I'm not sure how many sim-racers have also played/heard of a game called Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. Released in 2002, Mafia is a game that puts you in the shoes of a mobster in Prohibition-era 1930's America. Naturally, there is driving in that game, and the driving is actually really rather realistic. The cars are appropriately slow (particularly the 1930 base-model cars in the early parts of the game), handle very poorly, and the brakes... they don't. You'll also have to contend with crash damage and running out of fuel, and yes, the police will pursue you and pull you over for minor traffic offences.
One mission in the original Mafia game is particularly infamous: the fifth mission, "Fairplay." Your boss has a big bet on an upcoming race, taking place at the Lost Heaven Racing Circuit just outside of town, but this hotshot from Europe threatens to dominate the competition. The mob-boss stands to lose a lot of money, not to mention the confidence of the mobsters who follow their boss' lead with their own bets. You sneak into the race track (with the help of a paid-off guard) under the cover of darkness to steal the rival's race car, and take it to a mob-affiliated garage in town so that the mechanic can give it a tune-up (in other words, sabotage it). You'll then have to return the car to the paddock before the guards change their shift, all while avoiding damage to the car. The mission doesn't end there as the next day, you're recruited to drive in the race yourself, with the goal of winning. With fast cars and faster AI, combined with the 1930's bar-of-soap vehicle handling, it's not hard to see why this mission is regarded by many as the hardest in the game.
The original Mafia game has been completely remade, with Mafia: Definitive Edition set to release near the end of this month. In the meantime, for those who wish to re-enact Fairplay or simply to drive a car of their choice around the Lost Heaven Racing Circuit, __EASY__ of assetto-fr.tk has brought this circuit to Assetto Corsa. I myself have never played Mafia, but I have watched videos and found myself wanting to drive this circuit, so I just had to grab some inter-war racing cars and try it out.
The Lost Heaven Racing Circuit is just over two miles long, with a layout that reminds me quite a bit of Laguna Seca. The road is nice and wide for all but a couple of sections, and there's a chicane which can be taken at some speed. A couple of the turns are steeply banked, allowing you to carry a fair bit of speed through them, though I doubt you'll exceed 110 miles per hour around here in vintage race cars. There is plenty of elevation, giving the feeling of the track flowing with the landscape, and the atmosphere is completed with some vintage-style trackside advertisements.
Just like the Goodwood Revival, I made the effort to immerse myself in the atmosphere of a bygone era. In addition to the sepia filter that you can see in these photos, I went to the always-great Legion blog to get their inter-war racing cars. I tried out their 1939 3.0 litre Grand Prix cars, 750kg Grand Prix cars, 1.5 litre Voiturettes and 1930 Le Mans racers. Of these, I found the Voiturettes the nicest to drive. They were powerful enough to make them quick for the day, but not so much that the throttle was an instant-wheelspin button. They didn't have much grip, but I found them to be nice to drive, and I really enjoyed racing and drifting them around the circuit. The 1930 Le Mans cars were similarly enjoyable; not as tail happy, but the Blower Bentley and Mercedes SSK were still decently quick. The late-'30s GP cars on the other hand, were downright diabolical to drive, with way too much power and almost no grip whatsoever. The drivers who actually raced those cars must've been a different breed to be able to control those beasts.
While I mostly enjoyed my time in Lost Heaven, I do have to say a couple of negative points about the track as well. The textures aren't perfect, particularly with the rocks, and the trees are somewhat see-through at long-range. I'm not sure whether this track is scratch-made or a convert from Mafia, but these points do slightly betray the fact that this track was originally seen in a game from 2002. I do also remember one of the crash barriers (basically two metal tubes at waist-and-chest height) being rather easy to get your car wedged in, or even crash underneath and fall through the map. Then again, 1930's motor racing was hardly the safest pastime to begin with...
Would I recommend Lost Heaven Racing Circuit? It's a hard one to call, this. I get that the mod is free, and so I can't complain too much about the visuals. At the same time, I cannot ignore how this track isn't the best-looking I've come across. However, in terms of layout, it's a fast and fun track, especially in a car that is somewhat controllable. I really enjoyed racing the supercharged 4.5-litre Bentley and the Bugatti Type 51A around here, and even felt like I was playing that mission in Mafia. Is it possible to get nostalgic for a game I've never played? I don't know... If you're looking for a vintage race track, and are willing to prioritise layout and driving experience over visuals, then this could be worth checking out.
If you want to drive the Lost Heaven track for yourself, then you can download it from assetto-fr.tk.
While you are free to drive whatever you want on this track, for the best results, I'd recommend some inter-war cars from the Legion blog. In particular, I'd recommend the Alfa Romeo 158/39, Bugatti Type 51A, ERA Type B and Maserati 6CM from the Voiturettes 1.5 litre class, and/or the Bentley 4.5-litre Blower and Mercedes-Benz SSK from the Le Mans circa 1930 group. There's also the Grand Prix 750kg and Grand Prix 3 litre cars if you're feeling particularly insane.
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