In contrast to games that often require over a decade to develop, Mafia: The Old Country offers a refreshing alternative by focusing on a more streamlined, narrative-driven single-player campaign. However, this project also showcases the possible drawbacks of such an approach, offering largely repetitive gameplay that surprisingly begins to feel tiresome despite its approximate 12-hour duration.
The primary issue with Hangar 13’s latest release isn’t its length or reduced aspirations, but rather the rapid exhaustion of creative concepts. By the halfway mark, you’ve essentially experienced all that the game has to present, and from there it becomes a repetition of actions to complete the narrative. Unfortunately, the plotline is also remarkably predictable.
This version transports you back to the peaceful countryside of Sicily during the early 1900s, where you’ll be enveloped by serene rolling hills and the aroma of sun-dried tomatoes. The main character, Enzo, is an orphan who swiftly gets entangled in a world of crime. The narrative unfolds over a span of years, following Enzo as he climbs the ladder within the Torissi family, committing more and more questionable deeds.
The acting is extraordinary, with each voice artist delivering what could be an award-winning performance as their characters – notably Don Torissi, whose deep voice exudes a soft yet intimidating presence simultaneously.
While the writing may feel formulaic, predictability is its main characteristic. You’ll notice each plot twist as swiftly as recognizing a familiar tune. The character with the poor dental health and eccentric eye? He’s a snitch. The stunning daughter of your overbearing crime lord? She becomes your romantic interest. Within the initial stages, you will effortlessly envision the entire narrative in your mind, and your assumptions will rarely be off the mark.
As a gamer, I’ve got to say, the cutscenes in this game are absolutely captivating! They’re brilliantly acted and the facial animations are spot-on, really making the characters leap off the screen. The lighting and framing are also top-notch, creating some truly dramatic moments that you can’t help but be drawn into. It’s the kind of game where even my family wants to watch me play, not because it’s breaking new ground or reinventing the wheel, but because the characters have a way of pulling you in and making you care about what happens next.
The gameplay isn’t as captivating, but it’s important to note that despite the linear format compared to previous Mafia games, this version still maintains an open-world aspect. In many missions, you’ll find yourself driving (or riding horses) towards mission markers, and there’s also a free roam mode for those who wish to explore at their leisure.
The design of this game can be quite limiting since deviating from your set goals might lead to an immediate failure. This strictness seems unnecessary, considering there are intriguing items nearby to discover, such as collectibles. It’s puzzling why the developers would create a small play area if they don’t want players to explore it.
In this mission, there are essentially a few scenarios that might unfold: stealth, gunfights, or dialogue-based interactions. Mechanically, these options aren’t offensive but they lack excitement, particularly the stealth element which can be frustrating due to frequent instant failures once you’re detected. The covert playstyle isn’t poor, it’s simply limiting and monotonous, and it’s overused throughout the mission.
Frequently, a mission concludes with a hand-to-hand combat using knives, reminiscent of the final scene in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. However, this encounter doesn’t offer much satisfaction; although you can block, dodge, and shatter defenses, it seems like your attacks hardly affect your adversary, and this pattern is consistently repeated throughout the campaign.
In the game, the historical weapons seem vague and lack that satisfying punch found in Mafia 3’s modern weaponry. Similar to other parts of Mafia: The Old Country, these combat sequences, while not poor quality, are simply less engaging and can become repetitive rather quickly.
The game occasionally tries to switch up the type of gameplay by including a handful of races where you get to ride both a horse and an old car. These moments are intriguing, but since the game focuses heavily on its story, we believe it could have benefited from additional missions specifically designed to maintain a sense of novelty and engagement.
We’ll remark that the game has an amazing visual and auditory experience; we’re captivated by the metallic clanking sound when you park your car and step out. Furthermore, the gameworld is like a museum, intended to be admired but not interacted with, yet the art design is truly remarkable, located in such a breathtaking setting that it’s impossible not to appreciate the scenery.
On the default PS5 setup, we experienced gameplay in performance mode running at 60 frames per second. However, during fast-paced driving sequences through crowded areas and when transitioning into cutscenes, some frame rate drops occurred. Fortunately, these hiccups didn’t significantly disrupt the overall gaming experience, so it’s still quite playable.
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2025-08-11 16:08