The Titanic Mod for Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven aims to put the RMS Titanic in Mafia - the team is working towards making "one of the most detailed and accurate free 3D recreations of the Titanic ever made", with players able to explore the ship in freeroam mode.

Emma reported on the mod in July, speaking with lead developer and maritime engineer from the Netherlands, Robin Bongaarts. Bongaarts has been working on the project since September 2006, and finally now a portion of it has been released.

It's worth noting part one does not include the sinking of the Titanic. This is planned for a later release. Nor does it include a fully-fleshed out storyline, or the full interior of the ship itself.

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Ever wondered what a stroll around the magnificent decks of the Titanic would feel like? As ever... there's a mod for that.

The Titanic Mod for Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven aims to do exactly what it says on the tin, which is to put the RMS Titanic in Mafia. This isn't just any old 3D model seen from a distance, however - the mod team is trying to make "one of the most detailed and accurate free 3D recreations of the Titanic ever made". Players will be able to explore the ship in freeroam mode, and the work done so far really does look stunning:

On top of all that, the mod even comes with its own storyline. It promises fully voice-acted missions, complete with cutscenes and a new soundtrack.

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High profile members of Mafia developer 2K Czech and original Operation Flashpoint studio Bohemia Interactive have split to form a new outfit.

Prague-based Warhorse's first project is a yet to be announced RPG.

"There is a common thread running through our previous games: open worlds, strong storyline and, last but not least, realistic design," a statement on the Warhorse official site reads.

"We can proudly say that the games Mafia and Operation Flashpoint were the vanguard of this approach and millions of players worldwide clearly share our view. Even if our new project is different in many respects, it is a game that is not going to disappoint fans of open realistic worlds and quality stories."

Sat firmly in the jockey seat as Warhorse founder is mob shooter Mafia man Daniel Vávra. Creator of the series, he served as the original Mafia's director and lead designer, and holds designer and screenplay credits for Mafia II.

Other Czech talent includes Dragon's Lair author Martin Klíma, formerly of publishers ALTAR (Original War, UFO trilogy). Operation Flashpoint and ARMA designer Viktor Bocan, plus Mafia animator Zbynek Trávnivký are also on board.

The independent startup stable is currently recruiting more programmers and artists. Already the team's combined works have sold more than 11 million copies.

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