Mafia: The Old Country – A Return to the Roots
I’m going to say this straight.
Mafia: The Old Country is not trying to be GTA. And thank God for that.
If you’re coming into this expecting chaos, side mission overload, and endless open-world distractions, you’re playing the wrong franchise. It’s about origins. It’s about power before it became flashy. It’s about loyalty before it became branding.
And I respect that.
Sicily Feels Real
This setting carries the entire experience.
Early 1900s Sicily is not glamorous. It’s rough. It’s desperate. It feels like survival. And that matters, because this life does not start in luxury. It starts in hardship.
The environments are grounded and believable. Small villages, sun-beaten countryside, tight interiors where conversations feel heavy. It does not feel like a theme park version of crime. It feels intentional.
For a community like ours that cares about authenticity, that tone is everything.
This Is a Story Game. Period.
This is linear.
Too many modern games are bloated with content that exists just to inflate playtime. This game focuses on telling a crime story. You follow Enzo as he climbs the ranks, and the narrative stays front and center.
The pacing is slower. Deliberate. Sometimes quiet.
I would rather have that than a map full of meaningless icons.
If you loved Mafia I for its storytelling, this will feel familiar. If you only care about sandbox chaos, this will frustrate you.
Gameplay Is Solid, Not Groundbreaking
Combat works. Cover shooting feels tight enough. Stealth does its job. Melee encounters add tension.
But no, it does not reinvent the genre.
At times, it plays it safe. Some missions follow predictable structures. If you are looking for revolutionary mechanics, you will not find them here.
But here is the thing. The gameplay supports the story instead of overpowering it.
You are not meant to feel like a superhero. You are meant to feel like a man earning his place in a brutal world.
That difference matters.
Tone Over Flash
Where this game wins is tone.
The music, the pacing, the dialogue, the weight of every decision. It feels grounded in its era. It respects the roots of organized crime instead of turning it into spectacle.
It understands that this world was built slowly, through loyalty and blood, not neon lights and explosions.
And for Mafia Scene, that is exactly what we appreciate.
My Honest Take
Is it perfect? No.
Does it take risks mechanically? Not really.
But does it understand what makes Mafia compelling? Yes.
This game is not chasing trends. It is doubling down on story and atmosphere. In a market full of oversized open worlds trying to do everything at once, that focus is refreshing.
For our community, this is not just another release. It is a reminder of why we care about this genre in the first place.
If you value narrative, authenticity, and the foundation of the Mafia story, you will find something here worth your time.
If you only want chaos and spectacle, this probably is not for you.
And honestly, that is fine.
Story: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Gameplay: 7
Overall: 8.5
For added bonus, check out former mafia boss, Michael Franzese take on this game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uieAwQJ9Jtg