"Mafia: The Old Country Uses Authentic Sicilian Voice Acting"

Mafia: The Old Country’s developers have responded to fan concerns by confirming the use of authentic Sicilian voice acting in the game. Dive deeper to understand the issues that prompted this official statement.

Mafia: The Old Country Faced Backlash for Excluding Italian Voice Acting

‘Authenticity is at the Heart of the Mafia Franchise,’ Assured the Developers

News about the eagerly awaited Mafia: The Old Country has sparked discussions, especially concerning its voice acting. Set in the early 1900s in Sicily, this latest installment in the Mafia series initially raised concerns when its Steam page indicated full audio support for multiple languages but omitted Italian. However, developer Hangar 13 quickly addressed these concerns via a tweet on X.

"Authenticity is at the heart of the Mafia franchise," the developers emphasized in their tweet. "Mafia: The Old Country will feature voice acting in Sicilian, true to the game's setting in early 1900s Sicily." They further confirmed what fans already knew: "Italian language localization will be available for both in-game UI and via subtitles."

The initial confusion stemmed from the game’s Steam page, which listed six languages with "full audio:" English, French, German, Czech, and Russian. The absence of Italian, a staple in previous Mafia games, led fans to question the developers' decisions, feeling it overlooked the cultural roots of the Mafia in Italy.

The decision by Hangar 13 to include Sicilian voice acting in the game was met with enthusiastic approval from fans. Sicilian, while related to standard Italian, possesses its own distinctive vocabulary and cultural nuances. For example, the word "sorry" is expressed as "scusa" in Italian and "m'â scusari" in Sicilian.

Additionally, Sicily's unique geographic position at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East has resulted in a language influenced by Greek, Arabic, Norman French, and Spanish. This rich linguistic diversity likely influenced the developers' choice of Sicilian over Italian, aligning with the "authentic realism" promised by 2K Games in their press release.

The upcoming Mafia title is set to deliver a "gritty mob story set in the brutal underworld of early 1900s Sicily." Although an exact release date has not been announced, 2K Games has hinted that fans will receive more insights into Mafia: The Old Country in December. Given that the annual Game Awards are scheduled for the same month, it's likely that new details will be unveiled at this prominent gaming event.

For more information on Mafia: The Old Country's announcement, explore the article below!