How Mafia II Remake Can Become One of the Best Ever Remakes

Over the past few months, Hangar 13 has significantly developed the Mafia franchise—a franchise that is still probably the closest equivalent to GTA, but at the same time has its own unique identity. Speaking of changes, some titles have become available on current-generation consoles, and a complete edition—Mafia: The Omerta Collection—has been released, not to mention The Old Country, a prequel released last year that significantly expanded the universe’s lore.

This year, the game also received a story DLC—Man of Honor. It brought back Ennio Salieri—one of the most important characters from the first game—and laid the groundwork for his future in Lost Heaven. The developers haven’t announced any future plans yet, but rumor has it that work is underway on a new Mafia game; it will be a direct sequel to The Old Country, set in Empire Bay—the city from Mafia II. However, there’s also talk of a full-fledged remake of the second title, which is being developed in parallel—and if such a project exists, it has every chance of becoming one of the best remakes in history.

Mafia II is considered one of the best games in the series and one of the best in the genre, and the remake has the potential to make it even better. According to rumors, the game will use the Unreal Engine 5, the same engine used in Mafia: The Old Country. Considering the graphics and level of detail in the prequel, and just how different, more expansive, and beautiful Empire Bay could become (though it also looked—and still looks—great in the original), we can be sure that we don’t need to worry about the visuals in the Mafia II remake—everything will be top-notch.

But what’s far more interesting here are the gameplay and story elements. During the development of Mafia II, the developers at 2K Czech reportedly cut out quite a few interesting features: additional open-world missions, a reputation and faction system, multiple endings, public transport, real estate and car purchases, shooting from vehicles, using the trunk to transport weapons, and more advanced melee combat mechanics involving cold weapons—not to mention certain types of weapons and vehicles. It’s not a given that all of this will necessarily be included in the Mafia II remake, but it would be interesting to see a more advanced melee combat system, the ability to use cold weapons, and a limited arsenal—which would make the game more realistic, even if not everyone would necessarily like that idea. Also, public transport would make the game world feel more alive, and side missions, which the main character Vito could receive from other characters, would be a natural fit for the Free Ride mode—which, by the way, wasn’t included in the original Mafia II either.

From a story perspective, Hangar 13 also has some work to do. It’s known that the first mission in Sicily was originally supposed to be longer, and considering that we spent quite a bit of time in San Celesto in Mafia: The Old Country (that’s where the events of the first chapter in the second game take place), it makes sense for the developers to make the first chapter bigger and longer. The studio has complete creative freedom in this regard, since the remake offers the opportunity to make the Mafia II plot even more cohesive. For instance, they could show more of Vito Scaletta’s life in prison—considering he spent six years there—explore his ongoing relationship with his sister Francesca after the protagonist beat up her husband, Eric, and also delve deeper into the story of Henry Tomasino, whose plot twist is widely considered one of the most fascinating yet, at the same time, somewhat underdeveloped in the game. Not to mention that the developers could add entirely new main and side storylines to the game, as Ubisoft did this year with Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.

Finally, the remake of Mafia II might finally answer the question of what happened to Joe at the end of the game. Thanks to Mafia III, we know that Joe survived and went to work for Leo Galante, but the third installment itself didn’t really focus much on the relationship between Vito and Joe, which disappointed many players. Of course, Vito did tell Lincoln Clay a few things, but the Mafia II remake could significantly flesh out the lore in this regard. For example, the game could include an epilogue or at least a post-credits scene showing what happened after Joe’s car veered off the road. Moreover, Mafia II remake could even lay the groundwork for a new installment in the franchise featuring Joe as the lead character. In Mafia III, Vito mentions that Joe went into hiding in Chicago for a while, and such a project could further bridge the gap between the second and third games and reveal what led him to join Leo Galante. Another post-credits scene could feature an older Vito Scaletta leaving Empire Bay and heading to New Bordeaux. The Mafia games have traditionally laid the groundwork for future installments, as was the case last year with The Old Country, and the remake should definitely follow suit.

Another important point—and an analogy with Ubisoft and Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced—is that the Mafia II remake should be entirely dedicated to Vito Scaletta's story, which means there can be no question of any DLC about Jimmy, especially since the events of The Betrayal of Jimmy and Jimmy's Vendetta take place in an alternate timeline. However, it’s worth noting that the main missions from the “Joe’s Adventures” DLC, where we play as Joe after Vito is sent to prison, should be included here. There aren’t that many main, full-fledged missions, and it would make perfect sense to add them to the main game—or at least the ones where Joe takes out the gas station attendant and then a former member of the Clemente family. Hangar 13 did something similar by incorporating the DLC’s events into the main story of Mafia: The Old Country, as the events of Man of Honor take place right in the middle of the game chronologically.

In any case, all of the above—and there’s surely more—makes the Mafia II remake a highly anticipated project, especially for franchise fans. As previously reported, Hangar 13 is also working on a direct sequel to The Old Country, which will most likely also take place in Empire Bay, as hinted at by the ending of 2025's title. It’s hard to say who will play the protagonist, but that makes the project seem even more intriguing. Also, it’s worth noting that Mafia II: Definitive Edition may soon become available on the current-generation consoles. But even more intriguing are the words of Glenn Taranto, the actor who plays Ennio Salieri, who suggests that something is about to be announced that will interest franchise fans. Perhaps it’s indeed the sequel to The Old Country and/or a remake of the second installment.