Mafia: The Old Country review – A predictable yet intriguing underworld tale of 1900s Sicily

Set in Sicily, Mafia: The Old Country is a prominent single-player title that takes players into a realm sketched by chaos from the underworld, family bonds, and hope. The hope lies with Enzo Favara, the protagonist, who yearns for freedom, affection, and, eventually, to start life elsewhere.

When I first jumped into Hangar 13's latest title, I knew that its playtime would be fairly short and wouldn't have all those open-world trappings. To be fair, I was happy enough since it meant I wasn't going to invest 60-70 hours into a single-player game that purports to be linear, but "intense."

All in all, the game tells an undeviating tale filled with notable characters, gripping moments, and an average third-person shooting experience. Playing it felt like binge-watching a TV series, where you just don't feel like stopping after seeing one episode.

Nevertheless, throughout the playtime, I somewhat grasped the idea of how the story in Mafia: The Old Country will proceed. It felt like the cohesiveness, the truths, the betrayals, the actions, and the deaths belonged where they were supposed to.

However, the overall experience is certainly well-designed, and despite some flaws, the latest Mafia title solidifies its place as a decent entry to the franchise.

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Mafia: The Old Country offers a compact, story-driven experience

It all starts from the bottom (Image via 2K Games/Sportskeeda Gaming)

Mafia: The Old Country features a linear and story-driven playthrough, whose timeline takes place way before the franchise's previous title, Mafia 3. With the underdeveloped aspects of Sicily, I was truly fascinated by how criminality worked in the narrative.

It never felt like I was in the wrong, as Enzo's emergence in the story and his inclusive characteristics were really good-natured. After being abandoned by his family and then working in a sulfur mine, he was rescued by the leader of a local crime family, Don Torrisi.

Then the story of Enzo unfolds, from carrying wine crates to becoming an important part of the Torrisi family. Partnered with a commendable mentor and a trustworthy friend, Enzo increased his rank by solving Don's troubles and vanquishing the enemies.

Enzo and Isabella (Image via 2K Games/Sportskeeda Gaming)

The love interest, Isabella, holds huge importance to the narrative. There are no necessary routes to pursue in order to attain a relationship with her, as role-playing aspects are absent, and the story does not feature alternative endings.

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Gameplay is not king

The hand that succored Enzo (Image via 2K Games/Sportskeeda Gaming)

Mafia: The Old Country takes about 12 to 15 hours to complete, depending on the difficulty settings. The first few hours are mostly for build-up, with little to no combat sequences and stealth elements. Although the narrative can sometimes feel predictable, it evokes a wide range of emotions and is well-structured.

All things considered, the overall gameplay design is average. Most of the time, it starts with sneaking past enemies and ends in gun or knife battles. The knife battles are captivating, true, but at times, they felt forced. Even though some of the major enemies could have just used a gun to execute me, they opted for a knife instead.

Knife battle is a major part of The Old Country (Image via 2K Games/Sportskeeda Gaming)

Nevertheless, there are various battle mechanics, and properly utilizing them was satisfactory. The true need for a knife lies during stealth. It can be used to sneakily take down enemies from behind, throw them at the enemies, and use them to break locks. Notably, there are three types of knives available, each of which is useful in different scenarios.

However, Mafia: The Old Country has very appealing driving mechanics. With many retro cars and several horse options, it always felt smooth to maneuver them. Similar to previous iterations, this title also has some racing events. But since winning them felt so easy, those seemed a little scripted.

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Sicily is explorable, but it's not necessary

Riding a horse through the dusty streets (Image via 2K Games/Sportskeeda Gaming)

Although Mafia: The Old Country presents a stunning open world for exploration, traversing to various locations is not essential. There are no side quests or major NPCs to encounter in different areas. Well, the game does feature some areas where buying weapons, upgrading gear, and rides are attainable.

But honestly speaking, these hold no major impact on the gameplay. I finished the game on hard difficulty without ever visiting the shop to sell materials for money or purchase new weapons. While there are some actions among mostly stealth approaches, I never felt the need for a specific upgrade to my character's kit.

If you are into finishing games 100% by obtaining all achievements or simply love the idea of acquiring all collectibles, however, exploration is required. For that, the game includes a specific section, Explore mode, allowing you to drive or ride a horse across Sicily in search of collectibles.

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Visuals and performance

The cinematic beauty of The Old Country (Image via 2K Games/Sportskeeda Gaming)

Mafia: The Old Country exceptionally showcases the rugged Sicily, surrounded by beautiful landscapes. Whenever I was riding a horse or driving a car, I never once used the Skip Drive feature that helps teleport to the destination.

Though most of the mountains were just backdrops, passing through the scenic roads was impeccable. Furthermore, the efficient control of the rides was the cherry on top.

The beauty of Sicily is phenomenal (Image via 2K Games/Sportskeeda Gaming)

Not only that, but character designs are also great, and the emotions showcased in their eyes are truly engaging. During my playtime, I encountered some minor visual bugs and stutters, but the game never crashed once.

Overall, the utilization of the Unreal Engine 5 makes Mafia: The Old Country the best-looking iteration of the franchise.

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Final thoughts

Empire Bay, the dream (Image via 2K Games/Sportskeeda Gaming)

The narrative of Mafia: The Old Country is presented through a straightforward 14-chapter structure. The action mechanics remain relatively simple, even at elevated difficulty levels.

Although employing various weapon types proves beneficial, there is nothing particularly exceptional about them. Meanwhile, the stealth mechanics are the same in all difficulties and are quite straightforward to execute.

Word of advice: never skip a single cutscene throughout your entire playthrough. While the gameplay may occasionally feel too generic, experiencing the whole plot unfold is the best part. Filled with prominent characters and a stunning backdrop, Enzo's hopes and dreams, and the pathway to the finale, are truly remarkable.

Although exploration is not essential during the main playthrough, utilizing the game's specific Explore mode is recommended to appreciate the beauty of the sparse Sicily and to acquire collectibles.

The developers also plan to introduce a Free Ride mode in the future, which will feature additional modes for various content engagement. I think they should've delayed the release until the extra content was fully developed and launched simultaneously. That's because the majority of the player base is likely to complete the game in less than a week, leaving them with little to engage with thereafter.

All in all, priced at $49.99, Mafia: The Old Country can be a reasonable investment, offering an engaging short narrative alongside average gameplay. Although the title may not achieve universal acclaim, it could be an excellent choice if you are seeking to explore the historical timeline out of affection for the franchise.

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Mafia: The Old Country

Mafia: The Old Country scorecard (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming)

Reviewed on: PC (Key provided by 2K Games)

Platforms: PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S

Developer: Hangar 13

Publisher: 2K Games

Release date: August 8, 2025