As the Move to $80 Video Games Kicks In, Gamers Point to Mafia: The Old Country and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Hope the $50 Trend Succeeds

Mafia: The Old Country was in 'managing expectations mode' this week, announcing a cheaper than expected $49.99 price point, and confirming that it is absolutely not an open-world game, rather a linear, narrative-driven game.

The Hangar 13-developed gangster shooter showed off new gameplay in the trailer, below, and it is impressive indeed. But this is no GTA 6. Indeed, it is no Mafia III. Tellingly, 2K President David Ismailer said of Mafia: The Old Country: "We think there’s a large audience for compelling stories that don’t require massive time commitments.” It felt like a PSA more than a promo.

Based on these comments, Mafia: The Old Country will be a relatively short affair. There is no multiplayer mode, so the story is the entire package. How long will it be? Some are speculating anything from five to 15 hours.

Yes, there are some complaints in the reaction across the internet, mostly from those who were hoping for a Mafia game more along the lines of a GTA than a, say, shorter Uncharted-style game. But The Old Country was never going to be that sort of game.

In December, I interviewed Hangar 13 President Nick Baynes and game director Alex Cox about all things Mafia: The Old Country, and the prospect of running up against GTA 6, which was still due out fall 2025 at the time.

In the interview, the pair dismissed comparisons to GTA 6, insisting Mafia: The Old Country shouldn’t be considered an open-world game at all.

Rather, the pair explained, Mafia: The Old Country is more like Mafia 1 and 2 than it is the open-world Mafia 3. It is a “linear, narrative-driven” game, a “focused package” that offers a “cinematic experience.” You might find yourself driving around an authentic representation of 1900s Sicily in Mafia: The Old Country, or even riding around on horseback a bit like that other Rockstar game, Red Dead Redemption 2, but the similarities to Rockstar games stop there.

So, while there are the perhaps inevitable complaints about the scope of The Old Country, I’ve seen positivity about the experience on offer. Many are saying they’re more interested in a high quality, cheaper, shorter story-driven Mafia game than a bloated open-world game filled with repetitive mechanics.

Indeed, there seems to be a growing call for more of these cheaper, manageable games, with Sandfall’s well-received Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which has sold an impressive 2 million copies despite being available day-one on Game Pass, held up as a potential trend-setter.

This comes as game prices are becoming more expensive, with both Nintendo and Microsoft hitting $80. In a market when Mario Kart World costs $80, a $50 Mafia: The Old Country looks like a bargain.

“I think setting the price at $50 is the move,” said IGN reader BabyGroot1 in response to the Mafia news. “Look at Clair Obscur sales.”

“Yea, I think there could be a lot of fence-sitters that see $70-80 and wait for a game to be on sale around $30,” added Automating_The_Game. “But at $50 they're like f*** it, getting it now.”

It’s a similar sentiment across social media and reddit. "I hate putting things on a number scale, but if this is one of those games that are like a good 10-12 hour, 8/10 experience I feel like we have to support it as best as possible,” said 99DGE of Mafia. “$50 when publishers are pushing for $80 is so fascinating that we need to reward and vote with our wallets if it’s worth it (that is of course, we can afford it given the economic climate).”

“I was probably going to pass on this as I just don't have it in me for most open world games anymore, but hearing that it's linear, story focused, and priced at $50? I'm on board day one now,” said ElJacko170.

“I'd rather have a short Mafia game for $50 than one with a needlessly empty open world with almost nothing to do in them like all the previous Mafia games,” said everythingsc0mputer.

“If they're not gonna add side quests or side activities for you to do like the previous Mafia games, then might as well keep it short and linear.”

For all this positivity online, for publisher 2K and developer Hangar 13 it will be sales of Mafia: The Old Country that determine its and the franchise’s future. The game will have a sales target it needs to hit in order for the project to be declared successful, and social media and forum posts do not generate revenue. Hard sales do.

All eyes will be on Mafia: The Old Country to see if the success of Clair Obscur really is the start of something sustainable for the video game industry.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.