There is something rotten at the heart of New Bordeaux, and it has been that way for a very long time. Beneath the warm Louisiana sunshine, the humming neon signs and the lively streets of 1968 America lies a city built on corruption, racial injustice and organised crime. It is a place where loyalty can be worth more than money, betrayal can cost you everything, and the people who claim to protect you may be the very ones holding the knife. Mafia III: Definitive Edition takes us into this ugly, fascinating world through the eyes of Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam War veteran whose return home ends in tragedy and sets him on a path from which there is no easy escape.
Developed by Hangar 13, Mafia III takes a different approach to the traditional gangster fantasy. Lincoln is not simply an ambitious criminal looking to make a name for himself. He is a man who has already experienced the horrors of war, only to discover that the streets he once considered home can be every bit as merciless as a battlefield. When the Italian Mafia betrays and murders members of the Black Mob, the surrogate family that gave Lincoln a place in the world, his life is shattered. What follows is a brutal campaign of revenge that gradually becomes something much larger: a story about power, belonging, and the terrible consequences of allowing hatred to become your reason for living.
The Definitive Edition brings the complete package together, including the main game, all three story expansions Faster, Baby!, Stones Unturned and Sign of the Times, alongside the Family Kick Back Pack and Judge, Jury & Executioner Weapons Pack. With 60 FPS gameplay and technical improvements available on Xbox Series X|S, this edition offers a compelling reason to revisit Lincoln’s story. More importantly, it preserves a crime drama that has plenty to say about its setting and characters, even when the gameplay occasionally struggles to match the quality of the writing.
Lincoln Clay: A Different Kind of Protagonist
Lincoln Clay is one of the game’s greatest strengths. Physically imposing and capable of extraordinary violence, he could easily have become another one-dimensional action hero. Instead, his military background, personal losses and complicated sense of loyalty give him a convincing emotional foundation. He is a man who understands violence all too well, yet finds himself returning to it because the world around him offers few alternatives. There is tragedy in that contradiction, and the story becomes far more interesting when we consider what Lincoln sacrifices with every step towards vengeance.
The supporting cast also deserves considerable credit. Cassandra, Thomas Burke and Vito Scaletta each bring their own ambitions, grudges and expectations to Lincoln’s expanding criminal operation. They are not simply interchangeable lieutenants waiting to receive orders. Each represents a different part of New Bordeaux’s criminal underworld, and their relationships add tension to the business of building an empire. Vito will be particularly familiar to returning players, while Cassandra and Burke help give the new setting its own identity.
What makes these characters work is the uncomfortable truth that loyalty in this world is rarely unconditional. Lincoln must decide which lieutenants receive territory, resources and opportunities, knowing that the distribution of power can affect the future of his organisation. These decisions add a welcome layer of strategy to the narrative, even if they do not transform the overall structure as dramatically as one might hope. Building a new family is never quite the same as restoring the one you have lost, and the game understands that distinction.
New Bordeaux Is the Real Star
New Bordeaux is a fictionalised version of New Orleans, and its late 1960s setting gives the game much of its personality. From its distinctive neighbourhoods and roadside businesses to its industrial areas and more affluent districts, the city feels divided by money, influence and deeply entrenched prejudice. The period is not merely a collection of vintage cars, old-fashioned clothing and nostalgic music. It is fundamental to the story, shaping how characters interact, where they feel safe and the opportunities available to them.
The depiction of racial discrimination is particularly important. Lincoln’s experiences take place in an America where prejudice is woven into everyday life, and the game does not always make for comfortable viewing. Encounters with authority figures and the social divisions between neighbourhoods help establish a world in which the criminal underworld is only one part of a much wider system of exploitation. At its best, Mafia III uses its historical setting to give the revenge story genuine weight, making New Bordeaux feel like more than a convenient playground for gunfights.
The atmosphere is greatly strengthened by the soundtrack. The music of the 1960s gives journeys across the city a life of their own, with the radio helping to establish the period’s mood while offering welcome relief from the grim business of dismantling the Marcano crime family. A well-chosen track can make an ordinary drive memorable, whether Lincoln is travelling towards a dangerous confrontation or simply crossing town between missions. It is one of those rare soundtracks that feels inseparable from the identity of the game, adding colour, energy and a little humanity to an otherwise violent world.
Guns, Fists and Criminal Empire Building
When it comes to combat, Lincoln is a formidable presence. Third-person shooting mechanics make use of cover, weapons and tactical positioning, while close-quarters encounters deliver a particularly brutal sense of impact. Lincoln’s military training is reflected in his ability to approach situations with a mix of aggression and calculated precision. Players can charge into a fight with guns blazing, use cover to methodically eliminate opposition, or adopt a stealthier approach by isolating enemies and taking them down without immediately raising the alarm.
That flexibility is welcome because the game regularly places Lincoln in hostile territory, where a careless approach can quickly turn a manageable encounter into a desperate firefight. The violent melee executions reinforce the sense that Lincoln is not an ordinary street-level criminal. He is a battle-hardened soldier who knows how to end a confrontation decisively, although the brutality can become unsettling when viewed in the context of his increasingly destructive quest. Combat is satisfying, but its strongest moments come when it supports the character rather than simply providing another excuse to pull the trigger.
The larger problem is repetition. To weaken the Marcano family’s hold over New Bordeaux, Lincoln must investigate rackets, interrogate informants, disrupt criminal operations and seize control of illicit businesses. These activities gradually undermine enemy influence and prepare districts for more significant confrontations. There is a certain satisfaction in watching the empire begin to crumble, particularly when a long campaign of disruption finally opens the way to a major target. Unfortunately, the process can start to feel like a checklist, with similar tasks repeated across district after district.
This is where Mafia III occasionally undermines its own momentum. The main story has real emotional force, but the time spent completing recurring activities can make the journey towards its most important moments feel longer than necessary. The contrast is frustrating because the narrative deserves to remain at the forefront. When the game allows its characters and central conflict to take centre stage, it can be gripping. When it sends Lincoln back out to perform another round of familiar criminal errands, that grip begins to loosen.
Choices, Consequences and the Cost of Power
The territory system offers welcome decisions beyond simply choosing which gun to carry. Lincoln’s lieutenants each have their own interests, and handing businesses or districts to one can improve their standing while potentially frustrating another. Their rewards include practical advantages such as weapons, upgrades and useful abilities, giving these choices a tangible impact on how the campaign unfolds. There is a pleasing sense of building something from the wreckage of Lincoln’s old life, even if the empire he creates is hardly an improvement on the criminal organisation he is trying to destroy.
Thematically, this is one of the game’s most interesting contradictions. Lincoln sets out to avenge those taken from him, yet his methods involve expanding the very kind of criminal enterprise that ruined his life. Every victory brings him closer to the men he wants to destroy, yet it also draws him deeper into their world. That tension gives the story a darker edge than a straightforward tale of revenge and encourages players to consider whether Lincoln is reclaiming his future or allowing the past to consume it.
Driving also plays a significant role in the experience. The cars suit the period, and travelling around New Bordeaux helps the world breathe between missions. However, the time spent crossing the map can become tiresome when combined with the repetitive structure of the district activities. The city is interesting enough to explore, but the journey between objectives does not always feel as rewarding as the destination.
The Definitive Edition and Its Extra Content
The Definitive Edition’s biggest advantage is its completeness. Rather than offering the base game alone, it includes the three major narrative expansions, each offering another chance to spend time with Lincoln and the dangerous world he inhabits. Faster, Baby! introduces a more action-focused story centred on corruption and a civil rights activist, while Stones Unturned brings a military conspiracy into the picture. Sign of the Times takes a darker turn, delving into a disturbing investigation involving a violent cult.
These expansions broaden the experience beyond the central campaign, offering different flavours of crime and conspiracy while giving players more reasons to return to New Bordeaux. The included bonus packs also provide additional weapons and vehicles, rounding out an already substantial package. Their value lies not simply in adding more content, but in giving Lincoln’s world room to explore ideas and conflicts that would otherwise remain on the margins of the main story.
On Xbox Series X|S, the advertised 60 FPS gameplay is a welcome improvement for a game built around shooting, driving and close-quarters combat. A smoother frame rate makes actions feel more responsive and makes the frequent confrontations easier to follow. It is not a complete transformation of the experience, however. Technical improvements cannot remove the repetitive mission design or completely disguise the age of the underlying game, and the Definitive Edition should be viewed as a more complete and technically improved way to experience Mafia III, rather than a wholesale remake.
Final Verdict
Mafia III: Definitive Edition is a flawed yet deeply memorable crime drama. Its repetitive district activities can feel like busywork, and the open world does not always make the most of its considerable atmosphere. Yet beneath those shortcomings lies a story with genuine emotional weight, a protagonist worth caring about, and a setting that feels unusually willing to confront the era’s uglier realities. Lincoln Clay’s journey is not a comfortable power fantasy in which every act of violence brings uncomplicated satisfaction. It is a story about loss, loyalty and the danger of letting revenge become the only thing left in your life.
The Xbox Series X|S enhancements and bundled expansions make this a strong way to experience the complete package, especially for anyone who missed it the first time around. The combat remains satisfyingly brutal, the soundtrack is superb, and New Bordeaux is a setting that lingers long after the engine has stopped and the radio has gone quiet. It may not have the consistently focused pacing of the very best crime games, but it has enough heart, anger and ambition to stand out from the crowd.
