Mafia: The Old Country drops players into early 20th-century Sicily as Enzo Favara, a young man escaping a childhood of forced labor in sulfur mines who joins the Torrisi crime family and seeks to climb its ranks.
The game delivers a cinematic, narrative-driven experience that emphasizes loyalty, betrayal and power struggles within the Sicilian underworld, using missions that mix car chases with period vehicles, hand-to-hand combat and stealth sequences.
Story and setting: Enzo’s rise in Sicily
Players control Enzo Favara, whose background of hardship propels him toward the criminal life. His arc unfolds within the Torrisi family and explores the internal dynamics of organized crime as Enzo attempts to secure a better life through increasing responsibility and influence.
The narrative is presented in a cinematic manner and intentionally focused: the game is linear rather than open world, prioritizing a tightly controlled story over expansive exploration.
Connections to earlier entries
Mafia: The Old Country is a prequel set decades before the first game in the series. While its story stands on its own, it includes subtle references to prior titles: it takes place in the same Sicilian region seen in Mafia II and mentions events and characters that later become important in subsequent games.
The developers designed the title to be accessible to newcomers, so prior knowledge of the franchise is not required to follow the plot.
Gameplay: cinematic third-person action
The game uses a third-person perspective with mechanics that blend melee combat, stealth segments and pursuits involving vintage cars. Despite its linear structure, it offers intense action moments and player choices that influence how certain story beats unfold.
A series first, Mafia: The Old Country introduces horse riding, allowing players to traverse the Sicilian countryside in addition to vehicle-based movement.
Graphics and technology
Built on Unreal Engine 5, the game aims for a detailed recreation of early 20th-century Sicily. The visual design—covering architecture, landscapes and era-accurate vehicles—is a major strength.
The launch has not been free of issues: reports note slow loading times and minor optimization problems, though the overall aesthetic and period fidelity remain highlights.
Critical reception
Reviews have been mixed. Critics praised the narrative depth and historical atmosphere while criticizing aspects of gameplay and a perceived lack of innovation. Opinions diverged over the linear approach: some reviewers welcomed the focused storytelling, while others missed broader exploratory freedom.
At the time of this article’s publication, the game holds an average score of 74 on Metacritic.
Platforms and editions
Mafia: The Old Country launched on August 8, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam. It was released in two editions: a Standard Edition containing the base game and a Deluxe Edition that adds extra content and exclusive items.
The title expands the franchise by exploring the Sicilian roots of the series with a focused, cinematic narrative. While its linear design and some technical hitches temper its ambitions, the game offers a richly rendered period setting and a story-driven experience that will appeal to fans of mafia dramas and narrative-focused games.
