Mafia The Old Country, A Humble Review

As a long-time fan of the series, Mafia 3 was unnecessarily bloated. For me

, Mafia was never an "alternative GTA," as it's often called, nor do I think it should go in that direction. Instead of reinventing the wheel or trying to break an already established identity forcefully, Hangar 13's new installment, Mafia: The Old Country, demonstrates that it understands why we love Mafia and what its strongest assets are.

Want to play something completely different? Check out our Avowed review!

Mafia's Ancient Roots Come Alive in The Old Country

The beautiful but harsh and bloody Sicily becomes a grandiose backdrop for a first-class mafia drama that won't deter you, not even with painfully average gameplay and technical issues. Mafia: The Old Country delivers a fantastic atmosphere and top-notch storytelling that will keep your attention until the very end. If we're being honest, that's all a Mafia game needs to offer you a deal you can't refuse.

To begin with, the time and place of the story couldn't be better. Sicily at the beginning of the last century became the cradle of modern Mafia, and this unique blend of glamour, violence, rural poverty, and beautiful nature leaves you breathless and draws you into its mysterious world from the first frames.

Cosa Nostra is an inexhaustible theme for various books, movies, and games. Still, we rarely had the chance to see it in its original form, which might be particularly intriguing for many players. Namely, contrary to popular culture depictions, the origins of the Italian Mafia are pretty tied to masked bandits on horses, "honorable" knife duels, and bloody and extremely patriarchal conflicts between family heads over pieces of land, vineyards, or a wagon full of smuggled cigarettes.

With rapid enrichment and increasingly complex underworld development, rural violence escalates into bloody showdowns that terrified the whole of Italy, both for economic and moral reasons, and it's incredible that as a player, you witness this rapid jump through the main character's story.

One of the central motifs of the game is precisely this conflict of worlds: horses or cars, rural customs or plush seats in a grand opera, traditional Italian luparas or quality American firearms, one-on-one male fights or nighttime ambushes... Mafia: The Old Country dances between the harsh past and the inevitable future of one of the most significant and most secretive social phenomena of the 20th century, and for mafia fans, it couldn't be better.

A Tale of Rags to Riches

Apart from the interesting geopolitical situation, the game is set in picturesque and beautiful Sicily, which feels so alive here. Colorful towns with narrow cobblestone roads lined with drying laundry, sun-drenched squares with market stalls, rural roads alternating between dust and stones, remains of ancient temples scattered across the island...

The entire map is designed to evoke the summer charm of a Mediterranean beauty that often brings a smile to your face. However, keep in mind that this is a very staged setting in The Old Country, and you can't explore it freely whenever you want.

Mafia can't function without a top-notch and tense story, and we're pleased to confirm that The Old Country hasn't failed in this regard.

 In the game, you follow the fate of Enzo, a man who goes from being a slave in a mine to becoming the second most important man on the island. His story is an archetypal example of the folk "from rags to riches" tale, which is one of the more essential features of the mafia genre. 

Here, there's no poorly written or superfluous character in the game. Each finely acted character gets their five minutes on stage, helping to push the plot forward in one way or another.

I'd dare say this is the best story in the entire series, precisely because it most clearly shows why someone chooses a life in the criminal underworld. In previous Mafia games, characters were in horrible financial situations and often at the bottom of the social ladder, but technically had other options. On the other hand, Enzo, like many of his fellow islanders, doesn't have a tough choice.

Immersive Storytelling and Graphics in The Old Country

Although the Mafia had knocked on the door and further impoverished an already poor Sicily, it's ironic that it became the only opportunity for a young man there to rise above poverty and realize his potential. Here, the motif of later games is also subtly outlined, namely, the image of America as the Promised Land. Still, from the perspective of a man in a war-torn homeland, these aren't just empty phrases or myths, but a harsh reality about a country that, at least on paper, allows capable people to earn a clean living.

The faces are top-notch, to the extent that under certain angles, the cinematics can be mistaken for an old film.

The story is further enhanced by the graphics, which shine brightest in the portrayal of the protagonists' faces and facial expressions. The faces are incredibly well-done (specifically the eyes, tongue, and teeth), to the extent that, under certain angles, the cinematics can be mistaken for those of an old film.

However, Mafia: The Old Country isn't the most beautiful game ever. Despite the vibrant Sicily, incredibly realistic lighting, and realistic characters, the game occasionally appears like a last-generation title. However, when it comes to close-ups, everything is top-notch. As the cherry on top, I'd add the voice acting in Sicilian, which is a pleasant detail for the ear and very useful for deepening the believability.

Mixed Gameplay Experience

Unfortunately, Mafia: The Old Country suffers from some banal problems, most notably dull gameplay and questionable technical state at launch. As for the gameplay, I can't say they didn't try something with the whole thing, but all the small additions and changes to the Mafia gameplay at best leave a bland impression.

For example, they've added horse riding, which is a welcome, authentic addition from a narrative and thematic standpoint. Still, in gameplay, it boils down to a slower means of transportation with no other function. You'll have one horse race, and a few times you'll be able to choose whether to ride to a mission by car or horse, and that's about it.

One Red Dead Redemption 2 is immeasurably better in absolutely every segment involving horses: from graphics, physics, and riding feel to animations and gameplay segments.

The most significant novelty in gameplay is the knife fight, which, with just a few attacks and one poor countering mechanic, represents masked quick-time events. If nothing else, the duels take place in quite diverse locations that we won't reveal, but we believe you'll be thrilled. Controversially, and entirely unnecessarily, the game has implemented the ability to detect enemies through walls. You know, that special sense you're born with as a predestined mafia candidate!

This is unnecessary because Cosa Nostra was never known for wearing hoods, and the enemy AI in The Old Country is so evil that on normal difficulty, I didn't even need to use my... mafia vision!!

Gameplay and Tech Issues in The Old Country

There's also one small but fascinating gameplay surprise, and apart from that, you might stumble upon some characters from previous games by pure chance. Believe us, we'd love to reveal everything, but you know the law of Omertà.

There are also the obligatory races and, combined with stealth sections, high-speed chases, drives to locations, and shootouts, it feels solid in terms of variety, but nothing more than that, especially since none of these elements are above average. When it comes to exploration, there's almost none, but that's not new for the series. 

This time, you collect newspaper articles and mystical statues, and with the obligatory money, you buy better firearms, knives, cars, and clothes for yourself and your steed.

To complete the game, you'll need somewhere between nine and eleven hours, and I doubt you'll have a great desire to restart the game immediately. Because let's face it, the story has only one version, and the gameplay won't offer you anything different in a second playthrough. 

Oh, and I must mention that you have various perks that you unlock by strengthening your rosary, which is one of those sentences that's impossible to write anywhere else but in a game review, so what else can I say but thanks to everyone who made this possible!

On The More Technical Side...

Technically, the state on consoles is significantly better than on PCs, but the situation isn't great on the PS5 either. You have two standard rendering modes, but the problem is that even in the one prioritizing performance, I couldn't always get a smooth 60 fps, and I had the same issue with the other mode. The frame rate would sometimes get stuck between 25 and 30 fps.

When it comes to bugs, I didn't experience any ghostly situations, although my immersion was always ruined when Enzo would open doors with his fingers 20 centimeters away from the handle. Various small things make the game a rough diamond, but it still offers good value even as it is.

In Conclusion

Mafia: The Old Country feels like an old friend from childhood who hasn't changed much and hasn't advanced much in life. But that can be a good thing because it's still someone you've had a good relationship with. 

In this case, the situation is quite clear: if you love crime stories, the Mafia, or the Mafia series, you can't miss this game. If you're unsure whether this game is for you, wait for the inevitable sale and allow yourself to dive into the mysterious Sicily, which exudes beauty, malice, and a cry for a better life.

Rating: 7.5/10. 

The game received a 7.5/10 rating due to its engaging storyline and immersive atmosphere, but was brought down by its average gameplay and technical issues.

Recommended age: 17+. 

I would recommend this game to players aged 17 and above due to its mature themes, violence, and strong language. Mafia: The Old Country has an ESRB rating of 17+.