Unlike its predecessors, Mafia: The Old Country doesn’t go forward in time, following the story of what happened to the Italian Mafia. Instead, it goes back to where it all began in Sicily. Instead of casinos and disco-era intrigue, it’s more like a gangsters’ drama meets a Western. Even though The Old Country uses common third-person action adventure gameplay, it offers rich settings and atmospheric immersion that feels incredibly real – as if you can smell the freshness of Sicily.
A Return to Linear Storytelling
After the open-world experiment of Mafia III, The Old Country returns to the original Mafia and Mafia II’s tight narrative structure. The open world is mostly just a space between objectives; a lineup that’s worked well for the series so far.
It develops a strong sense of place without unnecessary bs. The Sicilian countryside is detailed, varied and convincing, but it is away from random clambering towers and collectibles. It focuses solely on the plot which is instantly engaging for story lovers. Players who might enjoy the language options available in Sicilian will be at home here, while those seeking Saints Row-style mayhem might find the slow-paced storytelling less appealing.
A Tale as Old as Crime
Taking place in 1904, we see young Enzo Favara escape from the hard sulphur mines of the Spadaro crime family only to end up working for the Torrisis. Spanning over 13 hours, the story incorporates well-known archetypes including the helpful mentor, the loyal but reckless friend, the powerful Don, the cynical advisor, rival boss, and forbidden romance. Keen observers who have played the Mafia series will notice references to earlier games.
The story might be easy to guess for someone who has seen gangster films, but writing and great voices add depth to the story. Don Torrisi is voiced in English by Johnny Santiago. Unlike the flamboyant characters we often see, Torrisi’s background and character have a quiet, husky intensity. So much so, his portrayal of a man that killers would unquestioningly obey.
Familiar Action with a Western Flavour
If you have played a cover shooter in the last couple of years, you will be right at home with The Old Country’s third-person combat. Much like Mafia: Definitive Edition, fighting from behind a wall feels fluid and easy to control. The guns of the time like revolvers, repeaters, shotguns, all the horse-riding altercations, and the fact that the opponents seem to come out of Sergio Leone films, all give the action a Wild West character.
The combat is moderately challenging as the game uses soft-locking aiming controls by default, even when one doesn’t use the rosary bead buff system. Sometimes the enemy AI isn’t all there, letting you recover from a deadly position. Firefights are still pretty good though.
Stealth: Simple but Effective
The stealth gameplay isn’t revolutionary, but it offers useful variety. In some missions you are allowed to be stealthy, some not. There are a lot of places designed for sneaky entrances and easy swaps to all-out gun battles.
Distractions include flipping coins and certain bottles, though the fact we can’t use all environmental bottles causes little immersion break. Most importantly, you can hide bodies in convenient containers, making the stealth feel like a properly integrated mechanic rather than a last-minute addition.
Enzo’s ability to highlight the nearby enemies feels kind of like a superpower that is never really explained in the narrative. Still, it works out well for the stealth gameplay. Engaging enemies is either a matter of strangling them or using your knife. The knife costs ‘durability’, meaning you need to use whetstones to replenish this, which can become annoying.
Knife Fights: Stylish but Superficial
The recently introduced knife fights between two players effectively function as boss fights, with mechanics distinct from regular mechanics. While the duels have some fairly bloody, flashy animations, they can sometimes feel a little scripted and take control away from the player. Though they are visually striking and feel different from the rest of the game, these are sometimes just a bit too much throwing the stakes off.
Capturing a Bygone Era
The Old Country does an excellent job of evoking a time period in the early 1900s when cars had just started to compete with horses. Hangar 13 paid special attention to sound design.
The 120-year-old machines feature primitive engines, whining chain drives, and open cabins without sound insulation—all of which sound good. The map’s immersion, thanks to these raw sounds, is significantly enhanced. The devotion of the developers to immersion is seen through a gramophone bouncing off-road.
Integrating a racing mission makes all contextual sense, given that Sicily is home to the Targa Florio—a very old car race in the world. Despite lasting under seven minutes, it is one of the more exciting moments of the game.
Technical Performance
The switch to Unreal Engine 5—essentially the game engine equivalent of buying a new car—doesn’t drastically alter visual fidelity as Mafia: Definitive Edition already looks good as does The Old Country. Still, the PC version is much more stable than previous entries in the series, with no issues forcing a restart at checkpoints or gamebreaking bugs during testing.
Other than slight frame drops and pop-ins, technically, it’s pretty solid. One surprise feature you might not expect: a strong desire for cannolis and arancini balls after playing the game.
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The Verdict
Mafia: The Old Country is back to the linear, narrative-driven structure that made the first and second Mafia games such hits. Although its stealth and cover-shooting mechanics aren’t going to change gaming forever, a combination of terrific writing, excellent vocal performances, and attention to detail provides an immersive time machine to a period seldom explored in games.
The Old Country presents an excellent Italian-American experience that is both conventional and yet complex. With a delicious and sometimes cheesy experience, players will be enticed to play again and again. The Mafia series still manages to be an exciting criminal drama with style.