Empire of Sin is a turn-based strategy and management game with basic RPG elements.
The turn-based battles are like in many similar games. Your character has 2 APs and most actions cost 1. Initiative decides in which order characters act. Every character has special abilities you unlock through leveling them up.
A basic skill tree lets you decide which ability you want to unlock. To learn the new ability your character needs a few days/weeks.
Gameplay
So, how are these turn-based battles compared to other games? For €40, I expected these battles to be deep and tactical. They are not. They are just basic overall. The AI acts stupid and is not dangerous at all. Most battles seem like a joke and even though you get shot and hurt, it doesn’t get dangerous. I expect the fights to be a chore later in the game.
It’s just too easy and nothing compared to the average TBS game (let alone XCOM). This is the most basic and un-tactical a turn-based strategy game can get.
Also, the accuracy of shots seems arbitrary. Standing 2 tiles away from the target, it shows an accuracy of 25%. Moving closer, it shows 56%. Even then: Standing in front of the target and I don’t even have an accuracy of 50%? There are countless examples of how absurd the accuracy is overall.
It doesn’t feel right. Most shots, mine, not the enemies’, hit the target even though I get an accuracy of 26% or something. Even considering the different types of weapons (shotgun, pistol, machine gun), it’s just ridiculous.
Story-wise it’s pretty interesting. The voice acting is good enough but nothing special and the writing is okay. The movements of characters in cutscenes are monotonous. Every character seems to just have two different animations and most of the time they don’t fit what they say.
It seems cheap. Paired with the graphics (which aren’t good and also seem like they went for something better but couldn’t achieve it and just rolled with it) it looks borderline comical most of the time.
So, how about the management aspect of the game?
I didn’t play that long, but it’s very detailed and probably the biggest and best aspect of the game. You can do every little thing with your businesses and interact with every other gang.
You can go and attack some other gangs, destroy their buildings, take them, or just rob them. You can talk with bosses, negotiate with them, or just ignore them. Diplomacy is the key to a successful business. And then there’s also the police.
Every boss and all of your characters have their personality. They are loyal to different gangs and have different characteristics.
This all seems very good. I did not play long enough to give a final judgment about that part of the game, but I expect it to be the main attraction of this game.
Summary
Overall, the game feels very clunky and cheap considering it costs €40. I definitely can’t recommend it for that price. Similar games of the genre are WAY cheaper and do it better. There aren’t many games that combine turn-based fights with management like Empire of Sin does, but looking at it as a turn-based strategy game, considering that at least half of the game consists of that, it’s just not good enough.
Wait for a sale. I don’t expect them to change the TBS part of the game. They need to completely revamp it, probably.
Even if you’re just (or mainly) into the management part of the game, I don’t think it’s worth full price now. It definitely doesn’t have the quality of other games with a price tag like that.
Links
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