In this land, you are either part of the family or a stranger. Mafia: The Old Country Review

The Mafia series has always had a special status among gangster games. It did not try to impress players with the size of the map or endless side quests, but instead relied on dramatic, thoughtful and cinematically staged stories. Mafia: The Old Country does not just return us to this formula, it goes even further, offering to see the birth of mafia culture in its cradle, Sicily of the early 20th century. This is an era where the power of the official state in the newly unified Italy is still weak, and the laws are determined by local authorities. In this world, only those who are ready to obey the new rules, or establish their own, survive. Actually, like Mafia: The Old Country itself, which refuses the modern pursuit of "content for the sake of content" and instead offers a concentrated and beautifully directed journey, where every step of the hero is the consequence of a difficult choice, a concession to the principles and circumstances of the era.

The Cradle of Cosa Nostra

Since its debut in 2002, Mafia has become a symbol of story-driven crime dramas in video games. The first part showed the atmosphere of the 1930s in the fictional American city of Lost Heaven, Mafia II - the post-war period and the difficult path of Vito Scaletta in Empire Bay, the prototype of which was New York, and Mafia III - the turbulent 1960s, full of political tension and racial conflicts. Each game was unique, but they united their attention to detail, dramatic plot and the feeling that the player is living the life of the main character, and not just completing tasks.

Mafia: The Old Country takes an unprecedented step back in time for the series to the early 20th century. The Sicily of that period is a poor, agrarian region with high unemployment, where most men are forced to work in the mines or emigrate overseas in search of a better fate. Official authority is often absent, and the courts and police are corrupt or powerless against local gangs. People turn to "men of honor" - those who can protect the community, but in exchange for obedience and services.

It is in these conditions that Enzo Favara, the main character of the game, grows up. Starting as a "carusu", a child who was literally sold to work in the mines at an early age, he finds himself drawn into the internal conflicts of the Torrisi family. Through his story, we see the birth of Cosa Nostra - mafia culture in its original form. Without gloss and romanticization, with an emphasis on the struggle for survival, ambition, honor and power.

Gameplay. If you can't win the fight, win the chase

Mafia: The Old Country abandons the concept of an open world in the usual form for modern games. There are no dozens of side activities, the game map is not littered with markers, and exploration takes place at strictly designated moments. The city of San Celeste and the surrounding villages are available for free driving in the "machine pedia" mode - a separate menu that allows you to explore the streets, test transport and enjoy the atmosphere. But all story missions take place in a clearly directed sequence, without free choice.

The combat system relies on firearms from the early 20th century – revolvers, early semi-automatic pistols, rifles and pump-action shotguns. The feel of the shots is convincing: the weapons have weight, recoil, and reloading takes time, which adds tactical depth and forces you to use cover. Some of them are short-lived and fall apart from a couple of shots from enemy weapons. This forces you to constantly move and adds dynamics to the seemingly positional firefights. In addition, enemies constantly change positions and try to get around Enzo. Because of this, even ordinary firefights look interesting and, if you catch the pace, you can arrange rapid showdowns with a bunch of enemies in the style of "John Wick".

Instead of fistfights, Mafia: The Old Country features knife duels, which are visually spectacular and well-animated, but quickly lose their freshness and seem drawn out. At some point, after a great story shootout, there is a pause, after which you clearly understand that there will be another final knife fight with the mission boss. This somewhat affects the dynamics of the story.

In addition to these duels, knives can be used to open doors or quickly and silently eliminate enemies. This cold weapon has several options, and before sending on a mission, you can choose the knife that will add the necessary passive effects. There are knives with the ability to throw; more durable knives for opening more locks; knives that make the finishing blows in a duel more effective, etc. A knife in Mafia: The Old Country is not just a weapon for not very dynamic duels, it is a symbol, a mandatory attribute of the mafiosi and simply a convenient tool.

Mafia: The Old Country also features stealth elements, although they are not the main mechanics. Some missions allow you to act silently - sneak up on guards from behind, use cover and avoid direct firefights. The artificial intelligence of opponents reacts to noise, light and suspicious activity, so you can distract enemies by throwing objects or shooting into the air. At such moments, the game adds tension, forcing you to plan your path and actions in advance.

Stealth episodes aren't as deep as in games of the same genre, but they add variety to the missions and allow you to complete some scenes without too much noise, which is especially fitting for the atmosphere of mafia conspiracies. In addition, in most missions, if you can't complete them quietly, firearms and cover for shootouts will come in handy.

Special attention is paid to the staging of shootouts and chases. Shootouts often take place in narrow alleys or within high-rise buildings, where it is important to control positions and use cover. The camera, explosions, character shouts and changing angles create the feeling that you are in a scene from a classic gangster film.

Chases are a different story: they occasionally happen by chance, but are always the culminating moments of missions, when the stakes are the life of the hero or the reputation of the clan. The feeling of speed, the risk of sharp turns on narrow streets and ramming opponents add to the tension.

The rhythm and presentation of the action scenes feel a lot like Uncharted 4. Here, too, almost the entire campaign is structured as an alternation of periodic, carefully staged scenes with shootouts, chases, or spectacular crashes and explosions. Each of them feels like the climax of the chapter, and smooth transitions between cutscenes and gameplay keep the pace and make the moment as cinematic as possible. A similar staging was already in Mafia: Definitive Edition, but in Mafia: The Old Country it has reached a new level.

Driving is an important element of the game. The cars of that era are slow, difficult to control and have long braking distances, which forces you to plan turns and chases. The fleet is small, but the difference between the models is noticeable - from trucks to the first passenger cars.

As for progression, Mafia: The Old Country doesn't overwhelm the player with equipment and resources. To buy a new weapon or upgrade, you'll have to specifically go to the store. The plot leads there only once in the entire campaign, and if you don't take advantage of the moment, you can miss a significant part of the opportunities. There are practically no side activities, there are only collectible items that don't affect the gameplay and some optional dialogues at the beginning of missions. Although many will perceive this as an advantage (the plot is not diluted with small quests), sometimes it feels like there are at least a few interactive inserts missing to relax between missions. Especially when the player meets the beginning of the task in the vineyard or in Enzo's house and you just have to go to the marker of a new mission.

Plot: Loyalty is tested not by words, but by actions

In this world, the mafia is associated not only with criminal schemes or power struggles, but also with a certain way of life - a code of honor, hierarchy, obedience to orders and severe punishments for betrayal. And it is these values that are felt during the tasks: the player does not just follow the orders of the clan, but becomes a part of its structure. With each task, you will feel how Enzo gets deeper and deeper stuck in this dangerous quagmire.

The story of Mafia: The Old Country is a combination of personal drama and historical background. Enzo, having lost his illusions about justice as a teenager, quickly realizes that he can survive only by joining the stronger. His path resembles classic mafia sagas: from small assignments for the clan to participation in complex and dangerous operations. In this way, the structure again resembles a remake of the first part.

The narrative rhythm is clearly calibrated: emotionally intense scenes alternate with calmer ones, but each mission moves the plot forward. There are also several strong plot twists that change our perception of the hero and his allies.

While Mafia: The Old Country tells a standalone story and doesn't require knowledge of the previous games, it does feature characters whose names or family connections are mentioned in other games in the series. This adds familiar touches for fans, but doesn't create a direct story bridge like the one Vito Scaletta provided between the second and third installments.

The staging of missions and cutscenes is in the best traditions of the series. The camera often works as if it were shooting a movie: slow drives through the streets of San Celeste, close-ups of faces, sudden changes of angles during gunfights. The dialogues are written in detail, the characters speak in a mixture of Sicilian and Italian (with subtitles), which adds authenticity. The plot does not avoid tough moments - from betrayals and public executions to tragic personal losses. Add to this the aforementioned staging of the fight scenes and you get the formula for a great narrative action without all the excess.

Visual component and music. What does a dark Sicilian night sound like?

Despite the fact that Mafia: The Old Country was created as an AA project with a limited budget, the technical implementation of the game is at a good level. San Celeste is recreated with attention to detail: stone walls, narrow cobblestone streets, dusty markets, courtyards with laundry drying on lines. The landscapes outside the city - olive groves, mountain passes, rocky coasts - look alive thanks to changing lighting and weather conditions. If not for technical brilliance, then for the art style and attention to small details Mafia: The Old Country deserves respect.

The musical accompaniment balances between orchestral compositions and authentic folk motifs that emphasize regional flavor. Most of the music is performed by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. This seems to be a contribution from colleagues from the former Illusion Softworks (2K Czech), the authors of the original Mafia, which merged with Hangar 13 in 2017.

Music appears at key moments: during tense dialogues, final scenes, or long trips through the countryside. The Sicilian voice acting adds immersion to the setting, but the developers have provided switching to other languages for those who don't want to constantly read subtitles. There is a problem with the Sicilian voice acting and the Ukrainian subtitles - they are somewhat out of sync, because none of them is the original. Sometimes a character inserts some Italian or Sicilian word, which is transmitted without translation in the subtitles, but it is not in the voice acting, but this phrase is in the original English localization.

Conclusion

Mafia: The Old Country is a focused, story-driven experience that takes the series back to its roots and does so with an understanding of what fans value about it. It doesn't offer an open world, side quests, or endless grind. Instead, it offers a rich journey back to a time when the Mafia was in its infancy and its code was strict and simple.

Not everyone will like the lack of additional activities and the repetitiveness of some mechanics, especially knife duels. But the strong production, well-written plot and authentic atmosphere make the game unique in the modern gaming landscape. For those who love old-school games that tell stories, Mafia: The Old Country will be both a return to the roots and a breath of fresh air in the era of "content for the sake of content."