Paradox Interactive showcased Empire of Sin at PDXCON 2019 and Screen Rant had a chance to try an early build of the game. Empire of Sin was announced during Nintendo’s E3 2019 Direct as a new strategy/simulation title developed by Romero Games. The current release window for Empire of Sin is Spring 2020 and it’s set to launch on macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Empire of Sin is set in Chicago during the Prohibition-era of American history. The player takes on the role of a boss as they try to forge a criminal empire out of the illegal booze business. The problem is that there are other bosses who also want to rule the city and conflicts between gangsters rarely end in anything other than bloodshed. The ticking clock of the end of Prohibition means the player has thirteen years to accomplish their goal.

Screen Rant had a chance to try out several demos for upcoming Paradox Interactive games at PDXCON, including some hands-on time with Surviving the Aftermath. The Empire of Sin demo gave us a few options for a boss and we chose Al Capone, who has a special ability that allows him to fire off a volley of bullets in one round. The game starts with the boss needing to take over a local brewery in order to establish their first business. The city of Chicago has a huge map that works in real-time and it’s here that the player can conduct business through different menus (such as upgrading buildings) and move their characters to new locations. Once the boss enters the brewery, the combat section of the game begins and it will look familiar to fans of the gameplay of the XCOM series.

The action in Empire of Sin plays out as tactical battles involving moving gangsters around small maps and hiding behind cover. The enemies in our skirmish were pistol-wielding thugs who wouldn’t look out of place on Peaky Blinders. It was here where we discovered a glitch, as the animation for Capone’s special move didn’t end until his next turn. Capone was happily firing his machine gun into the air while thugs moved around him. Brenda Romero said that the game was in-between the alpha and beta stages of development, so we were told to expect bugs going in. The demo featured several glitches, such as bodies moving erratically when they hit the ground, so it’s clear that the game still needs a bit of polish before release.

Once the first battle ended, it’s time to hire powerful gangsters to join the team. The gangsters are similar to the boss in that they have unique qualities and special abilities that change over the course of the game. The raw might of the gangsters comes with a steep price, as they each want a percentage of the entire operation in order to risk their neck in battle. The new three-man team was able to take on a second illicit establishment, where it was a lot easier to carve through a group of opponents thanks to the extra firepower.

The player quickly earns the attention of a rival boss and a sit-down between the two is initiated. The only way to end the sit-down in the demo is through a battle, but the final version of the game will use events like this as a means of offering diplomacy between enemies. It’s during this battle that we had a chance to see the execution mechanic in action, as it’s possible to finish off wounded enemies in an extremely bloody fashion. Executing foes has a chance of scaring both allies and enemies, and using it too much can make your boss cruel and give them a reputation similar to that of a serial killer. The demo ended with the death of the rival boss and his cronies, leaving Al Capone with control of Chicago.

Empire of Sin has a lot of promise for fans of strategy games, as the small-scale of the battles contrasts well with the business aspect of creating a criminal empire. It’s clear that the game is still in need of some work in the bug-fixing department, but we could clearly see what the final product wants to accomplish within the demo. The Romeros would like to expand Empire of Sin to cover crime across America and if the retail version of the game is as entertaining as the demo, then they might get their wish.

Empire of Sin Features

  • Build A Crime Empire - Raise your criminal empire from the ground up by selecting your racket of choice (be it speakeasies, union protection, or casinos) and building a team of loyal mobsters to make your mark on the streets. Once you make a name for yourself, expand your influence by taking over rival territory and add more endeavors to your repertoire. Defend and Expand Territory - If it comes to blows, hypothetically of course, and your posse needs to send a message, face off in brutal turn-based combat. Strategically recruit your goons and build a strong chemistry within your crew to maximize combat damage and help secure your hold on the city. Living, Breathing World - Explore the streets of vibrant 1920s Chicago and interact with a full cast of living, breathing characters each with lives of their own that inform how they react to what you do (or don’t do). Schmooze, coerce, seduce, threaten, or kill them to get your way. Wield Your Influence - Make and break alliances, bribe cops, and trade on the black market to raise your faction rating and expand your crime family. But always keep your enemies close and ensure you have a mole on the inside and eyes everywhere. Multiple Victory Strategies - Whether you make it to the top with violence, social influence, or city-wide notoriety, there are a number of ways to become King or Queen of Chicago. With various starting conditions and constantly changing crew dynamics, no two playthroughs will ever be the same.

Next: The 10 Best Crime Video Games Ever, Ranked

Empire of Sin releases for macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in Spring 2020.