TheMafiafranchise has taken players to numerous different time periods across its three distinct titles. The original game took place during the 1930s,Mafia 2moved events to the 1940s and early 50s, andMafia 3took place in 1968.Mafia: The Old Countrytakes the action right back to the turn of the 20th Century in Sicily, a region steeped in history. Hours of research and investigation were spent ensuring a historically accurate depiction of Sicily was used for the game.
Game Rant recently sat down with the title’s game director Alex Cox and art director Steven Noake to discuss how they broughtMafia: The Old Country’s 1900s Sicilyto life. They explained the reasons behind taking the franchise back to this time period. They also detailed the various methods they used for research into the region’s history.
Mafia: The Old Country Depicts What Life Was Like in 1900s Sicily
Mafia: The Old Country’s protagonist is Enzo Favara, and the game tells his story as he rises from poverty to become a member of the Torrisi crime family. His story is full of the traditional twists and turns that players would expect from aMafiagame, but this time it takes place during a very different era.
It was a time when poverty was rife, knife fights were plentiful, and automatic weapons weren’t readily available. Cox explained that the decision to move theMafiafranchiseto its earliest period yet was made to cover a part of the mafia’s history that doesn’t receive much mainstream attention. He said,
‘‘From the game experience perspective, there was an opportunity for us to go right back to the beginning. It’s the birth of the mafia. The first three Mafia games were all about the Italian-American mafia. We’re very familiar with the setting there, and we’ve seen loads of cool movies about it. That’s the fantasy. But preceding that, right before all of those stories started, where do we begin? We begin in that kind of sun-dredged Sicilian setting that we see in The Godfather movies. That’s one of the few mainstream examples that really touches on the Sicilian mafia.’’
The Research Process For Mafia: The Old Country Explained
Ensuring the game was as historically accurate as possible was high up on the developers' priority list, which meant that research for the setting and time period had to be extensive. Cox explained that one of the main sources for research was John Dickie’s book,Cosa Nostra, which academics agree is a great reference point forlife in the Sicilian mafiaduring that period. ‘‘This is the kind of globally recognized, definitive work on the Sicilian mafia. It’s really excellent. When we went to speak to other academics, they would refer back to this book,’’ Cox explained, ‘‘Anywhere on the internet that I was researching would inevitably lead back to this book.’’ Noake outlined more of the research process. He said,
‘‘To begin with, it was going on the internet looking at pictures of Sicily. I think we’re super lucky that there were people at the time going around in the early stages of photography, photographing these locations, and we could see the incredibly rich amount of storytelling in those scenes. There’s a real juxtaposition between these very poor people living in these beautiful locations. Extreme poverty in some cases, but then also this beautiful architecture, which today would look like very expensive stonework. That was the thing that really sparked my imagination. I started to think about the stories behind these photographs. We were also put in touch with academics, talking to them about some of the cultural things. It was really interesting.’’
This kind of extensive research clearly shows Hangar 13’s devotion to ensuringMafia: The Old Countrygives players an authentic look at life in Sicily at the turn of the 20th century. With the game also supposedly returning to a more linear, focused style ofstorytelling inMafia, which served the first two titles so well, fans will be hoping it’s shaping up to be a return to form for the beloved franchise.
Mafia: The Old Country
WHERE TO PLAY
Uncover the origins of organized crime inMafia: 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 Cosa Nostra in this immersive third-person action-adventure set during a dangerous, unforgiving era.This thrilling narrative is brought to life by stunning visuals, cinematic storytelling, and the authentic realism that the critically acclaimedMafiaseries is known for. Enzo’s story unfolds in a time when skill with a stiletto blade was a deadly asset, aluparasawed-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.Through grit and determination, Enzo has survived a childhood of indentured labor in Sicily’s hellish sulfur mines. Now, through a twist of fate, he has the opportunity to join Don Torrisi’s crime family, and will do whatever it takes to carve out a better life for himself.By swearing an oath, Enzo has committed himself to the Torrisi family’s code of honor, with all the power and hardship it entails. He must never forget this simple truth:Family Takes Sacrifice.
