Mafia: The Old Country – Exclusive Hands-On Preview | IGN First

 Returning to the Family Business

We got an early look at Mafia: The Old Country, and it’s already shaping up to be a bold return to the franchise’s roots. Set in early 20th-century Sicily, this prequel dives deep into the gritty origins of the Mafia and the founding families, offering a rich, story-driven experience that fans of the series have been craving.

A New Setting With Old-School Grit

Unlike the glitz of Mafia II’s Empire Bay or the Southern sprawl of Mafia III, The Old Country pulls players into a rugged, sun-baked Sicilian countryside filled with warring factions, blood feuds, and uneasy alliances. The environment feels alive and dangerous—narrow village alleys, sprawling vineyards, and windswept coastlines create a striking backdrop for the game's signature narrative drama.

Classic Mafia Gameplay Reforged

We were able to experience a slice of the game’s campaign, and it’s clear Hangar 13 is doubling down on what made the original Mafia titles iconic. Tight, character-driven storytelling and a cinematic tone are at the forefront, while gameplay blends stealth, brutal gunfights, and tense decision-making. There’s also a renewed emphasis on loyalty and betrayal—expect choices to carry weight in both combat and narrative.

The driving feels more grounded again, with vintage vehicles that handle with deliberate heft. Gunplay is punchy, with a gritty, almost claustrophobic feel during shootouts in tight stone corridors and countryside estates. And yes, the trademark police presence and heat system are back, but this time with a more localized flavor—crossing a family or bribing the wrong cop can have ripple effects that last for hours.

Built for the Modern Era

Powered by a refined version of the engine used in Mafia: Definitive Edition, the game looks stunning. Dynamic weather, day-night cycles, and authentic period details bring 1900s Sicily to life. NPC behavior feels more natural, and side activities, like running small-time rackets or settling vendettas, give the world more depth without pulling away from the core story.

Final Thoughts

Mafia: The Old Country feels like a proper return to form—a character-rich, cinematic crime story with just the right mix of historical flavor and modern mechanics. While we’ve only seen a small part of what the game has to offer, it’s already clear this prequel is being crafted with serious care and reverence for the series’ legacy.

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Before I jumped into about three hours of Mafia: The Old Country, Hangar 13 president Nick Baynes kept emphasizing how much the team wanted players to experience and complete this prequel’s story. With that in mind, the latest Mafia installment rewinds the clock—not only chronologically, set in early 1900s Sicily, but also in its game design philosophy. Unlike Mafia 3, which embraced a sprawling open-world approach that many felt didn’t quite fit the series, The Old Country returns to the narrative-driven, more focused style of the first two games. Those earlier titles offered gorgeous, detailed worlds that served primarily as rich backdrops for tightly crafted story missions, without bogging players down in filler side quests or menial busywork. Baynes even hinted that the warm reception to 2020’s Mafia: Definitive Edition acted as both inspiration and a guiding light for this new chapter.

After playing through Chapters 3, 4, and 5, I’m happy to report that the team seems to have succeeded in bringing Mafia back to its roots. Like the originals, this is a story-first action-adventure, not an open-world playground. Interestingly, your primary upgradeable weapon isn’t a gun—though firearms are present—but a knife, supporting a stealthier playstyle. Even better, the game will launch at a modest $50 price point, which I cheekily refer to as the “Reverse Randy Pitchford” pricing.

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That Old Familiar Feeling

When I first picked up the controller—playing on a high-end PC, where the footage you see above was captured—the game drops you into early 1900s Sicily as Enzo Favara, a late-teen who recently escaped the harsh sulfur mines of his childhood and is starting to carve out a life of his own. Enzo works in the vineyard of Don Torrisi, a local Sicilian mafioso who offers protection from bandits in exchange for regular payments.

I really liked how The Old Country shows Enzo’s transformation—from an innocent kid into a fully initiated member of the Torrisi family, bound by blood and free to do whatever he believes is necessary for the clan’s welfare. This journey plays out clearly in Chapter 3, where Enzo’s first taste of life beyond the vineyard is joining Luca, the Don’s right-hand man, and Cesare, a made family member, on a series of collections.

Luca and Cesare serve as the classic mafioso yin and yang: Luca preaches patience and using violence only as a last resort, while Cesare advocates “shoot first, ask questions later.” On our first collection stop, we visited Marco, an olive farmer who usually pays on time but was late this time around. Luca handed me an unloaded gun—purely intimidation—while Cesare suggested, “An extra pair of hands helps jog their memory” about the overdue payment. Side note: I swear I saw more fruit in those three hours than in any other game ever. We might need a Game Awards category for Best Virtual Produce.

In the end, no bullets were fired nor fists thrown. I got the Don’s money from Marco’s safe after finding the combination nearby. I appreciated that Hangar 13 thoughtfully paced Enzo’s induction into the Torrisi family—it’s not an instant plunge into cold-blooded crime but a carefully crafted descent that fits the story.

Things took a turn at our second stop, where we rode horseback across the Sicilian countryside to the farm of Mr. Bangalino, whose workers, led by a man named Manuele, were on strike. “We can't have strikes around here, Manuele,” Luca warned the idling men. “You and your friends need to get back to work. This is bad for business.”

By the way, I can’t stress enough how much I enjoyed soaking in the stunning countryside during these rides. Mafia: The Old Country has moved away from the proprietary engine used in the previous three games and embraced Unreal Engine 5 for this installment. While the old engine was impressive—Mafia 2 especially looked fantastic at release—Unreal Engine 5 takes the series’ visuals to a new level. The clear blue skies, fluffy clouds, and rolling green hills and farmlands beautifully capture Sicily’s essence. I’m eager to explore more of this rich world throughout the campaign.

Back at the farm, things escalated when Manuele pulled a knife, introducing me to what might be The Old Country’s most important weapon: the knife. You can unlock and earn new blades, each with unique modifiers that affect combat beyond mere aesthetics, giving you real tactical reasons to pick one over another.

Knife fights in the game are surprisingly deep—you’ve got thrusts, slashes, parries, and dodges. Much like the Batman: Arkham series, heavy attacks can’t be parried and must be dodged instead, adding a rhythmic flow to close-quarters combat that keeps fights tense and engaging.

There was still one last collection errand to run in Chapter 3, and as you might have guessed by now, things quickly spiraled out of control. At the farm of a man named Fichera, the tables turned when he angrily confronted us—his newly installed water pump had been stolen by bandits, and the protection he was paying Don Torrisi for had failed to safeguard his property. It was here that the patient Luca finally gave Enzo the green light to load live ammo and use it freely. After all, these lawless bandits were directly stealing from the Don’s pocket by robbing Fichera.

What followed was a tense hunt up the hillside, through two separate bandit camps, culminating in a shootout with about a dozen thieves blocking the way. The game’s third-person, cover-based shooting felt immediately familiar—not only to Mafia veterans but to anyone who's played quality third-person action games over the past decade. While The Old Country doesn’t reinvent the wheel here, the gameplay is solid, satisfying, and enjoyable.

Less comfortable—at least for me—was the cutscene after the last bandit fell, where Cesare coldly cuts off a bandit’s finger, takes his gold ring as “payment,” and casually tosses the severed digit into a well.

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Forbidden Love

With Chapter 3’s initiation complete, the next section centers on a sprawling mission involving the Don’s daughter, Isabella, and Gennaro, son of Baron Fontanella—arguably a bigger power player in Sicilian mafia circles than Don Torrisi himself. Gennaro plans to impress Isabella with his flashy new car and sets up a picnic date in some nearby ruins.

What starts as a simple babysitting task for Enzo quickly unravels into chaos—a kidnapping, a horse-mounted chase, a trail of bodies left in Enzo’s wake, a stabbed double-crossing partner, a pleased Don Torrisi, and an Isabella who’s even more smitten with Enzo.

The scene opens quietly, with Gennaro driving Cesare to the ruins while Isabella insists on riding horseback alongside Enzo. Yes, horses are a part of Mafia: The Old Country, and you’ll be able to choose and ride your own steed, each with its own personality and traits. While these differences don’t seem to impact gameplay meaningfully, they add flavor and depth to the experience.

During the journey, I got to test out the game’s photo mode at a scenic pit stop—though this was my only chance in three hours of play, I’m hopeful it’ll be a regular feature throughout the campaign.

Once reunited with Cesare and Isabella, you’re introduced to The Old Country’s driving mechanics through a low-stakes race around the ruins—a likely nod to one of Mafia 1’s most memorable missions.