After the last few Mafia games marched us steadily through the 20th century, most fans expected the series to continue forward. The 70s seemed like the obvious next stop, maybe the 80s. Disco-era gangsters, casino heists, perhaps a few loving nods to Goodfellas. Instead, Hangar 13 threw everyone a curveball, sending players hurtling back to the turn of the century—not just the early 1900s, but the very genesis of the Mafia itself in the dusty, sun-baked hills of Sicily.
Turning the clock back instead of forward was a bold creative decision. What Hangar 13 has crafted here is something genuinely special. Part mob origin story, part gritty Western, Mafia: The Old Country delivers a stunningly atmospheric and moody adventure that sinks its hooks into you, even if the gameplay mechanics feel a bit rusty in their joints.
A Return to Form
One thing needs to be clear from the start: this is not Mafia III. After that installment’s divisive experiment with a sprawling, repetitive open world, The Old Country brings the series back to what made it great. This is a linear, tightly focused, story-driven experience. The open world of Sicily exists and looks absolutely gorgeous, but it serves as a backdrop—a place to travel through between missions rather than a sandbox demanding dozens of hours of busywork. There are no towers to climb, no endless map icons to clear. The player’s job is simply to follow the story of Enzo Favara, a young man desperate to escape literal slavery in a sulfur mine by swearing his life to the Torrisi crime family.
For anyone exhausted by bloated maps and endless checklists, this approach feels like a breath of fresh air. The game demands attention on its narrative and earns that attention honestly. It immerses players in its world without wasting their time. This is a game built for people who want story, setting, and style above all else.
A Story You’ve Heard, Told Damn Well
Anyone who has watched a single gangster movie will see most of the plot beats coming from a mile away. The kind mentor, the hot-headed best friend, the stern Don, the forbidden love—all the familiar beats are present. Yet this familiar saga gets elevated by sharp writing and, more importantly, absolutely stellar voice performances. Don Torrisi, voiced by Johnny Santiago, stands out as a highlight. He carries a quiet, husky menace that makes players believe, without question, that this is a man capable of commanding an army of killers. The story may be predictable, but the execution brings such conviction that everything works.
When the Talking Stops
The game reaches its highest points when letting its world and characters breathe. When the time comes to get hands dirty, however, the results become more of a mixed bag. The action is built on a foundation of third-person cover shooting that feels serviceable but unremarkable. It functions well enough, but the mechanics haven’t meaningfully evolved in the last decade.
Guns, Knives, and Annoyances
Combat carries a wild west flavor, with revolvers and repeaters replacing the familiar Tommy gun of previous entries. Enemies behave predictably, either hunkering down behind cover or striding forward like they’re eager to meet their maker. The real emphasis falls on up-close-and-personal encounters. The stealth mechanics introduced here prove surprisingly robust. Players can toss objects for distractions, hide bodies in shadows, and approach situations tactically—stealth feels like a legitimate option rather than a tacked-on feature. One small gripe worth mentioning: the world overflows with bottles and throwable objects, yet only the specific ones the game highlights can actually be used. It’s a minor detail, but one that occasionally breaks immersion.
The new one-on-one knife fights tell a similar story. They’re presented as cinematic boss encounters filled with flashy, bloody animations. In practice, they mostly amount to dodging and slashing on cue, waiting for the next cutscene to trigger. These sequences look undeniably cool but feel disappointingly low-stakes during actual gameplay. The knife durability system adds unnecessary friction—the idea that a stiletto becomes too dull to use after a few kills, forcing a search for a whetstone, introduces needless busywork. Most players will end up strangling enemies just to save their blade the wear and tear.
The Sicilian Way of Life
Where Mafia: The Old Country truly shines is in depicting its world. Traversing the countryside, whether on a skittish horse or in a sputtering, chain-driven automobile from the dawn of motoring, proves absolutely delightful. Hangar 13’s sound design deserves special praise; the raw, lumpy burble of those primitive engines is genuinely beautiful to hear. A race mission paying homage to the legendary Targa Florio ranks among the most thrilling sequences in the entire game, even if it ends far too quickly.
The attention to culinary detail also deserves mention. Few games have ever made food look this appetizing. The sheer amount of cannolis, cakes, arancini, and fresh produce on display borders on obscene. Players may finish the game with desperate cravings for Italian food and sudden urges to plant vegetable gardens.
The Verdict
Mafia: The Old Country represents a fantastic return to the series’ narrative-driven roots. It’s a confident, gorgeous, and deeply immersive trip to a time and place rarely explored in video games. The story, while following familiar beats, gets told with passion and skill that makes every moment compelling from opening to credits. The main disappointment comes from core gameplay elements—serviceable shooting and flashy but shallow knife fights—that feel stuck in the past. This is an incredible journey, just one with a few bumps along the old dirt road.
Score: 8/10
FAQs
Is Mafia: The Old Country coming out?
Mafia: The Old Country has already been released. The game launched on July 25, 2025, bringing players back to the origins of organized crime in early 1900s Sicily. Developed by Hangar 13 and published by 2K Games, this latest installment in the Mafia franchise is now available for purchase and has been receiving positive reviews from critics and players alike.
Why is Mafia: The Old Country cheap?
Mafia: The Old Country carries a lower price tag because it’s designed as a focused, linear single-player experience rather than a sprawling open-world title. The developers intentionally created a tighter, more concentrated narrative that respects players’ time instead of padding the game with endless side content. This leaner approach to game design translates to a more accessible price point, making it an attractive option for gamers tired of paying full price for bloated experiences they’ll never finish.
Is Mafia Old Country open world?
No, Mafia: The Old Country is not an open-world game. Unlike some previous entries in the franchise, this installment takes a deliberately linear, story-driven approach. The game prioritizes narrative focus and cinematic storytelling over sandbox exploration. Players follow a carefully crafted path through the story of a young Sicilian drawn into the world of organized crime, with the gameplay designed to serve the narrative rather than offering free-roaming freedom.
Is Mafia Old Country a PS5 exclusive?
No, Mafia: The Old Country is not a PS5 exclusive. The game is available across multiple platforms including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. This multiplatform release ensures that players across different gaming ecosystems can experience the origins of the Mafia saga regardless of their preferred hardware.