Mafia: The Old Country might be an amazing gangster story for fans of The Godfather: Part 2

Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven from 2002 is one of the best PC games ever made. You can still see it today, with the recent remake staying true to the original. A cinematic narration and a serious, engaging story straight from The Godfather have been added to the GTA-style gameplay. Such a big hit, of course, got a few sequels, first in 2010, and then in 2016.

The second installment was a direct continuation of the first part and moved the action to the 1950s, still telling the story of Sicilian immigrants and the organization they created in the fictional city of Lost Heaven, inspired by Chicago and New York. Mafia III from Hangar 13 studio, on the other hand, opened a completely different chapter of the series, taking us to the open world in the southern United States and introducing a new protagonist, a Vietnam War veteran, with no family ties to Italian mobsters.

Fourth installment of Mafia will introduce new locations, characters, and a new era. This time, we'll visit the place where it all began, Sicily, at the beginning of the 20th century. Mafia: The Old Country will be a prequel to the series and will show us the origins of the Sicilian mafia, its roots, and foundations. It will explore organized crime and the importance of family honor.

Mafia: The Old Country, Hangar 13, 2025

There are games in this hangar, not planes

The creation of Mafia: The Old Country is backed by the 2K publisher's division, Hangar 13 studio. So, it can be said that they're the veterans of this series, working on both Mafia III and Mafia: The Definitive Edition, which is a remake of the first installment. They also worked on the remaster of the sequel.

Hangar 13 studio, whose main headquarters are located on the former Hamilton Air Force Base in California, is not alone and is not completely unconnected with the original creators of the franchise, the Czech studio Illusion Softworks. The Czechs were already under the wing of the publisher 2K and changed their name to 2K Czech. Since 2017, they have been part of Hangar 13 with two branches in Brno and Prague. Specializing, besides Mafia, mainly in sports games, publisher 2K is part of Take-Two Interactive Software, which has such brands as Grand Theft Auto, BioShock, and Civilization under its banner.

"Keep your friends close but your enemies closer"

Mafia: The Old Country should appeal not only to veterans and the biggest fans of this series but also to all lovers of Rockstar games. It will also attract connoisseurs of good cinema who appreciate The Godfather: Part II, which is considered much better than the original and one of the most outstanding films in history. The story includes scenes set in Sicily in 1901 and 1922, and the new iteration of Mafia will take us exactly there. In The Old Country, we'll step into the shoes of young Enzo Favara, who's trying to prove his worth and loyalty to the Torrisi family. He will do everything to improve his social and material status after the nightmares of his childhood.

Mafia: The Old Country, Hangar 13, 2025

And it won't be easy because there's a fierce, brutal competition between families in the Sicilian underworld. Honor and loyalty will require sacrifices and a ruthless fight for life and death. We don't know much about the plot yet, but we can expect to experience it through the series' characteristic cinematic storytelling with well-executed cutscenes.

There will be no lack of betrayal, allegiance, bloody revenge, and unexpected alliances. The devs promise an incredibly authentic, immersive game world, in which we will literally be transported to Sicily from the beginning of the 20th century and experience action and stories straight from the best gangster movies.

Carnage in the province

Speaking of the gaming world, it's worth mentioning two main features that distinguish Mafia: The Old Country. The first one is moving away from the large open-world structure that appeared in the third installment to a more linear gameplay, known from the first two games in the series. So there will be no wandering around in search of side activities, just a straight path to the goal spiced up with cinematic narration.

At the same time, this doesn't mean going through claustrophobic, linear locations! The game's world looks like it's going to be pretty big, and we'll often have to explore it in a cool retro car or on horseback, just like in Red Dead Redemption.

Mafia: The Old Country, Hangar 13, 2025

The creators also decided to ditch the large city as the main location, which was present in all their previous games. In The Old Country, we'll explore the more rural areas of Sicily, with their idyllic atmosphere contrasting sharply with the violent feuds of mafia families, as well as the opulent interiors of luxurious mansions. In story missions, we can count on a mix of fast-paced action and stealth.

Enzo will use a weapon characteristic of the Italian mafia, a lupara, which is a short, double-barreled shotgun. It was initially used for hunting wolves and later became a tool for vendetta and self-defense. For quiet eliminations, you'll want a Stiletto Sicilian knife with a thin blade. And that's just part of the arsenal, as you'll also have various rifles, revolvers, and shotguns to choose from. I'm also counting on various types of cars from that era.

Summer trip to Sicily is coming soon!

Mafia: The Old Country will be released in the middle of summer, on August 8, 2025, on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Perfect for filling your free time during vacations or on rainy days off.

The Sicilian tale from Hangar 13 should also make the wait for GTA 6 more pleasant because, although the time and setting are completely different, both games share a gangster atmosphere and the same publisher, who will hopefully ensure that each of these titles is of the highest quality. Mafia: The Old Country could be a really successful return to the roots of the series, adding a fresh Sicilian twist to it!

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