Is Mafia: The Old Country open-world?

As release day for the newest entry in the Mafia series of games rapidly approaches, there’s been a lot of talk about the setting and the system requirements, but is Mafia: The Old Country open-world?

Many people have a preconception that the Mafia franchise is simply a succession of old-timey versions of Grand Theft Auto. However, with the exception of Mafia III, these games were never really like that.

So, no, Mafia: The Old Country is not an open-world game. It’s a linear game focusing on the story instead, but not linear in the same vein as say, Call of Duty 4’s campaign. It’s not just a stream of individual missions accessed by menu and loosely connected with cutscenes.

Instead, this game is a little bit of a hybrid, with a limited amount of “free roaming” between the missions, which looks like it basically amounts to driving (or riding) from one mission to the next.

This is no bad thing, though. Truly open-world games like GTA V can struggle with their pacing. After all, how do you maintain a good rhythm when the player might suddenly decide to see if they can land their car perfectly on the back of a flatbed truck, or find the highest point in the map to jump off?

In fact, the developers flat out say this on the FAQ section of the official website, answering the question of whether Mafia: The Old Country will be open world by writing “No. Mafia: The Old Country is a linear, narrative-driven game.”

Well, not entirely. As we mentioned earlier, it’s not simply a succession of standalone missions, à la Call of Duty. Instead, it features a broad environment that serves more as a stopgap between missions, not as part of the core gameplay loop.

This could be a smart choice, as the third-person shooting, sneaking, and brawling pleasingly reminds us of the Uncharted franchise. These games kept a tight narrative while still offering plenty of freedom within each mission's environment, something that was especially true in Uncharted 4.

Given that the only Mafia game with a less-than-ideal reception was Mafia III, which was the only one with a bona fide (albeit empty) open-world, it’s no surprise they’ve decided to rein things in and drop that concept from Mafia: The Old Country.

That said, all hope for aimlessly roaming around in a car or on horseback isn't lost, as it looks like there will be a “Free Ride” mode. This first appeared in Mafia: Definitive Edition, the remake of the first game. This mode basically allowed you to freely roam the game's setting, so for those who want to take a break and explore the Sicilian countryside, the option is still there. It just won’t be part of the main story.