How Mafia: The Old Country Takes the Franchise Back To its Roots

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How Mafia: The Old Country Takes the Franchise Back To its Roots

Key Takeaways

  • Mafia: The Old Country brings traditional Mafia storytelling back to the franchise after diverse gameplay in Mafia 3.
  • The game focuses on creating an authentic open world set in early 1900s Sicily, embracing linear storytelling.
  • Hangar 13 aims to explore the origins of the Mafia in a standalone experience, staying true to the franchise’s roots.

As a longtime fan of the Mafia franchise, it’s like a dream come true to see Hangar 13 bringing us back to our roots with Mafia: The Old Country. After the diverse gameplay and open-world exploration of Mafia 3, it’s refreshing to hear that they’re focusing on authentic realism and linear storytelling for this standalone experience.

On the debut night of Gamescom, various forthcoming ventures from the gaming world were unveiled to enthusiasts, with “Mafia: The Old Country” being particularly intriguing and unexpected. Excluding remakes, this imminent project marks a fresh chapter for the series, as it will be the first new installation in nearly a decade. It appears that 2K and Hangar 13 are taking great care to preserve the roots of the franchise while crafting the game.

As a dedicated fan of the Mafia series, I can’t help but acknowledge the challenges the franchise has faced in maintaining its distinctive identity throughout its mainline games. The departure from the linear, tight-knit stories of earlier installments to the more open and branching narrative seen in Mafia 3 (released in 2016) was undeniably a shift for some of us devoted fans. While I found aspects of Mafia 3 that I enjoyed, the thematic and gameplay changes it introduced left many of us feeling somewhat disconnected from the IP’s core essence. However, The Old Country appears to have taken these criticisms to heart.

Mafia: The Old Country Is About As Traditional As the Franchise Can Get

At Gamescom, Hangar 13 made a bold declaration about their upcoming game, “Mafia: The Old Country.” This announcement signals an exciting new chapter for a series that hasn’t had a new installment since the launch of “Mafia: Definitive Edition” in 2020, which was a remake of the original IP title. Although the announcement was merely a short cinematic trailer, we know that the game will be set in the early 1900s and will mainly unfold in Sicily, Italy.

13th Hangar highlights that “Mafia: The Old Country” will emphasize authentic realism and engaging storytelling, creating a tightly-knit open world with an emphasis on structured scenes and gameplay events. This game is set in the early 1900s, making it the earliest Mafia title, as the original was set during the 1930s. Consequently, “The Old Country” won’t be able to rely on the glamour of contemporary opulence when depicting pre-20th century Sicily.

In contrast to its two earlier versions, Mafia 3 distinguishes itself significantly through the unique themes and central plot it presents. The captivating tale unfolds around Vietnam War veteran Lincoln Clay during the late ’60s. Though various Mafia families are key figures in the narrative of Mafia 3, they primarily function as adversarial organizations, with Lincoln having no ties to them. Some enthusiasts felt this departure veered away from the dramatic and enigmatic atmosphere that characterized previous installments of the franchise, and it seems that The Old Country will lean more toward recapturing that feel.

Mafia: The Old Country Explores the Origins of What Makes the Franchise Tick

The game, titled “The Old Country,” is focusing on exploring the origins of organized crime, specifically the Mafia or Cosa Nostra, which had its beginnings in Sicily. From what we’ve seen in the trailer, it appears that the game is making a concerted effort to accurately depict the customs and behaviors of these early Mafia groups. This dedication to authenticity could surpass the level of detail found in the original “Mafia” and “Mafia 2” games.

Absolutely, it’s plausible that “The Old Country” might connect to other games within the series by delving into the roots of the Mafia families seen in previous titles. However, its change of setting suggests a raw, self-contained narrative. Though the innovative gameplay and storyline shifts in “Mafia 3” were generally appreciated, there remains an appetite for a more conventional “Mafia” adventure, and it appears that “The Old Country” has been crafted with this traditional approach in mind.

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2024-08-23 21:14