Mafia: The Old Country is a prequel that introduces us to the sun-drenched landscapes of 1900s Sicily, as opposed to the familiar urban jungles of America we’ve been used to. The series’ dedication to historical authenticity and its unflinching narrative grit is something that’s continued since the now 23-year old first game. This is a decidedly slower paced story that doesn’t always pay off, and often goes in predictable directions, it still manages to have well-earned payoffs. After riding horseback through dusty vineyards and tense shootouts in dimly lit catacombs, Mafia: The Old Country is a compelling, if occasionally flawed, return to form.
From the moment you step into the shoes of Enzo Favara, a young man yearning for a life beyond forced labor. The game’s quick to wrap you in an incredibly dense and palpable atmosphere. Sicily in 1900 is not just a backdrop; it’s a character unto itself. I found this game has similar conflicts to that of the first Red Dead Redemption. The old world is struggling to meet the new world before the first World War, especially dealing with the invention of automobiles. Hangar 13 has crafted a world that feels both vast and intimate, from the crumbling grandeur of ancient ruins to the bustling, often impoverished, village squares. It’s a place you want to soak in more than you’re really able to. Though the story moves at a glacial pace, it takes its cues from Red Dead Redemption 2 so that you can learn about the world and become attached to its characters.
The narrative is a rags-to-riches mob story, centering on Enzo’s desperate and somewhat predictable climb within the Torrisi crime family. It’s a tale steeped in themes of family loyalty, brutal sacrifice, and the relentless pursuit of honor in a world where it’s a currency often paid in blood. While the story beats themselves can feel somewhat predictable – a critique I’ve seen leveled, and one that holds some water – it’s the execution that elevates it. Mafia: The Old Country isn’t trying to reinvent the gangster genre; rather, it’s delivering a meticulously crafted tribute. The dialogue is sharp, the character interactions are nuanced, and the cutscenes are cinematic masterpieces that truly make you feel like you’re starring in your own turn-of-the-century mob epic. Enzo’s journey, despite its familiar arc, is equal parts love and mafioso story that are sure to grab many.
In terms of replayability, Mafia: The Old Country relies primarily on the strength of its narrative and the desire to re-experience its cinematic moments. The straightforward, linear story doesn’t offer multiple paths or branching decisions, which limits replayability for those seeking varied outcomes. However, the sheer immersion and the opportunity to truly embody Enzo’s descent into the mob underworld offers enough pull for a second playthrough, perhaps to focus on different combat styles or simply soak in the atmosphere again for another dozen hours. The upcoming Free Ride mode will undoubtedly boost its longevity, offering a much-needed sandbox to fully appreciate the open world without the constraints of mission objectives. Mafia: The Old Country is more “Godfather” than “Goodfellas”, and the characters and themes depicted are far removed from the faster paced and open-world nature of Mafia III. To most this will be an improvement, others might find this a step back. All in all, this is a game that lives up to its name but in a different context and world than we’ve gotten to know before.
The game starts you as Enzo in the mines, and it’s a few hours later here’s working for a well-connected family doing menial tasks. These are purposely built to frustrate Enzo, but strikes a balance not to frustrate the player, as we know these simple things will fall by the wayside soon, and keeps your interest. Combat is a brutal affair, relying heavily on both period-authentic firearms and surprisingly visceral blade combat not seen before in this series. Each gunshot carries a satisfying punch, and headshots feel impactful, but it’s the close-quarters stiletto duels that truly shine where you have to place shots carefully. They’re quick, deadly, and often require a tactical approach rather than just run-and-gunning with fast-firing weapons of the world’s near-future.
In complimenting the slowed down approach, is a new feature where you’ll use a knife in some capacity throughout the entire game. Whether it’s a knife to kill a guard, to open a locked box, or to engage in a knife fight before a world got to know “West Side Story”. However, it does come with a caveat, in that knives dull over time with use. Durability in games is not new, but you’ll have to use a whetstone to restore the durability of a knife in order to recover its effectiveness. Stealth kills and breaking locks are the two ways it will lose its durability. You can combat this by buying better quality knives with your hard-earned money. It’s an interesting concept that borders on annoyance, but you’ll either upgrade or have enough whetstone for it not to become a bigger deal.
A lot of the game centers and relies on stealth. I liken the system very much to HITMAN, especially with Enzo’s , and you have the option of lethal or non-lethal takedowns. You can loot dead enemies for anything they may have in their pockets, and then pick them up to place in shadow, or conveniently and abundant storage crates. These crates self-dispose of bodies, allowing for infinite disposal of the enemies you dispatch, for some reason. Now it’s a simplified system, so it doesn’t really need to be more complicated else it would be problematic. It just works here, and that’s enough for me.
Traversal is handled through a mix of horseback riding and driving early motorcars. Galloping across the Sicilian countryside is genuinely enjoyable, capturing a sense of freedom and vulnerability that modern vehicles can’t quite replicate. The early automobiles, while charmingly authentic, are exactly what you’d expect for the period: clunky, slow, and prone to oversteering. This is a double-edged sword; while it adds to the immersion, it can occasionally make escapes or longer drives feel like a chore. It is worth mentioning there’s a “Skip Drive” button to avoid any of this who don’t want to deal with that. If you just want to roam the landscape, that’s easier said than done, but there is an Explore mode to engage in via the chapter replay screen. This removes all the immersion breaking elements, especially as story missions can insert a sense of urgency if you chose to go after collectibles. Hangar 13 has also announced they will be adding a “Free Ride” mode in an upcoming update, which should make this easier to partake in.
Whether in explore mode or in mission, you can acquire charms and relics which can provide boosts to your health, driving skill, combat, or various other areas. Taking photographs are a type of collectible that embrace the exploration the game so richly deserves to let you do. These vistas are marked on your in-game map and are easy to complete as you work with antequated technology to capture the perfect view.
I primarily played this on Linux, and while the GameReady drivers were slow to roll out officially, this meant performance wasn’t ideal on this operating system. So I must be clear that even today Linux isn’t officially supported, so I struggled to maintain 60fps. A recent update of NVIDIA GameReady drivers on Linux now allows me to achieve 75-90fps with DLSS set to Quality. On Windows though, the game fares much better with DLSS on DLAA (native resolution), and I was getting on average 90fps in all areas, especially when roaming the countryside. It’s not the most performant Unreal Engine 5 game, but it is stable, reliable, and utterly gorgeous.
My PC Specs:
– Linux (6.15.6-2-cachyos)
– Intel Core i9 13900K @ 5.8GHz
– ASUS ROG RYUJIN II 360 ARGB AIO Liquid CPU Cooler
– G.SKILL TRIDENT Z5 6000MHZ 64GB (32×2) DDR5 RAM
– ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 16GB GDDR6X
– WD_BLACK SN850X M.2 (4 TB)
– LG UltraGear 34GP950B-G (21:9 Ultrawide @ 3440×1440)
Mafia: The Old Country knows what it wants to be – a period-authentic, gritty mob drama – and largely succeeds in its ambition. While some mechanical elements might feel a touch dated in their implementation or the pacing occasionally rushes you forward, these are minor grievances against a backdrop of intriguing world-building, compelling storytelling, and a deep commitment to its historical setting. Hangar 13 has delivered a potent reminder of why the Mafia series resonates with its unwavering focus on narrative, character, and an unparalleled sense of time and place. It’s not a perfect game, but it offers an experience that’s rich in atmosphere, brutal honesty, and thoroughly captivating from start to finish. For those who appreciate a well-told crime story with unparalleled historical flavor, Mafia: The Old Country is an offer you should accept.
A Steam code was provided by the publisher for review purposes
