As for the reviews that are out there, Mafia: The Old Country is attracting some rather split opinions. Some reviewers have praised its storytelling and setting, while others have outlined outdated gameplay and poor optimisation. Obviously, that latter point doesn’t bode well for the console versions.

Again, all of the following reviews are based on the PC version of the title.

“Mafia: The Old Country is an excellent prequel to the Mafia series. There’s so much to like in the 10-15 hour experience, whether it’s the excellent writing, stunning cutscenes or the enjoyable moment to moment gameplay. While it has its flaws, Hangar 13’s latest is a well-crafted love letter to a series I’ve loved for many years.”

“Mafia: The Old Country harkens back to the old days in more ways than one. While the gameplay is more of a standard third-person action affair, it’s refreshing to play a game that doesn’t require you to wade through padding to find the good stuff.”

“Mafia: The Old Country is a solid return to the series’ roots. Despite a few minor flaws, it delivers an engaging story that’s well worth experiencing. The game also packs in plenty of fan-service moments that longtime Mafia fans will definitely appreciate.”

“Mafia the Old Country is an enjoyable cinematic game with great characters and story, but gameplay feels to as old as the Old Country.”

“Mafia: The Old Country is a game at war with itself. None of the pieces it puts down fit together to form a unified picture. It lacks any standout gameplay system to build around, nor a strong character with clear motivations to give the game a distinct identity.”

“The Old Country isn’t bad; it’s also not great. Perhaps most depressing, it’s simply fine, inoffensively so. There’s nothing in here you haven’t seen elsewhere, cast included. And worse yet, probably done better. For all the great prequels out there, The Old Country is proof that going backwards isn’t always an interesting way forward.”

“In an action game of this kind, which is also quite short, I simply think that there should have been more variety and a significantly higher tempo to make it feel more engaging in the end.”

“There are few games that have left me as overwhelming angry as Mafia The Old Country did when its credits rolled. Even for series fans, I can’t in good faith recommend picking this one up.”

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