Mafia: The Old Country

Mafia: The Old Country is a strong contender for one of 2025's best narrative titles. At one moment, it can feel like a cheesy Italian soap opera where Enzo and Isabella's on-screen forbidden affair is adorable enough to make you kick your feet in the air. But on the other hand, it's a ruthless crime spectacle that excellently portrays the origins of the Mafia with the Torisi Family's rise and fall, with character performances reminiscent of an A24 movie. Throughout its 14-chapter duration, it maintains a tight pacing, particularly in its exposition and gameplay sequences, with the latter feeling like a breath of fresh air thanks to the different weapons, variable firefight sequences, and intense knife duels. Considering the ending and the fan-service elements that cater to long-time fans, this is not only the best Mafia game to date, but also one of the best modern linear action-adventure titles.

Hangar 13 didn't reinvent the wheel with Mafia: The Old Country. Instead it goes back to the roots of the franchise and of the mafia, with a cinematic adventure in Sicily. The story and gameplay all feel familiar, but the execution is strong, partly due to the strong cast and memorable characters. The game does suffer from some glitches, but that doesn't ruin the fun. The Old Country feels like an 11-hour long mobster movie, with excellent pacing.

Mafia: The Old Country has a great story to tell. As it unfolds, it captivates you with the breathtaking beauty of Sicily, never breaking its cinematic flow and staying true to its course. In these days when we long for linear games, it shines like a sun rising over Messina.

I'm convinced that when evaluating a game, as with any other piece of entertainment, we should first consider the goals the developers set for themselves during the development process. It's obvious that Hangar 13 spent most of its creative and financial energy on the historical/cultural reconstruction of early twentieth-century Sicily, with praiseworthy results. That period, that place, those traditions, that language: Mafia Terra Madre is a unique experience, and for that alone it should be recognized. The gameplay component, unfortunately, has received a more cursory treatment, largely similar to that of Mafia Definitive Edition in terms of action sequences and the uncertainties of the artificial intelligence. Fortunately, a game is such a multi-layered product that it can't be evaluated "by the pound." What you see below is a number that, in my opinion, serves as a midpoint between a high-quality production and somewhat outdated gameplay, not fully refined. 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.

Mafia the Old Country is an enjoyable cinematic game with great characters and story, but gameplay feels to as old as the Old Country.