Mafia: The Old Country drastically improves on the predecessor, the gripping mob tale, which hits harder than the punch from Tony Montana. It is a shame that it is much better than the movie game.
The Mafia games which have always nailed the story. Taking place against the stunning backdrop, from the mean streets of the NYC-inspired Empire Bay to the bayou of Louisiana, the real hook is the rise and the usual fall of its central family.
2016 Mafia 3 mixed with the things by jumping on the open world gravy train, which has turned out to be a serious misstep, which only diluted the excellent narrative with repetitive activities.
The Old Country is also a course of correction, taking the franchise which it took root by ditching the open world fluff and also taking more cues from Mafia: Definitive Edition. It pays off thanks to the unforgettable journey with the beautifully written characters, even if the sneaking, shooting, and stabbing connecting the cut scenes are choreographed.
What is Mafia: The Old Country about?
Set in Sicily’s sunny Valle Dorata in 1904, Mafia: The Old Country follows the journey of Enzo Favara, a miner sold to the pits as a child by his father.
He has been rescued by Don Torresi, the leader of a powerful crime family, who controls much of the valley. Enzo soon works his way up from the vineyard worker to one of the Don’s most trusted soldiers.
A Story you cannot refuse
Mafia: The Old Country plot is exceptional as the fairly standard tale of a young man from nothing, who makes his way up through the criminal underworld, soon evolves into one of the most genuinely affecting mafia stories.
We would never sit here and say it is better than the classics like The Godfather or Goodfellas, when it comes to making you root for the character and care about the date, it is rated up there. If you are not a little misty-eyed by the time the credits roll, maybe you should take the Omerta yourself.
The second half of the series boasts some of the most shocking and spectacular sequences the series has managed to date, which also includes the frantic chase across the rooftops of San Celeste and brutal assassination during the live opera.
Knife and Knife again
The action between the story beats the fine at the best and outright boring at the worst. The missions follow a fairly similar pattern to drive to the place, silently kill the few guards, get dragged into the big old shootout, rinse and repeat.
The Shooting is satisfying enough with the expected selection of pistols, bolt-action rifles, and shotguns. The stealth loop of throwing objects hilariously blinds the gang members, stabbing them from behind and also hiding the bodies, which is a old as vintage Italian wine.
The problem comes when it does not involve a meaningful way, and each encounter is painfully easy. You can also purchase different knives to unlock certain effects, but this has none of the drastic changes in the way to play, and even the prettiest of knives do not save the rinse and repeat gameplay.
The one-on-one showdowns are introduced early on the 12-hour runtime, and they are clearly the feature from the developer which are most proud of, as every major fight is decided.
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