Mafia: The Old Country – Review

Mafia: The Old Country Rating: 7.5/10

When you think of the Mafia series, you probably think of roaring engines in the Prohibition era, mobster drama through the decades, and a series that’s always been more about atmosphere and storytelling than about flashy gameplay. With Mafia: The Old Country, 2K takes a surprising turn—not forward into the neon-soaked ’70s or ’80s like a lot of us expected, but backward. All the way back. Sicily, 1904.

Yep, this one’s part mob story, part Western, and honestly, that blend works better than I thought it would.

Setting the Scene

Right off the bat, The Old Country nails its vibe. The Sicilian countryside is gorgeous, dusty, and alive in a way that feels completely different from the cityscapes we’re used to in Mafia games. There are no towers to climb, no icons littering the map. It’s all story-driven, linear, and to the point—exactly like the first two Mafia titles. And honestly? I liked that.

Instead of padding, the game keeps its focus on Enzo Favara’s rise from the sulphur mines to becoming a key player in the Torrisi family’s struggle against the Spadaros. It feels tight, grounded, and more cinematic than bloated.

Story: Familiar but Effective

The story hits a lot of familiar beats—mentor figures, forbidden love, backstabbing rivals, all the mob tropes we’ve seen a hundred times. But here’s the thing: familiar doesn’t mean bad.

Don Torrisi, for example, is a standout. His husky, intimidating presence feels real, like the kind of guy who doesn’t need to yell to get respect. And Enzo’s personal journey from “guy trying to escape a sulphur mine” to full-blown mob foot soldier feels earned, even if you can see most of the twists coming from a mile away.

It’s not groundbreaking writing, but it’s solid, stylish, and believable. That’s all I needed.

Gameplay: Safe, but Fun

Let’s be honest: the gameplay isn’t going to blow your mind. It’s a third-person cover shooter straight out of the last decade. Pop-and-shoot mechanics, scripted missions, and not much else.

The twist is in the flavor. You’re not blasting with Uzis and Tommy guns this time—you’re rolling with revolvers, repeaters, shotguns, and sometimes even doing shootouts on horseback. There’s a little spaghetti Western energy in the mix, and it adds enough flair to keep it from feeling too stale.

Still, if you’re looking for groundbreaking mechanics or open-world freedom, you won’t find it here.

Final Thoughts

Mafia: The Old Country feels like a return to form after the more experimental Mafia III. It’s linear, story-focused, and dripping with atmosphere. But it also plays it a little too safe—nothing here is revolutionary, and if you’ve played cover shooters before, you know exactly what you’re getting.

That said, the setting is unique, the story is engaging enough, and the performances carry it.

Final Score: 7.5/10👉 Good, stylish, and worth a playthrough—just don’t expect it to reinvent the wheel.