The best game of Gamescom – and there is hardly any information

It was one of the big surprises of this year’s Gamescom-Opening show: Hangar 13 and publisher 2K have a real ace up their sleeve with Mafia: The Old Country. The new title could be the crowning glory of the entire video game series, as it sheds light on the origins of the mafia - and thus the basic theme of the series.

Gamescom 2024 has a secret star: Mafia: The Old Country. The announcement came out of nowhere and caused quite a stir, even though nothing is known about the video game. The only thing that is clear is that it goes back to the beginnings of the criminal organization. And the targeted release window of sometime in 2025 has also been set. The rest of Mafia: The Old Country is as mysterious as the underworld organization itself, which is the subject of the video game series.

This could be the great strength of the new part, because it is about the era of the Mafia, which is rarely explored in the necessary detail in films, books or games. The beginnings are much harder to grasp and are not so easy to turn into exciting stories, although there is a lot to tell.

One thing is clear: the Sicilian mafia has a long history that goes back to the first half of the 19th century. That is where the developers will set the story - it will probably be brutal as usual, because the history of the criminal organization cannot be told without violence. The early history has not been properly deciphered, because much of it happened in secret and remained secret. Until Tommaso Buscetta, the first "pentito" ever, cooperated with the police and told a version of the origins that was widespread within the mafia.

A historic opportunity for the series

The fact that the developers want to tell their version of the story as close to reality as possible is already clear from an image showing a shotgun in a box full of lemons. The actual origins of the Cosa Nostra are associated with lemon plantations; more recent findings, however, point to sulphur production in its pre-industrial phase. But it was always about power - and the means by which this power was to be enforced. As romanticised as the origin story is often told, it is brutal, bloody and full of suffering. The new part of the series, Mafia: The Old Country, could do away with the often communicated "good intentions" of the early criminals and take a real historical look at the 19th century. The large gaps and many legends offer the developers plenty of opportunities to spin storylines that reach into the ranks of politics.

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	Mafia Trilogy - [PlayStation 4] *	Currently no reviews	18,46 EUR

The brief announcement of Mafia: The Old Country alone has fans cheering with joy. "Hell yeah!" or "Can't wait!" are two of the short reactions from fans who can hardly wait for the release. Many fans hope that the developers will base the new part on the beginnings of the series or on the second part (Mafia 2) - the third part as a gameplay template is not an option for most fans. As great as the enthusiasm ultimately is, fans want to see real gameplay scenes. The teaser alone is great, but does not allow for enough conclusions about the actual game. Mafia fans will have to be patient here.

The Mafia franchise was launched in 2002 with the release of the groundbreaking game Mafia and has since sold more than 34 million copies across consoles and PC. Critics and fans praise the series for its rich narrative, outstanding performances, and impressive attention to detail in its period locations.

Overall, the coming year will be a big one for publisher 2K, and the anticipation is correspondingly high: "We are very excited to tell our fans that 2025 will be a massive year for 2K, delivering new installments to three of our most popular franchises - Sid Meier's Civilization, Borderlands and Mafia - in addition to our annual sports titles. Each game represents both an exciting evolution for fans of the franchise and a perfect starting point for new players," says 2K Core Games Senior Vice President and General Manager Catharina Lavers Mallet.

Mafia: The Old Country will be released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam. 2K and Hangar 13 plan to reveal further details in December 2024.

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