We just got a gameplay trailer and release date reveal for Mafia: The Old Country, and there are some pleasant surprises. Set in 1900s Sicily, the game will be a long-awaited return to the franchise, and in a surprising twist, it will not be open world at all. Hangar 13’s latest entry in the long-running franchise strips things back to basics.

With a promise of a tightly crafted, linear story, we can expect more than just the same old formula that most developers these days use. The best part about all this is the fact that the game will cost $50. Not only is that good in terms of being consumer-friendly, but 2025’s biggest hits so far have been $50 games. So this is surely a good sign.

Mafia: The Old Country isn’t an open-world game, and that’s why it’ll be good

Nick Baynes, President of Hangar 13, calls Mafia: The Old Country a “focused,...