The Valle Dorata calls to you once more, mafiosi. Mafia: The Old Country's Free Ride Update goes live on November 20, adding a new mode, new challenges, new items to collect, and much more in a free update for all players.*
Free Ride mode, which fully replaces the old Explore mode, is the highlight of the Free Ride Update, but there's a slew of fresh features to enjoy along with it. To give a sense of the update's full scope, here's a rundown of the top-level additions. We've also included some developer insights from Hangar 13's Associate Design Director Josh Zammit; be sure you also check out his developer Q&A over on the PlayStation Blog.
"Free Ride has always been close to our hearts," says Zammit. "The team pours so much care and attention into our worlds, and it gives us a reason to spend more time exploring them, and more importantly, finding new ways to have fun."
*Base game required. Some content requires unlocking via gameplay.
Free Ride Mode
Free Ride offers new ways to experience Mafia: The Old Country's vision of 1900s Sicily, letting you explore the environment at your own pace and take on a series of new Challenges. This mode is focused primarily on new gameplay content and does not have any bearing on the narrative aspects of Enzo's journey.
That said, Free Ride contains a variety of Challenges that are unlocked based on your main story Chapter completion. You can jump between the campaign and Free Ride via the pause and main menus as you make your way through the story, or you can wait until you've finished every Chapter so you can embark into Free Ride with all starting Challenges available; the choice is yours.
Each Challenge can be completed at three increasing reward tiers, netting you increasing amounts of Dinari (the in-game currency that's earned via gameplay) to spend at Pasquale's store. New items unlock in the store as you progress through Challenges, which unlock in sequence; play them all to get the best rewards.
Challenges come in two main varieties, racing and combat, each with their own sub-categories:
Car & Horse Races
Seek out Pasquale to initiate car races, or find Gaspare if you'd rather race on horseback:
Circuit Race (3 Challenges): Get behind the wheel of your fastest car and complete a set number of laps around the track ahead of competing drivers.
Road Sprint (3 Challenges): Race against multiple opponents across the Valle Dorata in these challenging point-to-point races.
Time Trial (6 Challenges): Try to beat the clock and your previous bests as you barrel through these courses without opponents getting in your way. Checkpoint Time Trials take place across a set path, while Freeform Time Trials challenge you to find the fastest possible route between two points.
Horse Race (3 Challenges): Gallop faster than the opposing riders in these intense lap races that require smart use of your spurs.
Combat Challenges
Speak with Valerio to take on these combat-focused Challenges:
- Standoff (5 Challenges): Enzo must survive multiple waves of hostile guards, bandits, and soldatos in the horde mode gauntlets of timed Standoff Challenges. Killing your attackers and looting stopwatches off of high-value targets adds precious seconds to the clock as you fight off each wave of bloodthirsty enemies. You'll have to manage your weapons, resources, and positioning in these increasingly desperate firefights.
- Assassination (4 Challenges): Put your stealth skills to the test in timed Assassination Challenges. Sneak around a fixed location, execute your target, and try to escape with your life. Along the way, you have the option to crack any safes you find to improve your score.
And more...
Just like the Free Ride modes in previous Mafia games, Mafia: The Old Country's Free Ride is hiding its share of secrets that are waiting to be discovered. Keep your eyes peeled and be sure to pursue any clues you come across, as powerful rewards await those who can track this hidden trail to the very end.
New Weapons, Charms, Cars, and Outfits
Enzo's collection gets a long list of additions as part of this Free Ride Update, and every new weapon, Charm, car, and outfit is fully usable in the main campaign too. Here's a quick rundown of how many items have been added to the game:
- 16 new Outfits (& 3 new Hats that can be equipped with any outfit)
- 4 new Knives
- 3 new Guns
- 3 new Charms
- 2 new Cars
"My favorite item coming with the update is one of our new cars, the Beneventi Montanaro," says Zammit. "It's based on the very first four-by-four and is a joy to drive. It does well on dirt and in grassy areas, so taking shortcuts and driving uphill and across fields is a blast. While it's not the fastest car out there, you'll find a few races where this car does particularly well."
"In terms of new charms," continues Zammit, "Esploratore is a favorite. Some collectibles in the world are super hard to find, and using Esploratore shows you when a collectible is nearby and guides you to it. Hopefully it'll make finding those foxes a little easier for the achievement hunters out there."
New features
Each of the following new features are available immediately as part of the Free Ride Update:
First-Person Driving
Officially supported for the first time in franchise history, First-Person Driving is now an option in Mafia: The Old Country. Experience the Valle Dorata from the driver's seat in the most immersive way possible, including new detailed car interiors and a close-up view of character animations. Whether you're driving around with companions in the main story, marveling at the dust kicked up by your racing opponents, or just going for a scenic joyride, this new feature places you even more firmly in Enzo's shoes.
Photo Mode
Mafia: The Old Country's stunning Sicilian countryside practically begs for players to photograph it, and now you can. Photo Mode—one of the features most requested by fans—lets you pause the action with the push of a button, capture those beautiful vistas and harrowing mid-firefight moments, then share them online or with friends.
Along with straightforward camera placement and rotation, Photo Mode lets you tweak a range of variables to fine-tune each composition to your liking:
- Camera
- Field of View (FOV)
- Enable Focal Distance (Focal Distance / Aperture)
- Styling
- Brightness
- Contrast
- Saturation
- Camera Tilt
- Filter
- None / Cinema Siciliano / Cinema Siciliano Sepia / High Contrast / Soft Glow / Analog / Split Tone / 35mm Film
- Filter Intensity
- Vignette
- Film Grain
- Film Scratch
- Display
- Show Player Character
- Show Other Characters
- Show Grid
Cinema Siciliano Mode
Cinema Siciliano is a dramatic new mode designed to immerse players even further into the era by evoking classic Italian cinema. Experience Mafia: The Old Country as though it was shot on a turn-of-the-century soundstage, with a moody black-and-white visual treatment, convincingly vintage-sounding audio, Sicilian VO set by default, and more clutter-free contextual UI for a more cinematic feel. Photo Mode also has two Cinema Siciliano filters that apply the same visual effects to your shots for that authentically antique feel.
Classic Difficulty
Classic Difficulty takes cues from the original Mafia and Mafia: Definitive Edition, making a return for those seeking a greater level of challenge in Mafia: The Old Country. Hone your skills and test your mastery of combat, stealth, and driving by playing the main campaign or Free Ride mode on Classic Difficulty, where enemies are deadlier, health regen is sparse, and unspent bullets are lost when you reload.
"I'm certain our hardcore fans will be happy that we've brought back Classic Difficulty," says Zammit. "We definitely don't pull our punches in this mode, and for people wanting higher stakes, it's an extremely satisfying way to play. Although I'd recommend playing the game on one of the original difficulties first, Classic definitely puts your skills to the ultimate test."
Sundial
While exploring Sicily in Free Ride mode, you have the power to shift the weather via the interactable sundial found in the Vineyard and Enzo's apartment. There are four options to choose from, giving the freedom to explore (and take gorgeous shots in Photo Mode) in whichever atmosphere you prefer:
- Sunrise
- Afternoon
- Foggy
- Ashfall
The Free Ride Update has been a labor of love from everyone at Hangar 13, and we can't wait for you to traverse the landscape in any direction, take on all the new Challenges, and play with the new features. Thanks so much for your continued loyalty and support; we hope you enjoy returning to the Valle Dorata.
