Cyberpunk 2077 vs Mafia: The Old Country

A 26-hour Cyberpunk sandbox versus a 12-hour Mafia short story — pick your poison.

Updated 21d ago

Cyberpunk 2077 cover
Cyberpunk 2077

Fixed since 2.0 and worth it at $18 — Night City and the writing carry it, but the build variety is thinner than the skill tree pretends.

Mafia: The Old Country cover
Mafia: The Old Country 7.4/10 Fair

Hangar 13 finally remembered what Mafia is — Old Country trades open-world bloat for tight 1900s Sicily linearity, and it's a real comeback.

By the numbers

Prices checked Sep 8; 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 8.

Measure Cyberpunk 2077 Mafia: The Old Country
Value Mafia: The Old Country wins on value
Price now $59.99 Humble Store $25.99 −48% · Fanatical
All-time low $17.99 $24.99
Cost / hour $2.30/hr $59.99 · 26 h main story $2.12/hr $25.99 · 12 h main story
Off its low +233% low was Jun 2026 +4% low was Aug 2026
Main story 26 h 12 h
Health Cyberpunk 2077 wins on player health
Steam reviews 87% 979k reviews 73% 30k reviews
Recent reviews 95% 9k votes · vs 87% lifetime · improving 72% 979 votes · vs 73% lifetime
Peak players 82,779 Aug 2026 · ↓ 18% MoM 3,524 Aug 2026 · ↑ 306% MoM
Launch peak 10% of Dec 2020 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 31% of Aug 2025 launch peak · as of Aug 2026
All-time peak 830,387 Dec 2020 11,552 Aug 2025
Support
Last patch 13 months ago 3 weeks ago
Patch cadence 0 in last 90 days 3 in last 90 days
Steam Deck Gold Gold

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.

Cyberpunk 2077
Dec 2020 – Aug 2026
Mafia: The Old Country
Aug 2025 – Aug 2026

What players say

Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.

Cyberpunk 2077

Love

Long-haul players credit Night City itself: 100-hour reviewers point to the density and the character writing as the reason they finished it twice.

Struggle with

Reviewers past 150 hours flag build sameness — different weapon specialisations end up playing alike, which flattens a second run.

from our July 2026 verdict

Mafia: The Old Country

Love

The early 20th century Sicilian atmosphere and respectful Mafia storytelling are what long-time fans consistently praise.

Struggle with

The short campaign length and occasionally clunky knife duels are common friction points among veteran players.

from our May 2026 verdict

Key differences

Story structure
Cyberpunk 2077's 26-hour main story is a branching narrative where side quests feed into the ending.
Mafia: The Old Country is a linear 12-hour mob tale with no branching paths, closer to a movie.
World navigation
Cyberpunk 2077's Night City is an open-world sandbox that rewards wandering, though missions often route through dialogue.
Mafia: The Old Country is a tightly linear 1900s Sicily with no open-world bloat.
Build variety
Cyberpunk 2077's skill tree is broad but shallow; reviewers note pistols and shotguns feel similar after 170 hours.
Mafia: The Old Country has no deep RPG mechanics — it's a narrative-shooter, not a Yakuza-style sandbox.

Which one is for you?

Pick Cyberpunk 2077 if

  • You want a story-rich RPG with a big city to explore
  • You're okay with a 26-hour main story and $18 price
  • You're buying at $18, not $60 — that's where it works

Pick Mafia: The Old Country if

  • You prefer a tight 12-hour story you can finish in a weekend
  • You loved Mafia 1/2's linear narrative, not Mafia III's open world
  • You want a period-accurate mob tale with no build complexity

Bottom line

If you want a cheap, atmospheric RPG with lots of content, choose Cyberpunk 2077 at $18; if you want a short, linear mob drama with zero bloat, choose Mafia: The Old Country.

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