Mafia: The Old Country is challenging modern expectations by telling players to slow their roll. Most big games chase bigger worlds and grand visuals, but Hangar 13 is peeling back the layers to remind fans what Mafia is all about.
The focus has always been on the story, not side quests, sandbox chaos, or sprawling maps. While the third game expanded into open-world territory with mixed results, The Old Country sticks to a linear path.
This choice may feel restricting to some, but for many loyal fans, it's a refreshing return to form. Much like Mafia 1 and Mafia 2, the game offers open environments but keeps the narrative at the forefront.
In those games, the city wasn't a playground—it was the stage. And that's the energy this new entry brings back. Set in early 1900s Sicily, The Old Country steps away from the usual American mob tropes and dives into the roots of organized crime.
You play as Enzo Favara, a young man born into harsh conditions. He works in sulfur mines before finding a brutal path to power within the Torrisi crime family. Hangar 13 chose not to follow trends, instead heading to Sicily to work with local historians.
They also consulted traditional knife-makers to bring the world to life with accuracy and authenticity. From the countryside to the dialect and weapons, everything is meticulously crafted to evoke a particular time and place.
The move to go back gives the game the chance to show the mafia before the American Dream, something the series has never done. Central to the story are themes of survival, family ties, and rising against the odds in a world that's already tilted against you.
But perhaps the biggest conversation is around what The Old Country isn't. It's not open-world in the way people often expect. There are no tower climbs or endless checklist content. The world is explorable, yes—you'll be driving, riding horseback, and moving through a connected map—but it's all designed to support the story.
You're not meant to lose yourself in optional fluff. Instead, everything points back to Enzo's journey. That's exactly what the devs have pointed out themselves, especially in response to comparisons with GTA 6, which is releasing around the same time.
They made it obvious: Mafia never had to follow in GTA's footsteps. While GTA is driven by mayhem and freedom, Mafia excels in atmosphere and structure. The two can coexist because they offer fundamentally different experiences.
One throws chaos your way, the other keeps you in control. Its price and expansive scope are what make The Old Country stand out. Priced at $50, it doesn't pretend to be a massive 100-hour quest. The team promised a compact, focused game that doesn't require players to dedicate weeks of their lives to it.
In a time where shorter, story-driven titles are often dismissed or overpriced, Mafia is hitting the sweet spot. Players praised this move across not because they want less content, but because they want content that respects their time.
Many fans still remember the fatigue that set in during Mafia 3, when the game's strong story was buried under repetitive missions. The devs are making sure that the mistake doesn't happen again.
They know what fans loved about the earlier games: powerful cutscenes, tight missions, unexpected plot twists, and a slower, more immersive pace. Their purpose wasn't to stretch out the gameplay, but to immerse players in the world.
And now, the Old Country is going all in on that. It just wants to tell a good story, in a believable world, with a protagonist worth remembering, and that's more than enough.