A world away from its predecessor is Mafia: The Old Country. Whereas Mafia III charges gun-first through New Bordeaux, a tale of revenge in its clenched fists, Mafia: The Old Country – like the incision of a stiletto blade – takes a statelier, more deliberate approach to its storytelling. Stripping away differences in combat, exploration, setting, and the like – elements we’ve already discussed in other features – to scrutinise the two titles further yields starkly contrasting themes, tone, structure, and identity, the fruits of a redefined philosophy from the team at Hangar 13. These differences suggest The Old Country will be a new era for the Mafia series.
Story length
Typifying Hangar 13’s strive for refinement in Mafia: The Old Country is story length which is expected to take less time to complete than Mafia III. New Bordeaux’s sandbox mission delivery results in a main story campaign which took 22 to 25 hours to complete, whilst The Old Country’s yarn through rural 1900s Sicily is estimated at taking 10 to 14 hours. Focused, linear-style storytelling is a growing trend in video games as developers look to sever open world’s excess bloat. Hangar 13 has carved an opportunity to present Mafia’s most impactful narrative to date with this decision. If The Old Country’s story is on point, then switching from open world to linear, and thus shortening campaign length, will prove a shrewd move.
No background knowledge required
Confirmed as an origin story for the Mafia series by Hangar 13, as per the studio’s community Q&A players’ needn’t have experienced any prior Mafia games to get the most out of The Old Country. A standalone narrative requiring zero background knowledge is, essentially, a reset for the series. Compare this with Mafia III which, whilst admittedly, could be enjoyed as an introduction to the Mafia series, the backstories of recurring characters would be missed.
Thematic difference
We touched upon this in the intro, but again: Mafia III is a story steeped in violent retribution. Through the traumatised eyes of protagonist Lincoln Clay we’re embroiled in a tug of war between rival factions and fractured societies. In contrast, Enzo Favara’s story in Mafia: The Old Country explores themes of loyalty, trust, and sacrifice. Furthermore, Favara is attempting to establish an identity and a sense of belonging for himself. Both games dissect emotionally complex subject matter, but there is a wholesale difference in what is being presented.
Protagonist’s goals
To explore these thematic differences further, we can look at each of Mafia III and Mafia: The Old Country’s protagonists and the end goals which fuel their motivation. Lincoln was hellbent on revenge, his ultimate goal being to teardown the syndicates which failed him. He’s angry, but for Enzo his goal, ultimately, is to be a part of something. To put it another way: Lincoln is building his own empire, Enzo is joining one.
Portrayal of the mafia
Throughout Mafia III, organised crime, and mobsters in general, are skewed through the lens of decay. They’re portrayed as an outdated force amidst a tumultuous backdrop in transition. They’re still taking power via brutality, but their goal for ultimate control over any adversary feels as though its shelf life is wavering. The familial criminals in Mafia: The Old Country, in contrast, are bound by secrecy and tradition. Theirs is a code of honour which is upheld, even between rivals. They’re bound by oaths, ritual, and respect.
Language
Immersion is the Mafia series’ beating heart. It’s fair to say a realism-first approach has informed many of Hangar 13’s development decisions, and they’re taking it up a notch with Mafia: The Old Country. In a series first, the game’s intention is not to be experienced in English but in Sicilian. The team have written a Sicilian-first script, hired Sicilian voice actors, and are proudly claiming Sicilian as the canon way to experience the upcoming game. Dubs in numerous languages, including English, exist, although in a nod to respect there won’t be an Italian version. Mafia III was no slouch in the audio department, of course, with period-correct slang and accents featured. But, inarguably, this doesn’t go to the lengths The Old Country is.
Game engine upgrade
Mafia III uses an upgraded version of Mafia II’s Illusion engine whereas for Mafia: The Old Country Hangar 13 have opted to use Unreal Engine 5. Visually, it’s hard to argue this isn’t a sound decision, especially when considering the emphasis on in-game cutscenes to tell the game’s carefully crafted story. Of course, UE5’s benchmark-raising facial animation tech MetaHuman has been instrumental here. Furthermore, evidence of Nanite and Lumen dominates the rugged, vividly lit terrain of Sicily throughout gameplay and marketing videos.
Underboss management dropped
Supporting Mafia III’s empire building is its underboss management mechanic whereby Lincoln would assign control of specific districts that he’s taken over to his underbosses. Maintaining a good relationship with these underbosses by fairly assigning resources and support was key to building a healthy empire. For a game as streamlined as Mafia: The Old Country, there’s no room for a similar kind of system.
Side missions dropped
Beyond empire management, Mafia: The Old Country drops a few more of Mafia III’s open world trappings. Side quests, on the whole, are gone. A story which unfolds in a highly structured way won’t allow them, you see. Collectibles are parred down to a minimum, with Hangar 13 confirming that there will be opportunities to leisurely absorb Sicily’s splendour with chance to “discover a few collectibles” stated on their community Q&A.
Knives are the new guns
In early 1900s Sicily, even gangsters didn’t have plentiful access to firepower. Here, disputes are settled by the slash of a blade. Moreover, at this time knives in Sicily harboured cultural significance, with the Sicilian School of Stiletto Fighting informing many a vicious combat manoeuvre the mafia men of this era enacted on their foes.
Resource scarcity
Life hanging by a thread, survival by skin of teeth; this is how Hangar 13 wants players to feel throughout every combat encounter in Mafia: The Old Country. Fostering this aim somewhat is a scarcity of resources – particularly ammo – throughout each of Enzo’s missions through Sicily. To this end, players will need to think strategically about every bullet they load into Enzo’s gun.
Original score
Mafia III featured a licensed soundtrack, a sonic buffet of 1960s music which anchored the game and its narrative themes into a specific era. The Old Country achieves this same anchoring, but via an original score performed via period-correct folk instruments, and subtle ambience.
Film-like flow
In Hangar 13’s words, playing through Mafia: The Old Country is like playing through a classic mob movie. To achieve this their intention, primarily, is to establish a cinematic flow between tightly directed gameplay moments and acted cutscenes. Events transpire chronologically too. There’s no jumping between timelines here.
Visual style
Cementing Mafia: The Old Country’s cinematic flow is the visual language deployed. Scenes unfurl slowly, interiors are purposefully illuminated akin to noir cinema, whilst open countryside embraces serenity and calm. In contrast, Mafia III’s visual style is more erratic; bolder in colour and presentation.
Mafia: The Old Country retails at a cheaper price point
Alongside bucking the trend for over-stuffed games, Mafia: The Old Country is also set to sell at a price cheaper than Mafia III at launch. It’s certainly welcome that a game with refined mechanics has a price which reflects its contents despite the biblical efforts of the team behind it. In a day and age of new games pushing $80, The Old Country’s pricing is refreshing.
