Mafia: The Old Country Reviews
Mafia: The Old Country doesn't have enough gameplay ideas to carry its relatively short running time. While the fundamentals here are fine, an overemphasis on insta-fail stealth sequences and floaty shootouts makes for a forgettable campaign, even if it takes place within a stunningly detailed world. The performances are extraordinary but the story itself is predictable, leaving you with a phenomenally acted crime tale that you may admire in the moment but will struggle to remember once the credits roll.
Mafia: The Old Country offers a linear and compact experience, a rarity these days, that makes storytelling its main strength. It's not a revolutionary video game, nor does it aim to be, yet it manages to leave a mark despite the flaws of a gameplay that's overly formulaic. The depiction of early 20th-century Sicily is excellent, thanks to a commendable aesthetic and stylistic effort, and the inclusion of full Sicilian voice acting. Too bad for the many technical issues.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Ultimately, The Old Country fails to make the most of its world’s uniqueness, as evidenced any time you must leave your vehicle to interact with it.
Mafia: The Old Country aims squarely at being a narrative experience, and largely succeeds in that while also providing solid gameplay. It is a bit of a shame that we don't get to truly explore Sicily in this game, but if you're into Mafia narratives, this is among the best you can find in games, and the entry price isn't that high either.
Sure, Mafia: The Old Country has guns and cars, but the more important pieces are the awesome story, great performances, and beautiful setting. Cinematic in all the ways that most games only dream of, The Old Country delivers a nuanced and thoughtful story full of thrills. I couldn't tear myself away from it.
Compared to the finger-twisting meticulousness of, say, Grand Theft Auto V, this game is almost charming in its simplicity.
Hangar 13 has managed to pay homage to the saga's origins without abandoning its own vision, and the result is one of those games that doesn't need to be huge to be memorable . Enzo Favara isn't Vito Scaletta or Tommy Angelo, but his story deserves to be told. And played.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Everyone is obviously free to rate Mafia Terra Madre up or down based on what they want to find within the adventure. As long as they're aware of it being an honorable undertaking.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Mafia: The Old Country looks backward, both in its setting and design ethos. Combining gorgeous visuals, strong character work, and scrappy action set pieces, the outcome is a confident, understated crime game that does exactly what it's supposed to.
I would have liked to see Hanger 13 venture more into the story. For a game that places so much emphasis on the story, I expect a bit more variety – which I got with the knife as a new gameplay element.
Review in German | Read full review
Mafia The Old Country isn't bad, it's just too classic to stand out from the crowd and will struggle to be remembered, unlike its big brothers. It's nonetheless a very cinematic experience that will undoubtedly delight fans of the franchise.
Review in French | Read full review
Sold as a slave by his father to toil in a sulphur mine, Mafia: The Old Country's protagonist, Enzo Favara, doesn't have the most glamorous...
Mafia: The Old Country could've just been a movie-offering a great story but little else.
Mafia: The Old Country is a worthy addition to the long-running crime franchise. It excels with a strong cast, high production values, and a story you'll genuinely care about, all supported by simple yet effective combat systems. However, its lower price point likely limited its overall scope, which in turn impacts its replay value. But if you're someone who wants games to respect your time and are tired of overly long, bloated open world experiences, Mafia: The Old Country is absolutely worth your attention.
At first, Mafia: The Old Country swept me up straight away. Its stunning world, compelling story, and rich sense of place felt like an Italian holiday. As I played on, the simplicity of its combat and stealth stood out more, but that's not what I valued most. Not the most inventive action game, but one of the most immersive you'll play this year. This is a leaner and more focused Mafia game that trades scale for storytelling and worldbuilding, and in doing so, delivers something quietly special.
Mafia: The Old Country is not trying to be a GTA clone, but instead sets a smaller scale and focuses fully on what is most important to the series. An atmospheric, dark and tight story set in a memorable location, together with solid gameplay mechanics and fluid performance, is exactly what the series needed to get back on track.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Mafia The Old Country, visually, is a stunning success. Unfortunately… gameplay is best described as mediocre; serviceable, if not particularly enjoyable. Its story is a tragedy -- dull, linear, and so full of tropes that nothing feels new or fresh. Characters are flat cliches, generic representations of genre stereotypes, and nothing more.
Mafia: The Old Country doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it does take players to a beautiful new locale for a full-fledged Mafia game like any other - and possibly the best one yet. The Old Country makes for a sublime addition to the series.
rooted forces that sustain it-and this game does so with rare courage and clarity.
Review in Italian | Read full review
I would have liked more side missions and a greater opportunity to explore the beautiful world of Mafia: The Old Country, but the stunning visuals, exciting set pieces and immersive journey are more than enough to tempt you into a Mafia game again.