Hangar 13, developers of “Mafia 3,” have chosen to switch from their previous proprietary game engine to Unreal Engine 5 for their upcoming project, “Mafia: The Old Country.” In an interview with IGN, studio president Nick Baynes and game director Alex Cox discussed this change and its advantages.
As Cox explained, using Unreal Engine 5 for Mafia: The Old Country offers numerous advantages due to the array of tools it comes equipped with. He emphasized that the studio aimed to authentically depict the game’s Sicily setting, and tools such as MetaHuman were instrumental in achieving this goal.
In simpler terms, Cox stated, “Indeed, Unreal Engine, which many players are already acquainted with, offers numerous benefits, particularly stunning visuals. For our intended game design this time, we were determined to showcase the breathtaking beauty of Sicily, its captivating landscapes, and leverage MetaHuman technology to achieve high-quality cinematic presentations.
The acting skills displayed by these performers are truly exceptional. Exceptional facial expressions, in fact, play a crucial role in this Mafia game, just as they did in all prior Mafia games upon their release. When deciding to move forward with development, we placed great emphasis on attaining a visually striking edge, specifically in terms of environment art and cinematics.
Baynes pointed out that when a studio creates its own engine, it requires a significant amount of effort to ensure the toolkits are state-of-the-art, providing developers with greater flexibility. However, Hangar 13 prioritized honing the gameplay, visuals, cinematics, and storyline for the game “Mafia: The Old Country,” opting instead to concentrate on the creative aspects rather than invest time in engine development itself.
Baynes pointed out, “The more complex things become, the longer they take to complete.” He further added, “As a studio, we wanted to concentrate primarily on the gameplay, graphics, narrative, cinematics. By not having to build the engine ourselves, it gives us more time to focus on these aspects and ultimately results in a higher quality game.
In addition to his discussion, Cox mentioned that the studio initially began working on Mafia: The Old Country by familiarizing themselves with Unreal Engine 5 by rebuilding the market square setting from Mafia 2. This was particularly useful since Mafia 2 kickstarts its narrative in Sicily, which serves as the primary location for the upcoming title, The Old Country.
He clarified that they opted for a particular choice due to several reasons: “Firstly, we’re familiar with its appearance. Secondly, we can compare its transformation after 15 years. Lastly, as it is located at the original site from the series, it allows us to maintain the creative vision and the narrative universe. By anchoring ourselves there, we can ensure that we have all the elements in place, which is why we began our project right in San Celeste.
The Old Country” that have us intrigued, as well as our speculations about whether it could surpass “Mafia 3“.
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2025-07-28 18:41