Mafia: The Old Country is almost finally here, as the long-awaited prequel to the beloved franchise is set to launch on August 8. Ahead of the game's release, Mafia: The Old Country has teased a story filled with crime and loyalty set before the breathtaking backdrop of early 1900s Sicily.
With only a few days away from launch, longtime fans of the Mafia series are being given an intriguing origin tale that follows protagonist Enzo as he works his way from laboring in the mines to becoming part of Sicily's Torrisi crime family. Mafia: The Old Country looks like a promising dive into historical fiction, but the game's opening weekend risks being overshadowed by an unexpected competitor: the Battlefield 6 open beta.
Every Mafia: The Old Country Character Revealed So Far
The more linear gameplay of Mafia: The Old Country will be defined by its narrative, with a core cast of unique characters already being confirmed.
Battlefield 6's Upcoming Open Beta Could Throw a Wrench in Mafia: The Old Country's Launch Plans
When is Battlefield 6's Open Beta?
- Early Access: August 7-8
- Weekend 1: August 9-10
- Weekend 2: August 14-17
After the first trailer hit the internet at the end of July, the hype for Battlefield 6 has hit a fever pitch, especially now that the open beta times have been confirmed. Battlefield 6's open beta is bound to draw in an impressive number of participants, and with such excitement surrounding the game, Mafia: The Old Country may meet the unfortunate fate of getting overshadowed.
Battlefield 6 has been a long time coming. The last game in the franchise, Battlefield 2042, was released back in 2021 to heavily mixed reviews. So, not only is Battlefield 6 thrilling, but it gives the franchise the chance to bounce back from an ill-fated title.
Granted, Mafia and Battlefield are two incredibly different franchises, but they both still fall under the action umbrella. The overlap in players may not be huge, but there are still bound to be gamers who were eyeing Mafia: The Old Country and have now been swayed toward the Battlefield 6 open beta instead. There is still plenty of excitement about Mafia: The Old Country, but Battlefield 6 and its overall franchise have the benefit of boasting a far larger audience in comparison.
Of course, there's no way to know until the weekend hits whether Battlefield 6's open beta affects Mafia: The Old Country's sales numbers or not, but it's definitely not outside the realm of possibility. Only time will tell, but it's likely that Battlefield 6 will prove to be a juggernaut that the anticipated Mafia prequel struggles to get ahead of.
Mafia: The Old Country is priced at $49.99 USD for the standard version and $59.99 USD for the Deluxe Edition.
Mafia: The Old Country has teased a story filled with crime and loyalty set before the breathtaking backdrop of early 1900s Sicily.
Mafia: The Old Country Still Has One Major Benefit
For those who have been craving a rich and compelling story, Mafia: The Old Country may be the perfect game to check out over the weekend. Battlefield 6's open beta is likely to be more focused on overall gameplay and performance. While that's intriguing in its own right, Mafia: The Old Country has the upper hand on being a launch-ready product that promises a deeper narrative.
Ultimately, whether one chooses Mafia: The Old Country or Battlefield 6's open beta over the weekend will be left up to preference, but it definitely seems possible that the latter will shake up the former's launch numbers. This remains to be seen, but with a game as anticipated as Battlefield 6, it will be fascinating to see just how much more hype this beta period will ignite. There's a good chance that Battlefield 6 could overshadow a lot of games leading up to its launch, but titles like Mafia: The Old Country hopefully still get plenty of time in the spotlight.
Mafia: The Old Country
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 74 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
