What is Mafia: The Old Country and How Does It Differ from Mafia 4?
Mafia: The Old Country
Take-Two Interactive and Hangar 13 have officially announced Mafia 4, with Mafia: The Old Country due out next year. According to a press release, players will be able to ‘uncover the origins of organised crime with a gritty mob story set in the brutal underworld of 1900s Sicily’.
In Mafia: The Old Country, we’re going back to the roots of what fans love about the franchise. This game focuses on crafting a deep, linear narrative with that classic mob movie feeling, set in a stunning new environment. The delivery aims to provide a tight, focused package perfect for fans of immersive experiences.
It is worth noting that Mafia: The Old Country is described as not being an open-world game in the strictest sense. Instead, it offers a linear story experience set in a beautiful world where players can explore, but are encouraged to focus on the narrative. The gameplay will be more linear, akin to Mafia and Mafia 2, featuring cinematic scenes and a rural open world.
Additionally, the game allows traversal in various ways—by car, on foot, or on horseback—with an emphasis on the main story rather than endless side activities. This contrasts with Mafia 4, which may incorporate more open-world elements and is expected to have a broader scope regarding player freedom and side quests.
Differences Between Mafia: The Old Country and Mafia 4
Mafia: The Old Country serves as a prequel, taking place in Sicily and focusing on the birth of the Mafia in the 19th Century. This storyline aims to tell a different type of story compared to its predecessors by shifting the location from America to Italy.
In contrast, Mafia 4 is set to be released in Summer 2025 and is described as not being directly comparable to Mafia: The Old Country. Rather, the fourth entry in the series is more likely to follow the gameplay mechanics established in Mafia III, resulting in a structurally different approach from the linear narrative of Mafia: The Old Country.
Is the Shift to a Linear Game Structure Beneficial for the Mafia Series?
Is the Shift to a Linear Game Structure Beneficial for the Mafia Series?
The Mafia series has effectively utilized a linear game structure, which presents several benefits:
- Engaging Storytelling: The narrative, telling the story of bi-racial orphan and Vietnam veteran Lincoln Clay, is the high point of the game. It is delivered in a documentary flashback format, with characters sharing their perspectives through interviews. This format evokes a sense of immediacy and engagement, reminiscent of recent films like Precinct Seven Five.
- Pacing and Focus: Players often find themselves overwhelmed by open-world games filled with side missions. One player expressed their weariness with the ‘endless stream of side missions’ typical of sandbox games. In contrast, the Mafia series offers a more refined experience with a focused central story that maintains a consistent pace.
- Character Motivation: Hangar 13 emphasized that missions must make sense for Lincoln Clay’s character. This approach avoids unnecessary distractions, ensuring that the narrative flows smoothly without burdening players with irrelevant side activities.
- Cinematic Flair: The linear, narrative-driven approach of the game allows for a tightly crafted story with cinematic elements. Players can anticipate a gripping narrative worthy of comparisons to classic films like Scarface or Goodfellas.
- Structured Gameplay: By adopting a linear structure, players are guided through specific ways to complete levels, which bolsters the overall narrative experience.
- Split Modes in Mafia: Definitive Edition: This installment offers a linear Story Mode alongside a Free Ride mode that allows players to explore Lost Haven. This combination maintains the story’s pace while giving players opportunities for exploration.
- Modernized Remake: Mafia: Definitive Edition not only inherited the original story but also rebuilt the map with new elements, using the Mafia III engine for contemporary gameplay mechanics. This fresh perspective enhances the narrative-centric approach of the series.
- Linear Structure within Open Worlds: While some games are open-world with a linear story, Mafia II serves as an example where the player progresses through a linear storyline while being given options to explore. This structure ensures that the story remains central.
What to Expect from the Narrative Style in Mafia: The Old Country?
The narrative style in Mafia: The Old Country is heavily influenced by cinema and cinematic presentation. It draws upon themes and situations from classic films such as The Godfather and GoodFellas.
For instance, certain portions of both The Godfather Part I and Part II are set in Sicily, showcasing families seeking revenge during funerals and sending their children to America when it becomes too dangerous to remain. Thus, the migration of characters from Sicily to America likely serves as a major story point in the game.
The unnamed narrator’s first line in the trailer references “This Thing of Ours,” alluding to the Sicilian Mafia, also known as “Cosa Nostra.” Additionally, the game will explore a diverse landscape comprising mountain ranges, dense cities, dry terrains, and clear blue seas. While the original Mafia featured a countryside, later entries concentrated solely on urban settings.
Historically, the early 1900s in Italy was marked by the rise of fascist Benito Mussolini in 1922. His regime publicly sought to destroy the Mafia, as special prosecutors were dispatched to eliminate criminals in Sicily and throughout Italy. This historical context may serve as the central theme of the game, as players witness the Sicilian Mafia’s rise and subsequent decline amid Mussolini’s crackdown on organized crime and the exodus of many to America.
Moreover, Mafia: The Old Country will differentiate itself from Mafia III. It has been described as a “linear, narrative-driven” game that aims to deliver a “focused package” offering a “cinematic experience.” The emphasis is on storytelling, with numerous cinematic scenes. It aspires to return to the roots of the Mafia, specifically in Sicily, the birthplace of the first Mafia organizations.
Ultimately, The Old Country serves as a love letter to classic, gritty Mafia narratives. While its storytelling elements are compelling, the game’s structure may affect both pacing and narrative flow. Consequently, Mafia: The Old Country sets the stage for an immersive experience, drawing players closer to the origins of organized crime.
Why Did Hangar 13 Choose to Move Away from Open World in the New Mafia Game?
The story behind the development of the new Mafia game is rich with details and experiences that shed light on the game’s distinct design choices. Hangar 13 discusses the decision to set the game in 1968 and how Lincoln Clay sets Mafia III apart from other open-world games.
Currently, you can grab the Mafia Trilogy, which includes the remake of the original game, the remastered version of Mafia 2, and the definitive edition of Mafia 3 on PC and consoles. It’s yet to be seen how Hangar 13 is about to approach this slightly-linear gameplay style.
Part one gives us a look at how Hangar 13 went about reviving the Mafia franchise. Part two delves into the studio’s process of creating its fictional version of New Orleans. Finally, the third part offers insight into the world itself, the time period in which it’s set, and its mixed-race protagonist, Lincoln Clay.
Headed by Haden Blackman, who created games such as Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Hangar 13 had to hire the staff, build a game engine, and figure out Clay’s story. Additionally, with California-based Hangar 13 taking over main developer duties from 2K Czech, which is ing the studio, we spoke with game design director Matthias Worch to find out more.
How Does the Mafia Franchise Continue to Evolve Over Time?
Mafia is a series of action-adventure games originally created and developed by 2K Czech (formerly Illusion Softworks). Since the third installment, however, the games are developed by Hangar 13 and published by 2K Games. The franchise consists of four mainline installments, along with a remake of the first game, a remastered version of the second game, and two spin-offs for mobile devices.
The franchise focuses on an open-world environment where players complete missions to progress an overall story. Additionally, players engage in various side activities, albeit in a more linear manner than other open-world series such as Grand Theft Auto. Most of the games include an additional Free Ride mode, which allows players to trigger missions from the open world.
The latest release, Mafia: Definitive Edition, is a remake of the original Mafia game. It builds upon the gameplay systems introduced in Mafia III while adding several new features, such as the introduction of motorcycles to the series. This installment closely follows the plot of the original, with several alterations, mainly to the dialogue and locations.
A fourth main installment in the series, titled Mafia: The Old Country, was first announced in August 2022. This prequel to the first game is set in 1900s Sicily and explores the origins of the Mafia. The game follows original protagonist Enzo Favara, who s the Torrisi crime family to escape his indentured labor in Sicily’s sulfur mines. Scheduled for a 2025 release, it will be available on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S.
The Mafia series stands out as one of the few game franchises to depict the evolution of Italian-American crime organizations throughout United States history. Since its inception in 2002, the series has seen three major releases alongside two mobile spin-offs and remakes/remasters of the original trilogy.
Gameplay primarily focuses on driving around the city to different locations, as well as navigating and shooting rival gangs on-foot in third-person. Upon its release, the game received positive reviews for its complex narrative and attention to realism, with the PC version faring much better than the console ports. Mafia II received mostly positive reviews regarding its story, characters, and gameplay, while it was criticized for restrictive world design and lack of features.
In Mafia III, players follow former criminal and Vietnam veteran Lincoln Clay as he is forced to return to a life of crime for the Mob. After Clay is betrayed and his family murdered, he sets out to get revenge against the Mafia while slowly building his own criminal empire in the city.
The best way to experience the Mafia series today is via the Mafia: Trilogy, which includes remastered versions of the three main series games. Mafia: Definitive Edition is meant to be played after Mafia II and Mafia III, as it carries over several gameplay elements and includes numerous references to previous games that will slip by if you haven’t played those first.
Finally, a remake of the original game, Mafia: Definitive Edition, brings a new look to a classic title. This definitive edition is a faithful remake of the original game, telling the story of Tommy Angelo while including more scenes and expanding the city.
