Mafia: The Old Country

Mafia: The Old Country is a conventional but effective return to the linear and tightly story-driven format of the original Mafia and Mafia II, and it boasts a wonderful eye and ear for detail.

Mafia: The Old Country uses its stunning setting to tell a familiar story about loyalty and family that's propped up by its cast of characters.

Mafia continues to feel a tad dated in its design trappings, but there's a fascinating mix of beauty, efficiency and nuanced performances here that are well worth your time.

A decent but cliched mob story and bland, frustrating gameplay make this the weakest Mafia yet.

Even if you’re not impressed by its boilerplate action, you may at least walk away better understanding why your dad is such a stronzo.

The Old Country isn’t bad; it’s also not great. Perhaps most depressing, it’s simply fine, inoffensively so. There’s nothing in here you haven’t seen elsewhere, cast included. And worse yet, probably done better. For all the great prequels out there, The Old Country is proof that going backwards isn’t always an interesting way forward.

This Cosa Nostra caper has few fresh ideas to revitalise the cover shooter, but benefits from a well-researched time and place

Mafia: The Old Country returns to the series' roots with a more linear adventure, delivering a solid story (if a cliché-heavy one) and satisfying combat. The character models and environments are stunning to look at, but the latter raises our main issue: as much as we appreciate the focus on a linear story, this wonderfully sculpted Sicily map is begging to be explored more and is sorely underused as a result.

Mafia: The Old Country plays like a memorable mob movie set in early 1900s Sicily, making for one of the better singleplayer experiences in 2025 so far. While the ride may end too quickly for some, this entertaining tale is just as long as it needs to be to deliver a very solid game.

Mafia: The Old Country doesn't have enough gameplay ideas to carry its relatively short running time. While the fundamentals here are fine, an overemphasis on insta-fail stealth sequences and floaty shootouts makes for a forgettable campaign, even if it takes place within a stunningly detailed world. The performances are extraordinary but the story itself is predictable, leaving you with a phenomenally acted crime tale that you may admire in the moment but will struggle to remember once the credits roll.