Mafia The Old Country Review: A Stylish Return to Sicily That Doesn’t Quite Hit All the Right Notes

Mafia The Old Country throws you into the dusty boots of Enzo, a poor kid who escapes the hellish sulfur mines of Sicily only to find himself knee-deep in organized crime. Revolutionary? Not really. But compelling? Absolutely.

The writing here genuinely impressed me. Yeah, we’ve seen the “forbidden love with the boss’s daughter” trope a million times, but Isabella and Enzo’s relationship feels authentic rather than forced. When things inevitably go sideways (because this is a Mafia game, not a rom-com), you actually feel the weight of those choices.

Don Torrisi himself is a masterclass in voice acting. Johnny Santiago brings this quiet menace that makes you understand why grown men who kill for a living would take orders from this guy. He’s not shouting threats or chewing scenery – he’s just… intimidating in that bone-deep way that real power tends to be.

Sicily Never Looked This Good (Or This Dangerous)

Here’s where Mafia The Old Country really shines – the setting. Early 1900s Sicily isn’t just a backdrop; it’s practically a character itself. The sun-baked countryside, the dusty roads, those gorgeous vintage cars that sound like they’re held together with prayer and determination – it all comes together beautifully.

The switch to Unreal Engine 5 was smart. Everything looks crisp without that over-polished feel that sometimes plagues modern games. More importantly, I didn’t encounter any of those annoying bugs that made me restart checkpoints in previous Mafia games. Progress, people.

Combat That Gets the Job Done (Mostly)

Let’s talk gameplay. Mafia The Old Country plays it safe with third-person cover shooting that feels… fine. Not groundbreaking, not terrible – just serviceable. The period-appropriate weapons pack a punch, and there’s something satisfying about taking down enemies with a good old-fashioned revolver.

The stealth sections work better than I expected. You can actually pick up and hide bodies (thank God), toss bottles for distractions, and there’s a real stealth system here, not just an afterthought. Though I have to ask – why can I only pick up some bottles? Either let me grab them all or don’t scatter them around like breadcrumbs. It’s these little inconsistencies that break immersion faster than a poorly timed wisecrack.

The Knife Fights Everyone’s Talking About

New to Mafia The Old Country are these one-on-one knife duels that look absolutely brutal. They’re flashy, they’re bloody, and they’re… kind of easy? Don’t get me wrong, they look cool, but once you figure out the dodge-parry-slash rhythm, they become more cinematic than challenging. Still, points for style.

Where Mafia The Old Country Stumbles

Here’s my biggest gripe with Mafia The Old Country – it’s almost too linear. I get it, the original Mafia games weren’t open-world sandbox experiences, and that worked. But when you create this gorgeous Sicilian countryside and then barely let me explore it during the main story, it feels like a missed opportunity.

Sure, there’s an exploration mode tucked away in the menus, but it’s completely divorced from the main campaign. Why not let me wander around my upgraded living quarters? Give me a few minutes between missions to visit those vendors you introduced me to? Let me cause some trouble in the towns instead of rushing me from one story beat to the next?

The missions themselves can feel repetitive – sneak in, take down guards, shoot your way out if things go wrong. Rinse and repeat. It’s not bad, but after the fifth or sixth variation, you start craving something different.

The Technical Side That Actually Works

I played Mafia The Old Country on PC, and I’m happy to report it runs like a dream. Solid framerate, gorgeous visuals cranked to maximum, and no game-breaking bugs. In 2025, that shouldn’t be noteworthy, but here we are.

The sound design deserves special mention. Those early automobiles with their primitive engines and chain drives sound authentic as hell. When you’re bouncing around off-road with a gramophone in your car, you’ll actually hear it struggling with the terrain. These details matter.

Final Thoughts on Mafia The Old Country

This game is like that reliable restaurant in Little Italy – it’s not going to blow your mind with innovation, but everything on the menu is executed well. The story hooks you, the characters feel real, and Sicily in 1904 is a setting that deserves more attention in gaming.

Is it perfect? Hell no. The linearity feels restrictive, the combat is standard-issue, and some design choices make you scratch your head. But for $50 (refreshingly cheaper than most AAA games), you’re getting a solid 13-hour experience that respects your time and intelligence.

Score: 7.5/10

Mafia The Old Country proves that sometimes playing it safe can still result in something worth your time. It may not revolutionize the crime game genre, but it tells a damn good story in a setting that feels fresh even when the mechanics don’t.