Larian Studios Director Explains Why Mafia: The Old Country Lacks Swimming
When a major new game hits the market, players often meticulously scrutinize every detail, noting what features are present and what might be missing. The recently released Mafia: The Old Country is no exception, with many players pointing out the absence of a swimming mechanic in the game. In response to this, Michael Douse, the Publishing Director at Larian Studios, shared his perspective on the social media platform X.
Douse emphasized that production resources should be allocated wisely. He argued against the practice of implementing mechanics simply for the sake of having them, especially if the developers haven't found a meaningful way to integrate them into the gameplay. He recounted an anecdote from Baldur's Gate 3's development: when showing the game, rich with various mechanics, to an executive, the person impassively asked, “Can you swim in the game?”
Douse humorously reflected on this, stating, “Like bro this isn't mechanical whack-a-mole, endlessly layering on mechanics maketh a good game not.” He underscored that every feature comes at a cost, involving manpower, time, and budget. Casually suggesting, “Why not just…[add this feature]” can be incredibly frustrating for producers. He concluded that it’s better to omit a swimming mechanic if it serves no purpose, rather than including it just for the sake of having it.
He further elaborated on this common design dilemma, noting that a frequent question developers face when showcasing a game is often, “Is there a day/night cycle?” Douse candidly admitted that many day/night cycles in games probably exist purely to spare PR teams from criticism. This highlights a broader industry trend where features might be added not for artistic or gameplay reasons, but to tick a box on an arbitrary checklist.
Mafia: The Old Country is currently available on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, and includes Russian voice acting. While player and press reviews suggest the game isn't a masterpiece, it's generally considered a respectable narrative adventure worth playing through once. Douse's comments shed light on the design philosophy that prioritizes focused gameplay experiences over a sprawling list of disconnected features, inviting players to consider the intentional choices made by game developers when creating their worlds.
Post a Comment