LogInOne of the Larian people reacted to the swimming controversy behind Mafia: The Old Country.
The Old Country has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics, but some have found it too "safe" and linear.
A number of players began criticizing the lack of small details, such as the inability to swim. While many view this complaint as nitpicking, a vocal group of detractors remains.
Michael Douse, publishing director at Larian Studios, responded to one of these discussion threads, stating that such criticism reminds him of how some executives focus on the wrong things.
"This reminds me of when we showed BG3 to someone (exec or whatever) - a wealth of mechanics - and with zero emotion he just goes "can you swim in the game?" Like bro this isn't mechanical whack-a-mole, endlessly layering on mechanics maketh a good game not," wrote Douse.
He explained that every mechanic costs time, money, and human resources, which could be used on features that are actually meaningful for the game.
"The realities of game design are such that each feature has a cost. Manpower-> time-> budget. "Why not just[...]" can set a producer on fire. Try it, its funny. Better to not swim if you're not going to do anything with it, than to add it simply to have it," conitnued Douse.
He also pointed out that this kind of situation happens often, for example, when a dev shows their game and someone immediately asks if it has a day-night cycle.
Douse emphasized that the number of features in a game should reflect its structure. According to ongoing online discussions, many players remain unaware that Mafia: The Old Country does not feature an open world, which leads them to compare it to sandbox-style games with broader mechanics unfairly.
Just last week, Baldur’s Gate 3 turned two years old, and Swen Vincke called the whole experience life-changing. The game’s success has allowed Larian to pursue their next crazy idea, but they are not yet ready to share details just yet. Learn more here.
Don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our new Discord server, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, TikTok, and Threads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.