Mafia: The Old Country, slated for a summer 2025 release on PC, PS5, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X, marks a significant departure for the series. Not only does this installment transport players from 20th-century America to 20th-century Italy, but it also adopts a new game engine.
From Proprietary to Unreal Engine 5
Previous Mafia games relied on a proprietary engine, contributing to their distinctive feel compared to other open-world titles. However, Mafia: The Old Country will utilize Unreal Engine 5, potentially impacting both its appearance and performance. While developer Hangar 13 and publisher 2K haven’t explained this change, streamlining development is a likely motivator.
Licensing Unreal Engine 5, despite its cost, simplifies onboarding new developers who previously faced a unique learning curve. Moreover, the engine’s extensive resources facilitate easier support.
Unreal Engine 5 is renowned for its impressive visuals but has also encountered performance challenges, particularly frame rate issues. How these will affect Mafia: The Old Country remains to be seen.
A Gritty Tale of Sicilian Organized Crime
The game plunges players into the brutal underworld of 1900s Sicily, following Enzo Favara’s struggle to prove himself within the Cosa Nostra. This third-person action-adventure promises a dangerous and unforgiving era.
Enzo’s journey begins in the sulfur mines of Sicily, where he endures a childhood of indentured servitude. A twist of fate presents him with an opportunity to join Don Torrisi’s crime family, a chance at a better life he’s determined to seize. His oath binds him to the family’s code of honor, demanding power and sacrifice in equal measure.
Family, Honor, and Sacrifice
This era emphasizes resourcefulness and ruthlessness, where stiletto blades and lupara shotguns are the tools of the trade, vendettas span decades, and mafiosi patrol their territories on foot, horseback, or in early automobiles. Enzo’s story is one of grit, determination, and the ultimate price of loyalty in a world where family takes sacrifice.
Conclusion
Mafia: The Old Country’s shift to Unreal Engine 5 and its new setting promise a fresh take on the series. The move to a widely used engine, while potentially presenting performance challenges, offers development benefits. As players delve into the criminal underworld of 1900s Sicily, they’ll experience a story of survival, ambition, and the complex dynamics of family and honor. The summer 2025 release is eagerly anticipated.
