Mafia: The Old Country Review (Xbox Series X|S)
Having played all the Mafia games to date I was excited and ready for the next installment. Mafia: The Old Country is an essential journey back to 1900s Sicily, serving as a powerful, character focused story that explores the Torrisi crime family. Hangar 13 deliberately steers away from the sprawling open world excess of its predecessor, Mafia III, opting instead for a tight, linear, and deeply cinematic experience reminiscent of the series’ earliest entries. It succeeds wildly in its narrative ambitions, yet the playable moments often feel like they time-traveled from a decade ago. I would have loved to explore more however during missions if you go too far away a timer will start causing you to fail the mission. Having a great story made up for being so linear.
The Unforgettable Sicilian Saga
This game is carried entirely by its production value and dramatic storytelling. The narrative follows Enzo Favara’s brutal ascent from a sulfur miner to a much better life, offering an intimate and compelling look at the costs of loyalty even when things get better, they can also be worse.
The cast delivers powerhouse performances of voice acting which makes the game. The dialogue is sharp, the moral conflicts are potent, and the emotional stakes are always clear. This is truly where the game sets itself apart, providing one of the most memorable and well-paced crime narratives in gaming this year. By committing to a brief, linear campaign, the game avoids the repetitive side content bloat that plagues many modern open world titles. It respects the player’s time, delivering a great story without artificial padding. The core gameplay systems, specifically the third person cover shooting are simplistic. They function, but they lack the innovative polish or satisfying feedback expected from a current generation action title. There’s little weapon variety that truly changes the feel of combat, leaving most firefights feeling interchangeable.
The Melee Grind
Knife fights and hand to hand combat are stiff, relying on predictable, and counter attack prompts. These encounters are awkward and repetitive, breaking the dramatic immersion whenever they occur. After the first couple of knife fights it gets stale.
Final Verdict
Mafia: The Old Country is a typical example of a narrative achievement that deserves praise for prioritizing a complete, compelling story over checklist driven open world design. It is a cinematic triumph, beautifully acted, and gorgeously set in 1900s Sicily.
The essential trade off, however, is clear: you must accept that the gameplay mechanics, particularly the combat and stealth are serviceable but firmly rooted in the design sensibilities of older generations.
For fans of the Mafia series or anyone craving a mature, focused, and emotionally resonant crime story, this is highly recommended for the Xbox Series X|S. If you demand a cutting edge action system, you may find the controls and mechanics disappointing, but the story is more than enough to carry the experience.
Article By Carmelo Cianciotta
