Mafia: The Outdated Nation was in ‘managing expectations mode’ this week, asserting a less expensive than anticipated $49.99 value level, and confirming that it’s completely not an open-world sport, fairly a linear, narrative-driven sport.
The Hangar 13-developed gangster shooter confirmed off new gameplay within the trailer, under, and it’s spectacular certainly. However that is no GTA 6. Certainly, it’s no Mafia III. Tellingly, 2K President David Ismailer stated of Mafia: The Outdated Nation: “We expect there’s a big viewers for compelling tales that don’t require huge time commitments.” It felt like a PSA greater than a promo.
Primarily based on these feedback, Mafia: The Outdated Nation will probably be a comparatively quick affair. There is no such thing as a multiplayer mode, so the story is your complete package deal. How lengthy will or not it’s? Some are speculating something from 5 to fifteen hours.
Sure, there are some complaints within the response throughout the web, largely from those that have been hoping for a Mafia sport extra alongside the strains of a GTA than a, say, shorter Uncharted-style sport. However The Outdated Nation was by no means going to be that kind of sport.
In December, I interviewed Hangar 13 President Nick Baynes and sport director Alex Cox about all issues Mafia: The Outdated Nation, and the prospect of working up towards GTA 6, which was nonetheless due out fall 2025 on the time.
Within the interview, the pair dismissed comparisons to GTA 6, insisting Mafia: The Outdated Nation shouldn’t be thought-about an open-world sport in any respect.
Fairly, the pair defined, Mafia: The Outdated Nation is extra like Mafia 1 and a couple of than it’s the open-world Mafia 3. It’s a “linear, narrative-driven” sport, a “targeted package deal” that provides a “cinematic expertise.” You would possibly end up driving round an genuine illustration of 1900s Sicily in Mafia: The Outdated Nation, and even using round on horseback a bit like that different Rockstar sport, Purple Lifeless Redemption 2, however the similarities to Rockstar video games cease there.
So, whereas there are the maybe inevitable complaints concerning the scope of The Outdated Nation, I’ve seen positivity concerning the expertise on provide. Many are saying they’re extra concerned with a top quality, cheaper, shorter story-driven Mafia sport than a bloated open-world sport full of repetitive mechanics.
Certainly, there appears to be a rising name for extra of those cheaper, manageable video games, with Sandfall’s well-received Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which has offered a formidable 2 million copies regardless of being out there day-one on Sport Go, held up as a possible trend-setter.
This comes as sport costs have gotten dearer, with each Nintendo and Microsoft hitting $80. In a market when Mario Kart World prices $80, a $50 Mafia: The Outdated Nation appears to be like like a cut price.
“I believe setting the worth at $50 is the transfer,” stated IGN reader BabyGroot1 in response to the Mafia information. “Have a look at Clair Obscur gross sales.”
“Yea, I believe there may very well be loads of fence-sitters that see $70-80 and await a sport to be on sale round $30,” added Automating_The_Game. “However at $50 they’re like f*** it, getting it now.”
It’s the same sentiment throughout social media and reddit. “I hate placing issues on a quantity scale, but when that is a type of video games which might be like a very good 10-12 hour, 8/10 expertise I really feel like now we have to assist it as greatest as potential,” stated 99DGE of Mafia. “$50 when publishers are pushing for $80 is so fascinating that we have to reward and vote with our wallets if it’s price it (that’s after all, we are able to afford it given the financial local weather).”
“I used to be in all probability going to cross on this as I simply do not have it in me for many open world video games anymore, however listening to that it is linear, story targeted, and priced at $50? I am on board day one now,” stated ElJacko170.
“I might fairly have a brief Mafia sport for $50 than one with a needlessly empty open world with virtually nothing to do in them like all of the earlier Mafia video games,” stated everythingsc0mputer.
“If they don’t seem to be gonna add facet quests or facet actions so that you can do just like the earlier Mafia video games, then would possibly as nicely preserve it quick and linear.”
For all this positivity on-line, for writer 2K and developer Hangar 13 it will likely be gross sales of Mafia: The Outdated Nation that decide its and the franchise’s future. The sport could have a gross sales goal it must hit to ensure that the challenge to be declared profitable, and social media and discussion board posts don’t generate income. Exhausting gross sales do.
All eyes will probably be on Mafia: The Outdated Nation to see if the success of Clair Obscur actually is the beginning of one thing sustainable for the online game business.
Wesley is the UK Information Editor for IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You may attain Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].