During a time when Xbox and Nintendo are raising game prices, and Microsoft and Sony are hiking the cost of their consoles, a new (well, old) hero is rising from the expensive ashes. Mafia: The Old Country was confirmed to be released on August 8th, as was previously leaked by developer Hangar 13 themselves. But that’s not the truly exciting news.
Mafia: The Old Country was announced today, alongside an excellent gameplay trailer, as costing just £45/$50 when it launches on PS5, Xbox Series S/X and PC next month.
“Mafia: The Old Country is a focused, linear experience that combines quality storytelling, authentic era immersion and a refined take on the familiar Mafia gameplay,” said Hangar 13 President Nick Baynes in a press release, possibly while plotting the downfall of a rival family. “That focus allows us to deliver a story that’s gritty, grounded, brutal and emotional. Embracing early 1900s era Sicily, this is a mafia origin story that follows our protagonist, Enzo Favara, as he takes the oath and works his way up Don Torrisi’s crime family.”
The idea of a short and sweet game that doesn’t bombard me with a million quests and 500 hundred hours of nonsense is immensely appealing, especially when combined with a lower entry cost.
“We think there’s a large audience for compelling stories that don’t require massive time commitments,” said 2K President David Ismailer. “We’re excited to offer a game like Mafia: The Old Country in our portfolio, and to provide a linear highly-polished narrative experience that can easily complement the other more persistent games our players also love and engage with on a more consistent basis.”
The brief gameplay trailer released alongside the pricing and release date announcement only provides a tiny glimpse of the game in action, but what we do get to see looks great. Given the time period, we’re going to get a mixture of horseback riding and car driving, plus plenty of shootouts and stealth.
Hangar 13 has also confirmed that it will not be an open-world game.
