Mafia: The Old Country is one of my favorite games of the year, but I can’t point to a single brilliant idea, mechanic, or feature in it. It’s a pretty standard mob story heavy on narrative, with no open world, and some light shooting and exploration. But therein lies why I find it so strangely compelling: the game doesn’t master any element, but it does everything well. The Old Country isn’t revolutionary, but it’s a comforting throwback to when AAA games could simply be what its developers wanted it to be. It’s a simple experience held up by phenomenal writing and acting, and that’s refreshing.
The Mafia series has an interesting history. The first game was released in 2002, during the height of the open world boom. Mafia 1 offered a sprawling fictional take on 1930s Chicago to explore, and was lauded for its unique approach to worldbuilding and storytelling. The next two Mafia games stuck to the open world format to the point that it became a detriment to Mafia 3.
