Going Beyond The Old Country

From rags to riches, a story many of us have heard before. But this isn’t just the rise of one man looking for a better life, this is a story of emotional controversy, survival, heartbreak, and most importantly, the return of the Mafia franchise.

Enzo’s journey was never going to be easy. Sold off to the mine as a boy meant rough times growing up. It’s the set piece for what’s to come for the journey ahead. Tough times must lead to better situations, right? After barely making it out of alive from the mine, I was already hit with emotions about who I respected, and who I would like to see 6 feet under first in the game. It’s a setup that, though starts off slowly, builds upon itself once the boulder begins to crumble, and it quickly becomes more of a landslide by the time the game wraps up.

Like New Again

Hanger 13’s latest trip in the Mafia series, The Old Country, takes us all the way back to the early 1900s in Sicily. A beautiful landscape with bright vistas of the mountain peaks, vineyards and a setting that is rarely explored in games, a much welcomed return for Mafia and an exciting set piece of opportunity for the next adventure within the series.

Mafia: The Old Country is certainly one of the more linear stories of late, almost too linear at times, even when exploring the mission area I was often told to get back to the mission location. I was only 5 feet from the path I was on and right next to the mission area. A bit of freedom would have helped the immersion of the game instead of this feeling of being locked down a path and only allowed to place one foot in front of the next. There are moments of exploration, though they are far and few between. Opening up the feeling of freedom to roam is a feature Hanger 13 is currently working on, though I feel it may be too late.

Even with a linear story, The Old Country’s story and cast of characters are at the heart of the game. Each character plays a role of importance that is meaningful, and the voice acting is done incredibly well. The emotions behind Enzo, played by Riccardo Frascari, help set the story in a world that is alive and believable. After completing the game in about 15 hours, it’s a story I still think of days later while writing this review. A story that is one of the best this year. Impacted by characters, a growing connection with Luca and a dislike for Tino, the banter with Cesera, and the fear one feels from the Don, played by Johnny Santiago, all come together, which builds each character and how they portray themselves is outstanding!

Bringing a knife to a gun fight.

The combat represents the time period which is commended to the team and for its time. However, the combat feels lackluster and underwhelming at best. Knife fights would almost bring on the feeling of “here we go again” instead of excitement. Waiting to counter or dodge your opponent before striking back quickly becomes repetitive. The gunplay doesn’t feel impactful either. However, if one could imagine the guns from back in the day, I wouldn’t think they would be snappy by today’s standards. I wanted a bit more control over my weapons, similar to Red Dead 2 would have been a better feeling than Mafia The Old Country’s gunplay.

​The Sounds of Silicy

The score of the world brings Silicy and The Old Country to the forefront of the game. The audio can bring a player back in time that you can't explain in any other form. The lively downtown fictional San Celeste setting while listening to the crowd as Enzo walks through the streets. Or the weight of the cars you can drive from the Carozella Tesoro to the Dufort 30, each with their own unique sounds adds to the wonderfully created world of The Old Country. A timepiece that helps represent a world unbeknownst to most.

Mafia The Old Country gets an 8.5 from me. With better combat, The Old Country could have felt new again. However, the story, the environment, attention to detail, the world and landscape of Sicily are all complemented by the incredible cast of characters and the outstanding voice acting. Mafia The Old Country has something for old fans of the series and will entice new ones. The only question is now, what's next for the Mafia series?