Sound is a key pillar of any cinematic experience, and that applies even more to the interactive, high-production-value narratives of Mafia games. The developers at Hangar 13 strive to raise the bar for visual fidelity, period authenticity, and gripping storytelling with every entry in the series—and Mafia: The Old Country's sound design is no exception.
Crafting Period-accurate Sound Effects
As Senior Sound Designer Pavel Smely puts it in the Dev Diary video above, the sounds of Mafia: The Old Country's firearms were designed to underline the idea that one trigger-pull could "completely change the storyline." To strike the right balance between accurately depicting this arsenal and fully selling the drama of every bullet spent, they found, fired, and recorded the sounds of weapons from the era, and then took inspiration from Hollywood filmmakers' approaches to producing punchy gunfire.
The team followed the same philosophy in recreating the rattling, raucous sounds of the game's vehicles, which can be similarly thunderous thanks to the era's lack of exhaust mufflers. Once they tracked down enough of these rare turn-of-the-century automobiles, the developers then had to thoroughly capture the sounds of each one in motion. "Our Audio Director was out hanging off the back of some of these cars with microphones as we drove around the back roads of Czech Republic," says Executive Producer Devin Hitch.
Capturing Sicily's Soundscapes
Another reflection of the team's total commitment to authenticity is the meticulous care put into faithfully recreating the sounds of 1900s Sicily itself. The game's score, for example, takes the type of sweeping orchestral arrangements that have always been core to the Mafia franchise, then layers in authentic touches like traditional Sicilian instruments and folk melodies. Even the game's diegetic elements, like singing laborers, street musicians, or other musically inclined NPCs, add yet another dimension of sonic richness to immerse players in the world.
"Especially when you're in San Celeste," says Hitch, "you'll walk around hearing this music float through the city's back alleys, and it really puts you in a different time and place." Associate Design Director Josh Zammit agrees about how critical these touches are. "Because we paid such close attention to historical detail, these sounds have to be accurate," says Zammit. "If players start hearing things that don't fit the scene, it's going to draw them out of the experience." These ambient notes are carefully tuned to blend naturally with the score, creating an enriching effect without any tonal dissonance.
To ensure the audio presentation is as faithful as it is comprehensive and diverse, Hangar 13 collaborated with Sicilian development studio Stormind Games to record voicelines—including a highly immersive Sicilian voiceover option—and an array of other naturalistic soundscapes. From the bustle of urban markets to the fauna of idyllic coastlines, each locale is audibly distinct thanks to the joint efforts of both studios.
This unwavering dedication to authenticity in every layer of Mafia: The Old Country—be it sound, visuals, gameplay, or narrative—is a hallmark of the Mafia series and its overarching creative direction. You can experience for yourself how that approach elevates this unique crime drama when Mafia: The Old Country launches August 8, 2025. It's available now for pre-order and pre-purchase on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
