Mafia: The Old Country Review

 

Platform: PC
Developer: Hangar 13
Publisher: 2K Games
Genre: Action/Adventure
Completion Status (How Long to Beat): Yes (12 hours)

Many fans of the original Mafia rejoiced as they heard news that Mafia: The Old Country was returning to the linear “open-world” design of the original. Fortunately, the decision was wise, as it leaned into Mafia’s strengths - story, and character development. Unfortunately, the gameplay has shown minimal growth. Mediocre cover shooting, half-baked stealth and one-on-one knife fights galore quickly become rote. While the story follows many of the same beats as the original, and the love story feels rushed, it’s quite good and is bolstered by fantastic voice acting and an immersive Sicilian setting. Despite the subpar gameplay, Mafia: The Old Country had a hold on me; after a slow opening, the game found a good pace and didn't overstay its welcome. 

Pros:

• Fantastic voice acting.
• Beautiful setting and a great job recreating the era. Sicily is beautiful and the old cars are a joy to drive. I also can’t go without mentioning how vibrant the fruit and vegetables look in this game.
• Strong story.
• Robust and dramatic missions later in the game.

Cons:

• AI is deaf, dumb and blind and unfortunately were born before they ever had a chance of playing some mean pinball. The stealth sections present little to no challenge.
• Gameplay is mediocre at best. The first 50% of the missions felt as if I was sleepwalking through them.
• Slow start, with little to no gameplay in the first hour.
• Upgrades don’t feel like they have a meaningful impact on the game.
• Frustrating final mission.

Engagement Factors:

Two of the biggest signs that I’m really enjoying a game are how hard it is to stop playing and how much I’m itching to jump back in when I’m not playing.

• Difficulty to Stop Playing: 8/10
• Desire to Return: 8/10

Note: These scores reflect my personal engagement with the game and are separate from the overall score, which considers all aspects of the game.

Overall Score: 7/10