With Mafia: The Previous Nation inching ever nearer to its last launch, followers of Hangar 13’s tackle organized crime are certain to be excited to return to the origins of the Mafia in an journey that takes the franchise to Sicily with a brand new protagonist at its helm.
Enzo Favara’s time with the Torrisi crime household is certain to pack fairly a couple of punches, given The Previous Nation’s revamped strategy to world-building and stage design that Hangar 13 delivered to the desk in Mafia III. With Unreal Engine 5 working beneath the hood to liven up a lush and actually gorgeous countryside, the studio’s subsequent addition to its long-standing franchise is all set to show heads, simply because it has been doing since its look at Gamescom 2024 final yr.
However can it beat the success of 2016’s Mafia III, a recreation that took the franchise in a daring new route with a really intriguing story and likeable protagonist? That may very well be tough contemplating how Lincoln Clay’s rise to energy and quest for revenge performed out. Nonetheless, Hangar 13 has had 9 lengthy years to positive tune the brand new expertise it’s providing, and lots of of its choices for The Previous Nation may very nicely see the brand new recreation be the undisputed chief of the pack.
How can Mafia: The Previous Nation take over from its predecessor, a recreation that introduced so many cool however twists to the desk? We’re glad you requested!
A New Member of the Household
First off, predicting the success of The Previous Nation is a activity that’s higher served when the Mafia franchise’s illustrious historical past is taken into account as a complete. With a bit over 20 years and three mainline instalments, every with its personal strengths and weaknesses, Mafia video games have earned a popularity that’s maybe the precise reverse of the shadowy crime households they goal to convey to life.
Genuine takes on the eras they’re set in, coupled with explosive (typically actually) tales centered round organized crime, and a penchant for refined examinations of prevailing socio-political discourse of the time durations they had been set in made the Mafia video games stand out from the gang in ways in which mattered.
From Tommy’s harrowing story of betrayal and energy struggles to Vito’s time with the Falcone crime household, there was loads to love within the franchise’s first two entries. Every of them had loads to say about life within the Mafia, and had been milestones in Phantasm Softworks’ personal journey to ultimately turning into Hangar 13.
Though each Mafia and Mafia II every introduced one thing new to the desk, it was Mafia III’s story that took issues up a notch, taking the franchise to the shores of New Bordeaux for an journey that continues to drag its weight right this moment
The Worth of Ambition
Mafia and Mafia II performed issues comparatively protected in the best way their narratives had been structured. Each video games concerned a protagonist who begins out comparatively low on the Mafia meals chain earlier than making their method up the ladder whereas experiencing the highs of friendships constructed on honor and betrayals rooted in a battle for energy. Tommy and Vito’s tales are ones which might be centerpieces for a strong story based mostly on the Mafia, the place there’s a little bit of honor amongst thieves however not sufficient of it to make sure a good and stage taking part in subject.
Nonetheless, Mafia III waded right into a extra bold tackle organized crime in America than its predecessors. Lincoln Clay was not your typical run of the mill mafioso. As an alternative, his return from the Vietnam Conflict to a metropolis that was fairly firmly rooted in an influence battle between varied factions instantly opened up the potential for complicated energy struggles and political commentary, elements that Hangar 13 utilized with aplomb to inform a strong, riveting story.
You could possibly have a look at Lincoln as an outsider. Compelled to work with the Marcano household out of necessity, Mafia III will get the betrayal a part of its story out of the best way fairly shortly and Lincoln’s subsequent quest for revenge allowed Hangar 13 to craft a extra nuanced tackle the Mafia’s existence in America.
Putting him on the heart of an influence battle between varied factions, the studio’s intelligent use of the Mafia’s historical past and strategies of operation, and Vito’s and Leo’s return to the fold had been highlights of a story that introduced a brand new twist to the franchise’s formulation: the power to resolve Lincoln’s eventual destiny.
However Mafia III introduced much more to the desk than Lincoln’s wonderful story. It added an bold open-world to the grand journey, integrating it into the story in ways in which expanded the sport’s measurement and scope whereas offering a handy method for Lincoln to take the struggle to the Marcanos.
It was a intelligent strategy to keep the franchise’s narrative formulation of a person rising up the ranks of the Mafia. Nonetheless, Lincoln’s story noticed him on the opposing facet of the board, with him working to decimate the Marcanos’ presence in New Bordeaux by taking up varied actions within the metropolis to accrue the ability and affect he wanted to actual revenge for his or her betrayal.
On paper, this was an excellent transfer because it allowed Hangar 13 to combine its gameplay and narrative fairly nicely, taking the franchise in a daring new route. Nonetheless, the studio discovered itself restricted by repetitive missions and uninspired facet content material (first rate DLC chapters however), a flaw that plagued many different open-world titles on the time of Mafia III’s launch. We may start itemizing a number of different open worlds that suffered from repetition and bloat, however that would definitely take some time.
It was a fragile steadiness between a powerful story and an attractive world that Hangar 13 was unable to nail down. Nonetheless, that may very well be excellent news for Mafia: The Previous Nation.
Bridging the Previous and the Current
By taking the franchise again in time to discover the Mafia’s Sicilian roots, Hangar 13’s choice to put off its open-world gimmicks may imply that The Previous Nation does what the Mafia franchise does finest: inform sensible tales.
On the narrative entrance, diving into the previous of the Mafia and exploring how its distinctive strategy to felony exercise around the globe generally is a powerhouse. Enzo’s time with the Torrisi household may see him encounter honor, intrigue, betrayals, and several other different beliefs in a setting the place the Mafia weren’t as strongly established as they had been within the franchise’s different titles.
The studio’s concentrate on presenting a linear, story-driven narrative this time round may see The Previous Nation freed from repetitive mission designs and permit it to surpass its predecessor by merely bringing a extra centered expertise to the desk. Enzo’s escape from indentured labor is the proper strategy to clarify his motivations, making the character’s need to be part of one thing greater than himself a powerful motivator for his eventual rise to prominence inside the ranks of the Torrisi household.
Furthermore, it permits Hangar 13 a chance to riff on Lincoln’s story, contemplating that Enzo can be an outsider seeking to make his method into a lifetime of crime. Though Lincoln’s main motivation in taking up Marcano’s operations was revenge, Enzo’s story may see him really feel beholden to the household that gave him his life in a narrative that would carry plenty of emotional heft if Hangar 13 is as much as its regular methods.
Given the historical past of the franchise, Enzo’s path to prominence within the Mafia’s early days shouldn’t be going to be simple, and might be fairly the top turner for the franchise’s veterans in addition to newcomers. Hangar’s choice to make the most of the ability of Unreal Engine 5 is one other issue that would see The Previous Nation outdo Mafia III, bringing the potential for graphics and efficiency that far surpass something the franchise has managed earlier than.
From what we’ve seen of the upcoming title’s gameplay, Hangar 13 appears to be taking part in issues protected, retaining acquainted mechanics which might be certain to elicit a way of nostalgia for long-term followers whereas making certain that The Previous Nation stays an attractive expertise from begin to end, freed from the distractions that Mafia III drew flak for.
Enzo may very nicely be the one who ushers in a brand new period of greatness for the Mafia franchise, permitting a brand new technology of gamers to expertise why it continues to be amongst fashionable gaming’s greats whereas additionally giving the franchise’s followers new causes to fall in love with its wonderful narrative chops yet again.
We can not look ahead to Mafia: The Previous Nation to enthrall us with its tackle Sicily in the course of the titular group’s early days. Because it stands, the franchise’s newest entry is primed to surpass its predecessor by merely reining in its ambitions and taking part in to its many strengths. Maybe Mafia III crawled in order that The Previous Nation may fly.
Fortunately, we received’t have to attend too lengthy to search out out.
Be aware: The views expressed on this article are these of the writer and don’t essentially characterize the views of, and shouldn’t be attributed to, GamingBolt as a corporation.
