In defense of not having an open world in Mafia: The Old Country, Hangar 13 pointed the blame at Mafia 3 for falling short of expectations.
Hangar 13 took a daring gamble with the most recent series entry, Mafia 3, by making it the first fully-realized open world in the franchise. The decision ultimately didn’t pay off, as fans criticized ditching the iconic linear narrative from the first two games.
In response, Hangar 13 president Nick Baynes claimed that Mafia: The Old Country goes “back to the roots of what fans love about the Mafia franchise.” Baynes also had other reasons for moving on from an open world.
Hangar 13 Learns Valuable Lesson From Mafia 3
IGN had an exclusive hands-on preview for Mafia: The Old Country and learned why Hangar 13 decided not to use an open world.
“Hangar 13 president Nick Baynes repeatedly mentioned his team’s desire for players to finish this prequel’s story,” IGN explained. “With that goal in mind, the latest Mafia game turns back the clock chronologically and in game design as well.”
“Mafia 3, though very good, went full open world, and the developers seem to feel similarly about it in hindsight as players did; It just didn’t fit Mafia well.”
IGN also suggested that positive reception from the Mafia remake in 2020 also helped contribute to the decision to return to a linear narrative storyline.
If players want to take a look at the game themselves before deciding on purchasing it, Hangar 13 revealed nine minutes of un-edited gameplay for fans to enjoy.
And you don’t need to wait long before finally testing out the game for yourself, as Mafia: The Old Country officially launches on August 8.
How do you feel about this game? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Forums.
In other gaming news, ROG Xbox Ally prices might have been leaked, and Riot’s first FPS feature in Riyadh was a stellar success.
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