Mafia: The Old Country – A Return to the Series’ Roots
The Mafia three part has long balanced between a cinematic story along with gritty gameplay. Under the developer Hangar 13 and the publisher 2K, it has seen wonderful highs and awful lows. If Mafia III was the Godfather Part III of the series, Mafia: The Old Country wants to be godfather part II — more specifically perhaps sicily. Instead of driving on into the 1970s, this prequel transports players right back to where it all began, a series of sun-scorched hills in early 20th-century Sicily, rather than US cities that sprawl endless into the background. It’s a smaller scrappier and more personal version of the crime saga that takes from Red Dead Redemption as much as it does from GTA.
But the real question is: does this by-the-thin-script back to basics approach reinvigorate or merely play safe with the franchise?
Story – Old-School Crime Done Right
The game puts you in the shoes of Enzo Fava, a young miner trapped in indentured servitude before escaping and being taken under the wing of a ruthless Sicilian don. There are cars — of course there are!— but they’re relatively rare, so you’ll spend a lot of the game traveling on horseback, giving it a wild-west-meets-mafia vibe.
The story hits the usual beats: family loyalties, blood feuds, romance (including with the don’s daughter) and betrayals that are part of an inevitable arc. The turns won’t surprise anyone, but the delivery’s muscular. The writing and performances flesh out characters who are capable at once of being both sympathetic and loathsome. Rather than seeking to reinvent the narrative wheel, the game plants its feet and instead focuses on telling an emotive, soulful crime story at a leisurely pace — so leisurely that it will take you three hours just to get your hands on a gun.
Gameplay – Focused and Familiar
“The Old Country is not an open-world sandbox.” Hangar 13 has been straight about that. The game is relatively linear and although you can free-roam in its downtime between mission, it’s more in the vein of Mafia I or II. Free roaming is confined to collectibles, shops, and a smattering of light exploration. There’s a trade-off here in the sense that it means there’s no room for richer side content — think Petraxtovik activities or bandit hideouts ala Spider-Man — but what you get instead is a tightly directed experience with no open-world filler.
Combat & Stealth
Gunplay is more polished than prior iterations. Enemies are more aggressive, arenas are less confined and encounters cajole you into flanking, sneaking and general motion. Aim sway on harder settings makes you get closer to land clean shots, and enemies lob grenades and rush you to make you leave cover. Stealth is both simple and forgiving, some missions allowing for multiple paths of infiltration as well as optional rewards you can earn if you notice something like a chest or safe.
Progression & Customization
Currency makes it possible to unlock weapons, horses, cars and even upgrade your rosary with passive buffs — things that specifically matter when you play on hard difficulty. There is optional exploration that's incentivized but engaging the story moves you along.
Presentation – A Cinematic Showcase
The Old Country Look-wise, The Old Country is a stunner; the Mediterranean environment is presented in luscious cinematic detail. The cutscenes are all extremely well done, with good vocal performances and solid animation. Some accents won’t quite click, but the atmosphere is all enveloping.
It’s smooth sailing on the PC, with slowdowns coming few and far between, and the reviewer only experienced one crash to desktop. Generous checkpoints ensure minimal frustration.
Final Verdict – The Old School Pioneers On
Mafia: The Old Country isn’t out to wow with innovation. Instead, it offers a polished, story-first experience that reads as the most refined version of the Mafia formula yet. It’s not GTA VI — and it doesn’t attempt to be. It’s also a more reasonable value at $50 as opposed to the $70–$80 norm increasingly present in modern releases.
If you want:
1: An enhanced version of Mafia: Definitive Edition in a new, original setting
2: A moving crime story with impeccable characters
3: Reliable, if tired, combat and stealth
… then you’re probably going to be pretty happy. Just remember to play it on hard for the full experience.
Final Score: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
A gorgeously made, old-school crime drama with polished systems, minimal exploration and a strong sense of place. The first game wasn’t groundbreaking, but it certainly earned its place in the Mafia legacy.
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