Mafia 3 was a game with a daring narrative and phenomenal character work, that sadly, oftentimes got buried under a slew of generic open world design. It felt like the kind of game that wanted to be something, but was forced to conform to a trend by executive powers. That’s exactly why I love the opening hours of Mafia: The Old Country so much — developer Hangar 13 builds a deliberate slow-burning story that’s heavy on a sense of place and belonging. It’s a sharp turn from the bombastic openings of the rest of the franchise, but it sets the stakes well and creates one of the most compelling historical settings I’ve ever seen in a video game.
It’s not until roughly five hours into The Old Country that you shoot a firearm for the first time, and I genuinely love it. This prequel to the series focuses on a young man named Enzo Favara, indentured as a worker in the hellish sulfur mines of Sicily. After a major accident, Enzo manages to escape the Spadaro crime family that runs the mines, only to run headlong into the territory of the Torrisi crime family, who take him in as a worker.
