Mafia: The Old Country Review – A Gangster Epic That Respects Your Time

The Mafia series has been running for over two decades, and while critical reception across the franchise has ranged from high praise to lukewarm reviews, all the core entries have more or less earned classic status within the community. But there’s no doubt that the series has seen a noticeable dip in quality since its debut in 2002, with Mafia III receiving mixed critical reception.

That said, the game still managed to sell a reported 7 million copies by 2020. In the same year, Hangar 13 released Mafia: Definitive Edition to better critical acclaim and decent commercial success, a move that reaffirmed 2K’s belief in the franchise’s lasting appeal. Now, in 2025, we have Mafia: The Old Country. But the question remains: does it elevate the series to new heights or simply keep it treading water?

Let’s get the elephant out of the room: the story. Admittedly, most players come to Mafia games for their mature and high-stakes narratives. Mafia III, arguably one of the more mediocre games in the series, still received praise for its storytelling and rightfully so, given how effectively it tackled mature themes and real-world issues.

I’m glad to report that Mafia: The Old Country continues much of that legacy, with storytelling that is, for the most part, simply outstanding. Players step into the shoes of a likeable protagonist, Enzo Favara, who lives a difficult life until he is taken in by Don Bernardo Torrisi. Enzo begins running errands for the Don, slowly rising through his ranks. The characterization of both Enzo and Don Torrisi is superb, and their performances are elevated by excellent voice acting. Torrisi’s voice actor in particular brings serious weight and impact to every line.

"The themes of betrayal, and how one’s ego and desires can take control over the human mind and heart, are on full display here."

Enzo is also backed by a fantastic supporting cast, many of whom accompany him during missions. These characters are not only well written but also wonderfully portrayed by their respective actors. While I won’t spoil the main plot, I will say that the writing and delivery genuinely made me care about these characters and what would eventually happen to them.

The themes of betrayal, and how one’s ego and desires can take control over the human mind and heart, are on full display here. Mafia: The Old Country questions this repeatedly, whether through its impactful dialogues or through subtle facial expressions and animations. It stands as one of the narrative’s core pillars and was a driving force that compelled me to see the conclusion of each character’s arc.

Now, as you may have noticed, I said most of the story is outstanding. That’s because while the game does an excellent job building complex relationships and stakes, the transition to the final payoff feels sudden and a bit rushed. It’s as if an hour or so of storytelling is missing near the end, leaving the climax feeling slightly abrupt. Don’t get me wrong, Mafia: The Old Country still delivers a great narrative overall; but had the finale been paced better, it could’ve elevated the entire experience. Still, this stands as one of the best stories in the Mafia series, and longtime fans are in for a treat.

Now, let’s jump to the gameplay mechanics of Mafia: The Old Country. Admittedly, much of what was present in the recent Mafia games remains intact here. Stealth plays a significant role with many levels designed specifically around it and several missions even imposing a no detection rule. It would be unfair to compare the stealth to something like Metal Gear Solid, as Enzo is no soldier, but the basics are, for lack of a better word, dumb fun.

It’s entertaining to sneak up on unaware enemies and take them down, or to simply hide and wait for the right moment to slip past undetected. You can also distract guards by throwing objects, but overall, the stealth elements remain fairly basic and honestly, that was enough for me. It gets the job done, and that’s what matters at the end of the day.

"You can also procure different kinds of knives, each offering unique buffs such as increased melee damage or healing Enzo after a takedown."

Gun combat too remains a largely straightforward affair; you take cover, wait for your shot, and take down enemies. However, there’s a sizable assortment of weapons at your disposal; from shotguns and rifles to handguns, there’s a good variety of tools to collect and use. I did notice that the AI has seen a clear improvement this time around; enemies now display a sense of strategy, working together more effectively and trying harder to flush you out or take you down.

Adding a bit of flavor to the mix are the one on one knife duels, fun encounters that serve as a nice diversion from the regular gunplay. Thankfully, they aren’t overused, appearing mainly as story-driven set pieces, and are largely centered on dodging, parrying, and striking your opponent at the right moment.

You can also procure different kinds of knives, each offering unique buffs such as increased melee damage or healing Enzo after a takedown. On top of that, there’s a lightweight skill system that allows Enzo to improve aspects like reload speed, ammo discovery, and more. Overall, while still simple in nature, The Old Country’s combat system feels noticeably tighter and more refined compared to previous entries in the series.

Oh, and you can also buy some great-looking cars from that era, or even horses to ride on. These feel more like add-ons to the overall system, seemingly designed to encourage players to explore the world, but that’s far from the case. Now, let me be clear, although the world has been expertly crafted, and it’s an absolute treat to look at, this is not an open world game. While there is an exploration mode where you can roam around and collect items, there isn’t much point to doing so beyond simply playing through the story.

I’m not putting this as a negative, though. In fact, I appreciate The Old Country’s tighter, more focused design. The game even discourages exploration during story mode by offering a skip ride feature, and honestly, I think that’s a better decision compared to the open-world approach of Mafia III. That said, I do feel that minor diversions could have helped flesh out the world even more, particularly small side tales or interactions tied to the excellent supporting cast. There are some genuinely fascinating characters here, and a few additional story driven detours could have brought out even more depth.

Mafia: The Old Country features plenty of excellent set pieces that will immediately remind you of some famous action-adventure games. There are thrilling chases on both cars and horseback, adrenaline-filled races, and some brilliant over-the-top sequences. On a side note, the car handling feels decent, and there are options for both simulation-style driving and manual gear shifting, which add a nice touch of authenticity. A single playthrough of Mafia: The Old Country can last anywhere from 10 to 15 hours, though that can vary depending on the difficulty setting you choose.

"Mafia: The Old Country carries forward the resurgence of focused, single-player experiences at a lower price point, offering a compact yet memorable adventure."

The Old Country runs on Unreal Engine 5, and naturally, that brings along some performance concerns. I reviewed the game on a PC equipped with a 3080 Ti, a Ryzen 9 5950X, and running on an SSD. I played it at 4K using DLSS in Balanced mode and thankfully, the game offers a decent range of graphical settings, so it’s far from a barebones PC port. There were occasional stutters, but for the most part, it stayed above 30 frames per second with most settings on Epic and a few set to High. Overall, the performance was acceptable, though your mileage may vary depending on your hardware.

Mafia: The Old Country is a stunning looking game, even beyond the world. The character models are impressive, the accompanying music is solid, and the game upholds the cinematic presentation the series has long been known for. When you combine that with the excellent cast and top-tier voice acting, what you get is a product that fires on all cylinders when it comes to its vistas.

Mafia: The Old Country does a lot of things right, but it doesn’t offer much in terms of replay value. Once you finish the game, you can still explore the world or replay individual chapters, maybe even buy a few more cars or horses, but there’s no New Game Plus mode or meaningful post game content. For its price, this is a decent offering, though players expecting more depth or long term engagement might walk away slightly disappointed.

To conclude, Mafia: The Old Country carries forward the resurgence of focused, single-player experiences at a lower price point, offering a compact yet memorable adventure. If you enjoy games built around strong storytelling and tight design that respects your time, this one will be right up your alley.

This game was reviewed on PC.