Mafia: The Old Country vs The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
A tight 12-hour Sicilian mob story versus a 52-hour open-world RPG — pick based on whether you want a weekend commitment or a months-long one.
Updated 7d ago
Hangar 13 finally remembered what Mafia is — Old Country trades open-world bloat for tight 1900s Sicily linearity, and it's a real comeback.
Still the best-value RPG on Steam — Complete is $10 over base for $25 of expansions. Check your OS first: the next patch drops Windows 10 and DirectX 11.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 27; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 27.
| Measure | Mafia: The Old Country | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt |
|---|---|---|
| Value Too close to call | ||
| Price now | $26.99 −46% · GreenManGaming | $39.99 Humble Store |
| All-time low | $24.99 | $3.99 |
| Cost / hour | $2.21/hr $26.99 · 12 h main story | $0.77/hr $39.99 · 52 h main story |
| Off its low | +8% low was Aug 2026 | +902% low was Jun 2024 |
| Main story | 12 h | 52 h |
| Health The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 73% 31k reviews | 97% 889k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 73% 292 votes · vs 73% lifetime | 96% 5k votes · vs 97% lifetime |
| Peak players | 1,213 Sep 2026 · ↓ 66% MoM | 31,849 Aug 2026 · ↓ 13% MoM |
| Launch peak | 11% of Aug 2025 launch peak · as of Sep 2026 | 35% of May 2015 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 |
| All-time peak | 11,552 Aug 2025 | 103,329 Jan 2020 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 6 weeks ago | 3 days ago |
| Patch cadence | 3 in last 90 days | 3 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Gold | Platinum |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Mafia: The Old Country
The early 20th century Sicilian atmosphere and respectful Mafia storytelling are what long-time fans consistently praise.
The short campaign length and occasionally clunky knife duels are common friction points among veteran players.
from our May 2026 verdict
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
That an eleven-year-old game still reads as current, and Blood and Wine in particular — long-haul players name the expansion as the high point.
The incoming Windows 11 and SSD floor on an eleven-year-old game, the enhanced build's frame drops in cities, and quests that lean on witcher-sense tracking.
from our July 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Mafia: The Old Country if
- You loved Mafia 1 and 2's tightly-paced narratives over Mafia III's open-world scope.
- You want a 12-hour story you can finish in a long weekend.
- You prefer period Sicily with horse-drawn carriages and lupara shotguns over fantasy.
Pick The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt if
- You have Windows 11 and an SSD, so the incoming patch requirements cost you nothing.
- You play RPGs for side content like Blood and Wine, a full second region.
- You want under $1 per hour of main story and 97% positive reviews.
Bottom line
If you want a focused, linear mob story you can finish in a weekend, pick Mafia: The Old Country; if you want a 52-hour RPG with far better cost-per-hour and a 97% positive rating, pick The Witcher 3.