Tradition can go both ways. In the early-20th-century Sicily where Mafia: The Old Country takes place, tradition is a powerful force. It makes certain men rich while forcing everyone else to fall in line — to follow code and be loyal — or die. But tradition also brings comfort in the form of festive celebrations, brotherhood and belonging. It allows people to feel connected to their land and their history in the face of an unknown and frightening future.
The Old Country is a traditional video game, and that’s a good thing. Next to the trend of games as endless online experiences, it is small and discrete, like a sawed-off shotgun tucked inside a crate of lemons. Though it’s backed by a fleshed-out and explorable open world, most of the game takes place along a linear path. It tells the story of Enzo’s rise through the ranks of the Torrisi family, one of several warring clans. The narrative’s crescendos and reveals provide the game’s main source of excitement and discovery, distinct from the collectibles and exploration of popular open-world fare like the Assassin’s Creed or Far Cry games.
Resisting the expectation for single-player games to be chockablock with content, The Old Country is sparing and restrained. Its pacing, especially in the first few chapters, is slow and deliberate. Walking as Enzo often feels more natural and rewarding than breaking out into a sprint. It’s the best way to take in the postcard beauty of Hangar 13’s depiction of Sicily, and to listen in on the conversations between other characters. This world is believable and well-realized. The sprawling Torrisi vineyard, your home base for much of the game, is alive with activity: Cars and horse-drawn carriages come and go constantly, workers pick grapes out in the field, cooks and maids chatter in the kitchen.
There’s a lot to soak in, and The Old Country seems designed to encourage taking your time doing so. It takes several hours before Enzo is required to fire his gun, opting instead to wave it threateningly at balking victims of the Torrisi protection racket. He finds it better still to sneak into their storehouses, using the game’s basic but functional stealth system, and grab their goods without need for violence. Naturally, things will get bloodier, but stealth is almost always an option, as are the scripted one-on-one knife fights that are a central component of the game.
The Old Country’s story is relatively short and to the point. Players will witness Enzo’s meteoric rise, from a childhood of indentured servitude at a sulfur mine to one of the most trusted Torrisi soldiers, in the span of 12 to 14 hours. The open world mostly flashes by as you drive to your next destination. There’s not much time to spare. In the backdrop is a smoldering volcano whose earthshaking tremors kick off the game’s plot.
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