Empire Of Sin: Video Overview Games

Paradox interactive increasingly proves that it knows how not only to develop complex global strategies, but also publish projects of other genres – such as the Gangster tactic Empire of Sin from Romero Games. Developers are also not mistake: spouses Romero (John Romero, Brenda Romero) made a name for real masterpieces – about the merits of John in creating Doom, Quake And other hits ID Software You also know, and the brand, for a minute, was a game designer Wizardry 8 and screenwriter series Jagged Alliance.

W Empire of Sin It was all for a good start, but it seems that we are just the case when it was worth a little.

Sin City

On the feasibility of introducing a dry law in the United States in 1920 in 1920, it is possible to argue long, but the fact remains a fact: the consequences of this prohibition there were many, one of the most important was the emergence of many criminal empires, which were forged almost all the lives of large American cities. Chicago is the most vivid example: Italian mafia, and all the American organized crime of that time is associated with this city. Not far from the truth – already something, and the gangster groups, big and small, in those times enough.

No wonder the authors Empire of Sin They made an emphasis on the variety of criminal communities and their leaders: the player can choose from almost one and a half dozen bosses, among which there are both celebrities, including Al Capone and Dina O’Benion and exotic, like a variant of great-grandmother Romero.

Bosses vary by appearance applied in battle skills, as well as features acting on the whole criminal empire. For example, the costs of production in brewery under the control of the Chicago Syndicate will be less, and Al Kapone himself knows how to shoot on the suppression of the machine. It seems that this should ensure the uniqueness of the wage for each of the groups, but in fact it does not happen: the consequences of the initial selection you will notice except on the battlefield, and the economic and diplomatic bonuses remain behind the scenes (why do you tell a little later).The gang requires a clear structure, but in fact, the bonuses from the occupied posts are invisible. Sometimes this hierarchy does not work and literally – because of the bugs it is impossible to choose the desired position.
The second (and last) important difference between one leader from the other – a unique prehistory, pouring into a long chain of quests. It is not necessary to perform them, but for a lot of dive does not prevent – if you do not get tired of running at different ends of the card, of course.

A lot of attention is paid to the dialogues – EOS wants to be like a role-playing game. But all such reneresses towards RPG, like checking skills during conversations, turn out to be a fiction: you will not be entrusted with important decisions (if you get out your line, then you will get some money on top of the synthesis), moreover, the boss pumps the parameters to the maximum very quicklyDue to what is able to convince any interlocutor in its right.

Brigade

To help the head of the gang, you can hire up to ten subordinates by selecting you like from the fifth characters for every taste. If the buildings defend ordinary faceless guards, these bandits for study are not inferior to bosses: In stock A memorable appearance, prehistory, a unique tree of pumping and a set of skills, both start-up and received during the game.

These guys do not mind to talk with the bosses in our face, and the consequences of this conversation can be very unexpected: for example, one of the fighters left my gang when I refused to help his friend. Each character has comrades and enemies, which should be considered when selecting a team.
But more interesting is another – character relationship system. Each bandit has their friends and enemies (and even lovers) among the other representatives of the criminal world of Chicago. The war began with a neighbor, and the old buddy of one of your mafiosi goes? Be prepared for the fact that the latter will refuse to shoot in a friend, and even runs away at all if his friend perits from your hand. The death of a sworn enemy, on the contrary, will only please.

It is noticeable that the developers tried to make as much bright and memorable NPCs as possible, and with this task they coped perfectly. On the other hand, with a variety of explicitly bust here: the abundance of female characters, including among the bosses, every second gangster is an African American (which in those times was the exception to the rules), and if you look greatly, you can find hints for same-sex relationshipsone sweet couple gangsters.

As a result, considerable problems appear with the atmosphere of criminal chicago. Yes, stylish jazz music, yes, beautiful locations in the spirit of the most 20s, but to preserve the adherence to the “agenda” to developers turned out to be much more important than ensuring reliability. I do not deny the right authors of the game for your own opinion (besides, it is also possible to find single examples confirming their point of view), but the bloody disassembly of the 20th century, in which the majority of participants are women and blacks, personally, I have a weakly associated with gangsters of dry law.The diplomatic system in EOS is no worse than in global strategies from Paradox Interactive.

Boardwalk Empire

In strategic terms, the relationship with the realities of the time is better: the key features of the game are tightly tied to illegal trading filming, gambling business and sanguage.

IN Empire of Sin Chicago is divided into areas (their number, like the number of gangs, the player chooses before the campaign), in each of which there are several buildings of various types: Bords, brewery, underground bars, casinos and hotels. Brewership, as it is clear from their name, produce alcohol, in bars it is implemented, public and gambling houses bring a permanent profit, and hotels serve to increase the number of customers who write their money in the aforementioned establishments.

Three more types of buildings are buildings for sale, abandoned houses and refuge. The first can be purchased on legal grounds, the second waiting for their new owners, who will clean up the “abandon” from a small number of unorganized bandits and will be allowed to be in the case (however, instead of building business, it is possible to make everything valuable or to burn the building of the Dotley), the latter serve the heart of the wholeGrouping. Each gang may have only one shelter in each area, and there, as a rule, the boss itself lives with numerous security.

In general, the global regime in EOS Under to become a serious economic strategy: the player is responsible for the entire spectrum of issues related to illegal (and legal too) – from the production and storage of alcohol before the expansion of the client base. It is noticeable that the authors tried to move away from the primitive system “Buying cheaper – sell more expensive”: the inhabitants of different areas prefer different drinks, the casino can go bankrupt because of the lucky armor, and the habit of leaving someone from the characters to help ordinary guards may resultto the development of alcoholism from your handicrafts. Buildings can be improved – to increase attractiveness, expand the range of drinks produced or, important, enhance protection.Perhaps in future patches, the global regime will work properly and the study of detailed reports will be needed. While they can not pay attention to them, studying only the war.
Without it anywhere – do not forget that there are other gangs in the city. For the time being they retain neutrality, but one day they can choose a power solution to the issue. Something that happens on the city map reminds typical 4x from Paradox: AI has the same capabilities as the player (except for the fulfillment of quests), fight and be friends not only with him, but also. A rich diplomatic system only strengthens this impression: Trade, War and Armistice, Unions, Dani pay – everything is in place.

Bay first

But one desire to look like a real strategy is not enough – the economy does not really work because of bugs and problems with the balance, and the confusing interface only complicates the understanding of the processes. Reports on the state of affairs in the underground empire lacks clarity, so it is accurate to understand how the player’s decisions are influenced by the city’s life (and if at all affects), almost unreal.

You can begin to capture all buildings in a row without thinking whether the opening of another brewery will lead to bankruptcy or unnecessary to the police. Copy, judging by the educational advice, should actively climb into the criminal life of the city, but in all the passing their participation was limited only by random intervention in street shootouts with other gangs.It seems that the real Al Capone has communicated in a different way with the staff of her brothels.
Moreover, for victory, this whole from the diplomacy and business development is not needed at all. Already putting on his feet and slightly pumping three-four fighters led by the boss, you can safely go to the seizure of the asylum of the first neighbor. Tactical battles are pretty simple, and after the murder of the leader enemy gang, all its property automatically passes under the control of the player. Money is starting to flow the river, but they just have nowhere to spend: For the equipment of the fighters, there are enough trophies mined in battles, and with the new gangsters inhibits a leisurely growing level of fame (especially since enough small team). As a result, economic development becomes simply meaningless.

Step-by-step battles also do not stand out. Yes, they are easy to do, but this is not a merit Romero Games, and cleanly copied from XCOM two-phase tactical system with percentage probability of hit – you can not find anything new here, with the exception of fresh bugs and problems with the balance. For example, some skills are so strong that they allow the player to leave the winner of the battles with a strongly superior opponent even at the start of the campaign. Do not add battles of attractiveness mediocre animation and in general the outdated technical part – there is no even degradability.

If you remember the famous aphorism Al Capone about the kind word and pistol, then in EOS explicit distortion in favor of the last. The easiest way to victory is the war, but permanent battles are bored, turning quickly into the routine on the infertility grinding of enemies.

Tactical battles almost completely copy battles from the last XCOM.
***
Empire of Sin Looks like a unsorted glass of potentially interesting game-designer ideas. There are a lot of them, and if they worked as needed in a single bunch – the economy affects diplomacy, and she looks at the combat system, – then it would be more interesting to play. However, all these “feathers” are not only broken by bugs, but also exist by themselves, why are they become useless somewhere, and somewhere simply boring.

It seems that developers are trite not enough time to build a holistic image of the game. Indirect confirmation of the release of the release of the release. But it did not save it – hence the main flaws just at the junction of systems, like a meager awards for quests together with huge prices for weapons in the store and the lack of need to buy it.

Perhaps a few patches EOS will reach “commendable”. But while forget about the “kind word” and “just business” – unfortunately, now for the capture of Chicago is just one gun al1.

Pros: memorable images of gangsters;Relationship system between characters.

Minuses: bugs, including those that are not allowed to go through the game;Strategic regime does not work as conceived;skew gameplay towards the battle;Uncomfortable interface economy.