Mafia I may not the best game in the world but it sure is one of my favorite ever!
The gameplay isn't spectacular by any means but it's good enough to enjoy it's simplicity and the car mechnics though hard, remind me a lot of GTA IV where you really need to learn the mechanics of driving to get good at it, especially if you want to use manual transmission which I highly recommend!
The gem of this game is definitely it's story and characters, the story could be considered short but I think that it's long enough to tell a good story about a man who's living in a time of financial insecurity, working as a taxi driver who gets no respect and beat up by some punks, turning into a big time mobster that is known by many who has to decide whether this life is good for him and his family, can he keep them safe?
Tommy Angelo is a great character in my opinion that feels like a real person considering the situations he finds himself in, he does horrible things but the money is great and loyalty is everything. He has two great friends but how much can he trust them in a world where your brother could be the one putting one between your eyes?

It's a wonderful game everyone should try at least once and I'm glad I got the platinum for this game!