The Polygon Man of Honor interview confirmed that the Mafia: The Old Country DLC brings back one of the series’ most iconic villains, which means Hangar 13 is doubling down on what worked in the base game: a tight, narrative-driven crime story with Sicily as its 1900s playground. The base game runs about 12 to 15 hours, and even with the DLC arriving, many players who fell in love with the cinematic crime storytelling want another hit in the same lineage right now.
We tested seven Mafia: The Old Country alternatives on Windows that share its DNA: period crime drama, story-first design, gunfights anchored in cover, and the slow-burn loyalty-to-the-family arc. The list mixes direct series predecessors, genre tentpoles, and a couple of left-field crime stories that nail the same tone.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Cost | Standout | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mafia: Definitive Edition | The original Mafia remade | $29.99 | Tommy Angelo’s arc | Steam |
| Mafia II: Definitive Edition | 1940s and 50s organized crime | $29.99 | Vito Scaletta storyline | Steam |
| Mafia III: Definitive Edition | New Bordeaux revenge story | $29.99 | Lincoln Clay’s racket system | Steam |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Period crime epic | $59.99 | Van der Linde gang dynamics | Steam |
| Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza | Comedy crime drama | $59.99 | Pirate ship combat | Steam |
| L.A. Noire | Period detective work | $29.99 | MotionScan facial system | Steam |
| Grand Theft Auto V | Modern open-world crime | $29.99 | Three-protagonist heists | Steam |
Why “what should I play after Mafia: The Old Country” is the question
The pattern on r/MafiaTheGame and Steam discussions is consistent:
- The Old Country is short by AAA standards (12 to 15 hours main story). Players want more in the same period
- The Man of Honor DLC fills part of the gap but is bounded to one arc
- New Mafia players are working backwards through the trilogy
- Period crime drama with story-first design is a small genre; players who like it tend to like all of it
- Open-world crime games scratch a different itch but cover adjacent territory
Each pick below addresses a specific angle. The first three are direct series predecessors. The rest broaden the genre to keep the catalog interesting between Mafia releases.
The 7 best Mafia: The Old Country alternatives
Mafia: Definitive Edition — the original Mafia remade
Mafia: Definitive Edition is the 2020 Hangar 13 remake of the 2002 original. Tommy Angelo’s rise inside the Salieri family runs about 15 hours, set in 1930s Lost Heaven (a fictional Chicago / New York composite). The remake rebuilt the game on the same engine as Mafia III and modernized every system while keeping the original’s slow-burn structure.
For The Old Country players who skipped or never finished the original, the Definitive Edition is the obvious first stop. Tommy’s story is the franchise’s most famous and sets up the tonal vocabulary the rest of the series uses.
Where it falls short: Driving mechanics divide opinion. Some missions feel railroaded. The open city is less explorable than later Mafia games.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $29.99 (regular discounts to $9.89)
- vs The Old Country: Cheaper, comparable length, foundational story
Switching from The Old Country: Period driving (1930s cars with realistic top speeds) is the early-game adjustment. Use the simulation driving mode rather than the simplified arcade option.
Download: Mafia: Definitive Edition on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Mafia: Definitive Edition when you want the franchise’s foundational story remade for modern hardware.
Mafia II: Definitive Edition — 1940s and 50s organized crime
Mafia II: Definitive Edition by 2K Czech (now Hangar 13) is the post-WW2 entry that anchored the franchise. Vito Scaletta’s story runs through 1945 to 1951 in Empire Bay, with the cars, music, and dialogue cribbed straight from the period. It is the most cinematic of the original trilogy.
For The Old Country players who want the franchise’s middle period, Mafia II hits a different decade with the same family dynamics underneath.
Where it falls short: Side content is thin compared to modern open-world games. Some DLC content is divisive. The remake’s improvements over the 2010 original are smaller than the Mafia 1 remake’s.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $29.99 (regular discounts to $9.89)
- vs The Old Country: Cheaper, comparable length, post-war setting
Switching from The Old Country: Vito’s combat is tightened around cover and aimed shots. Plan around scarce healing rather than expecting a Mafia 3-style regen system.
Download: Mafia II: Definitive Edition on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Mafia II when post-WW2 cinematic crime drama is the period you want.
Mafia III: Definitive Edition — New Bordeaux revenge story
Mafia III: Definitive Edition by Hangar 13 takes the franchise to 1968 New Orleans (as New Bordeaux) and reframes the story around Lincoln Clay’s racket-by-racket takedown of the Marcano family. The era’s racial politics are central to the narrative, the racket system adds an open-world layer the earlier games lacked, and Lincoln’s lieutenants give the player real choices over who runs the city.
For The Old Country players who want a more open-ended mafia game with meaningful systemic choices, Mafia III is the most modern of the trilogy.
Where it falls short: Mission structure is repetitive. Some side content feels like padding. Performance has been patched but is still uneven on mid-range hardware.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $29.99 (regular discounts to $9.89)
- vs The Old Country: Cheaper, longer, more open-world
Switching from The Old Country: Lincoln’s racket system rewards choosing your lieutenants strategically. Each underboss earns different territory bonuses; pick yours based on what you want as the main reward.
Download: Mafia III: Definitive Edition on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Mafia III when you want a more open-world mafia game with racket-takeover systems.
Red Dead Redemption 2 — period crime epic
Red Dead Redemption 2 by Rockstar is the period crime epic at the highest production tier currently available. Arthur Morgan’s arc inside the Van der Linde gang spans roughly 60 hours of main story, with the late-game’s pace giving the narrative time to breathe. The simulation density (every NPC, every location, every interaction) makes it the closest thing to a period TV show in interactive form.
For The Old Country players who want crime storytelling on its largest scale, RDR2 is the genre’s reference.
Where it falls short: Runtime is enormous and pacing is deliberately slow. Some missions feel scripted to the point of frustration. PC performance is workable but not bulletproof.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $59.99 (regular discounts to $14.79)
- vs The Old Country: Comparable, dramatically longer, deeper simulation
Switching from The Old Country: Plan to read every saloon poster and listen to every campfire. The world-building is the point; rushing the story misses most of why it matters.
Download: Red Dead Redemption 2 on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Red Dead Redemption 2 when you want period crime drama on the largest possible scale.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii — comedy crime drama
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii by RGG Studio takes Goro Majima onto a pirate ship and turns the Yakuza formula loose on the Caribbean fantasy. The action combat returns to the series’ brawler roots after Infinite Wealth’s turn-based detour, the pirate ship sequences add a real maritime combat layer, and Majima’s character work is some of the best in years.
For The Old Country players who want crime drama with a wildly different tone, Pirate Yakuza is the most stylish swap on the list.
Where it falls short: Series newcomers can struggle with the connecting lore. Some side content is divisive. The pirate sections take time to find their rhythm.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $59.99 (regular discounts to $39.99)
- vs The Old Country: Comparable, completely different tone, longer
Switching from The Old Country: Majima’s combat styles change at key story beats; experiment with each rather than locking into one early.
Download: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Pirate Yakuza when crime drama with comedy and brawler combat is the swap you want.
L.A. Noire — period detective work
L.A. Noire by Team Bondi is the period detective game that defined the modern era of investigation gameplay. Cole Phelps’ rise through the LAPD in 1947 Los Angeles uses MotionScan facial capture technology to make every interview a real read of guilt or innocence. The driving, the music, and the wardrobe are period-perfect.
For The Old Country players who want crime drama from the law-enforcement side, L.A. Noire is the strongest pick.
Where it falls short: Gunfights are average by AAA standards. Some interrogation logic is inconsistent. The DLC has uneven quality.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $29.99 (regular discounts to $4.49)
- vs The Old Country: Cheaper on sale, investigation-focused, different perspective
Switching from The Old Country: Pay attention to face animations during interrogations; that is the actual gameplay loop.
Download: L.A. Noire on Steam
Bottom line: Pick L.A. Noire when period investigation with MotionScan facial work is the experience you want.
Grand Theft Auto V — modern open-world crime
Grand Theft Auto V by Rockstar is the modern open-world crime sandbox standard. Three protagonists (Michael, Franklin, and Trevor) span every angle of Los Santos crime, the heist missions are the genre’s reference, and GTA Online has stayed in active development since launch. With GTA 6’s window still in flux, GTA V remains the modern reference.
For The Old Country players who want open-world crime with three-character storytelling, GTA V is the obvious modern pick.
Where it falls short: Story is 2013-era; some elements have aged. Online has shifted toward live-service content. Some single-player content gates behind multiple character switches.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $29.99 (regular discounts to $14.99)
- vs The Old Country: Comparable, vastly more content, modern setting
Switching from The Old Country: The character switching is core; do not get attached to one perspective. Each protagonist’s heist role rewards a different play style.
Download: Grand Theft Auto V on Steam
Bottom line: Pick GTA V when modern open-world crime with heists is the swap you want from a 1900s Mafia experience.
How to pick the right one
If you skipped the franchise predecessors, start with Mafia: Definitive Edition, then move through Mafia II: Definitive Edition and Mafia III: Definitive Edition in order. The story arcs reward chronological play.
If you want crime drama on the largest possible scale, Red Dead Redemption 2 is the genre’s reference. If you want comedy and brawler combat layered onto crime storytelling, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza is the most surprising pick.
If detective work from the law-enforcement side is the change you want, L.A. Noire is the only game with MotionScan-era facial work on PC. If modern open-world crime is what you want, GTA V remains the reference until GTA 6 ships.
Stay with Mafia: The Old Country when the Man of Honor DLC is on your roadmap and a Hard Mode replay still has hooks. Hangar 13’s investment in the franchise has been growing.
FAQ
What is the best free Mafia: The Old Country alternative?
There is no fully-free crime drama in this exact lineage. GTA V on Epic Games Store has been free during giveaways in the past and frequently drops below $15 on Steam sales. For genuinely free, GTA Online has a free entry point but requires the base game purchase.
Should I play the original Mafia trilogy before The Old Country?
Not strictly required; The Old Country is a prequel and works as a standalone entry. But playing the trilogy first deepens the family dynamics references that the prequel sets up. The Definitive Editions modernize all three games well enough that newcomers can run through them in a few weeks.
Is Red Dead Redemption 2 like Mafia?
In tone and story-first design, yes. RDR2 is far longer and more open-ended than any Mafia game, but the cinematic crime storytelling, the period accuracy, and the slow-burn character arcs are the same instincts taken to the largest scale the genre has reached.
What is the cheapest Mafia: The Old Country alternative?
L.A. Noire drops to around $4.49 in Steam sales. The Mafia Definitive Edition trilogy each drops to around $9.89. All three are full crime dramas at a fraction of a new-release price.
When does the Mafia: The Old Country DLC come out?
The Polygon Man of Honor interview confirmed the DLC but the launch window is still tied to Hangar 13’s post-launch roadmap. Expect the first content drop later in 2026 based on the studio’s typical cadence.
