What is it about linear games that makes them feel so hit-and-miss in 2025? That's the question I asked myself when reading up on Mafia: The Old Country. I'll hold my hands up now and admit that I haven't had a chance to play Hangar 13's latest just yet, but the hottest conversation topic on Reddit seems to be its "fully linear experience," in terms of both story and level design.
With zoned missions you can fail by straying too far, no side quests to speak of, and a separate free roam mode to help you gather collectibles at a more languid pace, it seems the new Mafia game – even with rave reviews praising its story and gorgeous graphics – has left its community divided off the back of the series' past open-world flirtations.
