Visuals Shine While Gameplay Fails to Impress

Mafia The Old Country for PS5 uses strong period visuals but struggles with interactive depth and a predictable plot.

Visuals Shine While Gameplay Fails to Impress

Mafia The Old Country is a prequel set in turn of the century Sicily by Hangar 13 and 2K. It drops the open world idea and focuses on cinematic storytelling, with top tier graphics and voice acting that capture the time and place.

The game runs about 12 hours. It shows off impressive visuals and performance on PS5, but the gunplay is dull, driving is rough, and stealth moments feel stitched together. The narrative is by the book, echoing classic mafia films and earlier Mafia games, which makes the experience feel familiar rather than fresh. The enemy AI is a small bright spot, always pushing to flank you, even as the overall pacing drags.

The tension in Mafia The Old Country lies between cinematic ambition and playable depth. By avoiding the open world, the game slows to a controlled rhythm that favors scenes over actions, which can satisfy fans of storytelling but leaves action game players wanting more agency.

This approach risks narrowing the audience to those who value production quality over interactive novelty. The heavy nods to The Godfather and other mafia films may delight fans, yet they can also reinforce a sense of deja vu. The price and length further shape the value proposition, challenging players to weigh spectacle against engagement.

Highlights

The visual triumph is real, the challenge is finding a game that matches it.