Mafia: The Old Country Review

I’ve been playing the Mafia series on and off since the early 2000s, and it’s wild to think the franchise has been around for over two decades now. It’s had its high points, its awkward experiments, and its near misses. Personally, I was never a big fan of Mafia III. It felt like the game wanted too badly to chase open-world trends instead of focusing on what made the series work in the first place, tight storytelling, memorable characters, and an engaging and tense atmosphere. So when I heard Mafia: The Old Country was shifting back to a more focused, story-driven approach, I felt a mix of relief and curiosity. Could they actually pull it off? After finishing it, I can say it’s definitely a return to form.

Mafia: The Old Country takes the series to its most intimate setting yet. Instead of sprawling across an American city like in past entries, this game pulls you back to Sicily in the early 20th century, right into the roots of organized crime. You play as Enzo Favara, a young outsider with nothing, caught in the crosswinds of violence and poverty, who following some tragic events manages to catch the eye of a local Don.

From the opening moments, the game establishes its tone with cinematic precision. You’re not handed power, guns, or flashy cars. You’re initiated slowly, methodically. The Don tests you, mentors you, and eventually brings you fully into the fold. This narrative structure makes the rise feel earned. It’s not about building an empire overnight, it’s about earning trust, making sacrifices, and realizing how deep the mafia life really pulls you in.

What impressed me most was how grounded the storytelling is. This isn’t a caricature of mafia life, it feels like a tragic family saga. You get drawn into the rituals, the dinners, the whispered conversations, and then the brutal aftermath of choices made in the shadows. By the time the credits rolled, I felt like I had lived a full journey, not just played through a checklist of missions.

One of the strongest aspects of The Old Country is its characters. Every major figure in the story feels distinct, both in personality and in how they’re performed. The Don himself steals nearly every scene with a performance that balances warmth and menace. You believe he could put a hand on your shoulder one minute and order your execution the next.

The supporting cast is equally well-drawn. Lieutenants with their own agendas, rival gang leaders with sharp tongues, family members who see the toll of the life you’re leading. The writing is excellent, but it’s the performances that elevate it. The actors don’t just read lines, they inhabit the roles. There were moments where I caught myself holding my breath during an exchange because the tension was so thick. This is the kind of character work that makes you invest emotionally, even when you’re making decisions you know are leading down a dark path.

The gameplay in The Old Country hits a nice balance between variety and focus. At its core, it blends melee combat, gunplay, stealth, and driving. None of these systems are revolutionary on their own, but together they create a rhythm that stays engaging from start to finish thanks to the game’s focussed runtime.

Melee combat has been given special attention. When you square up against an enemy, it feels like a proper duel. You can slash, strike, parry, and dodge, and the timing matters. It’s not just button mashing, you actually have to read your opponent and respond in kind. Some of my favorite fights were one-on-one showdowns where a mistimed parry could cost me dearly.

Gunplay, on the other hand, is straightforward but satisfying. There’s a decent variety of weapons, revolvers, shotguns, rifles etc and each feels weighty in the hand. The feedback on the PS5 controller really helps sell the impact. Shootouts are tense, not chaotic, because the game leans into precision and cover rather than spray and pray chaos.

Stealth is where the game surprised me most. Several missions require you to sneak into enemy territory, avoid detection, and quietly remove threats. It’s not as deep as something you’d see in Hitman, but it’s effective and fun. There were multiple times I found myself grinning after slipping past guards or silently taking out a target without raising an alarm. The stealth sequences ended up being some of the most memorable parts of the game.

And then there are the vehicles. You don’t spend hours roaming a giant map like in Mafia III. Instead, the game uses vehicles more sparingly—to heighten chase sequences, give weight to an escape, or sell the vibe of the setting. The best decision The Old Country makes is to reject the open-world sprawl that weighed down its predecessor. Instead of padding the runtime with endless side missions and collectibles, this game is laser-focused on telling its story.

The zones you travel through are large enough to feel immersive, villages, countryside roads, grand estates etc but they exist primarily to serve the narrative. You’re not asked to grind meaningless tasks or repeat filler activities. Every mission pushes you forward, every location ties into the story. After the bloat of Mafia III, this focused design feels like a breath of fresh air.

The whole experience takes about 12–14 hours to complete, depending on how you approach it. For me, that was perfect. It never overstayed its welcome, and the pacing kept me hooked all the way through.

Visually, The Old Country impressed me. The lighting at times is some of the best I’ve seen on PS5, sunsets draping golden light across vineyards, moonlight breaking through clouds over cobblestone streets, candlelit dinners with shadows dancing on walls. The environments feel alive in their detail, from the worn textures of old wooden doors to the stitching on a tailored suit.

Character models are equally impressive, particularly the facial animations during dialogue scenes. When a character clenches their jaw, raises an eyebrow, or gives a subtle smile, it sells the moment. The level of detail in clothing textures stood out to me, especially in the suits and uniforms.

On PS5, the game mostly runs beautifully. Load times are short, and the haptic feedback during combat and driving adds a lot to the immersion. However, it’s not flawless. During a few of the more visually intense sequences, like crowded shootouts or fast chases through detailed environments, I noticed frame rate stutters. They weren’t constant, but they were noticeable enough to spot in the moment.

I also ran into a couple of visual glitches, like characters clipping through walls or a weapon floating awkwardly. Nothing game-breaking, but enough to remind me the experience could use some polish in a future patch.

Another area is replayability. Once the story’s done, there isn’t much reason to go back beyond replaying favorite missions. This isn’t necessarily a flaw, it’s a focused, narrative-driven experience by design, but some players might want more hooks to keep them around.

Final Thoughts

Mafia: The Old Country is exactly what this franchise needed, a return to its roots. By focusing on story, characters, and atmosphere, it delivers an experience that feels both refreshing and classic. The combat, stealth, and driving systems all work together to create a varied, engaging gameplay loop, and the visuals make it one of the most cinematic games I’ve played this year.

It’s not perfect, but it’s probably the most fun I’ve had with a Mafia game since the original. At around 12–14 hours, it tells a gripping story and leaves before it risks losing steam.

For me, The Old Country reaffirmed why I enjoy this series. It’s not about chasing trends or inflating map size, it’s about loyalty, betrayal, and the cost of power. And on those fronts, it delivers in spades.

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