As part of a French exclusivity for Gameblog, we had the opportunity to interview Nick Baynes, president of Hangar 13, as well as Alex Cox, creative director on Mafia The Old Country. A rare encounter, rich in revelations, which allowed us to lift the veil on the concrete ambitions of this new chapter.
A project born from remake
It all starts following the remake of Mafia The City of Lost Heavenpublished in 2020. This project acted as a reminder for the team, which plunged back throughout the trilogy. “” We re-analyzed what really made Mafia’s DNA ”, explain Alex Cox. “By revisiting the old games, we found this very narrative, very linear approach, which makes all the strength of the series. According to him, the desire to continue on this path was imposed naturally.
No question of going to an open sprawling world or overloading the experience for Mafia the Old Country. On the contrary, the idea was to target the essentials: a tight, controlled game, which focuses on the impact of scenes and the quality of writing. “” It is our philosophy for this project: to do less, but to do it much better “, summary Nick Baynes.
An assumed return to linearity with Mafia the Old Country
In a video game landscape dominated by sandbox experiences, Mafia The Old Country Choose a completely scripted gameplay. Each mission, each sequence is designed to serve narration. “” This linear format allows us to keep a total control over the pace “, Details Alex Cox. “” You can work on transitions, atmospheres, without ever breaking the immersion. This is what the players liked in the remake, and what they will find here. »
For developers, this return to a classic structure is not a step back, but a refocusing. The objective is clear: to offer a dense, impactful adventure, which can be lived to the end without dispersion.
Sicily, an unprecedented and meaningful decor
For this mafia The Old Country, Hangar 13 has chosen to leave American soil. The action will take place in Sicily, the historic cradle of the mafia. A strong choice, unprecedented in the saga, which marks a homecoming for the license. “” The American mafia, everyone knows it. But few people really know where she comes from, nor how she was structured at the start ”, Recalls Nick Baynes. “This return to the roots is what motivated us. »
The era chosen corresponds to the beginnings of modern organized crime. The mafia is still a shadow, a whisper, an informal power. This troubled period makes it possible to weave a more intimate, more rooted story in history and local culture.
A reinforced cinematographic identity in Mafia The Old Country
Since its beginnings, Mafia has been inspired openly from cinema. Each episode refers to a well identified section of the 7th art. Mafia The Old Country will be no exception. But this time, the major influence, omnipresent from the first concepts, is The godfather.“You just have to show a character walking in a Sicilian alley, stick music inspired by the godfather, and everyone understands what we want to evoke”says Nick Baynes. “” It has become a visual and emotional shortcut obvious to laying our tone. »
The godfather is not just a aesthetic inspiration: it is a founding pillar of the project. The cutting of the scenes, the sound atmosphere, the actors’ game, the architecture of the dialogues … Everything is thought to give the impression of living the experience of a great mafia film. “” We wanted the player to feel like the main character in a legendary film. Not like a figure, not like a spectator. As if his godfather lived ”, insiste Alex Cox.
If other influences such as spaghetti westerns or Italian cinema in the 1970s are mentioned, they remain secondary. Coppola’s shadow hovers all over the project. It is found in tone, the silences heavy with meaning, the looks supported, or even in the narrative structure, thought as a rise in progressive tension. Even the minimalist interface, the choice of camera angles or the detailed colors reflect this desire to stick to a certain idea of the great cinema of the mafia, the one who shaped the collective imagination
Production nourished by research and the field
To restore Sicily with accuracy in Mafia The Old Country, the studio has immersed in rich documentation. Specialized works, university sources, testimonies … but also direct immersion. Hangar 13 worked in close collaboration with a Studio SicilyStormind Games, who helped them capture the local culture.
« They accompanied us in the field, showed us places, talked about customs, corrected certain details … Their contribution was essential to give credibility to the world that is built. , recalls Nick Baynes. This field work has nourished writing, artistic direction, and even the sound design of the game. A rare commitment on this scale.
An unprecedented dubbing in Sicilian dialect in Mafia the Old Country
But the most daring bet undoubtedly concerns the complete dubbing in the Sicilian dialect, proposed alongside the English, French or German versions. A rare choice in the industry, even more for a production of this scale. “” It is not classic Italian, it is really the local dialect, the one we still speak in certain regions of Sicily », explique Alex Cox. « We called on native actors, supervised by linguistic coaches, and the whole process was followed very closely. This is a first for us, and the result is incredible. »
According to the developers, this double version was not planned from the start. The idea came over the course of research, noting the importance of language in Sicilian cultural identity. The dialect was then integrated into dialogues, intonations, and even in certain staging choices. “” We wanted the characters to sound true. That an old Sicilian man speaks like an old Sicilian man, not as an American actor who forces the accent Summarizes Nick Baynes. “” It sounds simple, but it changes everything. »
The subtitles obviously remain available in all languages, including with activated Sicilian dubbing, which allows players to lose nothing from the plot. But the studio highly recommends trying this unique version. Alex Cox even says that he has replayed the entire game as follows:
« I did it in Sicilian VO from start to finish. And I can tell you that it completely transforms the experience. Even if you do not understand the language, you feel authenticity, heat, tensions … It is an immersion that one could not get otherwise. »
This linguistic work even further pushes the commitment of the studio to deliver a game deeply rooted in its decor, even in the voice of its characters. An approach rarely seen, which could well be school.
Loyalty and novelty
Returning to her fundamentals, Mafia The Old Country does not seek to revolutionize the formula, but to refine it with precision. It is a game that claims its roots while looking towards the future. Its unprecedented Sicilian framework, its assumed narrative approach, and its licked cinematic aesthetics make it a separate project, as ambitious as measured.
« It’s a new start, but in continuity Summarizes Nick Baynes. “” We rely on what the series has always done better, but with new tools and ideas. We wanted The Old Country to be a demanding, authentic and unforgettable game. For Alex Cox, it is also a clear positioning in the current landscape: ” We live in a time when everything is gigantic, open, filled with content. We make the opposite bet. We want a game that people finish. A brand that marks. »
This homecoming is not accompanied by a cautious withdrawal, but with a strong creative affirmation. The team wants to show that it is possible to tell a great story in a tight setting, to deliver a game that is both cinematographic, emotional and controlled from start to finish. Upon arrival, Mafia The Old Country could well be the mafia that fans were waiting without daring to imagine it: respectful of his inheritance, but more daring than ever in his execution.
