In this Mafia: The Old Country review, the headline is clarity of intent. Hangar 13 has built a linear, cinematic crime drama in early-1900s Sicily, trading sprawl for pace and atmosphere. When it works, it lands as a grim, intimate rise story, full of sun-bleached vistas, candlelit interiors, and performances that do heavy lifting in quiet conversations as well as eruptions of violence.
The trade-off is equally clear: the closer you look at the systems beneath the surface, the more familiar and occasionally stiff they feel. The Old Country often convinces as a period drama you play through, even when it struggles to impress as a playground of mechanics.
Game Snapshot
Developer: Hangar 13
Publisher: 2K
Release Date: 08 August 2025
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Price: £44.99/$49.99
Rating: PEGI 18 (In-Game Purchases, Language, Violence) | ESRB M (Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, In-Game Purchases)
Genre: Action-adventure
Length: 12 hours (main story) and 14 hours (story+side content)
Install Size: ~40.0GB on PS5
Presentation and World Design
Sicily is the star. Valleys, vineyards, cramped alleys, and grand civic spaces all feel considered, with Unreal Engine 5 lending the world a natural warmth by day and a smoky, textured menace after dark. The game has a knack for composition too, framing scenes like a film without leaning entirely on spectacle. It is not just pretty, it is specific, with a sense of place that supports the story’s obsession with loyalty and reputation.
That cohesion extends to the smaller touches. The best moments are often the least flashy: an oppressive worksite, a tense meeting in a back room, the soundscape of a town settling after trouble. Even when the design stays largely guided, the world sells the fantasy of stepping into a harsher, more superstitious era.
Gameplay and Combat
The core loop is traditional third-person action. You move from mission to mission through a mix of traversal, conversations, stealth setups, and gunfights, with driving sequences providing bursts of momentum. The weapons and tools fit the setting well, and the game’s commitment to grounded brutality gives encounters real bite on a first pass.
Where it wobbles is feel and variety. Shooting can come across as serviceable rather than tactile, and several sequences lean on rigid stealth rules that make failure feel more like a script reset than a consequence of a plan going wrong. The best missions build pressure through scouting and timing, but the weaker ones expose how often the game wants you to play a scene in one particular way.
Story and Characters
The Old Country’s narrative has confidence in its fundamentals. Enzo Favara’s climb from a brutal childhood into the Torrisi crime family gives the game a strong spine, and it is at its best when it lets characters breathe inside that framework. Relationships are drawn with care, and the cast’s delivery does a lot to elevate material that could otherwise read as familiar genre territory.
The story’s main arc does not always surprise, but it is staged with enough craft to keep momentum. If you come for the series’ classic strengths, namely mood, dialogue, and a slow accumulation of dread, this is where the game earns its place.
Value and Longevity
At its standard price, the shorter Mafia: The Old Country length is part of the pitch. This is not a game designed to occupy months, and that focus will be a relief if you want a complete story without the usual open-world tax. The downside is that the mechanics have less room to evolve, so the campaign can feel thin if you prioritise systems over storytelling.
Post-launch support helps on the margins. The Free Ride mode update gives you a more self-guided way to revisit the setting with challenges, races, and extras, plus new presentation options that lean into the period-film vibe. It is not a wholesale reinvention, but it does make the world feel less like a set you leave behind once the credits roll.
Technical Notes
On PS5, you get both a Quality and performance mode, with Performance targeting an average of 60fps. There is also PS5 Pro Enhanced support, including features like VRR and 120Hz display support where your setup allows. In practice, the more demanding option can be the less consistent choice, so players sensitive to frame-time wobble may prefer the steadier feel of the visual-first mode.
The Free Ride Update is worth calling out for PS5 players specifically. It adds Free Ride as a distinct way to explore and tackle challenges, plus Photo Mode, first-person driving, a Classic difficulty option, and the striking Cinema Siciliano presentation preset.
Final Word
Mafia: The Old Country is at its strongest when it stops trying to be everything and commits to being a tightly directed, atmospheric crime story. PS5 players get a handsome showcase of Sicily and a cast that sells the danger behind every promise. The frustration is that the gameplay rarely rises to the same standard, especially when stealth turns brittle and combat leans more competent than compelling. On balance, it is a recommended pick for story-first players, and a cautious one for those chasing mechanical depth.
Pros:
- Stunning Sicily with strong scene composition
- Excellent performances that elevate key moments
- Focused pacing, no open-world bloat
Cons:
- Stealth can feel rigid and overly punitive
- Shooting lacks consistent impact and variety
- Some missions feel too scripted in approach
FAQ
Q. Is Mafia: The Old Country open world on PS5?
A. No. It is designed as a focused, linear action-adventure, with a separate Free Ride mode for more self-directed exploration.
Q. Does it have Performance and Quality modes on PS5?
A. Yes. PS5 includes both modes, with Performance targeting an average of 60fps.
Q. How long is Mafia: The Old Country?
A. Expect roughly 12 hours for the main story and around 14 hours with story and side content.
Q. What is Free Ride mode?
A. A separate mode that lets you explore and tackle races and challenges outside the main story, added via a free update.
Q. Is Mafia: The Old Country PS5 Pro Enhanced?
A. Yes, it is labelled PS5 Pro Enhanced on the PlayStation Store.
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