Mafia: The Old Country Review: A Beautiful, Dated Crime Saga Relic

Mafia: The Old Country is not trying to reinvent anything. In fact, it proudly embraces the past, both in terms of its setting and its gameplay. Set in early-1900s Sicily, this latest entry in the long-running Mafia series leans heavily into cinematic storytelling, period detail, and methodical pacing. Playing on Xbox Series X, it looks gorgeous and sounds incredible, but beneath the surface lies a game that feels a little stuck in time.

The story follows young Angelo Russo, a fisherman’s son drawn into the violent world of organized crime as the old country wrestles with modernization and outside influences. It is a compelling backdrop. The developers have clearly poured attention into every crumbling villa, cobbled alley, and smoke-filled cantina. This version of Sicily feels alive!

And The Old Country is stunning. The lighting is natural and moody, the facial animations during cutscenes are expressive, and the detail in period costumes and architecture is excellent. You can practically feel the dust and heat of the countryside. On Xbox Series X, performance is steady, with fast loading times and crisp resolution. The sound design also deserves praise as gunfire echoes in narrow streets, music swells at just the right dramatic beats, and the voice acting, particularly the Italian dialogue, adds authenticity.

But then there is the gameplay. Like its predecessors, Mafia: The Old Country is a linear third-person shooter with some light stealth, driving, and exploration elements. And like those earlier games, it rarely feels modern. The mission structure is rigid. You are shuffled from one objective to the next with very little freedom or room for creativity. Side content is nearly nonexistent. You can explore the beautiful towns and countryside a bit, but there is rarely anything to find or do outside the story.

Combat feels serviceable at best. Guns have some weight to them, but enemy AI is dim, and most shootouts play out the same way. Stealth sections are more trial-and-error than tactical, and getting spotted usually means restarting from a checkpoint. Driving sections are scenic but clunky, with floaty handling that undermines the otherwise immersive experience.

The pacing is another issue. While the story is rich in tone and atmosphere, it moves at a crawl. There are long stretches of slow walking, drawn-out conversations, and uneventful travel between missions. In theory, this supports the tone of a character-driven crime saga, but in practice, it makes the game lose steam. Some players will appreciate the slow burn, but others may find it dull or frustrating, especially when modern games offer tighter and more interactive storytelling.

That said, the narrative itself is strong. Russo’s journey from innocent bystander to hardened criminal is well-told, and the supporting cast is full of memorable characters. There is a real sense of family, betrayal, and tradition that runs through every cutscene. The game avoids excessive bombast and instead focuses on quiet, human moments like meals with family, tense negotiations in candlelit rooms, the weight of violence on a man’s soul. It is these moments that give The Old Country its emotional core.

Mafia: The Old Country is a game that knows exactly what it wants to be. It is not trying to compete with open-world giants or reinvent the wheel. It is a slow, scripted, old-fashioned crime tale told with modern production values. For some, that will be enough. If you are a fan of the series or simply want a moody, well-acted story set in a richly rendered historical period, you will find a lot to enjoy. Just do not expect cutting-edge mechanics or much player freedom.

It is a polished relic. Beautiful to look at, worth experiencing for the atmosphere and story, but ultimately weighed down by gameplay that refuses to evolve. Like a treasured heirloom, it is meant to be appreciated, not necessarily played over and over.

RATING: 3.0 out of 5 stars

Mafia: The Old Country is available for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X.