Mafia: The Old Country

Nowadays, in more cases than less, big franchises that paved the way for video game entertainment today never seem to realize what made them successful in the first place. On that notion, we have received so many broken, lackluster, and repetitive games with nothing to show.

That is not the case with MAFIA: THE OLD COUNTRY.

Hanger 13 and 2K have crafted such an experience, reminiscent of past Mafia entries, specifically Mafia 1 & 2, that shows their commitment to making a memorable narrative, exciting gameplay, and a true authentic period piece many Mafia fans will love taking in. Maybe even historical experts.

The rise and fall story of Enzo and the Torrisi family marks 2K's best narrative to date. With gripping character development, unpredictable set pieces, and most importantly, a love story so powerful, never once does the game feel soulless in any regard.

Stealth and combat feel weighted, in many good ways, but at times, some bad ways. You play a very scripted, enthralling campaign that most developers these days wouldn't dare taking a chance on making. The delivery knife fights at times can level a certain annoyance as the balance of script and combat do not want to compromise with each other. Leading to half of the boss fights feeling a bit underwhelming.

Being a new release, the game does include some frame rate issues, specifically when encountering larger set pieces as the world and gameplay have trouble keeping up with one another.

However, these flaws listed get outshined by the pure artistry the developers have in mind. This isn't an open world adventure, nor an RPG. The developers have taking the time and precautions to deliver a story-driven game, which seems as a forgotten genre to today's standards.

As someone who loves linear games who don't fall under what most mainstream media would like to offer, MAFIA: THE OLD COUNTRY feels like a breath of fresh air. In need of some touch ups for later entries.

Hangar 13 didn't disappoint - it's great to see a studio that learns from its mistakes. And their mistake was definitely a serious one - we're talking about the disastrous Mafia 3, where story missions arrived only after hours of monotonous, tedious grinding.

Abandoning the unnecessary open world was a step in the right direction. If you're not Rockstar Games or CD Projekt RED - studios that truly know how to create vibrant, engaging open worlds - then maybe it's better not to try at all. Given the negative experience with Mafia 3, repeating those same mistakes could have completely undermined the audience's trust.

But let's be honest - this new game turned out great. The story, the atmosphere, the action - it's all top-notch. Sure, the gameplay might feel a bit outdated in places, but that hardly matters when the game is so gripping it's nearly impossible to put down.

This is the strongest entry in the series to date - we're looking forward to what the team creates next. 8/10.

It's a fun game, with a lot of fighting and shooting, but nothing more than that. The story, in my opinion, it's ok, the graphics are good, but not extraordinary and the game has a lack of details and the world isn't dynamic, so if you explore the map, you'll not see many npcs or cars traveling nearby, you'll have the sensation that you're the only one on the map.

I guess i didnt extensively look into the game before i got it. But i expected a similar game to mafia 3. I loved mafia 3 for its free roaming "dominate the map style" game this is very different.

I suspect to distance themselves from Rockstar which id ask why, why would the rolling stones compete with the beatles, they share the same target audience people will enjoy both. Both can be great open map crime simulators set in unique time periods and settings.

The mafia franchise with this has fucussed heavily on story along with fantastic graphic scenery and detail, and its done this very well, evolving characters and a story that pulls you in.

I like it but not for the reasons I expected to like it. Id love another mafia 3 but this is a good game with the main caveat being not a whole lot of playtime.

What an amazing game! I started it with high expectations, and it really didn't let me down. From the first mission, it kept me hooked. Some people say the graphics look like a PS3 game-seriously? The story is great, the plot is even better, and the gameplay is a lot of fun. I didn't run into any glitches while playing, which is a big plus. The only thing is that the gameplay feels a bit hard at first-whether it's shooting or driving-but you get used to it over time.