PS2 Remake Releases on PS5 and It’s Free for Some

August 15, 2026, 9:32am

A PS2 remake has been released on PS5, and it’s free for some. In the PS5 generation, we have seen more and more developers and publishers look back at the catalog of yesteryear rather than develop brand new games, let alone brand new IPs. There are a few reasons for this, such as skyrocketing development costs, a multimedia focus, and an increasingly nostalgic core audience. Whatever the causes are, it is happening, and we have our latest example of it.

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In 2016, Hangar 13 and 2K combined to release a remake of Illusion Softworks and Gathering of Developers’ 2002 game Mafia, under the name Mafia: Definitive Edition. As a 2016 release, this remake was naturally not on PS5, but now, 10 years later, this has been remedied with a stealth release of Mafia: Definitive Edition on PS5 as part of a new Mafia collection. And for those who own the game on PS4, this new PS5 version is free. This spares said PlayStation users from the game’s $40 asking price, though, for launch, it is on sale for just $5.99.

A Great Remake of a PS2 Classic

The original Mafia game, when it first released, was on PC only, where it earned an 88 on Metacritic. Unfortunately, its 2004 PS2 and Xbox console ports weren’t great, so these versions didn’t score as well. This didn’t stop it from selling appreciably on console, though. More than a decade later, the remake came and was released to a 79 on Metacritic, which is a solid score, but no doubt an underrating of the remake, which brought the game to modernity but preserved its story, gameplay, and more. To this end, its user reviews across the Internet are higher, including on the PlayStation Store, where the remake has a 4.41 out of 5 stars after more than 33,000 user reviews. This is an 88 on a 100-point scale, which lines up perfectly with the score of the original. As is, it is the best game in the series, and one of the best mobster games of all time, if not the best.

As for this new PS5 version, it comes with new 60 FPS gameplay, which the PS4 does not have, and other new technical improvements. In other words, this is not a simple port, but more of an enhanced port, and something 2K probably could have charged a $5 or $10 upgrade fee for.

As for the game itself, it’s just the original. In it, you play as Tommy Angelo, a hardworking cab driver in 1930s America recruited by the Italian Mafia, and recruited into a brutal war between Don Salieri and his organization and the Morello crime family. Who your friends and enemies are, though, isn’t always so clear.

At the time of its release in 2016, Mafia: Definitive Edition was one of the best-looking PS4 games and felt like a classic PS2 game in all the best ways. The only thing that doesn’t always quite hold up is its mission design. Further, while remade, its gameplay still could be better. The story, characters, and writing are all terrific, as is the game’s atmosphere and vibes.