Mafia: The Old Country Review - A Dated Sicilian Tale

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Lately, it feels like games are following an unfortunate trend: deliver a superb narrative with dull gameplay or a terrible plot with top-notch systems. Mafia: The Old Country is a perfect example of the former. After many years without a proper Mafia game, we finally got one that takes us back to 1900s Sicily to witness some of the beginnings of the franchise. Its solid story, carried by terrific characters and many easter eggs for avid fans, is, sadly, not enough to salvage this 10-hour tale full of dated gameplay, sluggish combat, graphical issues, and a few bugs.

From Rags to Riches

If a bit predictable, Mafia: The Old Country tells the tale of Enzo Favara, our typical honorable man dragged into the world of organized crime in Sicily, set in the 1900s. Our hero, or criminal, depending on who you shoot or don’t shoot, begins as a miner working to pay off his debt. His big dreams of going to America get crushed as an accident inside the mines forces him to escape and eventually land on the doorstep of the Torrisi Crime family. From there, Enzo starts climbing the ranks from a stablehand to a full-fledged family member.

Since the plot is too short, which I didn’t mind at all, I won’t spoil some of its key moments, and instead say it is the absolute best thing about Mafia: The Old Country. The tale of the underdog is always a promising one, but not one that is easy to execute entertainingly. However, Hangar 13 did a terrific job at delivering an excellent protagonist who carries the whole game on his shoulders. At times, many key characters help him with this 10-hour burden, such as Cesare, the immature and reckless nephew of the crime family’s leader. Luca, the father figure who shows Enzo the ropes of crime. Don Torrisi, the Don Corleone-inspired crime boss. And Isabella, the love interest and daughter of Don Torrisi.

While we’ve had plenty of gaming experiences this year, all the above cast and a few others that appear throughout the playthrough have been some of the most memorable characters of the year. It is rare to see a modern game put this surgical precision into character development, and it pays off in every single chapter. From Enzo and Cesare’s interactions as the good and bad crime members, to Enzo and Isabella’s forbidden romance, everything is a joy to watch and had me rushing through the sluggish gameplay moments to see where this cast would go next.

Another commendable part is just how well-paced the whole narrative is. Recently, many story-driven titles struggle with pacing. You are on a world-saving quest, but still have time to look at your party members in swimsuits. Mafia: The Old Country, however, focuses on the matter at hand every single moment. It helps that there are a few subtle timeskips that eliminate those stale periods without anything to do.

Overall, Mafia: The Old Country features one of the most memorable and intriguing plots of the year. If the game were judged solely by that, it would be terrific, but sadly, it is a video game at its core, and the gameplay aspect is just as important as the story it tells, which ultimately sinks this crime family drama.

Sneak, Shoot, Repeat

Repetitive gameplay is never bad if it is executed properly. Mafia: The Old Country features two types of gameplay systems: sneak and shoot. There’s some racing on the side, either on a horse or with your vehicle, and even some exploration through the “Explorer” mode you unlock to roam the gorgeous Sicilian setting, but that’s it.

Initially, Mafia: The Old Country seemed as if it was aiming for quality over quantity in terms of gameplay, but it had neither of those. One mission will task you with infiltrating a place. There will be two routes to pick from with different enemy positioning. On paper, it doesn’t sound bad. It even sounds like any other stealth game out there. Then again, it has a poor execution. Enemy AI is as dumb as a whiskey-filled midnight guard. Often, it would get stuck in front of a crate or run toward you to shoot you in the face, just to back several steps back to find some cover.

Another thing that hurts the overplayed stealth segments is the lack of challenge. I never felt threatened throughout my playthrough, regardless of the enemy I was facing or the place I was infiltrating. You can pass next to guards and they won’t even react, making some of these levels feel like filler content. However, looking at it in hindsight, it let me get back to the story quickly, so that could be seen as a silver lining of sorts.

Unfortunately, the combat part isn’t a standout either. You have a good amount of guns to pick from, ranging from pump-action shotguns to repeaters and even bolt-action rifles. Yet, the shooting levels are also as dull as the AI behind every guard. Enemies never attempt to swarm you, and only occasionally try to chug a grenade your way to make you move. But that’s as far as depth goes here.

There are also many, emphasis on many, knife fights, which, ironically, are the only way for Enzo to use any form of melee combat. Often, a chapter will start with a stealth portion, move on to an unavoidable shooting moment, and culminate in a not-so-epic knife fight. These encounters have the depth of the melee combat of The Callisto Protocol, which only offers dodge and parry mechanics, alongside some attacks to counter your enemies and break their defenses, but nothing mind-blowing or worth delving into. They are there to provide a cinematic closure to a chapter, but nothing else.

Credit where it’s due, however, the driving is pretty enjoyable. One of my traumas with the series is how horrendous the driving felt, especially in the earlier titles. Fortunately, this prequel does a great job at fixing that by making it responsive, regardless of the vehicle you take out for a spin.

In truth, many might say, “This is the Mafia experience,” and they are not wrong. The linear storytelling with a straightforward gameplay mold is there. Yet, the standards have changed, and every single hands-on moment felt dull compared to other story-driven experiences. If the combat had been more challenging and the stealth segments larger and more intricate, it might have made this tale stand out a bit more. But as things stand right now, it delivers some of the most uninspiring gameplay systems I’ve played in recent memory.

A Gorgeous Sicilian Atmosphere

What is inspiring and jaw-dropping at times is the atmosphere, which the Mafia series has always gotten right. I miss the days of walking around Empire Bay, which is one of my favorite settings of the franchise. However, the representation of Sicily in Mafia: The Old Country has taken the crown by delivering a picturesque and visually stunning map.

From the moment you leave the mines, you can see the scope of 1900s Sicily and the beauty behind every villa, house, town, and even dirt road. There’s a deadeye precision to detail in every part you see of the map. Whether it is a car workshop, Enzo’s apartment, or the huge Torrisi house, all of it immerses you in this game’s world and rivals the detail we’ve seen in other recent titles, such as Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Unfortunately, and just like its gameplay, it lacks any form of depth.

Looking at this Sicilian landscape felt as if I was driving toward a wall painted by Wile E. Coyote. It looks great and almost realistic, but you know there’s nothing behind it. In other words, the map lacks any interactivity or reactivity. NPCs will only stand around as if they were extras in a film set, and the gorgeously lit rooms and villas feel like cardboard props, as there’s not even an option to interact with the furniture or even lean over a railing to take in the view.

A Great Cinematic Story Dragged Down By Its Dated Design

Ultimately, Mafia: The Old Country is a terrific cinematic experience for those who want to focus only on the story. Its narrative is superb with intriguing moments and twists, and even if they are predictable, they will make you gasp and clutch your pearls. On top of that, its cast of characters is impressive, with excellent voice actors that deliver emotional moments flawlessly. The cherry on top is the high-quality motion capture that shows the details of every facial expression and reaction, immersing you even more into this Sicilian drama.

Sadly, the uninspiring and repetitive gameplay makes the experience collapse and stains the franchise that could’ve used a win to return to its Mafia II days. Still, there are promising signs of progress, especially in the storytelling aspect, which is tighter than ever. If we ever get another Mafia title, I hope it continues delivering a narrative as excellent and memorable as this one. Yet, it needs to work on the gameplay aspect a lot because, in the end, it is a video game, and the hands-on moments are as important as the drama-filled cutscenes.

Review copy provided by the Publisher.

Mafia: The Old Country (PS5 Reviewed)

7.5 Very Good

Mafia: The Old Country had the potential to be a video game standout of 2025, but its dull gameplay, full of repetitive segments and weak design, brings down this crime family drama.