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Mafia: The Old Country Hands-On Preview: What It’s Like to Play

A look at what a three-hour pre-release session revealed about Mafia: The Old Country’s story-led campaign, combat and stealth systems.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Mafia: The Old Country is a linear, story-led action-adventure about Enzo Favara’s rise into a crime family in early-1900s Sicily. A July 2025 hands-on preview sampled three campaign chapters and found familiar but functional shooting and stealth, alongside knife combat, horse riding and early motorcars. The game has since released, so the preview is best read as an account of a short pre-release session—not a review of the finished campaign.

What the hands-on preview covered

Ryan McCaffrey’s IGN First preview, published July 14, 2025 and syndicated by Yahoo, was based on roughly three hours with Chapters 3, 4 and 5, played on a high-end PC. It captures selected campaign sequences and one journalist’s impressions of a pre-release build; it does not establish how every system works across the full game.

The game subsequently launched on August 7, 2025. Steam lists Hangar 13 as developer and 2K as publisher, and describes the released game as a single-player, third-person action-adventure set in 1900s Sicily. Steam’s current listing is the reference for its release and PC product details.

What is Mafia: The Old Country like to play?

The preview presents a focused campaign rather than a sprawling open-world checklist. Enzo Favara’s story moves from forced labor and vineyard work toward involvement with the Torrisi crime family. In the chapters McCaffrey played, that progression included collecting, conflict with bandits, a kidnapping, stealth sequences, gunfights and a knife duel.

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#1 Best Overall
Mafia: The Old Country - PlayStation 5
  • UNCOVER A MERCILESS WORLD OF ORGANIZED CRIME: The rough-hewn beauty of Sicily's rugged countryside is a stark contrast to the grime of urban alleyways—but the treachery and violence of this gangland run just as deep. Rival families and their ruthless leaders wage unending turf wars in the shadows, hidden from the public eye. Trust is a fleeting rarity, and loyalties are worth killing for.
  • PLAY A CLASSIC MOB MOVIE: You're the antihero of this thrilling 1900s story, living out every tense moment of Enzo's descent into Sicily’s clandestine criminal underworld. Come face-to-face with a cast of unpredictable allies and cutthroat enemies in this classic crime drama, rich in period-authentic details that will immerse you in this treacherous Mediterranean setting.
  • FIGHT TO SURVIVE: Engage in life-or-death combat, be it up close with a blade or from afar with a variety of firearms. Ambush enemies for vicious stealth takedowns, or slice them up in close-quarters duels. If you prefer firearms, wield period-authentic handguns, rifles, and shotguns to overcome any odds and doggedly eliminate the Don's enemies.
  • TRAVEL IN AUTHENTIC STYLE: Traverse a wide range of Sicilian environments, from underground crypts and crumbling ruins to bountiful vineyards and ornate opera houses. To reach your next target or make a hurried getaway, you'll need to gallop on horseback across cobbled streets and open fields, or speed down dirt roads in authentic turn-of-the-century automobiles.

The variety comes from switching between approaches and settings, not from a claim that the game reinvents any one genre. The preview’s action included cover shooting, stealth, knife takedowns, chokeouts and hiding bodies, as well as riding horses and driving automobiles. Early motorcars and the Sicilian setting give travel and encounters a period-specific frame, while the chapter-based structure keeps the experience centered on the story.

How combat and stealth work in the preview

Firearms and cover

McCaffrey described the shooting as familiar but effective. The preview shows third-person cover shooting in a campaign that also uses direct confrontations; it does not provide a comprehensive assessment of weapon balance or how combat evolves throughout the game.

Rank #2
Mafia: The Old Country | Standard Edition | XBOX Series X|S Digital
  • UNCOVER A MERCILESS WORLD OF ORGANIZED CRIME: The rough-hewn beauty of Sicily's rugged countryside is a stark contrast to the grime of urban alleyways—but the treachery and violence of this gangland run just as deep. Rival families and their ruthless leaders wage unending turf wars in the shadows, hidden from the public eye. Trust is a fleeting rarity, and loyalties are worth killing for.
  • PLAY A CLASSIC MOB MOVIE: You're the antihero of this thrilling 1900s story, living out every tense moment of Enzo's descent into Sicily’s clandestine criminal underworld. Come face-to-face with a cast of unpredictable allies and cutthroat enemies in this classic crime drama, rich in period-authentic details that will immerse you in this treacherous Mediterranean setting.
  • FIGHT TO SURVIVE: Engage in life-or-death combat, be it up close with a blade or from afar with a variety of firearms. Ambush enemies for vicious stealth takedowns, or slice them up in close-quarters duels. If you prefer firearms, wield period-authentic handguns, rifles, and shotguns to overcome any odds and doggedly eliminate the Don's enemies.
  • TRAVEL IN AUTHENTIC STYLE: Traverse a wide range of Sicilian environments, from underground crypts and crumbling ruins to bountiful vineyards and ornate opera houses. To reach your next target or make a hurried getaway, you'll need to gallop on horseback across cobbled streets and open fields, or speed down dirt roads in authentic turn-of-the-century automobiles.

Stealth and distractions

Stealth lets Enzo use distractions, including coins or other objects, to draw attention, then approach enemies for takedowns or chokeouts. The preview writer considered these systems competent without finding them novel. He also reported hiding bodies, but the short session cannot establish the depth or consistency of stealth across all missions.

Knives and close-range encounters

Knives serve both stealth and direct combat. The preview includes knife takedowns and a duel, and reports an upgradeable knife. That makes close-range encounters a distinct part of the demonstrated play rather than a replacement for firearms.

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Rank #3
Mafia: The Old Country - P5 - UK
  • UK PSN account may be required for any online features

Upgrades, difficulty and the preview writer’s experience

The preview reports rosary-bead slots that affect gameplay, including an upgrade that quiets Enzo’s footsteps, as well as several difficulty levels. McCaffrey said he died a couple of times on Normal during his session. These details describe what he encountered in the preview build, not an independent difficulty test or a guarantee of how challenging the whole campaign is.

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What the preview can—and cannot—tell you

  • It can show the campaign’s direction: the sampled chapters support a linear, narrative-led structure focused on Enzo’s entry into the Torrisi family.
  • It can show the systems demonstrated: cover shooting, stealth and distractions, knife combat, horses and automobiles all appeared in the session.
  • It cannot stand in for a full review: three hours across Chapters 3–5 do not establish campaign length, full-game balance, final performance or long-term value.
  • PC specifications are platform-specific: Steam’s minimum and recommended requirements apply to the PC listing, not console versions.

For current availability, PC requirements and product details, consult the Steam store page. Store prices, review totals and bundle contents can change.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 3
Mafia: The Old Country - P5 - UK
Mafia: The Old Country - P5 - UK
UK PSN account may be required for any online features
$44.99
Rank #4
Mafia: The Old Country Standard Edition XBX
  • Uncover the origins of organized crime in Mafia: The Old Country, a gritty mob story set in the brutal underworld of 1900s Sicily. Fight to survive as Enzo Favara and prove your worth to the Cosa Nostra in this immersive third-person action-adventure set during a dangerous, unforgiving era.
  • UNCOVER A MERCILESS WORLD OF ORGANIZED CRIME -The rough-hewn beauty of Sicily's rugged countryside is a stark contrast to the grime of urban alleyways—but the treachery and violence of this gangland run just as deep. Rival families and their ruthless leaders wage unending turf wars in the shadows, hidden from the public eye. Trust is a fleeting rarity, and loyalties are worth killing for.
  • PLAY A CLASSIC MOB MOVIE- You're the antihero of this thrilling 1900s story, living out every tense moment of Enzo's descent into Sicily’s clandestine criminal underworld. Come face-to-face with a cast of unpredictable allies and cutthroat enemies in this classic crime drama, rich in period-authentic details that will immerse you in this treacherous Mediterranean setting.
  • FIGHT TO SURVIVE- Engage in life-or-death combat, be it up close with a blade or from afar with a variety of firearms. Ambush enemies for vicious stealth takedowns, or slice them up in close-quarters duels. If you prefer firearms, wield period-authentic handguns, rifles, and shotguns to overcome any odds and doggedly eliminate the Don's enemies.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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