Tag: Mafia the Old Country

It's true. You can't swim in Mafia: The Old Country. Nor can you row a boat. Or ride a bicycle. Or tie your shoelaces. Or bake a pie. Or perform many other arbitrary actions seen in many other open-world sandbox games of the past 10 years. And while the debate rages on across social media this week about whether modern gameplay technology might be ageing backwards -- in part due to the revelation that The Old Country's protagonist can't swim in open water -- those who have bought and played the game over the weekend know what is possible in this latest chapter of the Mafia series. Let's take a look: Developed by Hangar 13 and published by 2K, Mafia: The Old Country places you in the humble and somewhat worn shoes of young Enzo Favara (Riccardo Frascari), and charts his rise through the ranks of the Sicilian mob -- in said mob's very formative years. Set in 1904, we meet Enzo and his pal Gaetano as carusu -- or mine boys -- working for the Spadaris, a crime family who operate a local sulphur mine. We learn that Enzo's Dad dropped him here some years previously as an indentured servant, before disappearing for parts unknown himself. But while Enzo and Gaetano dream of the day their servitude will finally be over, the Spadaro clan continue to cut unforgivable corners with their workers' safety, pushing Enzo into a violent confrontation with the mine's boss, Damiano "Il Merlo" Bastoni (Raphael Corkhill). Now on the run, Enzo stumbles into the picturesque estate of Don Bernard Torrisi, a rival crime family who control most of the region through fear, favors, farming, and frankly fabulous wines. Don Torrisi takes a shine to Enzo, and takes him under his wing. At first Enzo is consigned to quarters in an abandoned pig sty, and viewed with suspicion and contempt by some within the wider family. However, with determination in his heart, and a burning conviction to live life on his own terms, he soon begins an ascent into the Torrisi family's hearth and hearts. If Enzo's story feels pulled from the scenes of every gangster origin story, it's because it is. Mafia: The Old Country is first and foremost a story-driven game, with a taut, compelling narrative taking center stage. If you love similar game structures, then this one is simply a must play. Recognizable and solidly familiar-feeling characters abound, from the gruff and inscrutable Don Bernard, played with gusto and husky gravitas by Johnny Santiago, to Cesare (Christian Antidormi), the unserious, mean, and spoiled nephew who lands Enzo in trouble at every hand's turn, to Luca Trapani (Alberto Frezza), the patient mentor (and a name that might ring a bell or two for Mafia fans), and Isabella (Carina Conti), Don Torrisi's headstrong only daughter, with whom the love-struck Enzo soon begins a serious and forbidden love affair. This sense of familiarity in no way takes away from the game's appeal. Performances are strong, characters are well-drawn, and both exciting to watch and interact with. There are characters to fall in love with, admire, fear, and despise. For full immersion, players can even choose to experience the game in Sicilian with English subtitles. This colorful and sweeping family drama is set against an equally colorful and sweeping Sicilian backdrop. Hangar 13's 1900's Sicily is so beautiful you'll find yourself searching up Sicilian property websites without quite remembering how you got there. Think cobbled streets and sleepy villages, splendid villas clad with vibrant Bougainvillea and Sweet Alyssum, crumbling ancient ruins, and bustling harbours. The game may not have quite the same level of scale and local populace as Kingdom Come Deliverance II, but it more than makes up for any shortcomings with charm, beauty, and truly immersive ambient village and countryside sounds. You'll hear the steady murmur of voices drowning out birdsong in a village, while the swash and backwash of the sea will form a backdrop to your excursions to the local harbor. Speaking of backdrop, The Old Country provides the perfect backdrop to all this gloriousness: the stark profile of Mount Etna, belching and burbling biliously right from the game's opening moments, an ominous portent of things to come. Gameplay differs from Mafia lll's open-world layout, and is a point of note. Some early reviews state that the island serves more as a gorgeous backdrop to the game's various third person shooter style missions, but this is not exactly true. Although The Old Country is not an open-world sandbox per se, there are opportunities aplenty to explore on your own after Enzo settles into his new home. When I was finally trusted to complete a mission on my own from Don Torrisi, I took a car and travelled all over the island treasure hunting for Trinacria (collectible ancient artefacts that can be sold for currency), instead. When I got tired of hunting for treasures, I eventually met my contact and kickstarted the mission with no gameplay penalties incurred. Sorry, Don Torrisi, it was a beautiful day and I couldn't resist! However try to wander off during a tense shootout, or a rescue mission, and you'll find yourself with 15 or so seconds to return to the playable area before failing your mission. Gameplay quickly evolves from "Hey Enzo! Carry that crate over there!" and "Hey Enzo! Get on that horse and follow me!" to a tense series of diverse missions. As Enzo gets to know the island's locals, he'll soon learn he has to follow his lead from mentor Luca, and the annoying Cesare as they work to maintain their grip on their turf, and deal with those who would seek to take it from them. Missions are exhilarating and expansive story-driven affairs. A simple task of collecting protection money might end up in a shootout with bandits, and exposing a kidnapping ring high in the mountains. Meanwhile, a simple courtesy visit to a friend of the family might end in a stealth mission to snurch a shipment of American whiskey at the harbor. Each mission feels cinematic in its scope. The transition between gameplay and cutscenes is flawless, with letterboxing (black bars at the top and bottom of the screen) subtly framing a cutscene, before dissolving seamlessly back into the action. Although combat is generally of the 'take cover and shoot the enemy until he's dead' variety, it's always fun, unexpected, engaging and deeply reminiscent of other classic adventure titles such as Naughty Dog's Uncharted series, or 2018's Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Over the course of the game, Enzo will learn to use a knife, and to dodge, parry, and attack effectively. With enough Dinari in his pocket he can upgrade his knives, and even challenge people to knife duels. The only downside is that knives -- which are also the only way to open lockboxes containing loot -- require constant sharpening with a whetstone to keep them honed. As Enzo rises through the ranks, a series of firearms also become available, from the humble pistol, to the no-nonsense sawed off shotgun, a powerful option for blowing your enemies away (quite literally) at close range. During combat, Enzo can decide to play it as he sees it by sneaking past enemies, or setting up behind good cover and blasting away as they run towards him, or quietly taking them down one by one. Like Joel from The Last of Us I opted for 'surprise strangulation' as a method of dispatching most of my enemies, saving my bullets and my blade for moments when a sneak attack was no longer possible. (You can also stash bodies in boxes so as not to arouse enemy suspicion, which is a nice addition. I only wish I knew that before I went to the trouble of lugging all those bandit corpses up the side of a cliff and tossing them into the sea below.) You can also search dead bodies for loot and items. Most will have at least a few Dinari, or a useful whetstone. Dinari -- or criminal currency -- is the way to go to upgrade and purchase special items to give you a fighting advantage throughout the game. In addition to upgrading his knife and firearm collection, Enzo can also purchase horses and even automobiles. Taking a horse or a car out on your own for the first time is a thrillingly authentic in-game experience, and I can't recommend it enough. Enzo can also give himself a valuable edge by collecting holy statues dotted around the island. Each statue grants a charm that he can add to his Rosary. Charms come in the bead and medallion variety, and serve to buff both Enzo and his weapons during combat. (You might choose to add a more durable blade, or increase your likelihood of finding specific ammo during missions, or benefit from a brief moment of invulnerability when close to death etc.) The Rosary might initially seem like an insignificant add-on but precise application of charms can really place the odds in your favor over time if used cleverly. Mafia: The Old Country is not without its flaws, but they are not exactly dealbreakers. The game is only about 10-12 hours long, give or take. But the price-point of $49.99 on console and Steam makes it worth it. Additionally, players can't choose to save and reload at a whim, and must use specific reload points instead. And while the island of Sicily (complete with ancient ruins, bustling ports, sleepy villages, busy towns, and treasures galore) lies before you just waiting to be explored, you won't be able to do so until several hours into the game, tied as you are to the Torrisi family's specific mission goals beforehand. However when you do take off on your own, the sense of freedom feels enormously well-earned. Like Enzo, you'll find yourself living as you choose, as you walk, gallop or drive your way across the island. On the technical front, while playing on console for this review I was not aware of any technical glitches, lags, or other weirdness some players have reported on PC. I did on occasion phase through the scenery, particularly when crouched behind objects, but I have yet to play a third-person adventure game where this hasn't happened. I was also occasionally irked by items which were available to be interacted with on one occasion, but not on another. (You can throw some bottles to distract enemies and get them to look the other way, but not all bottles. Just some. And only in combat. But there are bottles everywhere. It's an island of bottles!) So no. While you can't go for a swim in Mafia: The Old Country, you can get in a knife fight or three, go horse racing, go car-racing, take on stealth missions or go in guns blazing, explore Sicily, use a map to hunt for treasures and collectibles, browse a pawn shop to trade your finds, buy horses, automobiles, and weapons, upgrade your inventory, buff your character, and maybe even accidentally find yourself browsing property in Sicily when you should be writing a review instead. Genre: Action Adventure (third-person). Platforms: PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S. Release Date: 08/08/25. Studio: Hangar 13. Publisher: 2K. Follow @TVPulseMag on Twitter | TVPulseMag.com on Bluesky for more gaming news, reviews, and interviews.

Tag: Mafia the Old Country

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Tag: Mafia the Old Country

Mafia: The Old Country Review: A Cinematic Return to Mafia’s Roots

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