Mafia: The Old Country Review: A Successful Return But Suffers from Major Shortcomings
A picturesque Sicily, a nascent but brutal mafia network, a dive into the 1900s... this is a synopsis that arouses curiosity and fascination. The famous Mafia franchise returns with a brand new installment, The Old Country, which aims to be a return to the roots and origins of organized crime.
Like its predecessors Mafia III (2016) and Mafia: Definitive Edition (2020), the new installment in the saga was developed by Hangar 13 and published by 2K Games. This new action-adventure video game, which we were able to test extensively, no longer holds any secrets from us. Has The Old Country managed to continue the generally very successful tradition of the franchise? Find out the answer in this article.
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Unlike previous installments of the Mafia franchise, The Old Country does not set its plot in the United States but in Italy, throughout the 1900s. The tranquil Sicilian countryside, lulled by the sweet chirping of crickets, is the playground of growing rivalries between gangs and mafia families.
Mafia: The Old Country lets you play as young Enzo, initiated into the Torrini family and aspiring to become a member of this Sicilian criminal sphere. Combining combat against various enemies, ambushes, exploration, and even chases in the countryside, the new installment of the Mafia franchise presents itself as a thrilling and fast-paced action-adventure game, with the main story wrapping up in nearly 10 hours.
The story of The Old Country is particularly notable for its speed. Time jumps regularly punctuate the plot, whether by just a few hours or entire years. The story unfolds throughout the 1900s and thus spans a long historical period.
The speed of Mafia: The Old Country's story is also based on the plot facilities surrounding the protagonist. Enzo, whom the player embodies, quickly attracts the attention of the mafia's higher-ups and immediately engages in a romantic relationship with Isabella, the daughter of Don Rodrigo, head of the Torrini family. An incredible opportunity presents itself to the main character, who originally started out as a simple worker in the sulfur mines, for no real apparent reason.
The various characters that make up The Old Country's universe all stand out with their own personalities and temperaments. Initially somewhat caricatured, they benefit from a careful development that helps create unique, recognizable, and endearing identities.
Mafia: The Old Country perfectly sets its scene and delivers a quality storyline without redundancies or boredom. We really enjoyed its various missions and didn't notice the time passing once we got the controller in hand. The last quarter of the plot will surprise us with its action and emotional scenes, just like a Coppola film.
Graphics as charming as they are exceptionalThis is undoubtedly The Old Country's strong point: the graphics. Sleek and remarkable, they are breathtakingly realistic. The latest Mafia installment runs on Unreal Engine 5 and promises state-of-the-art technical capabilities. The game's landscapes are charming, magnificent, and authentic: Sicily has never been so well represented.
Despite the action and tension that punctuate the story of Mafia: The Old Country, there is always a time when the player enjoys blissfully contemplating the map's picturesque surroundings. Villages, lost paths, and even natural rivers allow for a total immersion in early 20th-century Italy. We bitterly regret the absence of a photo mode, which would have allowed for capturing magnificent shots.
Often considered a weakness in video games, the characters' faces in The Old Country are perfectly realistic. They convey every emotion with impeccable accuracy: a human glow shines in their eyes and reinforces the player's immersion. The motion design is impeccable.
There are few visual bugs to report for The Old Country, although it's not impossible to encounter some clipping issues during open-world wanderings and cutscenes.
Gameplay that suffers from major shortcomings Limited explorationThe Old Country's open world is arguably the most likely to spark debate among players. While Mafia offers a map that can be viewed at any time, during the main story, it will be impossible to roam freely, as in most open-world games.
In reality, The Old Country is more of a corridor game. The player is forced to strictly follow the plot without being able to wander around the Sicilian countryside. Missions follow one another in the open world, but it's impossible to stray too far from the objectives, in which case a countdown starts, urging you to return to the right place.
Despite these artificial barriers that frame your game, the game isn't stifling and offers a variety of landscapes for your adventures. The areas that are accessible to you always hide nooks and crannies in which various collectibles are hidden.
Mafia: The Old Country only reveals its full map in the "Free Exploration" mode, which lets you wander around Sicily without any missions to complete. Each collectible is indicated on the map by an icon, which probably won't suit all players, who would have hoped to take advantage of their explorer side. It's impossible to place a point on the map to indicate the route to take: The Old Country makes searching for collectibles impractical.
Frustrating combat phasesMafia: The Old Country is full of combat phases in which two alternatives are offered: action or stealth. The protagonist of the story will repeatedly confront the Sicilian authorities and enemy mafias through missions, the vast majority of which are very engaging.
However, The Old Country's strength isn't in combat. The AIs aren't particularly intelligent and seem to be very quiet.
Like Assassin's Creed, this Mafia installment features eagle vision to spot enemies despite surrounding structures. However, it's impossible to tag them to track their movements. Removing this feature would likely have been more immersive and engaging.
Despite this, Mafia knows how to design its combat maps and always offers different environments that are never redundant. The zones are large enough to allow for different paths to victory, so games will be unique for each player.
The Old Country places a heavy emphasis on knife fighting, a hallmark of Italian mafia circles. While the idea is original and historically accurate, fighting with a blade is no picnic. The "Parry" and "Dodge" options rarely work, and the damage mounts with increasing frustration.
Another great feature of The Old Country: car chases. The escapades through the Sicilian countryside and villages are beautiful and provide a real change of scenery. But once again, these phases of the game aren't always a joy.
Driving in this episode of Mafia is very awkward. The cars are difficult to handle and often end up in the scenery. Most of the bushes growing in the fields are impossible to pass through and act like invisible walls.
In addition to vehicles, Enzo can also ride horses. All modes of transportation are customizable and have different characteristics regarding speed and grip.
Despite these few flaws, the game's circuits are beautiful and dynamic. Chases with enemies play a major role in the story and always provide a memorable twist. These sequences provide a welcome diversity of gameplay.
A video game that wants to be a movieIt's clear that Mafia: The Old Country is inspired by the great organized crime films. Hangar 13's game is very cinematic, with a carefully crafted storyline that never drags. The action and emotional sequences flow seamlessly through beautiful cutscenes that regularly punctuate the gameplay.
The Old Country introduces numerous contemplative scenes during which the player can put down the controller for long minutes to admire the interactions between the characters. The atmospheres are perfectly transcribed and the viewer cannot remain indifferent. These atmospheres are reinforced by the magnificent soundtrack, composed by Brian Transeau.
The Old Country's story is divided into fifteen chapters, often synonymous with time jumps. The final hours of the story bring a tense and explosive climax, in every sense of the word. Players may not forget this game's story for quite some time.
In short, Mafia: The Old Country is a very good game. Studio Hangar 13 has managed to deliver a worthy new installment that in no way tarnishes the famous 23-year-old franchise. Between interesting combat phases, poignant cinematics, and crazy chases in the Sicilian countryside, we didn't see the hours go by.
While the practical side of things, like the car battles and races, could be improved, The Old Country has several strong points, particularly in the graphics and storyline.
However, the €49.99 price tag is likely to be challenged by players, considering the short time it takes to complete the story. Mafia: The Old Country has a rather short lifespan, especially since gameplay is severely limited once the main story is completed.
However, we recommend you familiarize yourself with Hangar 13's title, as we really enjoyed it. Its characters, environments, and twists are likely to stay with you for a long time.
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