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Metro
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Mafia: The Old Country PS5 review - keep your enemies closer
The fourth Mafia game is a prequel to the whole series, set in Sicily at the turn of the 20th century, and featuring some amazing graphics and performances. In a world where Dragon Age is now treated as a dead franchise and it's 14 years since The Elder Scrolls got a mainline sequel, the Mafia franchise seems to have led a charmed life. Despite never excelling either critically or commercially it's been going since 2002, with a steady stream of sequels, remasters, and remakes. Who's asking for any of this we don't know, to the point where the game itself almost feels like a front for the mafia, but the series is nothing if not consistent. The Mafia games are often mistaken for GTA clones, but they only share a superficial similarity with Rockstar's epics. Although they do have the semblance of an open world there's nothing to really do in them and the story progression is entirely linear. Which isn't a criticism, but it is one easy way for newcomers to the franchise to become disappointed – although there are plenty of others too. These issues are clearly not unknown to developer Hangar 13, which incorporates some of original series creator Illusion Softworks. The Old Country sensibly does away with any pretence of an open world, but while its story does have some narrative weight it feels even less interactive than usual. Mafia 3 had the most expensive attempt at an open world, but that only made it even more irritating to play through, which is a shame as its storytelling is excellent and would've got far more attention if it had been part of a better game. The Old Country seems to acknowledge this by decreasing the level of interactivity to such a low level it's almost like the third person shooter equivalent of a visual novel. The best thing The Old Country has going for it is the excellent graphics and unusual setting of 1900s Sicily. However, while Mafia 3's story dealt with heady issues of racism and intolerance (it focused on the Black Mafia, rather than Italian Americans), The Old Country isn't quite so daring. To its credit, its examination of why good people are driven to do bad things is not superficial, as it shows how poverty, peer pressure, and toxic masculinity sends protagonist Enzo Favara into a spiral of criminality from which he never escapes. Literally, because while this is supposed to be interactive entertainment his fate is predestined the moment you start the game. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. It takes the game precious little time to start ripping off paying homage to characters from The Godfather. It's done with relatively subtlety – this isn't GTA 3 era Rockstar Games – but if you've any interest in The Old Country's there's little chance you haven't see the films and so the various pastiches stand out like a memberberry moment from Star Wars. In any case, Enzo joins the mob, gains a father figure, and falls in love with the Don's daughter. Oaths are taken, feuds are started, and crimes are committed. What makes The Old Country so strange though is that while the plot is by-the-number the writing and acting is very good, and well up to par with Mafia 3. It all takes a while to get going, and Enzo is so laconic it's difficult to empathise with him at first, but the characters are three-dimensional and believable. The problem is not so much that the story is cliché because it's knock-off of famous mafia movies, but because it feels overly reminiscent of previous Mafia games, which had already farmed those same films for inspiration. What you're left with is a copy of a copy and no matter how well acted it is, that's a serious issue. An even bigger problem is that as a video game, and particularly as a third person shooter, The Old Country is completely uninteresting. The gunplay is a mild improvement on Mafia: Definitive Edition but it's still completely unremarkable. The driving is worse, while the stealth sections, and instant fail situations, are the sort of thing that makes the beginning of Star Wars Outlaws seem like Metal Gear Solid. More Trending The only gameplay element that's above average is the enemy AI, which does a good job of trying to outflank you and is always on the offence. But that's nowhere near enough to excuse how dull and frustrating the game is for most of the time. The knife fights that end so many of the sections are also fun at first, although the excuses for why the various people don't just shoot you when they have the chance become ever more unlikely. In terms of presentation, The Old Country is absolutely top notch, from the graphics to the voice-acting, but as both a game and a story it struggles to keep your attention. And that's despite the fact that it's only around 12 hours long. Although, and we have to hand it to Take-Two on this one, its price does reflect that. Hangar 13 clearly enjoy what they do, and there must presumably be plenty of fans that do too. The game's lack of interactivity is not necessarily a problem, but the fact that it sacrifices so much of what being a video games is in order to tell a story that's been told many times before, including by the series itself, is just not a price worth paying. In Short: The most cinematic entry in the series so far but no matter how good the visuals or acting are, the story is clichéd and predictable, and the gameplay feels like barely an afterthought. Pros: The graphics are excellent, and the script and voice-acting are just as impressive. Surprisingly good enemy AI during combat. Cons: The plot is predictable and formulaic even compared to other Mafia games, while the characters remain largely uninteresting for far too long. Banal gameplay and an almost completely uninteractive game world. Score: 5/10 Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, and PCPrice: £44.99Publisher: 2KDeveloper: Hangar 13Release Date: 8th August 2025 Age Rating: 18 Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: BioShock 4 is definitely happening 'without question' says Take-Two boss MORE: Extremely rare Xbox game is being sold for over £1,000 – do you own a copy? MORE: New Lego Batman game will be revealed at Gamescom claims rumour
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Mafia The Old Country review – a beautiful but trivial take on what a crime gangster epic should be
This story of greed, crime, and forbidden love is wonderfully stunning to look at, yet disappoints for how unabashedly old-fashioned it is in almost every other regard. The next entry in 2K's wildly immersive gangster franchise aims to wind the clock back to the start, but in the process forgets to evolve its gameplay formula in any meaningful way. When in doubt, go back to the very beginning. Batman did it, Rise of the Planet of the Apes did it, and now it's the turn of 2K 's solid (if somewhat uneven) gangster series to give it a try by winding the clock all the way back to 1900s Sicily. I honestly don't blame developer Hanger 13 for taking this approach. Because while its remake of the first entry, 2020's Mafia: Definitive Edition, successfully revived a classic, the studio's last attempt to push the franchise into all-new territory with Mafia 3 didn't quite work out so well. Unfortunately, despite looking incredible and weaving a well-written tale with characters I came to care about greatly, on the gameplay side it's a similar story here again. Turns out the setting, however beautiful, isn't the only thing old-fashioned about Mafia: The Old Country. Starting off with the good: the location of Valle Dorata must surely go down in history as one of the most stunning, awe-inspiring places to explore in a video game ever. Though not especially large or sprawling, it makes up for this lack of size with an incredible amount of detail and variety present in almost every region you visit both in and outside of the campaign. From historic castle ruins that hint at times gone by and abundance of pastoral towns full of life, to the seemingly endless rows of vineyards that surround, not once while playing through Mafia: The Old Country's 12-hour campaign did I ever fail to be immersed. This is an amazing rendition of early 20th century Sicily packed full of detail and reasons to want to stick around. If only the game gave you any real reason to… See, much like the first two games in the series, Mafia: The Old Country again finds itself caught between two worlds. On one hand it takes place within an amazing open-world location you'll spend plenty of trips driving through, but then outside of a few collectibles, there's not really any real reason to do so. In fairness, Hanger 13 has been totally open about The Old Country being a linear game through and through, but then why tease us with the promise of something greater – and dare I say braver – if you're not going to deliver on its full potential? The benefit of keeping this Mafia prequel mostly on rails is that it's easy to stay invested in the narrative with hardly any distractions. Placing you in the shoes of new protagonist Enzo Favara, you'll follow his journey from beleaguered orphan to criminal gangster, getting up to no good and into all kinds of crime-related scrapes a long the way. Cars and weapons being mostly limited in their technology during this era gives The Old Country a slightly different flavour to any other game in the series. And it's an element the game is extremely wise to lean into given just how similar Enzo's overall story ends up being to Tommy Angelo from the first Mafia game. Rather than break any new narrative ground, Mafia: The Old Country is instead all too happy to lean into several tropes and clichés the gangster film genre is known for. It's in this regard where, aside from the utterly excellent motion-capture and voice performances, that this prequel ended up disappointing me most on the storytelling side of things. Here you have a fairly unexplored environment and a completely new cast of characters to fill it with, yet time after time, The Old Country fall into the trappings of what cinema aficionados will undoubtedly expect. I won't dig into these story beats too deeply for fear of spoiling the unsullied, but I'll go as far as to say that the Don's daughter, Isabella, and the nature of her relationship with the dashingly heroic Enzo hardly ends up being a mystery. Unrequited love, anyone? An offer to refuse In this way, Mafia: The Old Country plays it far too safe at almost every turn, being all too happy to merely 'play the hits' as opposed to taking its unique setting and technology of the time, and doing something truly different with them. Four games in, you think there'd be a hunger for this on the developer side. But alas, it's not usually the case, and very rarely did any story 'twist' end up shocking me. Enzo's journey more often than not elicited a shrug as opposed to a gasp. Sadly, this same old-school mentality also bleeds into the game's approach to action. Mafia: The Old Country's gameplay formula can essentially be boiled down into three main strands – cover shooting, driving, and stealth – and none are particularly boundary-pushing. I wasn't expecting Gears of War levels of gunplay here, but I could never shake the feeling that aiming as Enzo felt particularly floaty – even after trying out different firearms and equipping certain unlockable charms and beads specifically designed to counteract this. Luckily, when the cinematic shootouts do hit, they hit hard, and most usually occur as part of a larger set piece that culminates in an explosive climax such as a car chase or burning building escape. Stealth, perhaps unsurprisingly, is also a mixed bag. There's nothing particularly wrong with it per se, since throwing objects to distract enemies and sneaking behind them to either choke them out slowly or instant-kill them with a knife, are well-worn mechanical staples. Just because something is functional, though, doesn't make it engrossing, especially when these scenarios crop up a lot. Driving, meanwhile, is very fun, particularly since the environments you move through are always a joy to be in. The Mafia series has always had a great reputation for letting you get behind the wheel of a variety of historical cars, and this aspect returns here in full force. Better yet, the dedicated 'carcyclopedia' returns in The Old Country, allowing true petrolheads to pore over the full details of these ornate automobiles and then take them out to enjoy them in the game's dedicated Explore mode. The final gameplay mechanic worth mentioning is a pretty irritating one. At various points in the story, in order to build up some degree of stakes through combat, The Old Country will pit you against a single foe in a one-on-one knife fight confrontation. Though not exactly a quick time event, the act of dodging, blocking, striking, and slashing eventually grows tiresome, particularly since no new mechanical elements are ever introduced at any point. This is a game that starts with a knife fight and ends pretty much with the exact same knife fight, which might work as a method to let characters talk at close range and build drama, but is super repetitive from a gameplay perspective. I wish Hanger 13 would have found a different way to transform what should be a tension-filled set piece into something less predictable. Mafia: The Old Country isn't a complete disaster of a game, but it is very much a game out of time. In several ways it achieves what it sets out to do, setting players off on an engrossing, wildly cinematic, crime-fuelled gangster story set within a beautiful location with you at the centre of it. Beauty, of course, is only skin deep, and when it comes to what you actually do in this world, Enzo's journey climbing up through the ranks of the Torrisi crime family ends up feeling underbaked, unsurprising, and disappointingly old-school in its approach. Ultimately, The Old Country fails to make the most of its world's uniqueness, as evidenced any time you must leave your vehicle to interact with it.
Newsweek
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
August Games Release Dates 2025 – What's New on PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, and PC
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors 2025 has been a good year for game releases so far, with a brand-new console in the Switch 2, some big hitters like Monster Hunter Wilds, and plenty of smaller indie releases that have gotten big attention. Last month was a fairly quiet month overall for new game releases – Donkey Kong Bananza excepted – but it still had some pretty great games, and August is looking to be in a pretty similar position. There are some brand-new games in beloved series, new entries in sports series, a remaster of an Xbox classic, and a long-awaited Metal Gear Solid remaster — or maybe it's a remake, it's a little unclear. Key artwork for Fox Hunt, one of the new game modes in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Key artwork for Fox Hunt, one of the new game modes in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Konami We've put together this list of the most anticipated games releasing in August 2025, including their release date, release platforms, and trailers where available. Mafia: The Old Country – August 8 Release platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC The Mafia series hasn't seen a release in almost a decade, after the pretty good but still relatively mixed Mafia 3 released in 2016, but The Old Country is doing things a little bit different. A prequel to the entire series, Mafia: The Old Country sees you playing as Enzo Favara who joins the Torrisi crime family in 1900s Sicily. It's said to be a little closer to the roots of the series, but it will still feature open-world elements, making it feel a little more modern than some of its early predecessors. Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition – August 14 Release platform: PC August is going to be a fairly big month for remakes and remasters, and it's all kicking off with a remaster of the first 40K: Dawn of War game. It's not a total overhaul like other entries on this list — instead, it's focused on bringing the game up to modern standards, improving lighting and textures, and putting all the additional content in one package. The development team behind Dawn of War says that it's planning to keep the game open for easy modding and additional community content, so it's almost certainly going to be the best way to play. Madden NFL 26 – August 14 Release platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC Madden NFL 26 is the latest and, presumably, greatest game in the long-running Madden NFL series, but it's still a Madden game, so you probably know exactly what you're getting here. The key thing worth mentioning is that, for the first time in a very long time, the newest Madden game is going to be on a Nintendo platform, with the game set to be released on the Nintendo Switch 2 alongside all other platforms. Drag X Drive – August 14 Release platform: Nintendo Switch 2 Maybe Madden isn't for you, but you still want to get in on the ball sports action — Nintendo has a game for you, and it's called Drag x Drive. This unique game is a 3v3 wheelchair basketball game where you use each Joy-Con 2 as a mouse, dragging it along as if you were controlling the independent wheels of a wheelchair. It looks pretty interesting conceptually, but we've yet to see much of the game in its entirety, so it's a bit of an unknown entity. Sword of the Sea – August 19 Release platforms: PS5, PC Abzu and The Pathless developer Giant Squid has its newest game releasing this month: Sword of the Sea. This curious game has you surfing atop a sword through a beautifully crafted, atmospheric world on a quest to restore a lost ocean to the world. It's essentially a hoverboard exploration game, and you can do sick tricks like flips, spins, and grabs as you surf through the world. It's definitely worth checking out. Gears of War: Reloaded – August 26 Release platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC The first Gears of War is getting an extensive remaster treatment with Gears of War: Reloaded, which includes both the base game and all previously released DLC in one gorgeous package. There's massively improved visuals, much better performance, a reworked control scheme that brings it up to modern standards, and a whole lot more. It's also the first Gears of War game to come to a PlayStation console, which feels a little bit blasphemous, but it's good to see more games being available to more players. Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar – August 27 Release platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar is a ground-up remake of the original DS game of the same(ish) name, which is something that's going to be very exciting for a lot of players who grew up with the game. It's a gorgeous little farming game with a heavy focus on both growing crops but also selling and buying at the eponymous grand bazaar, all the while getting to know the villagers... and maybe even striking up a relationship with one. If you're a fan of life sim games, the Story of Seasons series is the originator and among the best, so make sure you grab this one. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater – August 28 Release platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC Metal Gear Solid 3 is one of the most adored games in the classic series, and this remaster/remake looks to be one of the best ways to play it to date. It's completely overhauled the game's visuals and controls, with modern Unreal Engine 5 at the core of it, and has improved soundscapes, new game modes, and so much more. It even has a clever system for showing damage, as Snake's clothes and body will now take visual damage upon getting hurt. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance – August 29 Release platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC It's been almost 30 years since the release of a new 2D Shinobi game, and now the series is set to make a combat with Art of Vengeance. It's being developed by Lizardcube, the Parisian developer behind the excellent Streets of Rage 4 and Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap, so you know it's going to be fantastic. Lost Soul Aside – August 29 Release platforms: PS5, PC Lost Soul Aside has been in development for almost a decade — so long, in fact, that it may end up flying under the radar. It shouldn't though, because it looks fantastic, with fast-paced action RPG gameplay set in an absolutely gorgeous fantasy world. The game was developed by Chinese studio Ultizero Games as part of Sony's China Hero Project, which helps fund and release games made by Chinese developers, and everything we've seen of it so far looks incredible. Don't sleep on this one.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Mafia The Old Country release date, platforms, and more
Image via Hangar 13. After nine long years, the long-hailed Mafia gaming franchise is back with Mafia: The Old Country. As part of 2K's Gamescom showcase, the fourth mainline entry in the Mafia franchise was revealed in August 2024. The publisher has previously promised that the game would launch in 2025. The Old Country will serve as the prequel of the very first game of the series, which actually set the tone for the franchise in 2002. Operation Sindoor 'Did not want to...': Pak def min gives absurd excuse for army's failure to withstand Op Sindoor Blackouts, sirens & Pak's failed attacks: 10 things that happened in the last 36 hrs '1971 war was not remotely as terrifying': Residents of border areas shell-shocked It's been almost a year-long wait for the fans, but that wait is over because Hangar 13 has recently revealed the trailer of the game, announcing the release date and other info. Everything you need to know about Mafia: The Old Country Mafia: The Old Country is releasing on August 8. | Image via Hangar 13. Hangar 13 has shared the game's first official trailer as well, bearing the official release date which is on August 8, 2025. However, it was already leaked . Initially it was confirmed that the game would be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows. Now, the developers have confirmed it will be released on GeForce Now as well. So, whoever owns a subscription of this service, will be able to stream it on PC. Mafia: The Old Country - 'Whatever it Takes' Gameplay Trailer | PS5 Games In this game, players have to fill their shoes in the role of Enzo Favara who will embark upon his journey in Cosa Nostra in 1900s's Sicily, where he will fight for his survival. The interesting part is that this upcoming title is not going to be priced in the typical modern AAA bracket. The game is now available to pre-order in two editions: Standard and Deluxe, which are priced at $49.99 and $59.99 respectively. For those who pre-order, the Solidato Pack is included with both editions. The Soldato ensemble, the Scannaturi Speciale knife, the Tesor horse and accessories, and the Lupara charm are all included. Along with all of these, Deluxe Edition comes with Padrino Pack, Gatto Nero Pack, and many other perks. Not only is this the first mainline entry in the Mafia franchise, this installment also marks the first title to be powered by Unreal Engine 5. More information on Mafia: The Old Country will be revealed by Hangar 13 at its next PAX East developer panel, which is set to begin later today at 2 PM. ET/11 a.m. PT/7 PM BST. Read More: Mafia: The Old Country trailer gives a sneak peek into the brutal underworld of early 90s Sicily
CNET
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
Mafia: The Old Country Won't Be Open World and Will Cost $50
Mafia: The Old Country will release on Aug. 8, 2025, publisher 2K Games announced today. The game, developed by Hangar 13, will feature a standard edition for $49.99 and a deluxe edition for $59.99, and will be available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, as well as prepurchase on PC via Steam. You can check out the first official gameplay trailer. "Mafia: The Old Country is a compelling story that doesn't require a massive time commitment, and we believe these prices reflect the value of this highly polished linear narrative experience," the developer said in a statement. This is good news, considering the cost of most games and consoles is set to increase. A game that doesn't break the bank, yet promises a compelling story and action-focused gameplay seems right up my alley. No open world, no problem If you were expecting the next installment in the Mafia series to be a sprawling, open-world romp through the organized crime world, think again. But honestly, that's probably for the best. Screenshot by Evan Zimmer/CNET The game's visuals look great, and the action-focused combat seems compelling. If it's anything like Mafia: Definitive Edition -- which was excellent and delivered a similarly shorter, linear game with an emphasis on story and characters -- it'll be a day-one buy for me. What's Mafia: The Old Country about? This time around, Hanger 13 is turning back the clock to the 1900s. Mafia: The Old Country puts players in control of Enzo Favara as he navigates the dark underworld of Sicily. You'll join the Torrisi crime family and uncover the origins of organized crime in Hanger 13's Mafia series. The game seeks to deliver an authentic, mob-movie experience. It'll take players across crumbling Sicilian ruins and sprawling vineyards, filled with a colorful cast of unpredictable allies and rival gangs. The game's FAQ page says there'll be a mix of gunplay and stealth mechanics, along with close-quarters knife fights and races on horseback and behind the wheel. You can preorder the game now and make your oaths to the Cosa Nostra when it comes out in August.
