The Godfather Part 2, functioning as a prequel for the other titles in the franchise. While the series has taken a very linear direction so far, with each of its titles following what was established in the previous game, using the next installment’s plot to reveal more about the origins could add more depth to the canon universe of the series and make the story of the others even more meaningful. Much like The Godfather Part 2 offering viewers a glimpse into Don Corleone emigrating from Sicily and establishing his crime synidcate in New York years before the first film takes place, Mafia 4 could very much expand upon the formation of the mafia power structures already in place throughout the franchise.
With rumors pointing to Mafia 4 bringing back Don Salieri, there are ample opportunities to explore the establishment of the power structures present in the first Mafia, such as the history of the Salieri crime family. This could allow the next title to take a direction in plot similar to The Godfather Part 2's, expanding upon the time Salieri spent in service of the Peppone crime family before Don Peppone was murdered and using gameplay similar to Mafia 3’s to let players build up their own crime family’s businesses. Another aspect the next game could explore is the nature of Salieri’s rivalry with Morello, which is a prominent part of the first title, even though the game describes that the two used to be almost best friends, which could lead to an even more interesting plot.
Mafia 4 Could Detail The History Of The Salieri Crime Family
The first Mafia game, a mob genre classic, established the Salieri family as one of the most powerful crime families in Empire Bay. They were officially founded shortly after the assassination of Don Peppone in New Haven who they were previously serving. And Mafia 4 has ample of opportunity to expand their history, detailing how Don Salieri established himself as one of the most powerful figures in the franchise, from the moments in which he was serving Peppone until he built his own crime empire, much like Vito Scalletta’s story in Mafia 2 or Vito Corleone's in The Godfather. This could be done using mechanics that appear throughout the Mafia 3 DLC’s, specifically Faster, Baby! and Sign of the Times, which gave Lincoln the opportunity to manage his own bar and marijuana plantation, and these mechanics could add a new layer of content as players simulate building their own mafia empire.
Not only that, but a prequel Mafia 4 focusing specifically on Don Salieri’s story could justify the Mafia franchise’s most well-known rivalry: the Salieris and the Morellos. Being the focal point of the first game in the franchise, the two families have been fighting a silent war for a long time, with the tensions rising until Don Morello tries to kill Salieri and a full war breaks out. However, this wasn’t always the case, with the two having had more respect for each other when they were serving Don Peppone, and little is known about the circumstances that led to their falling out. A prequel Mafia 4 could lead players through their shared history, allowing players to witness exactly what drove the Salieris and the Morellos apart, while also creating a new layer of depth to their story.
Other than rumors and speculation, little is known about the new Mafia game currently in development, but it would be very interesting to see a prequel for the first game. Don Salieri, along with Leo Galante, remains one of the most influential characters of the franchise, and putting him in the spotlight only to reveal how he managed to make his connections and build his crime empire could allow for new gameplay and plot threads. And with the success of the Mafia: Definitive Edition, Mafia 4 possibly being a prequel is only heightening fans excitement about the new title, especially if Salieri's earlier years can be captured as skillfully as those of Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part 2.
