A review of Mafia: The Old Country, the latest entry in the Mafia franchise
Mafia: The Old Country takes players to 1920s Sicily with a strong story and rich setting but suffers from restrictive design, dated combat, and frustrating stealth, making it worthwhile mainly for loyal franchise fans rather than casual players
The Old Country comes nearly a decade after Lincoln Clay’s 1960s escapades in New Bordeaux. For this one, developer Hangar 13 chooses to go back to 1920s Sicily. The game begins in the Mediterranean island’s Sulphur mines, where you experience the poverty and harsh circumstances of the time through the protagonist Enzo Favara. Surrounded by difficulty and excruciating challenges, Enzo sees working for “the family” as his way out of a hard life. However, as the game progresses, you, as Enzo, discover that the mafia life is one of constant action and anything but easy.
Hangar 13 has done a great job rendering 1920s Sicily as both a picturesque, visually appealing setting and a dangerous one where death and failure constantly loom. In my time with the game, I felt that while the visual elements were distinct in terms of locale, they often followed a similar blueprint to last year’s excellent Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
The narrative is compelling – starting slowly but steadily gaining momentum as the story progresses and new characters are introduced. Much like the Indiana Jones game, its open world offers nothing to explore, and at times, venturing beyond the main landmarks isn’t even possible. This restrictive design feels like a major step back from 2016’s Mafia III and the trajectory the franchise seemed to be taking. The overall experience seems like a wasted opportunity, especially given how stunning 1920s Sicily is to look at. I found the “stealth-focused” missions particularly frustrating, as progress ended the moment I was spotted, and many in-game/NPC actions felt unpredictable and inconsistent.
Despite its strong narrative, exceptional characters, and a detailed portrayal of the hard life in 1920s Sicily, The Old Country is a game that is let down by its limited scope and outdated combat and stealth mechanics. A game I recommend you only play at launch if you are an absolute fan of the franchise. For everyone else, there will be plenty of opportunities during sales to grab it at a sizable discount.
Sneak Peek:
Title Mafia: The Old Country
Developer: Hangar 13 for 2K Games
Game Type: Third Person Action Adventure with strong narrative and characters
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows
Price: Rs 3,799 on PS and Xbox, and INR 2,899 on Steam.
Verdict (all scores out of 10):
Innovative Gameplay: 6
Game Handling and Quality: 7.5
Value for Time: 6
Value for Money: 6
Overall 6.37
What Stands Out:
The return to roots for the Mafia franchise: a bold step, is executed quite well. 1920s Sicily is not only beautiful to look at but also rendered with great care.
The narrative is slow but deliberate, carrying weight and purpose. I liked the game’s slow start and how the game makers chose to have each character begin as a mafia caricature, gradually gaining depth and personality over time.
Fails to impress:
The linear design and focused narrative are restrictive and leave little room for exploration. This game is more in line with Mafia 1 from 2002 than the more open-world approach of Mafia 3.
The game’s combat and stealth mechanisms come across as extremely dated. While the weapons are varied and differently powerful, the overall mechanics are inconsistent. Stealth, in particular, is sometimes enforced with little nuance.
