Mafia The Old Country Offers Big Drama Without Devouring Your Free Time – And It’s Only $50

In an era where video games seem allergic to brevity, where every release tries to be a lifestyle instead of a story, Mafia: The Old Country is doing something wild—it’s letting you finish the game. Yes, really. 2K and developer Hangar 13 have officially unveiled their upcoming title, Mafia: The Old Country, and it’s promising a focused, linear narrative that doesn’t require you to quit your job, abandon your partner, or give up sleep just to see the credits roll.

Launching on 8th August 2025 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, the game will land at a wallet-friendly £45 ($50 USD). And no, that’s not a typo—this isn’t another £70 open-world sprawl with 900 collectibles and five battle passes. This is a tight, cinematic experience set in the early 1900s, and honestly, that sounds like a breath of fresh (Sicilian) air.

A Mafia Game That Respects Your Time? Say No More

2K president David Ismailer put it best in the game’s announcement:

“We think there’s a large audience for compelling stories that don’t require massive time commitments.”

Translation: We know you’re tired, and your backlog is judging you.

Mafia: The Old Country is aiming to be your next go-to game when you want a high-quality narrative fix, without getting sucked into a 200-hour RPG loop. It’s not trying to compete with GTA Online. In fact, it’s practically waving at it from a Tuscan balcony like, “You do you, I’ll be over here with some espresso and murder.”

Back to the Roots—Literally

Unlike Mafia 3‘s 1960s American South setting or the glitzy cityscapes of the Definitive Edition remakes, this entry takes you all the way back to where it all began—Sicily in the early 1900s. Think old stone villages, vendettas, blood oaths, and a whole lot of brooding in candlelight.

This is a true prequel—a return to the Mafia series’ emotional and cultural DNA. While we still don’t know exactly which Don we’ll be stepping into the leather shoes of, you can expect the tone to be equal parts Godfather, Peaky Blinders, and “Don’t you dare cross Nonna.” The setting is more than aesthetic, too. By choosing Sicily, Hangar 13 taps into the real origins of organized crime. You’re not just climbing the ranks in a criminal underworld—you’re watching that world get born.

Unreal Engine 5: Old Country, New Tech

This is also the first Mafia title powered by Unreal Engine 5, and it shows. From the sun-drenched cobblestone alleys to the crumbling ruins and flickering lanterns, the trailer already teases visuals that feel weighty and lived-in. You’ll feel the dirt in your boots. You’ll smell the olive oil and gunpowder. You might even accidentally lean in too close to the screen during a family dinner scene.

Despite the linear structure, Hangar 13 is clearly going all in on atmosphere, detail, and dramatic pacing, which feels perfectly suited to the genre. After all, you don’t need an open-world checklist when you’ve got betrayal, bloodlines, and brooding baritones.

So… What Do You Actually Do in This Game?

While we’re still waiting on a full gameplay breakdown, the term “focused experience” gives us strong Mafia 1 vibes. That means you can expect:

• Story-driven missions with tight direction
• Dialogues that matter, not just filler
• Set-piece action sequences over sandbox chaos
• And hopefully, fewer side quests involving driving a drunk mobster’s cousin across the map for a sandwich

Basically, Mafia: The Old Country wants to be a playable mob movie—short, sharp, and stylish. You’ll likely play through a crafted sequence of chapters, each one dropping a heavy dose of plot, action, and those slow-motion face slaps that mafia fans can’t get enough of.

$50 Price Point: Too Good to Be True?

We’re used to AAA games climbing toward the £70 mark, so seeing Mafia: The Old Country coming in at $50 (£45) might raise some eyebrows. But this isn’t some budget spin-off. It’s a premium game with a leaner runtime, much like Resident Evil 4 Remake or A Plague Tale: Requiem—games that respected both your time and your wallet. It’s also a bold business move. Instead of trying to shoehorn the game into live-service expectations, 2K is offering a narrative alternative—a companion piece for players juggling bigger, longer games. The message is clear: You don’t need to choose between playing something excellent and finishing it this year.

Let’s be honest: open-world fatigue is real. And while Mafia 3 had its share of great moments, it also had a lot of empty road between those moments. With The Old Country, Hangar 13 seems ready to cut the fat and serve us a filet mignon of Mafia storytelling.

That also means no:

• Tedious fetch quests
• Radio tower climbing
• Upgrade trees for side characters you never use

Just drama, danger, and maybe a slow piano score when someone gets double-crossed.