Mafia: The Old Country Review - An Offer That Fans of Great Stories Can't Refuse
The Mafia franchise has always been first and foremost about story. That’s not to say the gameplay hasn’t been good, because for the most part it has, but the real star of all three of the previous games has been the gripping tales of organised crime that have captured the best of Mafia-related media while allowing players to take part in events as they happen. This has been the core tenet, the driving force of the franchise and even when they lost their way a little chasing open-world trends in Mafia 3, the story, characters and events were still there to pull players through. With Mafia: The Old Country, the team has recognised their strengths and doubled down on storytelling, on characters and on worldbuilding. As a result, I am firmly of the belief that this is the best Mafia yet.
At the most basic level, Mafia: The Old Country is a simple stealth/action title that, in terms of gameplay, doesn’t really do anything we haven’t seen before. The gameplay elements are split pretty evenly between shooting enemies with 1900s guns and sneaking around behind cover, looking for a chance to stab baddies in the back. Both of these systems are good, but not great. The gunplay has a significant impact and is a little slower than most would be used to, due to the nature of the period’s weaponry. The stealth is simple, yet competent, allowing players to use cover and the environment to stab unsuspecting goons before hiding them in a nearby crate or well. These are both solid examples of gameplay elements we have seen before, so they won’t necessarily wow gamers, but they certainly won’t upset them either.
The one cool new gameplay element that The Old Country introduces is the knife fighting. This was something I learned about when I interviewed Alex and Devin from Hangar 13 recently, and I have to say they have implemented this true-to-life tradition in an exciting way. When a knife battle occurs, players are given a range of moves, like thrust, parry, swipe and dodge and must face an opponent one-on-one. It then becomes a game of watching for mistakes and then punishing those mistakes. It isn’t an overly complicated system, but it works well, adds impact to story moments, and provides a nice break between the more traditional gameplay elements in the game.
The game also features a few other elements that have been staples of the franchise in the past. Notably driving. Being set in the 1900s, the cars aren’t exactly the fastest or the best equipped, and the roads aren’t exactly the Hume Highway (though one could argue the country roads are smoother than parts of the Hume). This means that driving at speed is a bit dicey and can be a wild experience. There are a few moments when the game incorporates chases or races, and due to the nature of the cars themselves, these can be white knuckle, but also a little frustrating. Thankfully, if cars aren’t your thing, you can grab a horse, which is far less likely to skid off the side of the road into an embankment.
One thing that has been left behind by the developers is the open world of Mafia 3, and if I am honest, it was a smart move. The open map is still there, and players are free to explore, but really, the countryside serves as a setting for the action, not something to engage with. There is a lot of joy to be had driving around with other characters in your car, listening to their conversations, but if that isn’t your thing, in most instances, you can skip the drive from location to location. It feels like a more streamlined version of the original Mafia in regard to the structure of the world, and the game is better because of it.
This leads me to the real star here, and that is the story. To say I was deeply invested in Enzo’s tale was an understatement. This is a tale that Coppola or Scorsese would be proud of, a story that captures what makes the best mob movies so engaging and converts that into a video game. It has everything fans of the genre could ask for: a rise from rags, unrequited love, treachery, intrigue, and loss. There were truly thrilling moments alongside some emotionally devastating ones, and I was gripped the entire way. I have to give special mention to the ending, in that I found it a brave and impactful way to finish the game. You owe it to yourself to go into the game without any spoilers of any kind.
What helps to set the story apart is the excellent characters and how both top-self writing and amazing voice work brought them to life. The lead Enzo is a stoic, serious young fellow who has found himself at the centre of Sicillian organised crime. His reactions, his fall from innocence, and his redemption are all beautifully portrayed. The supporting cast of his love interest, Isabella, his guide and mentor, Luca and his best friend and confidant, Cesare, are also exceptionally created. Even smaller parts have been treated carefully and brought to life in a way many games can only dream of. The malicious Uncle Tino, the serious and foreboding Don and affable and engaging Leo all highlight just how much care has been taken with the entire cast, because despite their limited screen time and they all leave a lasting impact on the player.
Almost as impressive as the story is the presentation of the game. Mafia: The Old Country captures Sicily in a way that is likely to make players want to reach for their passports. It is stunning, there is no other way to put it. I wouldn’t say that the game features the best graphics I have ever seen (they are certainly not bad in any way), but the art direction is just beautiful. The way the countryside, the villages and the ruins are captured is exquisite. On more than one occasion, I simply drove around the countryside to see the sights and hammer that screenshot button. From the coast to the very impressive volcano, this is a world that has been brought to life with true artistry. Special mention also has to go to the voice actors and the soundtrack, both of which are of the highest quality and only further enhanced my enjoyment of the story and setting.
I do have to say I had a few little tech grumbles, but I suspect most of these will be sorted by a day-one patch. I had the occasional game crash (but thankfully, the checkpointing is excellent, so they had minimal impact), the odd framerate stutter and a few instances of clipping. Certainly nothing major, and overall this is a well put together package. The load times were minimal, the PC options are what you would expect, and the accessibility features from both a language and disability perspective were excellent.
Mafia: The Old Country, for all intents and purposes, is a 12-hour, interactive Mob movie that will have fans of the genre engrossed from the opening line till the closing credits. It does away with the bloat from Mafia 3 and creates a tight and engaging tale set in an absolutely stunning location featuring some of the most memorable characters in recent memory. The fact that the gameplay is merely good and not groundbreaking is about the only thing that is holding this back from being my personal game of the year. The Old Country undoubtedly has a smaller scope than most AAA games these days (and it is priced accordingly), but I am of the firm belief that it is a better game because of that. This is, in my mind at least, Hangar 13’s best game yet and proof that great writing, thorough research and a beautiful setting can be just as important, if not more so, than offering players dozens of hours of gameplay. It is my sincere hope that we see much more of this approach in the future.
Mafia: The Old Country was reviewed on PC with code kindly supplied by the publisher.
