The Mafia (video game) series holds a special place in my heart because of the good story and atmosphere. Every Mafia game has its own charm in introducing the big families and their crucial characters that always hooked me up, thinking about how the story would end up. Every Mafia story is beautiful, brutal, chaotic, and involves love for other characters, and I did not expect anything less from Mafia: The Old Country. In fact, this time I was too excited to see 1900s Sicily, the place where Mafia families actually began. I was intrigued to see how Hangar 13 had created Sicily and its towns for the players to explore in a world where Mafia families are dominant. Here is our review of Mafia: The Old Country, explaining if the game is up to par with its predecessors.
NOTE: The review code was provided by the devs. This review was done on PlayStation 5.
Story
Mafia: The Old Country is set in Sicily, Italy, in 1904, in the fictional town of San Celeste. You play as Enzo Favara, a carusu working in a mine with his friend Gaetano for Don Ruggero Spadaro. He is the leader of the Spadaro family in San Celeste. Enzo and his friend make a plan to flee the mines for a better future. Unfortunately, due to a gas leak in the mines, Enzo has to make the escape on his own, running from Spadaro’s men. Enzo ends up in the stable of Don Torrisi, who then threatens the men of Spadaro to leave as they are trespassing on his territory. From here, Don Torrisi invites Enzo to his home, where Enzo begins as a small worker. Gradually, he gets invited to the Torrisi crime family and accepts the oath.
The overall plot of the story is very good, and everything that happens throughout the events while progressing the story is even better. All the characters are well-written and introduced, especially Luca, Cesare, Tino, Torrisi, and Isabella, the Don’s daughter.
Gameplay
Mafia: The Old Country is a third-person action-adventure video game. It is a linear, narrative-driven story mode game like the Mafia and Mafia II games. Players control Enzo Favara and get introduced to various mechanics like horse riding, knife fighting, unlocking safes, firearm combat, driving cars, shops, upgrading gear, outfits, equipping charms, and more. All of these different mechanics will unlock as players progress through the story, which most of the players find resembling of old Mafia games. Horse riding, knife fighting, and charm systems are new in the series, and they are pretty effective and authentic to the overall atmosphere.
New Gameplay Mechanics
Knife Fighting is considered a duel against a key character in the game. Throughout the story, you will get to engage in duel fights a lot of the time. Every character that you will face will be stronger than the previous one, requiring you to attack and defend strategically. The Knife Fighting system involves various mechanics, like stabbing, thrusting, heavy attack, dodging, and parrying. The game does give a tutorial on all the mechanics, so it is easy to understand.
The charm system is quite intriguing, as you can add a number of different beads with a medallion to strengthen Enzo. It works as a passive bonus for Enzo. For instance, equipping the “Sant’Agata” medallion will temporarily give you invulnerability when close to death. Moreover, you can add up to four beads with the charm for additional effects. Visiting the shop will allow you to purchase the upgrades for the beads. Additionally, you can purchase knives with better perks from the shop. The perks influence combat, stealth, and looting, so carrying a certain knife that influences your preference will improve the overall gameplay experience.
Other than that, I think, the gunplay is quite immersive in Mafia: The Old Country. As Enzo is not a killer, he is quite different than the other protagonists we have in other Mafia games. Witnessing Enzo shaking while aiming and shooting the gun will both have you immersed and tensed. Because missing bullets in an intense situation might lead to death, and restarting from the checkpoint. Some players might find it annoying, but I think it was a good addition to the firearm combat.
World and Atmosphere
The overall world design and its atmosphere are astonishing. It gives the authentic Sicily, Italy vibe through and through. Riding horses and driving cars through the open valleys and on scenic routes are sights to behold. The main thing that outshines the overall atmosphere is the people. Seeing all the NPCs walking around and speaking with each other makes the overall exploration better. Although the exploration is quite limited during the story, you can free roam after completing the main story.
In fact, there is much more to do than completing the main story. There are tons of collectibles to be found, like Mystery Foxes, Newspapers, Saints’ Cards, and more. Finding each collectible will give you more lore and backstory. Some of the collectibles include some easter eggs as well, which is nice to discover.
Sound and Visuals
The sound design of Mafia: The Old Country is perfect. The Italian accent for all the characters works very well for immersion. All the voice actors have done an amazing job of playing their characters. Moreover, the writing is great as it always makes you understand the depth of the family’s importance and their work.
The visuals of Mafia: The Old Country are breathtaking. The level of detail is insane, as it captures all the facial expressions of all the characters perfectly. San Celeste is designed beautifully and is very alive. Character detail is also great. Hair moves as you run, the sweat shines on the neck and the back, and creases appear on the outfit. It is the most in-depth visual detail that I have ever seen in a Mafia game.
Verdict – Score 9/10
Mafia: The Old Country is an outstanding action-adventure story video game that portrays an authentic life of working under a Don’s territory. All characters are well-written and have their charm throughout the story. You will get to go on an unforgettable story of rising in a crime family and a love story. It is all there, and unique to other Mafia games. If you are a fan of the Mafia franchise, then I 100% recommend that you try Mafia: The Old Country.
Mafia: The Old Country is now available on Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S.
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