

The Godfather, on the other hand, follows the plot of the first movie. However, it puts you in the shoes of a character you create who rises through the ranks of the Corleone family. It’s more or less reliving through the key moments of the first movie from your point of view, often incorporating unexpected twists. 

In that sense, you might draw similarities to the Mafia stories. Both explore the pursuit of a better life in the context of a brutal criminal underworld. However, Mafia games tend to follow a linear path, focusing on the protagonist’s narrative. The Godfather, on the other hand, tends to take a more open-world story structure. While exploring the key plot points and interacting with characters from the movie, you also step aside and further explore building your own criminal empire. 

With regard to which series does it better, well, The Godfather remains one of the strongest stories of underground crime. It carries immense depth and even affects our culture. Still, Mafia games pride themselves on compelling narratives. They have strong writing and really reel you into the protagonist’s exploration of power and moral themes.

Gameplay

Mafia games use a single-player, third-person shooting perspective to unravel their linear, story-driven campaign. You explore a vast city, collecting valuable items; however, there are limitations on how much you can interact with NPCs and environments. You’ll then enter intense moments of car chases, shootouts, and stealth missions, which, unfortunately, aren’t Mafia’s strongest suit. Even in the latest Mafia: The Old Country, the combat is stiff and buggy. 

The Godfather, on the other hand, features an open-world gameplay system ahead of its time. You explore via a third-person perspective, completing contract hits, extortion, and engaging in turf wars. The story missions you’ll complete are linear, following the first movie’s plot points. And you’ll rise through the ranks, eventually becoming the Don. By virtue of a more explorable open world, with more complex things to do like dominating territories and buying businesses, The Godfather offers a better gameplay experience. You also manage resources, plan attacks, recruit soldiers, and make alliances, all offering more strategic gameplay. 

It’s unsurprising that Mafia visuals are better than The Godfather, given the time of release, a remake, and remaster. Mafia has made it to current-gen consoles, offering better performance and smoother gameplay. Even the music and sound are better. You enjoy realistic and historically authentic environments in Mafia games. 

Verdict: Mafia Vs The Godfather

You could say that both the Mafia series and The Godfather have strong storytelling, with the former thriving on strong writing and compelling characters, while the latter deeply explores the nuances of power and crime families within organized crime. 

The Godfather offers a more open-ended, strategic gameplay system compared to Mafia’s stronger narrative focus. And I suppose, the better choice will depend on your preference. Still, The Godfather goes deeper with its resource management, offense and defense tactics, and ability to enact wise moves, whether alliances, coordinating attacks, or anticipating your rivals’ moves, as the Don. 

I’d say The Godfather is the superior gaming experience. Its story is definitely more profound and complex, with nuanced themes and dilemmas in the world of organized crime. It’s also exceptional in capturing an open-world, more strategic gameplay system. Still, it’s no secret that Mafia has excelled in strong narratives, curating compelling storylines and characters you’ll remember long after you beat the game.

Mafia games are also technically superior, whether in graphics, sound, or performance. And thus, you might enjoy a more engaging and immersive playthrough. You also cannot deny the immense impact the Mafia series has had on organized crime, effectively pioneering the sub-genre to the heights it currently is at.