Trending
August 8 is Mafia: The Old Country’s release date. As such, fans of the series are getting geared up for a trip back to the organized crime Italian roots of the early to mid-20th century. Mafia: The Old Country is a prequel developed by Hangar 13, set in Sicilian Italy. Mafia 3, for all its open-world gameplay hours, moved the series away from its roots as a narrative-driven franchise (think: Mafia 1 and Mafia 2). Hangar 13’s Mafia: The Old Country is changing that.
However, one notable number in the announcement was a $50 suggested price tag. Many fans immediately noted that the $50 price is significantly cheaper than the $70 standard for AAA titles. There are concerns that the game may be shorter or have less content due to the price drop. However, developers have directly spoken on the subject, shutting down those concerns.
Hangar 13 president Nick Baynes told IGN the game has “all the depth you’d expect” for dialogue and world-building. He stopped short of giving a specific runtime, but noted Mafia 1 and Mafia 2 had a standard run of around 10–14 hours.
Mafia: The Old Country, he suggested, would be in line with that. Game director Alex Cox also stated the team removed the open-world design based on player feedback on Mafia: Definitive Edition, double-downing on the linear and story-focused design fans are expecting.
A Focus on Storytelling, Not Just Scale
- Price: $50 USD
- Length: Estimated 10–14 hours, similar to Mafia 1 and 2
- Style: Linear, narrative-driven; not open-world like Mafia 3
- Release Date: August 8, 2025
- Platform: Likely PC and consoles (official list pending)
Moving away from open-world design is a conscious design and development decision, not a cost-cutting measure. The team’s use of a more refined game engine and a return to fan-favorite story direction will hopefully make Mafia: The Old Country a polished cinematic crime-drama – and one that won’t overstay its welcome.
We’ll have more on Mafia: The Old Country before its August 8 release.
DON'T MISS:
