Mafia: The Old Countryis shaping up to be a promising continuation of theMafiafranchise, primarily thanks to its bold new take on the series' formula. Rather than being set in the mid-20th century USA like its predecessors,Mafia: The Old Countrywill take place in early-1900s Sicily, in a semi-rural town called San Celeste. Following young protagonist Enzo as he navigates the early years of organized Italian crime,The Old Countrypromises to weave a gritty and mature tale.
Facilitating this narrative isMafia: The Old Country’s greatest departure from its predecessors: its lack of an open-world. For longtime fans of the series, this might not be too great a loss, as the previousMafiagames featured rather drab and uneventful sandbox design. They are a far cry from something likeGrand Theft Autoor even the much-maligned Ubisoft open-world games which, while often underwhelming, at least have activities to engage in. No,Mafia: The Old Countrybeing a linear, story-driven experience doesn’t mean that Hangar 13 is abandoning some stunning, innovative open-world formula, but that doesn’t mean it’s unambiguously good, either.
The Pros and Cons of Mafia: The Old Country Being Linear
Mafia’s Open-World Design Was Never Great, but Maybe It Could Have Been
WithThe Old Countrymaking so many instrumentalchanges to theMafiaformula, and being the series' first entry in almost a decade, it’s not too outlandish to speculate that it could have improved upon the lackluster open-worlds of its predecessors. The originalMafiatrilogy boasts sprawling cities to explore, and while there are some collectibles here and there, andMafia 2and3feature serviceable police mechanics and other reactive features, these environments ultimately feel lifeless. There’s little reason to explore the streets of Empire Bay or New Bordeaux, as there are almost never any surprises or worthwhile secrets to uncover.
But open-world design has come a long way sinceMafia 3released in 2016, and perhapsThe Old Countrycould have learned from genre leaders likeBreath of the WildandElden Ring. It might have been interesting to see Hangar 13’s rendition of turn-of-the-century Sicily, rendered as a freely explorable map, complete with secrets to uncover, vehicles to unlock, and maybe even some verticality or engaging traversal mechanics alaBOTW’s climbing. This approach might have engendered a more intimate connection between the player and the game world, while makingThe Old Countrya unique alternative to crime games likeGTA 6andCyberpunk 2077.
Open-World Design Can Erode Good Storytelling
One ofMafia’s greatest strengthsis its cinematic narrative presentation, which takes clear cues from the likes ofThe Godfather, leveraging classic cinema tropes to tell sober, engaging stories. These stories aren’t the over-the-top satirical romps of theGTAfranchise; they are designed to be compelling and entertaining, but also mature, sophisticated, and nuanced. But open-world design can run counter to this end, as it’s hard to buy into the stakes and tension of the story when the protagonist is leisurely strolling through the city, killing civilians and outrunning the law on a whim. Narrative pacing also takes a severe hit when a game is open-world.
As most in the gaming community have learned one way or another, not every single video game needs to be open-world. In fact, the overwhelming majority of games benefit from having more structure in their narrative and gameplay design, as this allows for a more well-tailored, finely tuned approach. In short, the sprawling sandbox approach isn’t a one-size-fits-all template, but rather a specific style that sometimes works, and sometimes doesn’t. With there beingno open world inMafia: The Old Country, audiences will soon see which camp the series falls into.
Mafia: The Old Country
WHERE TO PLAY
Uncover the origins of organized crime inMafia: The Old Country, a gritty mob story set in the brutal underworld of 1900s Sicily. Fight to survive as Enzo Favara and prove your worth to the Cosa Nostra in this immersive third-person action-adventure set during a dangerous, unforgiving era.This thrilling narrative is brought to life by stunning visuals, cinematic storytelling, and the authentic realism that the critically acclaimedMafiaseries is known for. Enzo’s story unfolds in a time when skill with a stiletto blade was a deadly asset, aluparasawed-off shotgun was a go-to firearm, murderous vendettas raged for decades, and mafiosi patrolled their protection rackets on foot, horseback, or behind the wheel of turn-of-the-century motorcars.Through grit and determination, Enzo has survived a childhood of indentured labor in Sicily’s hellish sulfur mines. Now, through a twist of fate, he has the opportunity to join Don Torrisi’s crime family, and will do whatever it takes to carve out a better life for himself.By swearing an oath, Enzo has committed himself to the Torrisi family’s code of honor, with all the power and hardship it entails. He must never forget this simple truth:Family Takes Sacrifice.
