Just when I thought I was out, they PULL ME BACK IN. Fans of organised crime (well, virtual organised crime) should take note, as it looks like the underrated Mafia franchise is making its long-awaited comeback. Publisher Take-Two Interactive applied for no less than three trademarks relating to Mafia last month, suggesting that we could be getting remasters of Mafia and Mafia 2 - and maybe even a brand new entry in the series.
Segment Next reports that the first two applications were specifically for Mafia and Mafia 2, along with their logos. Despite releasing 17 and eight years ago respectively, it seems Take-Two reapplied for the trademarks again on August 2. Trademarks do have to be renewed, but only every ten years, so the timing of this suggests that something is afoot.
The first Mafia released way back in 2002 for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 2, and is perhaps the most deserving of a remaster. It was incredibly well-received by critics at the time, though being a 17-year-old game, it's fair to say that it hasn't aged brilliantly and would probably need a few tweaks here and there to bring it in line with modern releases. Its sequel didn't arrive on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 until 2011 and wasn't quite as much of a hit - but it still a solid game that could benefit from a fresh coat of paint.
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You might also remember that we got a Mafia 3 in 2016, but the less said about that the better. Because it sucked. A real shame, as the last game in the series really did try to do something new and interesting before it fell into an endless slog of deeply tedious missions, hampered by near-constant bugs and glitches.
The third application is also for Mafia, but without the stylised logo of the original game. There's a small (incredibly small) chance that this could be for a complete reboot of the series rather than a Mafia 4, since we know that the fourth game in the series was scrapped before it even made it to development. The more likely explanation is that Take-Two is just trademarking the word as well as the logo, however.
Whether or not we'll be getting ground-up remakes, slightly overhauled remasters, or simple Nintendo Switch ports of the original two games remains to be seen. Personally, I'd put money on it being the third option, given the rate with which Nintendo's handheld/home console hybrid is attracting ports of older, often completely unexpected titles.
Featured Image Credit: Take-TwoTopics: Take-Two