Summary
Mafia: The Old Countrywill not be an open-world game, breaking the trend set by its predecessors. Rather, the developers ofMafia: The Old Countrywill be offering players a more streamlined experience that focuses closely on its narrative when it launches on August 8.
The long-awaited follow-up to 2016’sMafia 3,Mafia: The Old Countrywas officially announced at Gamescomin August 2024, roughly two years after Hangar 13 general manager Roman Hladik had confirmed that a newMafiaproduct was being developed. The first glimpse at the game’s story came via a trailer released in December, presenting the kind of gritty crime family story that fans of the franchise have come to expect, but this time, set in Sicily around the turn of the 20th century.
Sticking to that compelling story sounds like it will take precedence over the degree of free-roaming discovery that players have become accustomed to throughopen-world crime gamesin the series. According to an FAQ section on the game’s officialwebsite, the next entry in the series will eschew the open-world format of previous games in favor of offering “a linear, narrative-driven game.” Hangar 13 has been transparent about its concept of presenting a more narrative-drivenMafiagame since the development was first confirmed in 2022, though the abandonment of the open-world format had not been specified until this recent reveal in the FAQ section.
Mafia: The Old County Ditches Open-World Format
Stories in theMafiafranchisehave been some of its games' best selling-points, with cinematic tales that bring to mind classic gangster films likeGoodfellasandThe Godfather. For this new, linear format,Mafia: The Old Countrylooks to raise the storytelling bar even higher by placing players into the shoes of Enzo as he navigates the concepts of loyalty and honor to his family in a 1900s Sicilian setting.
While the linear format will likely result in much shorter playthroughs than players are used to inMafia 3, fans can still expect to get a lot of bang for their buck. The development team has also revealed alower-than-expected price forMafia: The Old Country. The base game retails for $49.99, which is roughly $30 cheaper than what many standard triple-A games are heading for in light of recent price hikes and changing market conditions. Pre-orders are open now, and players can also elect to purchase the Deluxe Edition, which comes with several bonuses, like outfits, ranged and melee weapons, and methods of transportation, including a limousine and a horse.
