Hangar 13’s Mafia: Definitive Edition is out next month and looks to remake the original in stunning fashion. There’s plenty of new additions like a new lighting engine and recreated cinematics. Multiple difficulty options will also be in place but those who seek a challenge can opt for Classic Difficulty.
Announced today, Classic Difficulty essentially channels the old Mafia experience. Hangar 13 Senior Systems Designer Prakash Choraria says that, “With Classic Difficulty, we wanted to deliver something that is still an accomplishment to overcome, while smoothing over some of the bumps that could otherwise feel frustrating. Taking the race in the Fair Play mission as an example, the goal across all of Mafia: Definitive Edition’s difficulty settings was to make it a little easier than the original, as many players got stuck and were unable to beat it. On Classic, the race is still pretty tough, but is conquerable with patience and practice.”
Driving assists are either weaker or disabled compared to other settings, and you won’t see signs in-game telling you where to go. As for the police, they’ll be fairly punishing of any small crime. “No offense is too small,” says Choraria. “Drive even a little over the speed limit and you’ll need to pull over and pay a fine to stop the situation from escalating.” If you insist on ignoring the law, the police will give pursuit, set up roadblocks and so on. Vehicles are also more fragile so they won’t have a hard time pulling you over by force.
Another aspect of the original game that’s mirrored in Classic Difficulty is losing any remaining. “If you reload that Tommy gun with 38 bullets left in the clip, you’ll lose all of them.” You’ll also automatically heal only up to 20 percent of total health while first aid kits will restore less. Don’t worry – if things get too punishing, you can switch difficulties at any time. There is a Trophy/Achievement for beating the entire game on Classic Difficulty though.
Mafia: Definitive Edition releases on September 25th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.