"Mafia: The Old Country" is One of 2025's Most Cinematic Games | Video Games | Roger Ebert
Briefly

Mafia: The Old Country is a narrative-driven video game that tells the story of Enzo Favara's rise from sulfur mines to organized crime. The game pays homage to classic films like The Godfather, Part II and Once Upon a Time in America. Unlike many contemporary open-world titles, it features a contained narrative that prioritizes storytelling over repetitive gameplay mechanics. The game's lean structure contrasts with the trend of unnecessarily extended narratives, finding focus in character development and plot progression.
Mafia: The Old Country pays homage to genre classics like The Godfather, Part II and Once Upon a Time in America, telling the story of a man's rise in organized crime.
The game is a throwback to contained narratives, lacking the repetition of modern open-world games and favoring a refreshing, lean storytelling approach.
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