The campaign in Celtic Kings treads familiar ground, offering little to distinguish itself from other real-time strategy games. In fact, the entire experience feels remarkably conventional, lacking any truly unique elements.
Beyond its fantastic storyline, Mafia boasts some of the most enjoyable gameplay of the year. From its vibrant, living city to the remarkably realistic vehicles, it possesses the heart and soul of a true blockbuster.
Having anticipated a robust single-player campaign brimming with a compelling story upon purchase, I was significantly let down to discover it offered only team-based single-player gameplay devoid of any narrative depth or campaign structure – a far cry from what I was hoping for.
Great graphics and sound, top-notch AI, wonderfully entertaining dialog, and an impressive variety of gameplay all make this one of the best games of the year.