Find GamesHub’s Mafia The Old Country review below as Hangar 13 rewind the clocks to the early 1900’s for the fifth instalment of the franchise.
I’ll be honest, I’m getting a little tired. Tired of maps cluttered with icons, tired of checklists masquerading as quests, and tired of 100-hour epics where the story feels like a thin layer of butter spread over too much bread. It’s a classic case of open-world fatigue.
So when I heard about Mafia: The Old Country, a game promising to ditch the sandbox for a more linear, movie-like experience, I was interested. As a newcomer to the Mafia franchise, this seemed like the perfect time to get made. The question is, in a world obsessed with freedom and scale, can a tightly scripted trip to 1900s Sicily deliver an offer I can’t refuse?
Developer Hangar 13 seems to think so, and it’s a decision that feels like a direct response to the series’ own history. From what I’ve gathered, fans and critics found 2016’s Mafia III to be a bloated and repetitive open-world game, a step away from the series’ story-focused roots. In contrast, the 2020 remake, Mafia: Definitive Edition, was praised for its focused, linear story. It’s clear that Hangar 13 was listening.
Shortly after having a $53 million project cancelled by parent company Take Two, Hnagar 13 announced a new Mafia title would be released three years ago, and the final product really does feel like they have taken their time to polish Mafia III‘s imperfections.
The Old Country isn’t just a prequel; it’s a deliberate move back to what made the series great, a course correction designed to show that the series is about story first. This game makes one thing clear: the heart of Mafia isn’t about a big map, it’s about a great story.
Mafia The Old Country Period Backdrop is a Postcard to 1900s Sicily
The first thing you’ll notice about Mafia: The Old Country is how gorgeous it is. This is, without a doubt, one of the best-looking games I’ve played.
Using Unreal Engine 5, Hangar 13’s version of early 20th-century Sicily is a work of art. From the sunny vineyards and dusty country roads to the grimy sulfur mines and the looming shadow of Mount Etna, every scene is beautiful. The attention to historical detail is amazing; the buildings, the old cars, the clothes — it all works to create an incredible sense of time and place.
This world, however, isn’t a playground; it’s a movie set. The game guides you through its amazing locations with a firm hand, using the environment as a backdrop for its story rather than a place where you can make your own fun. You’ll ride horses through old streets and drive rickety cars down dirt roads, but these moments are just for getting from point A to point B in a mission. The game even lets you skip these travel parts, a clear sign that the journey is less important than the story moments.
This creates an interesting feeling. The developers at Hangar 13 built a world that makes you want to explore, but the game’s straight-line story keeps you on a set path. It’s like being on a guided tour of a beautiful city; you can admire the sights, but you can’t wander off. This has led some to say the world is “not used enough,” a gorgeous cage where you can look but rarely touch.
For me, though, it worked. I wasn’t looking for another map to clear. I was looking for a world to get lost in, and the beauty of it all, combined with a fantastic full Sicilian voice track, made for an experience that really pulled me in.
The Ballad of Enzo Favara
At the heart of this movie-like experience is the story of Enzo Favara. The game follows his journey from a life of forced labor in Sicily’s hellish sulfur mines, to his chance meeting with the Torrisi crime family and his rise through the ranks. It’s a classic mob story, driven by a desire to escape poverty and make a better life, no matter the cost.
The story is told like a great movie. The cutscenes are beautifully shot, the acting is powerful, and the pacing is tight, making the 10-15 hour game feel like a classic gangster film. The characters also become more than just stereotypes. Enzo’s mentor Luca, the hot-headed nephew Cesare, and the Don’s daughter Isabella all develop into interesting people over the course of the story.
If the story has a weakness, it’s that it’s almost too classic. If you’ve seen The Godfather or Goodfellas, you will see every twist coming a mile away. The kind mentor, the forbidden love, the betrayals, it’s all here. But this feels less like a lack of new ideas and more like a deliberate choice.
After the complex and divisive themes of Mafia III, Hangar 13 seems to have played it safe by sticking to the classic parts of the genre. This isn’t an attempt to take apart the mob story; it’s an effort to do the classic story really well. By grounding the game in familiar ideas, the developers have created a strong, easy-to-understand starting point. For a newcomer, it’s a perfect introduction to the themes of the series.
Mafia The Old Country Gameplay
While the game looks and feels like a movie, the gameplay is more average. The action is a mix of stealth, cover-based shooting, and a new knife-fighting system — but none of it feels particularly deep or new.
The gunplay is fine. You have a variety of historically accurate guns like revolvers and shotguns, and the cover system works well enough. However, many players have found it to feel a bit old and not as impactful as the combat in Mafia III.
Enemies aren’t very smart and often fall into predictable patterns. Stealth is also pretty basic; you can throw things to distract enemies and do silent takedowns, but it rarely gets any more complex and isn’t much of a challenge.
The biggest new feature is the knife-fighting system, which is mostly used in boss fights. These one-on-one duels look cool and involve dodging and parrying, but they get repetitive fast. Nearly every fight follows the same pattern. It’s a system that looks great but feels shallow.
It’s clear that the gameplay is just there to support the story. The gameplay isn’t the main attraction. It’s just a simple way to get you from one movie-like scene to the next. The shooting is simple enough to make you feel powerful, the stealth is easy enough that you won’t get stuck, and the knife fights are scripted enough to have a dramatic finish. The gameplay isn’t bad; it’s just average, and that seems to be the point.
Its purpose is to support the story, not get in its way.
The Verdict for a New Family Member
So, is Mafia: The Old Country an offer a newcomer should accept? For me, the answer is a big yes. In a market full of games that demand hundreds of hours and offer endless freedom that often feels empty, this game’s straightforward, story-focused style was exactly what I was looking for.
It’s not a perfect game. The gameplay is just okay, and the story, while told well, is built on familiar ideas. But its strengths are clear. The world Hangar 13 has created is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever visited, with a great feel to it, and the focus on a tight, movie-like story is a refreshing change of pace.
The game’s lower price of $49.99 also feels fair for what it is: a high-quality, 12-15 hour experience that respects your time and money. It’s not trying to be Grand Theft Auto; it’s trying to be The Godfather, and in that, it mostly succeeds. If you, like me, are looking for a game that values story over scale and atmosphere over activities, then Mafia: The Old Country is a fantastic and highly recommended entry point into this classic series. Welcome to the family.
Mafia: The Old Country – The Final Tally
| Pros | Cons |
| Stunningly beautiful and authentic setting | Gameplay mechanics are serviceable but average |
| Tightly-paced, cinematic story presentation | Narrative follows predictable genre tropes |
| Strong atmosphere and world-building | The world feels beautiful but underutilized |
| A focused alternative to open-world bloat | Key features like knife fights become repetitive |
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Developer: Hangar 13
Publisher: 2K
Release Date: August 8 2025
