| Empire of Sin | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Romero Games |
| Publisher(s) | Paradox Interactive |
| Engine | Unity[1] |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch |
| Release | December 1, 2020 |
| Genre(s) | Strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Empire of Sin hits all the marks. TheGamer 4.5/5; No matter what aspects of strategy gaming you enjoy, Empire of Sin will satisfy you. Windows Central 4.5/5; A strategy you can't refuse. Empire of Sin is a new strategy game brought to you by Romero Games and Paradox Interactive that puts you at the heart of the ruthless criminal underworld of 1920s Prohibition-era Chicago.
Empire of Sin is a strategy video game being developed by Romero Games and published by Paradox Interactive. It was released on December 1, 2020 for Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. In the game, the player takes the role of one of several mob bosses inspired by real-life figures in Chicago during the Prohibition era. The player uses their boss to control the actions of their underlings to take over opponents' business and recruit new members to their cause while defending their own empire from the other bosses.
Gameplay[edit]
Empire of Sin plays as a turn-based strategy game with the player taking the role of a crime boss in the Prohibition era, starting anew in 1920 and trying to gain control of Chicago by 1933.[2] As the boss, they can enlist up to 16 underlings from 60 potential ones to manage their empire of questionable businesses, such as speakeasies, casinos, and brothels, protecting them from the law and rival mafia gangs, while trying to extend their own influence by taking over others.[3] The game uses alcohol as a type of currency to extend the empire's influence. Alcohol can be made by breweries under the player's control, given to the player by allies, or rewarded as part of completing various missions. The quality of alcohol can impact its influence; poor quality alcohol can be made cheaply and initially sold at a high profit, but over time will lose its value.[2]
Taking over another business may involve direct combat, during which the game enters a turn-based strategy game similar to X-Com, or can occur through other persuasive means, including short-term alliances with other gangs to defeat a common foe. Combat and other situations are impacted by various traits and perks the characters have, and may cause them to act differently from the player's orders. For example, a character with the 'Hair Trigger' trait may fire their weapon rather than moving to cover when ordered. These traits can change over the course of a game; an underling may become more accustomed to solving problems through violent means the more they are put in such conditions, for example.[4]
Controlling more territory gives the gang boss more funds to better arm their underlings or to recruit new members. The game is partially roguelike in nature as the businesses on the game's map reallocate each playthrough, and new characters are generated with different perks each time.[5] Some have compared Empire of Sin as a successor to the 1999 game Mob Rule.[3]
Development[edit]
Empire of Sin is being developed by the wife-and-husband team Brenda and John Romero of Romero Games, with Brenda as the lead designer. According to John, Brenda's past game development history which included the Wizardry video game series and board games based on historical scenarios, had given her great insights into role-playing games (RPG) and creating gameplay systems that focused on character interactions. The Prohibition era ideas behind Empire of Sin had been something she wanted to do for 20 years.[5] This led to the pair seeking Paradox Interactive as their publishing partner given that Paradox is well known for historical simulation games.[5]
The game was first revealed as part of Nintendo's Direct presentation at E3 2019. It is planned for release on Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch.[5] While its initial release was planned for the second quarter of 2020, Romero Games announced the game would be delayed until December 1, 2020 for additional polish.[6][7]
Reception[edit]
| Reception | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Empire of Sin received 'mixed or average' reviews on the PC version, and 'generally unfavorable reviews' for the PlayStation 4 version, according to Metacritic.
References[edit]
- ^Romero, Brenda (July 23, 2020). 'Game-developer Brenda Romero states Unity as the game-engine during an AMA on Reddit - Ask Me Anything 2020'. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ^ abO'Brien, Lucy (August 21, 2019). 'Empire of Sin Is XCOM Meets Boardwalk Empire, and It Looks Brilliant - Gamescom 2019'. IGN. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ abIP, Chris (June 17, 2019). ''Empire of Sin' looks like a new-school 'Mob Rule''. Engadget. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^Gwaltrey, Javy (June 17, 2019). 'Empire Of Sin'. Game Informer. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^ abcdGlagowski, Peter (June 17, 2019). 'Empire of Sin is a dream game for John and Brenda Romero'. Destructoid. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^Priestman, Chris (February 18, 2020). 'Empire of Sin has been delayed until autumn 2020'. PC Gamer. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
- ^Romano, Sal (September 17, 2020). 'Empire of Sin launches December 1'. Gematsu. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
External links[edit]
More Empire of Sin Guides:
- Economy Guide.
- Neighborhood Guide.
- Diplomacy Guide.
- Gangster Guide.
- Missions Guide.
- Events Guide.
- Racket Guide.
Combat
Diplomacy can only get you so far. Sometimes things are gonna get nasty between you and your rivals - so you’re gonna need to know how to fight. Combat in Empire of Sin is turn-based, and requires a lot of strategy in order to come out on top.
Attributes
First thing you have to know are the combat capabilities of you, your gangsters, and the enemies and allies you’ll be fighting with. These are represented by a few attributes:
- Health (HP): Displays the amount of health your character has and how much damage they can take.
- Marksmanship: How likely a character is to hit a selected target with a ranged weapon. 1 point of Marksmanship is equal to 1% chance to hit with a ranged weapon.
- Melee: How likely a character is to hit a selected target with a melee weapon. 1 point of Melee is equal to 1% chance to hit with a melee weapon.
- Initiative: Controls a character’s position in the combat queue. The higher a character’s initiative, the earlier they get to take their turn in combat.
- Movement: How far a character can move during combat. 1 Movement is equal to 1 tile.
- Defense Bonus: Displays defensive bonuses that are currently being applied to the character. Defense reduces the chance for enemies to hit you. 1 Defense is equal to -1% chance to hit for the enemy.
The Combat Screen
Taking Turns
Combat in Chicago isn’t totally lawless - even the most immoral gangsters follow the same rules. Combat is turn-based: you’ll see an indicator of the queue for turns at the top of the screen once combat starts. You’ll have to wait ’til your turn comes around to take an action. A character’s initiative decides their place in the queue - in most situations your Boss will have the highest initiative, allowing you to usually make the first move.
Action Points
Action Points determine how much your characters can do in a turn. Each character starts a round with two AP - different actions use different amounts of AP. Movement can cost 1 or 2 AP depending on the distance travelled (the distances are decided by a character’s Movement attribute). In the below screenshot, possible movement is displayed in two colors. A tile being white means it would cost 1 AP to move to it, whereas it costs two AP to move to a yellow tile.
Cover
Taking cover is your primary way of protecting you and your crew from the bullets, bombs, and punches that start flying once a fight breaks out. Cover is provided by things in the environment. There are two kinds of cover - half cover and full cover. These two types of cover are represented in individual tiles by a half shield and a shield, respectively. Half Cover gives a +15 Defense Bonus while Full Cover gives a +30 Defense Bonus.
Flanking
The defensive advantage given by a bonus can be overcome, however. If an enemy moves behind you and your cover option, you lose your defensive bonus, and worse, you are now flanked. The enemy gains a 30% crit-bonus when attacking you. Flanking your enemies while avoiding being flanked is an important part of your positioning.
Abilities
Actions are triggered from the Action Bar. There’s a large range of actions to use in combat - from standard ‘Fire’ action that shoots your currently equipped weapon at your target, to the profession specific abilities like ‘Sucker Punch’ or ‘Meat Hook’. Each of these actions has its own AP cost.
Let's take the basic Fire action as an example:
- Using the Fire action with a pistol or any other secondary weapon will only consume 1 AP and will not end your character's turn. This allows you to fire any secondary weapon twice, or move and fire, or fire and move.
- However, using the Fire action with a Submachine Gun, Rifle or Shotgun will still only cost 1AP, but will end your character’s turn when activated.
- Meanwhile, the Fire action for Heavy Machine Guns and Sniper Rifles costs 2AP to use.
Overwatch
Overwatch is a powerful ability that allows you to set a character to watch over a small part of the combat area. Any enemy character moving in the Overwatch zone during their turn will trigger an Overwatch shot in reaction. This area is relative to the range of the currently equipped weapon, and is represented by a cone in front of the character.
Once you confirm the Overwatch action, and depending on your character's current position, they will take aim over their overwatch zone. If your character is behind a full cover object, a pillar for example, this will cause the character to step-out from behind the pillar, removing their cover bonus and making them vulnerable to enemy fire. This vulnerability ensures that Overwatch isn’t used as a ‘fire and forget’ ability. You’ll need to take into account enemy positions and lines of sight before you set your Overwatch area.
Overwatch can be interrupted by dealing damage to the overwatching character.
Sal’s Tips
I ain’t much for fighting myself, but I’ve witnessed enough gang wars and turf disputes in this city to have picked up a thing or two about shoot-outs. Here are some tips for keepin’ you and your crew alive when the lead starts flying.
Empire Of Sin Bosses
- Keep your Crew Geared: Your crew members are your family and your toolbox in this city. They’ll help you get the job done. But they’ll need to be kept well geared if they’re going to last more than 5 minutes. Remember to frequently check your crew members weapons, utility and equipment slots for upgrades or to replace used items. The Black Market will help keep you stocked up if you’re running low on supplies.
- Mean Streets of Chicago: Chicago is a busy place with lots of movers and shakers. It ain’t just the major factions at play in this town. You’ve gotta keep your eyes peeled whenever you’re on the streets, ‘cause you never know who’s just around the corner. Whenever you enter Ambush mode, you should always pay special attention to the combat queue at the top of the screen. This will tell you who’s nearby and who will get drawn into your fight if you start one.
- Know Your Exits: If you find yourself in a sticky situation and the odds ain’t in your favor, you should consider haulin’ your keister out of there. There ain’t no coming back from dying, for you or your gangsters. Escaping from combat can save your life. Always make sure to know where your escape points are located. These are the white tiles highlighted around doors and around the edge of the combat area when fighting outside.
- Making the most of an Ambush: There’s nothing like gettin’ the drop on your enemies while they have their pants down around their ankles. Out on the streets, pressing ambush mode will let you get the drop on enemy squads. Move each of your guys into position and set them to Overwatch on your targets. Once you’re set up, use your last crew member to initiate the fight. Now sit back and watch your enemies get gunned down as they run into your perfectly placed overwatch area. Pure perfection!
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