When you’re here, you’re family.
The Mafia games have always been an interesting release for me. The first game didn’t gel with me until the remaster. The second game really hooked me with its linear design and story. The third game was fantastic but went on far too long. What makes this great is that each game feels like its own experience without having to be tied to the previous one. Mafia: The Old Country continues this trend with a focused single-player experience that never outstays its welcome, while also creating unique and interesting characters. While it is a little on the short side, the experience was outstanding from start to finish.
The Old Country takes place in the early 1900s in a fictional town called San Celeste in Sicily. Players assume the role of Enzo Favara and begin with him and his friend Gaetano working in sulfur mines. He aspires to earn money and make a better life for himself. Shortly into the game there is a collapse and the loss of his friend sends him on a path that ends up with him working for the Torrisi family, thus working his way up the ranks.
MSRP: $49.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $49.99
This works mostly in part because of the performances. Each and every character is well-written and performed. I loved seeing the progression of Enzo within the family and the things he has to do over time. While it does hit most of the standard tropes of a good mob story, it is done with so much care that I didn’t mind that I knew where most of it was going before it got there. There are also nods to the existing games for anyone paying close enough attention. The narrative is definitely the main draw here.
As mentioned, this take on the series goes back to its roots as far as game play is concerned. This is not a sprawling open world with icons on a map and side missions to pad the play time. Instead, this is a focused single player adventure that runs less than 15 hours and focuses entirely on the story it is presenting. That doesn’t mean that the world is not vibrant and sprawling. The team has done an outstanding job of making the countryside feel massive, even if we don’t get out and explore it. Each area has its own flavor and feels unique.
The core game play is your standard third-person fare with cover mechanics and various forms of transportation including horses and primitive vehicles. The weapons feel good and match the time period, so no automatic rifles and instead it resembles more of a western shooter complete with revolvers and battles that take place on horseback. It is definitely fresh in a world where we spend so much time in big cities.
There is also a stealth element to the game that feels like a by-the-numbers template that achieves what it sets out to do. Most of the time it is optional, but there are instances where it is required. The Old Country feels like a game we would have seen during the 360/PS3 era and I kind of love it. Developers are so obsessed with creating bloated open world games these days that we rarely see something that focuses entirely on the story it wants to tell. I loved being able to just move forward and not have to worry about collecting a bunch of arbitrary items to improve my fun. There is an upgrade system in the form of rosary beads for perks, but the game is not punishing without investing into them.
Another emphasis is the knife battles that crop up from time to time. These mostly serve as boss fights and there are even tutorials on how it works. Once engaged players are locked into these until a winner is declared. They are basic in the sense that players have a couple of attacks, a dodge, and a parry. It is a neat diversion from the main combat and stealth, but it is also never overused. There is also a racing segment, but don’t worry, it is not as frustrating as the one in the original game. The Old Country is all about its moments, and they are done very well most of the time.
Visually the game looks great. They have moved away from their engine and are now using Unreal Engine 5. This is not always positive as teams have had issues, and some of those are present here. The world looks fantastic, but much like any other UE5 game, it comes with performance issues. The frame rate is all over the place at times. It isn’t a deal-breaker, but still noticeable. As I mentioned the voice work is stellar and the music is fitting. This is a well-presented game on all fronts.
Mafia: The Old Country is a solid entry in the long-running franchise. I love the focus on the story, and the runtime is welcome in a world of bloat. The performances are stellar and the visuals fantastic outside of the performance issues. Anyone who enjoys a good mob story should not miss this.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
