Mafia is a great Grand Theft Auto type game, that even surpases Grand Theft Auto in many ways.
Graphics are superb in this game, much better than Grand Theft Auto. Characters are amazingly done, the best Ive seen so far. Cars are extremely well modeled which can be deformed in numerous ways, though they are 50's cars, so don't expect Mafia to have anything you would see as cool (unless you like the old time cars of course). Cutscenes are also amazingly well done, and there are many of them which show the story unfold.
Sound is equally as well, though you might not like it since it's 50's music. It really makes Mafia feel more alive, and some of the music really isn't that bad to listen too. Unfortunantly, Mafia doesn't feature different radio stations as Grand Theft Auto did, but you'll usually be doing something anyways so it really doesn't matter that much.
Gameplay follows the string of amazing things this game offers. There isn't a great selection of guns/weapons but there's enough to make this game fun (It's hard not to have fun when you get to use Thompson's...). Driving is ALOT different from Grand Theft Auto, and will take a little bit of getting used to. Cars, as they should, are not fast and are not powerful; nor do they always start when you turn them on.
Mafia offers alot that anyone who enjoys FPS's will enjoy. The game looks similar to Grand Theft Auto, but plays much different, and in my opinion, much better. I've seen various prices for this game, but I found my copy for 10 bucks, which is an amazing price for such a good game.