Mafia: The Old Country Review – An Old-School Throwback For Better or Worse

The afternoon sun sets, as Enzo Favara rides on a horse through Sicily’s scenic countryside. It’s calm, relaxing, and a reminder to appreciate life’s beautiful moments. It also happens right after Enzo and Cesare Massaro murdered a few bandits and shook down the citizens to collect protection money for Don Torrisi. That’s a common occurrence in Mafia: The Old Country; you get these callbacks to the simpler times of early 1900s Italy, even though you’re juxtaposing the natural beauty and simplicity by engaging in all times of criminality.

Having said that, it’s impossible to not be absorbed by the rise of Enzo. He starts off as a carusu, slaving away in the mines. After standing up for himself (and others), he escapes to a nearby town, under the control of Don Bernardo Torrisi. Torrisi saves Enzo from his former boss’ wrath, offering him a chance to work for him and earn his keep. While Enzo does manual work for Torrisi, such as cleaning the stables and delivering wine, he befriends Luca and Cesare, elevating himself to become a key part of Torrisi’s crew. It’s here that Enzo learns that power, love, and empathy don’t often exist in perfect harmony, and difficult choices need to be made.

Even though Mafia: The Old Country‘s story only runs for 15 hours (if you really take your time with it), it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Every development and chapter advances both the gameplay and narrative of the characters, creating a compelling and captivating story that has you begging for more information and detail. Yeah, it’s clear that the plot pays homage to The Godfather Part II – specifically the origin of Vito Corleone in Sicily – but it also links up tidily to the rest of the events in the Mafia series as well. No spoilers, though!

From a visual and storyline perspective, you can’t fault the game, as it does its job in making you believe you’re living in Sicily in the 1900s. Yet, developer Hangar 13 makes the same mistakes in Mafia: The Old Country that it did with Mafia III: the gameplay continues to feel outdated. That isn’t to say that it lacks fun elements, but there’s still something missing to transform this title from good to great. From combat to stealth and even horseriding, other games have evolved and done it better than Hangar 13. While Mafia: The Old Country could have been a real statement of intent, thanks to its graphics, story, and characters, it’s trapped in previous-gen gameplay mechanics.

In addition to this, while the environment gives the illusion of an open world, strong boundaries are enforced. Sure, there aren’t a number of side missions that will require you to venture too far or wide, but it would have been nice to be given the opportunity to explore and involve yourself in the world a little more.

For those who have enjoyed the Mafia series in the past, Mafia: The Old Country delivers the rich cinematic experience you have come to expect. Still, this doesn’t excuse the game from failing to upgrade its outdated elements. It could have been something exceptional and generational; instead, it feels like it’s made only for fans. 

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