The latest installment in the franchise swaps physical scale for richer storytelling
BY: JACOB POLITTE
Online Editor
The “Mafia” series is a lesser recognized, but long running video game franchise dating back to 2002. With three main installments (one of which was completely remastered and revamped in 2020 to tremendous critical reception), the series returns with its fourth main entry “Mafia: The Old Country,” a game that swaps a larger open world for a linear, solid story that serves as a loose prequel of sorts to “Mafia II” and features cameos from various characters in the first two editions of the franchise.
“Old Country,” which is set in the early 1900’s, is a very different kind of game than its predecessor, 2016’s “Mafia III” in almost every conceivable way. That’s not to say that game was not enjoyable in its own right. But at times, it did not feel like a true “Mafia” style game. “Mafia III,” set in 1968, had a very large open world and a non-linear narrative that could be played in almost any order. However, it also differed from other games in the series with a very repetitive mission structure, and a very different and un-Mafia like environment compared to the franchise’s other entries. It tried very hard to be a “Grand Theft Auto” kind of game, largely to what many people thought was its detriment.
“Old Country” doesn’t reinvent the wheel like its predecessor did and largely retains the mission structure which made the series a success.
As a matter of fact, the game scraps everything introduced and featured in Mafia III entirely (with the exception of the inclusion of long-running franchise character Leo Galante) and instead borrows its mission structure (and another character) from the remastered 2020 Mafia game. Going back to basics and knowing what works, it also borrows the Sicily location from the second mission of “Mafia II.” Seeing the town of San Celeste and its infamous Town Hall again was quite the treat.
Each “Mafia” game has a different focus, and a different kind of relationship to explore. The original “Mafia” and its remastered version explored loyalty and brotherhood, while a strong and unforgettable friendship was the centerpiece of “Mafia II.” Revenge, race and brutality took center stage in “Mafia III” in a way that alienated some players. At its core, though, even with all of the action and the mob drama, “Old Country” is a love story. The original “Mafia” also explored this element, but not to the effect it’s utilized here. The relationship between Enzo and Isabella is a highlight of the game, and it helps set up what is arguably the most climactic and cinematic ending the franchise has yet to produce.
“Old Country” may not be the best video game ever made, but it is a solid entry in the “Mafia” franchise and a return to form for what makes the series enjoyable to its fanbase.
