Mafia: The Old Country is now here, and it brings players a drama-filled story drenched in crime and beautiful scenery. While it may not be the most groundbreaking game to launch this year, its strengths make it worth the time. Mafia: The Old Country is an especially strong option for lovers of historical fiction, as the game's setting of early 1900s Sicily is a shining point.
With its historical setting and narrative-driven formula, many wouldn't expect Mafia: The Old Country to have something in common with an open-world sci-fi RPG like Starfield. For the most part, the games are vastly different from one another, but when it comes to loading times, the two share an unfortunate common ground.
Mafia: The Old Country and Starfield Both Struggle With Slow Loading Times
One of Starfield's Most Notorious Problems
Since Starfield launched back in 2023, Bethesda's ambitious space-faring adventure has failed to hit the highs that many were expecting. Criticisms of an empty world and lack of replay value continue to plague the game, and that's made even worse by its painfully slow loading times. Starfield is filled with loading screens, and for a game that is meant to be explored for hours, it quickly grows old. As soon as one gets into the game, a loading screen pops up, killing the momentum.
Bethesda originally planned for Starfield to get annual expansions, but after the mixed reception to its first DLC, Shattered Space, the developer has yet to reveal a second one.
Mafia: The Old Country's Loading Time is an Improvement, But Not By Much
Granted, Mafia: The Old Country's loading times don't take nearly as long as Starfield's do, but load points pop up incredibly often throughout the story, which can also end up throwing a wrench in the narrative's momentum. It's fascinating, because these loading screens are frustrating for two different reasons. On the one hand, Starfield's loading screens make its open world feel as though it's locked in a cage, and on the other hand, Mafia: The Old Country's loading times keep the story from feeling as smooth as it could.
It's a compelling example of how loading times affect two vastly different games in essentially the same manner. Despite the many ways games have progressed over the years, there are still instances where loading times can keep a good game from becoming a great game, and it's a shame. Mafia: The Old Country's story is its strongest point, and having to deal with slow loading when one's fully invested in the narrative makes for a frustrating time.
Although the two games share low loading times, they use different engines. Starfield uses Creation Engine 2, while Mafia: The Old Country uses Unreal Engine 5.
Despite its Slow Loading Times, Mafia: The Old Country is Still a Fun Time
Mafia: The Old Country isn't reshaping the landscape of gaming or anything, but it's a strong story with solid, albeit familiar, gameplay. After its modest launch, Mafia: The Old Country will hopefully gain traction over time, because it still has a lot going for it. It's been a long time since the last mainline Mafia game, and the franchise deserves to meet its full potential.
Mafia: The Old Country is an especially strong option for lovers of historical fiction, as the game's setting of early 1900s Sicily is a shining point.
For those who are in search of a solid story with great characters that doesn't overstay its welcome, Mafia: The Old Country is well worth the time. The game may suffer from some performance issues that feel dated at this point, but once one looks past the loading times, there is a fascinating world to dive into.
Mafia: The Old Country
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 74 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
WHERE TO PLAY
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 Family in this immersive third-person action-adventure set during a dangerous, unforgiving era.
Enzo will do anything for a better life. After a brutal childhood of forced labor, he's ready to risk everything to become a man of honor in the Torrisi crime family.
His oath to the Mafia, with all the power, temptation, and hardship it entails, is a burning reminder of this simple truth:
Family Takes Sacrifice.
This thrilling narrative is brought to life by stunning visuals, cinematic storytelling, and the authentic realism that the critically acclaimed Mafia series is known for. Enzo's story unfolds in a time when skill with a stiletto blade was a deadly asset, a lupara sawed-off shotgun was a go-to firearm, murderous vendettas raged for decades, and mafiosi patrolled their protection rackets on foot, horseback, or behind the wheel of turn-of-the-century motorcars.
