Mafia: The Old Country’s “world is a character” full of lifelike lemons

At first sight, you can see that the developers at Hanger 13 have put a lot of effort into creating an authentic early 1900s Sicily. The sun-drenched landscapes, roads, and settlements seem to carry tales from their rich history, full of ancient lore, culture, struggles, and conflict.

According to Game Director Alex Cox, one aspect that was crucial for the creation of Sicily was accurately portraying its breathtaking landscapes. Given the unique and captivating environment in Sicily, this is a key feature that sets this game apart.

In contrast to Hangar 13’s recent project, the 2020 Mafia: Definitive Edition, which was a complete overhaul of the original 2002 game set in the legendary Lost City and reportedly necessitated an upgrade in technology, this new venture represents a significant change.

In Mafia: Definitive Edition, Hangar 13 utilized their own technology, known as the Fusion engine, which was described by Noakes as a “city-based engine”. However, this type of engine wasn’t suitable for portraying the natural landscapes they envisioned in The Old Country.

However, the saying “what’s old is new” rings true for Mafia: The Old Country, as a cool reception towards Mafia 3 and revisiting the original game inspired the team, some of whom were not part of the early days, to “re-explore the unique essence” of the franchise, as stated by Cox. This rediscovery has led to Mafia: The Old Country diverging from the open-world format.

Although the remake appeared impressive, many discussions revolve around The Old Country’s stunning visual accuracy, achieved with the frequently debated Unreal Engine 5. It’s undeniable that the game looks breathtaking in carefully crafted cutscenes running at 30FPS; however, there is a worry that it might be too demanding for current-generation consoles and typical PC setups.

However, thanks to the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5, even a smaller team these days can construct a realistic environment and reach “cinematic visual quality” using advanced technologies like Metahuman and Nanite.

Additionally, it’s not only about helping the environment or the characters. When The Old Country was unveiled initially, among the images they decided to showcase was a captivating photograph featuring a shortened shotgun resting among some remarkably realistic lemons.

Noakes is “absolutely convinced we’ve got the highest quality and the largest quantity of fruit”.

To make sure Hangar 13’s depiction of Sicily was authentic, numerous visits were paid to this sun-drenched island. During these trips, unexpected locations were found off the original plan, which the team felt compelled to add to the game due to their unique and distinctive characteristics.

However, while the island serves as a scenic backdrop, it’s the rich Sicilian culture that Hangar 13 has endeavored to portray truthfully and respectfully. To achieve this authenticity, they collaborated with a local advisory team.

At the unveiling of the game, there was quite a commotion due to many individuals expressing their concern that The Old Country would not provide an Italian dubbing option.

Instead, Hangar 13 offers a dubbing option in Sicilian, a unique dialect of the Italian language. You’ll find comprehensive support for both the Italian language in terms of text and subtitles as well.

On a journey to Sicily, the team stopped by Castello degli Schiavi, a location famously depicted as Don Tommasino’s home in Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather trilogy, and once belonged to Baron Platania – an individual Alex Cox had the opportunity to meet.

According to Cox, he emerged wearing a robe typical to him, giving us a tour of the house and displaying various artifacts that held historical significance, as well as items connected to his family’s past. He found it quite remarkable, he added.

However, what truly stood out was his unique ability to teach us the art of swearing in the Sicilian dialect, a talent that any respectable mafia figure would find indispensable.

In addition, due to space constraints, we’re unable to feature all the quotes in this piece. For a more comprehensive read, please refer to the complete interview available at the beginning of this article, or on our TopMob Gaming YouTube channel.