Mafia: The Old Country made OtaHub want to follow Enzo Favara’s life more than search the map for another activity. Escaping forced labor in a sulfur mine gives him a chance to enter the Torrisi family. That opportunity also binds his own ambitions to people with the power to decide his future.
Hangar 13 keeps that story at the center of the adventure. Horse rides through Sicily, meetings within the family and bursts of violence form a journey with a clear direction. Combat lacks substantial depth and the PS5 Pro version involves compromises, but the characters and romance remain compelling through the conclusion.
Enzo has more to lose than his place in the family
Enzo does not arrive with the confidence of a gangster accustomed to power. His history of forced labor makes acceptance into the Torrisi family meaningful. He is determined to improve his life, yet there is a sense that he does not fully belong in the world he has entered. That tension makes him easy to care about.
OtaHub particularly enjoys the importance given to his relationship with Isabella, Don Torrisi’s daughter. Their romance means that advancing within the family involves more than gaining another superior’s trust. The person Enzo wants to be close to is connected to obligations he cannot control. Affection and duty are constantly at risk of colliding.
The chemistry between them gives scenes outside the main jobs a purpose. They are more than pauses before another shootout. They help make Enzo’s decisions matter because the work he does can affect something he wants to protect.
The supporting cast strengthens that connection. Don Torrisi commands attention in conversation, while Cesare and Luca give family life a mixture of companionship and hierarchy. The slower opening allows time to understand those relationships before the second half becomes a more urgent crime drama.
For OtaHub, this is one of the series’ more memorable stories. Its later turns brought surprises and gave the relationships a satisfying conclusion. The ending is best experienced without looking up what happens. Knowing its direction in advance would weaken part of the appeal of this personal story about loyalty.
Sicily gives a focused campaign its own identity
Early twentieth-century Sicily feels distinct from Mafia’s familiar American cities. Hours spent on horseback precede driving a car, and countryside and small streets replace the rhythm of busy avenues. The change gives the adventure a character of its own.
Despite its sizeable map, the original campaign follows a linear sequence of missions. The surrounding landscape supports Enzo’s journey and provides transitions between its major scenes. Architecture, scenery and collectibles are the main attractions during opportunities to wander.
OtaHub finds that structure appropriate for what the game does best. An urgent story is less often set aside for repeated tasks needed to unlock the next important mission. Options to skip certain drives or rides also let the player maintain the narrative’s pace.
The tradeoff is that attractive scenery does not always mean extensive interaction. Sicily can invite a longer stay than the mission allows. Players wanting a broad sandbox should understand that limitation, although it did not outweigh the benefit of a focused campaign in this playthrough.
Enjoyable action without a major reinvention
Combat feels close to Mafia: Definitive Edition. Shooting from cover, moving for a better angle and approaching enemies quietly alternate throughout the campaign. Rifles and revolvers suit the period and help encounters feel different from fights built around automatic weapons.
OtaHub finds the gunplay enjoyable enough to connect the missions. It is approachable and does not get in the story’s way. However, it lacks the deeper possibilities that would make combat alone a strong reason to return. Familiarity is more evident than a substantial mechanical advance.
Stealth receives more attention but remains straightforward. It changes the pace before violence erupts rather than offering a complex system for trying many solutions. The game is effective at guiding a player through staged situations, with fewer rewards for someone seeking extensive experimentation.
Horse riding and driving are pleasant parts of the journey. Country roads suit the scenery, and the early cars are fast enough to make driving entertaining. Their speed felt surprising for the period, but the resulting handling remained enjoyable.
Warm light and carefully detailed streets
The visuals made a strong impression. Warm lighting, detailed buildings and attractive countryside give Sicily a convincing presence. Walking through a small street can be rewarding because of the walls, the sunlight and the people moving in the background.
Details such as cracks in buildings suggest places with a history before Enzo arrives. OtaHub appreciates the care given to locations that might only be passed through briefly. It gives the whole journey a consistent sense of place.
Faces and animation support a story that depends on conversations. Their presentation is convincing enough to keep attention on the relationships. Image quality does depend on the chosen mode, however. Performance mode’s softer appearance on PS5 Pro is a noticeable compromise in a game with so much detail to appreciate.
Performances give the family its presence
Audio also impressed OtaHub. In a campaign with frequent meetings and conversations, delivery directly affects whether the player believes in a character. The cast communicates differences in power without every relationship needing an explicit explanation.
Don Torrisi is the clearest example. His presence comes from the performance as well as his position in the story. Enzo’s companions bring warmer moments, making it understandable why the family would offer an appealing place to belong.
Music and the overall sound work with the scenery to sustain the atmosphere. They form a substantial part of the campaign’s appeal. The positive assessment concerns the listening experience as a whole, supported by the strong performances throughout the story.
PS5 Pro involves a visible tradeoff
In the PS5 Pro playthrough used for this review, Performance mode offered smoother motion but looked softer than expected. That compromise was particularly apparent because the environments contained so much worthwhile detail. The writer chose Quality mode with V-Sync disabled for most of the campaign.
The recorded observation was roughly 45–60 frames per second depending on the scene with that setup. It describes the version played rather than a guarantee for every situation or a fresh test of the current build. The image-quality difference was enough to justify accepting variable smoothness.
Traversal hitches and occasional late-appearing objects were still noticeable, particularly during some drives and races. They did not spoil the campaign but kept the technical experience below the standard of the visual presentation. The assessment reflects these actual compromises rather than a developer’s announced performance target.
A focused campaign can be worthwhile
The completed campaign took around twelve hours. OtaHub found that sufficient for Enzo, Isabella and the family to have a complete journey. Ending when the story reaches its destination is welcome when the action does not need to be stretched through repeated activities.
The value lies in wanting to follow the characters through the conclusion. Someone looking for many dozens of hours and extensive side activities has a different requirement. A player wanting a well-staged story that can be finished within a manageable period has a strong reason to consider it.
This assessment covers the original campaign. Man of Honor and later additions are not included in the completed playthrough. Check the contents and price of the edition at your chosen store. The more comprehensive package is not necessary simply to begin the story evaluated here.
Mafia finds its strength in people and their story
Mafia: The Old Country exceeded OtaHub’s expectations through engaging characters, a convincing romance and a beautifully realized Sicily. Visuals and sound give both conversations and travel a strong atmosphere. The campaign takes time to build relationships before putting them under greater pressure.
Familiar combat and PS5 Pro performance compromises remain reservations, but they do not erase the campaign’s appeal. Players coming to Mafia for its storytelling have a worthwhile journey ahead with Enzo.
OtaHub score
OtaHub recommendation: Worth buying.
Review scope: the original campaign completed on PS5 Pro. Performance observations refer to that playthrough, not a retest of the current build. Man of Honor and later additions are not assessed. Images: 2K / Hangar 13.
Release and content information checked against Steam and 2K (17/10/2026).
