We have been overlaying Mafia: The Old Country in an unique means all month lengthy by means of our IGN First “cowl story.” We hope you’ve got loved the gameplay and our hands-on preview. Immediately we now have the pleasure of speaking to Hangar 13 studio president Nick Baynes and sport director Alex Cox about returning the Mafia sequence to its not-open-world roots, which video games The Old Country takes design inspiration from, the plentiful quantity of fruit discovered all through the upcoming prequel, and extra. The following is a transcript of the video interview above that has been frivolously edited for readability.
IGN: Nick, I needed to begin right here as a result of I obtained to speak to you in particular person final week after I did get to play the sport and one thing that jumped out at me simply from our idle dialog was greater than as soon as, you talked about your want to see gamers full this story. And so I am curious, did your telemetry present you that wasn’t the case with Mafia III?
Hangar 13 Studio President Nick Baynes: Not a lot. It is extra, I suppose, anecdotal, the indisputable fact that the nature of the kind of sport that we’re making, and for those who have a look at the different Mafia video games that have been possibly a bit extra centered and primarily based far more round a narrative that had a really clear linear path by means of it. I feel naturally lots of people accomplished these and we now have a whole lot of suggestions from individuals who, you see all the response movies on-line of individuals finishing these video games once they play it. And I feel that is a very highly effective factor. And I feel each as a participant of video games myself and as listening to the followers, folks like ending these tales and the means that we inform the tales, they’re designed to be accomplished. I feel we’re actually, actually pleased with the story we’re telling and the complete narrative arc and the growth of the characters by means of the story. So yeah, I suppose the place we’re coming from, it is not essentially a particularly data-driven factor. It is simply we’re telling tales and I feel each storyteller desires somebody to learn the way their story ends.
IGN: You’ve got each talked about this determination that you’ve got simply alluded to once more right here of pulling again from going extra of an open world route as Mafia III did to a extra linear, narrative-focused story as with the first two video games. Alex, I would love to hear from you, what drove that call?
Mafia: The Old Country Recreation Director Alex Cox: Effectively, truly it was the response to Mafia Definitive Version in a whole lot of methods. We obtained the response to that sport. One among the responses was, “Hey, it’s nice to get to the finish of the sport as a result of it is a bit of shorter than Mafia III was and see the ending.” In order that sort of triggered … We obtained a response from the remake that that was the sort of Mafia sport that a whole lot of gamers needed to play, and it form of led us down that street is once we have been eager about what was subsequent for the franchise, what was the subsequent sort of sport we needed to construct? Clearly we have been going by means of a giant engine revision as properly for this sport too so we needed to hold it fairly centered on what we predict Mafia does finest, which is telling nice tales. So yeah, that is how all of that sort of got here collectively. It was actually the response to … Yeah, it was the response to remake.
IGN: And I suppose from a design standpoint, it definitely adjustments your mindset a ton. And Nick, from extra of a studio stage perspective, it possibly shortens the timeline a bit too as opposed to doing extra of a full open world factor. So I suppose what I am attempting to say is there are most likely a whole lot of advantages that come out of this that aren’t the authentic factor you are going for. You make a artistic determination, however it looks like there are a whole lot of pleased unwanted effects from it too.
Nick: Effectively, the largest facet impact of it is not a lot about how lengthy it takes to make it. It is extra about the indisputable fact that the issues that you’re doing, you are extra centered on and you’ll commit extra time to actually pushing the high quality and ensuring that it is an actual polished gem, that all the things in the sport has had the correct amount of consideration spent on it to make it possible for all the things the participant encounters feels actually, actually top quality and that we get to ship what we wish to do. And I feel generally simply usually as builders, you need to give attention to all the things, however you will have to make decisions and prioritize, and naturally the extra centered you are getting, the extra you possibly can truly polish all the things. In order that’s very a lot a key factor about that complete sort of … I exploit the expression polished gem as completely one thing we have referred to all through growth when it comes to our focus and the way we needed to give attention to this.
Alex: I imply, that was the system for Mafia I and Mafia II as properly, and that was the design precept that we needed to return to. Each of these video games have been … I am speaking about the remake of Mafia II, however most likely applies to the authentic sport as properly again in 2002. However once we are speaking a few extremely choreographed, top quality motion journey sport with a linear story, with this stunning wild backdrop or nonetheless you need to refer to it, that is the system that we needed to revisit. And I feel as Nick talked about there, the period of time and a focus that we’re placing into the cinematic presentation, the motion journey gameplay is far greater than video games that basically give attention to a broader form of breadth of [gameplay].
IGN: The gaming neighborhood responded extremely positively to the information that you simply guys have been sort of going again to that extra narrative linear focus from the first two video games, and there was a very optimistic reception, definitely avid gamers are pleased once they hear that the sport goes to price rather less than they could’ve initially anticipated. It is a $50 worth level for you guys, and I do know the worth is in the end set by your writer at 2K, however I suppose the one possibly … concern’s most likely too robust a phrase, however simply possibly slight defensive fear that I feel is pure from a whole lot of avid gamers is that, “Oh, properly this should imply The Old Country is de facto quick.” Now, I do know you guys most likely don’t need to sit right here and provides a quantity for what number of hours this sport is as a result of then folks simply connect good or unhealthy issues to that. However I suppose would you want to deal with any of these form of defensive considerations about “getting your cash’s price?”
Nick: Yeah, yeah, completely. So I feel the very first thing is, I imply, once more, clearly we’re not going to give an actual quantity and partly that it is clearly completely different for each single participant. However usually talking, for those who consider Mafia I, Mafia II, that is roughly the similar scope and scale as this sport, and I feel hopefully, I do not assume anybody’s going to be upset if they are going into it with that expectation.
Such as you say, actually as builders, we do not actually take into consideration the worth level. We simply give attention to making the finest sport doable. However this sport, I really feel prefer it drips AAA high quality. Once you play the sport, I do not assume anybody’s going to play this sport and really feel that, “Oh, it is a decrease finances sport.” It seems to be unimaginable, it performs very well. There’s all the depth you’d count on when it comes to dialogue and the world that has been created round the gamers and the expertise they undergo. So I feel actually nobody wants to be involved about the high quality of the sport or something like that, or it being tremendous quick. I imply, I noticed somebody on-line once we introduced the worth saying one thing like, “Oh, I wager it is like three hours.” It is not three hours, however going into it anticipating a Mafia I, Mafia II type expertise, I feel everybody’s going to be tremendous pleased.
IGN: I actually get the sense, and once more, you guys have sort of already virtually stated it right here straight, that Mafia I actually is sort of the touchstone or the North Star for this mission due to that reception that you simply talked about to the definitive version. Are you able to converse to that of how the reception to the remake of the first sport energized the group and drove the creativity for this one?
Alex: Yeah, it is humorous usually because once we got here to do the remake, what we did is we truly channeled the design philosophy, the artistic strategy of Mafia II to the remake, to the authentic Mafia. So if you understand what I imply, we structured it in the similar means we introduced the chapters in a really comparable sort of means to Mafia II. So it was sort of like, what would the authentic Mafia have seemed like if it was remade by means of the artistic lens of Mafia II? And so this mission has been in an identical sort of means, taking inspiration from each of these titles. It is structured, as you talked about, you talked about chapters, for instance. It is obtained a really comparable construction to these video games. That is how we divide up our story. Our story is, once more, in an identical means to these two titles, unfold over a number of years of time.
There’s vital sort of adjustments by means of Enzo’s journey. And when it comes to what we needed gamers to really feel like is that whereas we have created a brand new Mafia sport for a brand new era of Mafia video games, that it is vitally acquainted on the pad, it’s extremely acquainted when it comes to feel and appear of the title. It is obtained narrative connections, it is set in the similar universe, it is one thing that is going to be instantly acquainted to gamers that need extra Mafia, however it’s transferring ahead in all features. It is visually leading edge for video games in 2025. We have moved gameplay ahead in varied methods from what we did in the previous. And so yeah, it is like a restart for the franchise in some ways, however there’s a whole lot of familiarity below the hood.
Nick: I feel additionally, simply to add to that, and I do not at all times know the way many individuals … If folks know an excessive amount of about this, however there’s actual connective tissue right here at Hangar 13 all the means again to the authentic Mafia. So we have got folks right here engaged on The Old Country that labored on Mafia I again in the early 2000s. We have got individuals who labored on Mafia II and all three all the means by means of together with the definitive version. So once we’re speaking about trying again to the first one, a few of the group right here truly labored on that first one. So we’re not essentially even it to reference. I feel every sport is influenced by the final, what labored, what did not work, how can we enhance it?
The different factor as properly is we at all times beginning any sport, however clearly specifically a Mafia sport, we have a look at what makes a Mafia sport? What’s it the gamers need? What do we predict makes a Mafia sport? And all that collectively, and constructing on our expertise. However like I used to be saying, it is actually cool, it is not simply folks that joined not too long ago, like myself, I joined seven, eight years in the past. So I can have a look at the previous sport, say, “That is the place it comes from.” Whereas some folks right here truly look again and so they labored on it, they’ve lived it since the late 90s actually, once they first began engaged on it. In order that’s the different factor as properly. There’s this large by means of line, not simply when it comes to a few of the narrative connections and a few of the sport options, but in addition with the group themselves, which is de facto superior, I feel.
IGN: Now, Alex, you have been speaking about, I need to hear from each of you on this. I am going to do the Sophie’s Alternative factor as a result of I am simply curious. You are not allowed to say Mafia: The Old Country however what’s every of your favourite sport in the sequence thus far?
Alex: Effectively, mine is [Mafia] II, however that is as a result of that was the first sport I labored on, so it is sort of imprinted itself on me. That was my first sport. I labored in QA, I used to be initially a tester. My first sport in growth was on Mafia II…It was actually onerous again then with the limitations we had with clearly the graphical limitations and all that sort of stuff. However the first Mafia, when it first got here out and I first noticed it, it completely blew my thoughts. After which 20 years later, 18 years later, to get the likelihood of engaged on it myself with the definitive version and seeing it reimagined, I simply assume that to me, it is obtained a very timeless traditional story. I really like the means it is structured. Yeah, I feel that is my favourite.
Nick: For me, it is [Mafia] 1, I feel for 2 causes. First purpose is when it got here out, it was simply completely, I feel, groundbreaking when it comes to there’s one or two video games round that point which have been pushing, bringing cinematic storytelling into video games.
IGN: So Alex, you hinted at this. You talked about the engine a short while in the past, and I needed to sort of circle again on that as a result of I have been enjoying Mafia since the starting as properly, and it is at all times been a good looking sport. And from what I’ve seen and had the privilege of enjoying now of Mafia: The Old Country, it is nonetheless very, very a lot is. You guys have moved from a proprietary engine to Unreal Engine 5, and I am interested by the impetus behind that alternative.
Alex: Effectively, Unreal, I feel as many, many gamers shall be accustomed to now, brings an terrible lot to new video games, offers us cutting-edge visuals specifically. And for the sort of sport we have been trying to make this time round, we actually, actually needed to put an enormous emphasis on portraying the great thing about Sicily, the improbable landscapes, plus the MetaHuman tech and all of the stuff that is actually allowed us to do actually, actually high quality cinematic presentation. The performances of the actors are actually, actually improbable. Wonderful high quality facial, and that is key to this Mafia sport because it was for all earlier Mafia video games of their time of launch and reaching that sort of as an example visible leading edge specifically, surroundings artwork and cinematics, was actually entrance of thoughts once we determined to make the transition.
Nick: And likewise going again to one thing we have been saying earlier, it is about focus and give attention to high quality and give attention to the content material. Once you’re doing your individual engine, that is a whole lot of time you will have to spend and energy in ensuring it is leading edge and it nonetheless seems to be up to date and you have a whole lot of heavy lifting to do on that. And clearly as know-how will get increasingly … As issues get increasingly superior, that takes increasingly time. And I feel as a studio, we simply actually needed to give attention to the gameplay, the visuals, the storytelling, the cinematics, and to give you the option to put as a lot give attention to that as opposed to truly creating the engine that it sits on, it actually helps us and I feel in the end permits us to develop and ship a greater high quality sport.
IGN: Was there a specific panorama or scene that you simply guys prototyped in Unreal Engine 5 to make it possible for it was going to symbolize the visible high quality that you simply needed of the sequence? As a result of what visually I keep in mind most or what caught with me after enjoying your sport for 3 hours is the landscapes. I imply, the characters look nice, do not get me unsuitable there, no complaints for any of that. However it’s that Sicilian panorama. That is actually what sort of caught with me. So I am simply curious, was there a bit of take a look at space that you simply made to make it possible for everyone at the studio was proud of the place it was going to go technologically?
Alex: Yeah, it is humorous usually because the very first thing that we did proper at the starting of the mission, and it was virtually like the complete group moved to Unreal and we determined to come collectively round one train that we may all align behind. And that was creating the market sq. surroundings from Mafia II. Mafia II begins in Sicily, and truly our sport is about in the similar … You see this city known as San Celeste proper at the starting of Mafia II. We selected that for a complete vast number of causes. A, we already know what it seems to be like. B, we are able to see what it seems to be like once we’ve massively upgraded it like 15 years later. And likewise we all know that at the pre-existing location from the franchise, we’re going to channel the artistic imaginative and prescient, we’re going to channel the narrative universe. We’re going to get all of the stuff in there by grounding ourself in that first place. In order that’s the place we began, proper in the heart of San Celeste.
IGN: Digging into the gameplay a bit of bit right here, I’ve obtained a handful extra questions for you guys. Stealth, we have been speaking earlier than we recorded, I really like stealth. And after I was enjoying Mafia: The Old Country, I took full benefit of the stealth alternatives that have been introduced to me. It looks like it’s a totally supported fight play type alternative, possibly not essentially in each situation. Generally you are going to have a one-on-one knife struggle with someone that is horrible and you are not going to stealth your means out of it. However what have been the objectives with implementing stealth into Mafia: The Old Country?
Alex: Mafia’s obtained these … We name it a curler coaster expertise. Generally you play a choreographed shootout, generally it is a automobile chase, generally it is a stealth part, generally you get to select, and stealth has been sort of a giant a part of the play your means sort of type of Mafia since Mafia II. It was in Mafia II a bit of bit. Mafia III grew to become just about play your means all the means by means of. For Mafia: The Old Country, it was at all times going to be a part of the system.
The factor that is I feel most pertinent to this sport is as a result of we needed to make fight usually extra really feel extra harmful, we needed to herald a extra grounded sort of feeling to any sort of encounter with enemies, we needed to make it possible for stealth actually captured that vibe of surviving in a harmful surroundings. So there is a heightened worth to sneaking round and taking out a guard. And likewise that vibe of, properly, Enzo is attempting to survive in 1900 Sicily. It is sort of a useful resource port surroundings, you are having to loot and scrabble round for assets in fight, for instance. Once more, favoring a extra deliberate gameplay type for those who’re going to stealth round and sort of take out just a few enemies.
IGN: I used to be actually shocked simply in a enjoyable means, that Enzo’s knife appears to be essential in the form of fight loop of the sport. You guys principally have a sort of complete knife RPG system down to the level the place in my head I could not assist eager about it of you virtually have to reload your knife like a gun when the blade dulls. You bought to take a minute to sharpen it. So are you able to guys discuss the design decisions of the knife and the way that is actually appears to be sort of doubled down on?
Nick: Effectively, I feel the very first thing is that Enzo, I feel we already described elsewhere that Enzo comes from the mines. He is definitely had a really impoverished childhood. He is used to scrabbling round and making use of something that comes to hand and being resourceful. So once we added the knife, we did not simply need it to be, oh, it is a melee merchandise you should use and it is possibly a distinct takedown. It truly wanted to really feel like an actual virtually extension of Enzo, it is one thing that is actually … He is far more accustomed to knives and sharp objects than he’s with weapons, for instance.
So then it was like, properly, okay, properly for those who’ve obtained a knife, what else would you do with it? And also you’d decide locks and also you’d throw it, and also you additionally would do takedowns. After which the query is, properly, it may possibly’t be to overpowered. Effectively, they are going to get blunted, so that you want to sharpen them. And I feel actually that complete factor was not simply having a weapon for the sake of it. Say, oh, we have added a knife as a melee merchandise. It was far more that is key to who Enzo is and the way he goes by means of the world and the way he is grown up.
Alex: Yeah, I imply it got here from the historical past of Sicilian criminals as properly. That concept of a Sicilian prison armed with a knife is form of like a part of the historical past of the Sicilian Mafia knife preventing, that could be a sort of martial artwork in Sicily. And so there’s a whole lot of grounding in the historic context of the story and the imaginative and prescient of … Yeah, I imply notably when it escalates into knife duals, Enzo versus unhealthy man on a sort of a sun-drenched hillside, like preventing to the loss of life is a core angle that basically sells the distinctive facet of this sport. What’s the imaginative and prescient of title? It is grounded in that 1900 Sicily setting whereas nonetheless broadly talking, enjoying like a Mafia title as gamers would count on.
IGN: On a form of comparable be aware about authenticity, there’s a good little bit of Italian spoken this sport, even when enjoying in English. I think about the dialogue on this at the least as a lot, presumably greater than some other sport, might be gone over with a really, very wonderful tooth comb? As a result of I think about you’ve got not solely obtained to make it possible for any Italian language that is used is finished in sort of an genuine means, but in addition, and also you guys have finished this earlier than, so it is not like your first rodeo right here. However I think about you’ve got obtained to be certain the voice solid is not doing a little form of stereotype caricature of a typical mafia crime household too. So are you able to sort of converse to that form of authenticity piece of it?
Alex: After we have a look at the earlier Mafia Video games, Mafia I, II, and III, the performances, the sort of authenticity, the explicit locale, Chicago, New York, New Orleans comes throughout from the performances, the actors and all of that stuff.
Now, we knew on this case we have been going to be making a sport that was primarily English language first, English language is the native language, however had to be accented. In order that was at all times going to be a problem to keep away from the drawback you talked about there the place it does not sound unusual, someone placing on an odd accent, by-product or any sort of weirdness there. And so we have been fairly cautious in the casting course of. A number of of the foremost solid are native Italian, in order that helps, together with Ricardo, who performs Enzo. He is a local Italian. And once more, and everyone else may do a really believable accent. Everyone spent a while with a voice coach as properly to make it possible for they have been as shut as doable doing an genuine Sicilian accented English. After which we have been consulting with a accomplice group, a developer in Sicily as properly, who’s been giving us a whole lot of recommendation about cultural issues, together with efficiency and such.
IGN: Nearly finished right here. However I am curious why a prequel this time versus both persevering with ahead in time after three, or possibly even going again to someplace between two and three. So are you able to guys, I am simply curious the determination to put the timeline the place it was on this one?
Nick: There’s a whole lot of causes. I imply, one in all them was we needed to begin up a complete new story arc for the Mafia sequence. And so what higher methods than to return to the very begin of Mafia? What’s very nice about this sport, I feel is for brand new gamers who’re leaping on for the first time, they do not want to have performed some other Mafia video games. However for gamers who’ve performed the different video games, there are hyperlinks and sure Easter eggs and character hints and that sort of stuff in there, which hyperlinks all of it collectively. And it simply felt like an excellent place to begin. The origin of organized crime, the origin of the franchise itself, while additionally setting issues up for the future.
And likewise, I feel one in all the issues we at all times have a look at with Mafia is we’re letting gamers play the mob film. And we have finished the large American crime cities and it felt like a very distinctive, very, very applicable place to go to. We thought it would be a good looking surroundings to make a sport in, which as you stated, it has been. And it is only a distinctive story, I suppose. So I feel that was simply a few of the issues. It offers gameplay alternatives that if we might gone to one other metropolis, it might need not given us the alternatives to what we have finished on this sport, and clearly in the future, who is aware of the place we’ll go subsequent. However this felt like a very applicable place to sort of kick issues off on this subsequent story arc.
IGN: Find it irresistible. All proper. I saved my most vital query for final right here. Now I solely performed three chapters, about three hours, however I feel in that point I noticed extra simply gorgeously rendered and fantastically lit fruit in your sport than possibly I’ve seen in any complete single sport ever. So are you guys assured in saying that you’ve the most fruit and finest trying fruit in the historical past of video video games? This can be a key query right here.
Nick: [laughs] Sure. I am pleased to go on the file and state that’s appropriate.
Alex: [laughs] 100%.