Mafia: The Old Country was in ‘managing expectations mode’ this week, saying a less expensive than anticipated $49.99 value level, and confirming that it’s completely not an open-world recreation, fairly a linear, narrative-driven recreation.
The Hangar 13-developed gangster shooter confirmed off new gameplay in the trailer, beneath, and it’s spectacular certainly. However that is no GTA 6. Certainly, it’s no Mafia III. Tellingly, 2K President David Ismailer mentioned of Mafia: The Old Country: “We predict there’s a big viewers for compelling tales that don’t require large time commitments.” It felt like a PSA greater than a promo.
Primarily based on these feedback, Mafia: The Old Country can be a comparatively brief affair. There isn’t any multiplayer mode, so the story is the complete package deal. How lengthy will it’s? Some are speculating something from 5 to 15 hours.
Sure, there are some complaints in the response throughout the web, principally from those that had been hoping for a Mafia recreation extra alongside the strains of a GTA than a, say, shorter Uncharted-style recreation. However The Old Country was by no means going to be that type of recreation.
In December, I interviewed Hangar 13 President Nick Baynes and recreation director Alex Cox about all issues Mafia: The Old Country, and the prospect of operating up towards GTA 6, which was nonetheless due out fall 2025 at the time.
In the interview, the pair dismissed comparisons to GTA 6, insisting Mafia: The Old Country shouldn’t be thought of an open-world recreation in any respect.
Somewhat, the pair defined, Mafia: The Old Country is extra like Mafia 1 and 2 than it’s the open-world Mafia 3. It’s a “linear, narrative-driven” recreation, a “centered package deal” that provides a “cinematic expertise.” You may end up driving round an genuine illustration of 1900s Sicily in Mafia: The Old Country, and even driving round on horseback a bit like that different Rockstar recreation, Purple Useless Redemption 2, however the similarities to Rockstar video games cease there.
So, whereas there are the maybe inevitable complaints about the scope of The Old Country, I’ve seen positivity about the expertise on provide. Many are saying they’re extra interested by a top quality, cheaper, shorter story-driven Mafia recreation than a bloated open-world recreation stuffed with repetitive mechanics.
Certainly, there appears to be a rising name for extra of those cheaper, manageable video games, with Sandfall’s well-received Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which has offered a formidable 2 million copies regardless of being out there day-one on Recreation Go, held up as a possible trend-setter.
This comes as recreation costs have gotten dearer, with each Nintendo and Microsoft hitting $80. In a market when Mario Kart World prices $80, a $50 Mafia: The Old Country appears like a cut price.
“I feel setting the value at $50 is the transfer,” mentioned IGN reader BabyGroot1 in response to the Mafia information. “Take a look at Clair Obscur gross sales.”
“Yea, I feel there might be quite a lot of fence-sitters that see $70-80 and look forward to a recreation to be on sale round $30,” added Automating_The_Game. “However at $50 they’re like f*** it, getting it now.”
It’s an analogous sentiment throughout social media and reddit. “I hate placing issues on a quantity scale, but when that is a type of video games which are like a great 10-12 hour, 8/10 expertise I really feel like now we have to help it as greatest as attainable,” said 99DGE of Mafia. “$50 when publishers are pushing for $80 is so fascinating that we’d like to reward and vote with our wallets if it’s value it (that’s in fact, we are able to afford it given the financial local weather).”
“I used to be most likely going to go on this as I simply do not have it in me for many open world video games anymore, however listening to that it is linear, story centered, and priced at $50? I am on board day one now,” mentioned ElJacko170.
“I would fairly have a brief Mafia recreation for $50 than one with a needlessly empty open world with virtually nothing to do in them like all the earlier Mafia video games,” mentioned everythingsc0mputer.
“If they don’t seem to be gonna add aspect quests or aspect actions for you to do like the earlier Mafia video games, then may as nicely preserve it brief and linear.”
For all this positivity on-line, for writer 2K and developer Hangar 13 it will likely be gross sales of Mafia: The Old Country that decide its and the franchise’s future. The recreation could have a gross sales goal it wants to hit to ensure that the challenge to be declared profitable, and social media and discussion board posts don’t generate income. Laborious gross sales do.
All eyes can be on Mafia: The Old Country to see if the success of Clair Obscur actually is the begin of one thing sustainable for the online game trade.
Wesley is the UK Information Editor for IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You possibly can attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.