Mafia 1 – Race Mission
Mafia 1’s infamous race mission has practically become a piece of gaming history at this point, and it definitely deserves a spot on this list. It sticks out like a sore thumb in a game that otherwise excels at grounded storytelling and atmospheric mob drama. For hours, players are eased into a slow-burning narrative only to suddenly be tossed into a brutally difficult street race with a Formula-style car that handles like a soap bar on wheels. One small mistake can send you spinning off and crying for dear life, and the absence of any checkpoints doesn’t make things any easier. Add to that the stiff controls and the long lap count, and it turns into a test of endurance rather than a showcase of skill. It’s a massive tonal shift that feels out of place for a game so rooted in realism, and because it’s a mandatory mission, many players found themselves stuck for hours, restarting over and over just to push the story forward.
