Justifying Mafia: The Old Country's lack of an open world, the dev blamed it on Mafia 3, which failed to meet expectations
Mafia: The Old Country will not have an open world due to the poor reception of the third installment. First impressions of the gameplay are here.
1
IGN had the opportunity to play Mafia: The Old Country for three hours and shared its impressions in a new video on YouTube. We learned from it why the devs gave up the open world in favor of linear gameplay. You can watch it below.
Culprit is Mafia 3
The fact that Mafia 3 wasn't very successful is probably known to every fan of the series. The title received "mixed" reviews on Steam, and users of Metacritic gave it an average rating of 5.4/10. Compared to previous installments, it stands out with a fully open world filled with side content that we can do between main missions.
This decision didn't fully pay off, and many fans criticized the departure from the linear gameplay structure. In the IGN material, it was said that Hangar 13 shares the players' opinion and believes that an open world doesn't fit the series. For this reason, it was decided to return to the roots. It was also suggested that the positive reception of the first Mafia remake contributed to this.
Mafia 3, though very good, went full open world, and the developers seem to feel similarly about it in hindsight as players did; It just didn't fit Mafia well.
Mafia: The Old Country abandons the open world and focuses on a detailed linear adventure, leading players through various nooks and crannies of Sicily.
Remaining info
The game will focus on Enzo's story, as he transforms from an innocent boy into a full-fledged member of the mafia during the game. IGN noted that after three hours of gameplay, the plot didn't seem like it was about to end, so it will not be a short title. However, we shouldn't expect a long, 30- or 40-hour adventure.
The graphics were praised for making a great impression - the clear sky and green hills really capture the atmosphere of Sicily. The game will offer horse riding, and even several types of steeds, each with different characteristics and "personality."
A lot of emphasis was placed on knife fighting, which offers many different moves, such as thrusts, cuts, or parries. On the other hand, shootings are supposed to be just fine - they don't make a stunning impression, but they do their job well.
Stealth is also very classic, in which, apart from crouching to make less noise, we can throw objects to distract enemies, and eliminate them by choking or with a knife. The game will also offer slightly more developed segments, such as infiltrating a villa, where the player has several paths and ways to reach the building.
Mafia: The Old Country will be released on August 8th, on PC, PS5, and XSX/S.
- Stuck on black screen when launching Mafia: The Old Country? Don't panic, there might be an easy solution
- Yes, Mafia: The Old Country is playable on the Steam Deck, but you'll have to accept some downsides
- Mafia: The Old Country will be a better game. Devs announce mode that expands content and increases freedom of action in beautiful Sicily
1
Author: Martin Bukowski
Graduate of Electronics and Telecommunications at the Gdańsk University of Technology, who decided to dedicate his life to video games. In his childhood, he would get lost in the Gothic's Valley of Mines and "grind for gold" in League of Legends. Twenty years later, games still entertain him just as much. Today, he considers the Persona series and soulslike titles from From Software as his favorite games. He avoids consoles, and a special place in his heart is reserved for PC. In his spare time, he works as a translator, is creating his first game, or spends time watching movies and series (mainly animated ones).
Latest News
- Apocalypse begins in Total War: Warhammer 3. Lords of the End Times „is not another update, it's the end of the world”
- Red Dead Redemption 2 and Bloodborne unexpectedly have something in common. GTA creator points to the source of credibility in open worlds
- Now you can get Bobcat blueprint in ARC Raiders easily. Here's what you have to do
- Assassin's Creed meets Avatar: The Last Airbender: The God Slayer looks like an incredible open-world action adventure RPG
- ChatGPT gladly shoots a YouTuber, overriding safety protocols with minimal manipulation