Mafia: The Old Country PC review — 1900s Sicily in a short story campaign: is it worth renting for a month
November 1, 2026 · 7 min read
What Mafia: The Old Country is, how critics and Steam players rated it, how many hours it takes, whether it has Ukrainian and Denuvo, whether you need the earlier games — and whether a month's rental is enough.
Mafia: The Old Country is a third-person story-driven action game from Hangar 13, published by 2K. It came out on August 8, 2025 (Steam lists the 7th because of time zones) on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. It's a prequel to the whole series, set in Sicily in the early 20th century, long before the first Mafia.
Below is a spoiler-free review: what the game is, what it gets praised and criticized for, how long it lasts, and whether renting it for a month makes sense.
Account rental · SteamMafia: The Old Countryfrom 70 грнRentWhat kind of game is it
You play as Enzo Favara, a young man who starts out doing brutal work in a sulfur mine and ends up in the fictional Torrisi crime family. The story takes place roughly between 1904 and 1907 around the fictional town of San Celeste.
This isn't a GTA-style sandbox but a linear story split into chapters. Some of them let you leave the route and explore the countryside, but the core is staged missions: shootouts, stealth, chases on horseback and in early cars, plus knife duels. The game runs on Unreal Engine 5.
Scores and reviews
| Source | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 73 out of 100 ("Mixed or average") |
| OpenCritic | 74, recommended by about 67% of critics |
| Steam (PC) | about 71% positive English reviews out of nearly 10,000 ("Mostly Positive") |
| IGN | 8/10 |
| VGC | 4/5 |
| Eurogamer | 3/5 |
| GameSpot | 6/10 |
| Game Informer | 6/10 |
| Game Rant | 5/10 |
| PC Gamer | 45/100 |
The spread is wide: from 8/10 at IGN to 45/100 at PC Gamer. Steam players rate it a bit more kindly than the harshest critics, but it doesn't reach hit territory.
What it's praised for
- Atmosphere and Sicily. Reviewers almost unanimously highlight the setting: villages, vineyards, stone towns, lighting.
- Presentation and acting. Game Rant praises the graphics, facial animation and voice work; Eurogamer points to the subtle performances.
- Short but beautiful. That's how VGC sums up the story, adding that the shooting feels good.
What it's criticized for
- Dated gameplay. GameSpot mentions stealth sections where one mistake means failure, and awkward checkpoints. Game Rant calls the stealth "on rails" and the gunplay repetitive.
- Empty world. The open areas look great, but there's little to do in them — several outlets complain about this.
- Predictable story. Some critics see it as a collection of familiar mafia clichés. PC Gamer gave it 45/100 and called it the weakest entry in the series.
Do you need the earlier games
No. It's a prequel that tells its own story; links to the rest of the series are limited to references to certain characters. If you enjoy it, the catalog also has the other entries: Mafia: Definitive Edition, Mafia II and Mafia III.
How long it takes and whether a month is enough
This is one of the shortest big releases in recent years. We couldn't check HowLongToBeat, so we rely on other sources: according to Hangar 13 (as reported by GameGPU), the main story takes about 10.5 hours, up to 13 with side content. PCGamesN puts it at 13.5 hours, and Insider Gaming estimates 100% at around 25 hours.
| How you play | Hours |
|---|---|
| Story only | 10–14 |
| 100% and all achievements | about 25 |
What's been added since launch
According to Wikipedia, a free Free Ride update arrived in November 2025 — a free-roam mode with optional missions and races outside the story. According to MP1st, the paid Man of Honor expansion followed in August 2026 — two story chapters set between chapters 5 and 6 — along with support for newer versions of DLSS, FSR and XeSS. Check the game card to see whether the expansion is included in the rented account.
Languages, protection and online
- Ukrainian is supported for the interface and subtitles. There's no Ukrainian voice-over — full audio is available only in English, French, German, Spanish, Czech and Russian. Text is also available in Italian, Polish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and more.
- Denuvo is present, with a limit of 5 activations on different PCs per 24 hours. Do the first launch online, then switch to Steam's offline mode (see how it works). According to Icy Veins, after the first launch the game works offline until your hardware changes or an update touches key files.
- A 2K account isn't listed as required on the Steam page; 2K offers sign-in for bonus in-game rewards.
- The game is fully single-player — there's no multiplayer, so you lose nothing in an offline rental.
PC requirements
| Minimum (1080p, Medium) | Recommended (1440p, High) | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-9700K / AMD Ryzen 7 2700X | Intel Core i7-12700K / AMD Ryzen 7 5800X |
| GPU | RTX 2070 / RX 5700 XT | RTX 3080 Ti / RX 6950 XT |
| RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| Storage | 55 GB, SSD | 55 GB, SSD |
OS: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), SSD required. The Unreal Engine 5 requirements are noticeable: even the minimum is RTX 2070 level. The game is officially unsupported on Steam Deck due to performance.
Who it's for and who should skip it
It's for you if you love story-driven mafia games, Godfather-style drama and atmosphere rather than an endless open world — and if you want to finish something big without spending a month of your life on it.
Skip it if you expect GTA or Mafia III-style freedom: the world here is more of a backdrop. It's also not the best pick if strict instant-fail stealth frustrates you.
Verdict: is it worth renting for a month
Yes — it's almost an ideal rental. Paying full price for 12–14 hours of story is a lot, while a month gives you more than enough time to finish it. Just make sure your PC meets the requirements, and remember the first online launch because of Denuvo.
Sources
- Steam store page — description, languages, requirements, reviews, DRM
- Steam API: game data
- Steam Deck compatibility report
- Metacritic
- OpenCritic — average score and reviews
- Wikipedia: Mafia: The Old Country — story, reception, updates
- IGN review
- GameSpot review
- Game Rant review
- PC Gamer review
- VGC review
- GameGPU: length according to the developers
- PCGamesN: how long to beat
- Insider Gaming: game length
- MP1st: update 1.010 and Man of Honor
- Icy Veins: Denuvo and offline play
- 2K: game news
- ITC.ua: Ukrainian localization announcement
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