Mafia: The Old Country Open World Is About to Feel More Like Grand Theft Auto’s

The forthcoming Man of Honor expansion for Mafia: The Old Country aims to inject much-needed vitality into the title’s previously sparse open world. This update elevates the narrative-driven adventure’s Free Ride mode, aligning its sandbox experience more closely with modern genre benchmarks like Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2.

Although the game’s depiction of Sicily served as a stunning canvas for the linear campaign, the initial Explore mode felt hollow due to a scarcity of engaging activities. Developer Hangar 13 began addressing these shortcomings with last November’s Free Ride patch, and they are expanding those foundations exponentially with the Man of Honor DLC.

In a recent gameplay walkthrough, design director Josh Zammit explained how the returning fan-favorite character Salieri drives the expansion’s narrative while simultaneously acting as the anchor for the new open-world activities. Most notably, players can undertake bespoke contracts directly from Salieri, unlocking side missions that delve deeper into the Sicilian underworld.

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Beyond Salieri’s assignments, the revamped Free Ride mode scatters various timed trials, circuit races, assassinations, standoffs, and road sprints across the Mediterranean island. For players preferring a more independent path, the open world also accommodates outlaw hunting and adrenaline-pumping stunt jumps. Conquering these feats yields Dinari currency, which can subsequently be spent on an assortment of fresh armaments, cosmetic accessories, vehicles, and custom outfits for protagonist Enzo.

While the franchise has historically thrived on compelling storytelling rather than sandbox exploration, the systematic enhancements Hangar 13 has introduced over the past year are genuinely impressive. Granted, it may not reach the colossal scale of upcoming heavyweights like Grand Theft Auto VI, but these substantial updates make Mafia: The Old Country an effortless recommendation for gamers seeking a stellar crime drama to pass the time.

Mafia: The Old Country – Man of Honor is scheduled to debut on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X on August 14.

Man of Honor includes two new story chapters and new Free Ride content

 

Source: Polygon