How Mafia: The Old Country takes us back to the roots of organized crime

With the new trailer for Mafia: The Old Country which premiered during the Game Awards 2024, we got a first look at the protagonist of this 20th century crime drama: Enzo Favara, an orphaned worker who gets the rare opportunity to join the Torrisi crime family. By pledging loyalty to Don Torrisi, Enzo begins his descent into the brutal underworld of 20th-century Sicily, where he must prove his worth through raw courage and determination.

Mafia: The Old Country is coming to the Xbox Series X|S in summer 2025 and is Now available on Wishlist in Microsoft Store. To share more about this new story in the acclaimed Mafia series, game director Alex Cox explains what players can expect from this third-person action-adventure set amidst the origins of organized crime.

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Which led the Hangar 13 team to decide that 20th century Sicily was the best time and place to take the next title mafia Franchise?

Match director Alex Cox: Everyone mafia The title aims to immerse players in an iconic period of organized crime history. Mafia: The Old Country is no different, even if we have changed continents and turned back the clock! Since the first three games explored different eras of the American Mafia, we liked the idea of ​​traveling to Sicily and exploring the early years of this fearsome criminal organization. The setting seemed like a great opportunity to mix things up while perfectly complementing the franchise's cinematic vision.

Development Mafia: The Old Country was a refreshing change for the studio, with the harsh Sicilian landscape providing a stark contrast to the bustling cities of our previous games. Building this story was a great experience for everyone at Hangar 13: first learning about Sicilian history and the origins of the Mafia, then turning it into a thrilling crime adventure. In particular, the setting has allowed us to introduce some fun new features, such as horses, knife duels and vintage vehicles from the early days of the automobile (including hand-cranked engines, of course!).

How did the Hangar 13 team attempt to recreate such an unusual and previously unexplored place and time with 20th century Sicily?

Cox: We wouldn't have made this game if we weren't able to do the setting justice. So the first thing we did was visit Sicily ourselves to take in the sights and sounds and get a first-hand feel for the island and its culture. We worked closely with Stormmind Games, a Sicilian development studio, who gave us valuable advice during our visits and throughout our research.

We also consulted with experts in Sicilian history who helped us give the game all the historical detail players expect mafia Title. From the right choice of stonework to selecting the perfect folk music to selecting the juiciest Sicilian obscenities, we have done everything to ensure that every moment of the experience conveys a unique feel for the place.

What unique challenges did you encounter while hiring? Mafia: The Old Country in 20th century Sicily? Was it difficult to ensure that authentic historical weapons and vehicles were still exciting for players accustomed to more modern alternatives?

Cox: Our approach to 20th Century Weapons was to make combat more tactical and deliberate than in previous Mafia titles. Shootings in progress Mafia: The Old Country it's rarely about raw firepower; Players must make the best use of the resources available to them. To deliver a hefty dose of historical flair, we looked closely at the “tools of the trade” of a Sicilian mafioso, from Lupara shotguns to stiletto blades. These older, more traditional weapons are really tough.

As for transportation, every game in the Mafia series has authentically recreated the vehicles of its time – but we've never seen the player on a horse before! Galloping through the Sicilian countryside feels incredibly liberating and unlike anything we have done before.

Meanwhile, the cars presented a fun challenge for the team. Capturing the feeling of vehicles from the early days of motoring, you don't have to reach highway speeds on the dirt roads of Sicily, but there's still a thrill in getting behind the wheel of a getaway car , while rival gangs give chase.

What was the most exciting thing about going back this far in the Mafia timeline?

Cox: Exploring the roots of the Mafia was really fascinating, especially because this setting and time period is pretty unique in video games. Iconic crime films and TV shows have given us a glimpse into the early days of Cosa Nostra, but this is our chance to bring play to the criminal underworld of 20th century Sicily, which is incredibly exciting.

Because this story takes place before the events of the others mafia With the games, we managed to create a new entry point into the franchise narrative while continuing to tie in with characters and events from the later timeline. It is absolutely not necessary to have played the other one mafia Play to appreciate this story as the main cast is entirely new – but fans of the series will love it Mafia: The Old Country connects with the rest.

Considering it will have been about five years since its release Mafia: Definitive EditionHow did the team continue the series' tradition of immersive cinematic storytelling?

Cox: Our cinematic storytelling is only possible thanks to our incredible Hollywood-level cast. Everyone mafia The game is blessed with acting talent of the highest quality, but I honestly feel Mafia: The Old Country shows our strongest performances to date. Like its predecessor mafia For the tracks, we used state-of-the-art motion capture technology to convey every nuance and emotion our cast brings to the stage.

We also switched to Unreal Engine 5 for development Mafia: The Old Countrywhich has enabled an even higher level of visual fidelity than before mafia Title. Our environments and characters are more lifelike and believable than ever before. We do everything we can to make our story completely immersive, be it by seamlessly transitioning into the cinematics or by allowing the player to explore extremely detailed narrative scenes throughout the game.

How did the team make this happen? Mafia: The Old Countrys interpretation of Sicily not only continued, but contributed to the legacy of her previous interpretations of famous places such as New York, Chicago and New Orleans?

Cox: What made our depictions of “Lost Heaven,” “Empire Bay,” and “New Bordeaux” so successful was the studio's commitment to authenticity and attention to detail, allowing players to truly inhabit these locations and into past Immerse yourself in eras. Likewise, it is the team's top priority during development Mafia: The Old Country The aim was to make Sicily herself feel like a central figure in the story. This time, by working with Unreal Engine 5, we managed to make Sicily even more visually impressive than the places we built before.

What other types of unique challenges could players expect? Mafia: The Old Country? Are there any other elements that are unique? The old country that the players have not yet encountered mafia Title?

Cox: Exploring a beautifully realized interpretation of 20th century Sicily – from citrus orchards and vineyards to the stunning hill town of San Celeste and the rolling countryside in between – was at the core of our vision Mafia: The Old Country since day one. It's hard to overstate the impact our new setting had on the experience, even though everything is still rooted in this classic mafia Gameplay

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Mafia: The Old Country will be released in summer 2025 for Xbox Series X|S and is now available to wishlist in the Microsoft Store.