Mafia: The Old Country – A Brief but Beautiful Sicilian Story

The highly anticipated prequel to the beloved series, Mafia: The Old Country, has arrived, and it’s a breathtaking return to form for developer Hangar 13. While the game’s marketing has focused heavily on its cinematic visuals and period-accurate setting, the core of the experience lies in its tightly-wound narrative. In a gaming landscape dominated by sprawling, open-world epics, Mafia: The Old Country offers a refreshing and focused story, though its brief runtime and familiar gameplay may leave some players wanting more.

Set in early 1900s Sicily, the game puts players in the shoes of Enzo Favara, a young man who escapes a life of indentured servitude in the sulfur mines to join the ranks of the powerful Torrisi crime family. The story, while hitting many familiar gangster movie beats—the stern but fair Don, the hot-headed best friend, and a forbidden romance—is elevated by strong writing and phenomenal voice acting. The English dubbing is particularly noteworthy, with Johnny Santiago’s performance as Don Torrisi injecting a quiet, husky intensity that makes him a truly intimidating presence.

The game’s aesthetic is a masterpiece. The developers have meticulously recreated the rugged beauty of the Sicilian countryside, from sun-drenched vineyards to crumbling stone villages. This world, rendered in the stunning Unreal Engine 5, feels more like a living, breathing movie set than a typical open-world map. This deliberate design choice, which pares back the scale of Mafia III, is a major strength. The world serves as a vivid backdrop for the story, with most of the player’s time spent moving from one tightly scripted, narrative-driven mission to the next. This linear approach is a welcome return to the formula of the first two Mafia games, cutting out the bloat and focusing on what the series does best: cinematic storytelling.

Gameplay: Familiar Yet Serviceable

While the story and setting are top-tier, the gameplay in Mafia: The Old Country is a bit of a mixed bag. The core mechanics—third-person cover shooting, stealth, and melee combat—are serviceable but don’t break any new ground. Shootouts are functional, with a default soft-locking aim assist that keeps the action moving. However, the enemy AI can be inconsistent, and the lack of a deep weapon upgrade system or meaningful character progression means that the gunplay remains largely static throughout the 12-to-15-hour campaign. Stealth segments are also fairly straightforward, often requiring players to simply sneak behind enemies and perform a takedown.

The game includes a few gameplay flourishes that are tied to the setting, such as horseback riding and period-accurate cars, but even these are often limited to specific, scripted moments within missions. The open world, while beautiful, is largely a static environment to traverse, with little in the way of side quests or activities to fill the time. A separate “exploration mode” allows players to freely roam the map, but without a compelling reason to do so, it feels like a missed opportunity to fully immerse players in the world. The absence of a robust crime or wanted system further emphasizes the game’s linear nature, a design choice that will appeal to fans who prefer a focused narrative but may disappoint those looking for a true sandbox experience.

A Legacy of Storytelling and a Hope for the Future

In many ways, Mafia: The Old Country feels like a love letter to classic mob cinema and a confident return to the series’ roots. It’s a testament to the developers’ belief that a great story is more valuable than a massive, content-filled map. While the gameplay is uninspired and the experience is over too quickly, the beautiful world and a gripping narrative make it a worthwhile journey. For fans of the series and anyone who appreciates a well-told crime story, Mafia: The Old Country is an experience that should not be missed. It’s a beautifully crafted and refreshingly brief adventure that proves the old-school linear approach still has a vital place in the modern gaming landscape.