Mafia: The Old Country is more scaled down than what you might have expected following 2016’s Mafia III, but as the saying goes, great things come in small packages. That’s certainly true with The Old Country, which offers an entirely linear take on a more grounded, traditional, and very authentic story.
It might only take you around 12 – 15 hours to complete Mafia: The Old Country, but it’s an emotional, believable, and exhilarating story from start to finish, and every step you take, you’ll be enveloped in sumptuous visuals and some great acting.
Here’s my snapshot Mafia: The Old Country review, just in case you’re on the fence
Join the Family
Mafia: The Old Country had a decent build-up going into the game’s release on August 8, and for good reason. It had been almost a decade since the last Mafia game was released, and that one was plagued by issues and subpar review ratings.
I’m happy to say that Mafia: The Old Country is a staggering improvement on the last title in the series.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not perfect, but it’s certainly a game that’s well worth the price tag. I did experience a few bugs that needed a checkpoint restart to get around them, and I have an issue with the voice lines being delivered too quickly in some sequences, but perhaps that’s me being too picky.
In Mafia: The Old Country, you assume control of Enzo, a young man down on his luck who stumbles into a powerful crime syndicate in the craggy, mountainous regions of Sicily. Before long, you’re a ‘made man’ and reaping the rewards that come with that status, but it’s not without troubles.
The story is action-packed, pitted with stealth sequences that slow down the pacing here and there, and there are a few neat references and name drops for long-time fans of the franchise. The spread of missions is diverse, the collectables that you can find around the map add a little more to your play time potential, and the linear perspective is refreshing in a world so heavily populated by dense, suffocating games.
Enough Meat
Mafia: The Old Country might seem small on paper, but it’s a larger-than-life title that dishes up a substantial story pitted with all the trappings of a classic Mafia tale. It’s riddled with masculinity, honor, murder, and power.
I’ve got no qualms with how it unfolds.
The combat mechanics are nothing innovative, but they’re well done, and there’s enough variety there to suit a range of players. I’m a fan of the driving in Mafia: The Old Country, and while the game allows you to skip lengthy travel sequences, I sat back and found myself soaking up the utterly gorgeous scenery as I chugged my way along country roads.
It helps that a free play mode is coming to Mafia: The Old Country, allowing users to take in the world at their own pace.
The writing is spot on, the characters are memorable, and the set pieces are phenomenal. As Mafia: The Old Country isn’t some open-world epic, Hanger Games was able to spend much more time finessing the locations you can explore, and they’re stunning.
If it were an open-world game, I think I’d enjoy it just as much, but like I said, something is refreshing about it being a smaller pill to swallow.
Let me know what you think about Mafia: The Old Country on the Insider Gaming forum
Mafia: The Old Country
8
Mafia: The Old Country
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
More from Grant Taylor-Hill
