Mafia: The Old Country's developers have responded to fan concerns, assuring players that the game will feature authentic Sicilian voice acting. Dive deeper into 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
The buzz around the upcoming Mafia: The Old Country has sparked significant discussion, especially concerning its voice acting. Set in the 1900s Sicily, this latest addition to the Mafia franchise initially raised concerns when its Steam page suggested full audio support for several languages but omitted Italian. However, developer Hangar 13 quickly addressed these concerns on Twitter (X).
"Authenticity is at the heart of the Mafia franchise," the developers stated in a tweet. "Mafia: The Old Country will feature voice acting in Sicilian, aligning with the game’s setting in 1900s Sicily." They further confirmed that "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 developer’s choices and feel disrespected, given the origins of mafias in Italy.
Fortunately, Hangar 13's decision to incorporate Sicilian voice acting into the game has been met with enthusiastic approval from fans. Sicilian, while closely related to standard Italian, has its own unique vocabulary and cultural nuances. For example, the word "sorry" is "scusa" in Italian and "m'â scusari" in Sicilian.
Moreover, Sicily's strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East has influenced the Sicilian language, incorporating elements from Greek, Arabic, Norman French, and Spanish. This linguistic diversity likely influenced the developers' choice of Sicilian over Italian, aligning with the "authentic realism" that 2K Games promised in their press release.
The upcoming Mafia title promises to deliver a "gritty mob story set in the brutal underworld of 1900s Sicily." While an exact release date remains undisclosed, 2K Games has hinted that fans will receive a more in-depth look at Mafia: The Old Country in December. With the annual Game Awards scheduled for the same month, it's likely that new details will be unveiled at this prestigious event.
For more information on Mafia: The Old Country's announcement, explore the article linked below!
