Mafia: The Old Country may be an offer you can probably refuse, but it does have a lush-looking open world – “clearly designed with care and a sharp eye for capturing the beauty of a fairytale landscape that alternates between serene and rugged,” as Mark “Ice Pick” Warren wrote in our review.
The game’s focus on shootybangs and stabfights does the backdrop a disservice, as does its rather barren and easy-to-miss Exploration mode, which I hear is basically a chance to snaffle up some collectibles. Devs Hangar 13 and their godfathers at 2K Games aim to fix all that with a forthcoming Free Ride mode, which will “add some new activities and gameplay, arriving free for all players in the coming months,” according to a developer update.
Hangar 13’s previous Mafia: Definitive Edition also had a Free Ride mode, which let you roam Lost Heaven taking on new missions and races and even tussling with alien invaders. I would assume The Old Country’s version will be similar in both content and direction. Can’t wait to see what flying saucers look like in 1900s Sicily.
I’m always happy when blockbuster devs add modes that encourage you to revisit and savour the texture of the world. Projects such as Mafia: The Old Country typically pour tens of millions into the creation of art assets that are doomed to be appreciated for around five seconds while players zip fecklessly from cover to cover.
I guess that mingled decadence and disposability is part of the triple-A thrill, like burning 100 dollar bills to light a cigar. Have you ever done that? I once set a five pound note on fire for a dare, but I extinguished it immediately and, I think, bought a coffee with it. This is why I will never run 2K Games.
Again, there’s no hard launch date yet for Free Ride in Mafia: The Old Country. In the shorter term, Mark has dug up a first-person driving mod, which allows you to savour the period detail at the modest expense of occasionally seeing your own eyeballs floating in front of your face.
