Strategy game Empire of Sin's second chance: "It became a group effort"

Empire of Sin

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 just received a new expansion and free patch today that's aimed at giving the prohibition-era strategy game a second wind. Paradox's recent quarterly report mentioned that Empire of Sin didn't sell as well as expected, and reviews from the game's launch window - like ours - were positive but full of caveats.

Not hitting the initial mark is always a possibility, game director Brenda Romero tells us in an in an interview. "There's always the risk that the game is not going to meet expectations in some regard. That comes with the territory. You could win a BAFTA for a game, or it could just go right down the middle of the road."

The lion's share of the incoming improvements comes from the free Precinct update, which overhauls aspects of the management layer, as well as filling the act of growing your underground empire with more strategic choices. The inclusion of a new 'depot' building means that certain battles become more meaningful, and the need for supply lines and expansion via adjoining precincts means you have to focus your attention. Do you want to take over your local neighbourhood, or make a beeline for another neighbourhood and set up shop there?

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Empire of Sin will get a free 'Precinct Update' this year that adds mod support