Following its delay earlier this year, Brenda and John Romero’s intriguing mobster-themed strategy game Empire of Sin finally has a release date; it’ll be making its way to Xbox One, PS4, Switch, and PC – possibly in a tommy gun spray of bullets – on 1st December.
Empire of Sin unfolds across the seedier side of life in 1920s Prohibition-era Chicago, with players attempting to build up their fledging crime empire – using a combination of business smarts, intimidation, and, where necessary, extreme violence – and to “schmooze, coerce, seduce, threaten, or kill” their way to becoming mob king or queen of the city.
Budding crime bosses will need to assemble a crew of loyal cohorts – each with their own traits and relationships – in order to keep their businesses ticking over, and there are a number of additional tools and tricks available in their quest for citywide domination.
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Players can, for example, bribe or black market trade their way to success, even establish protection rackets or relatively respectable fronts for their dodgy business ventures – including speakeasies, breweries, casinos, and brothels. And when violence really is the only answer, there’s turn-based tactical combat, reminiscent of XCOM.
Empire of Sin will cost £34.99/$39.99 USD when it arrives on 1st December, and a number of special editions will launch alongside the standard version.
The Deluxe Edition includes the base game, four recruitable gangsters, the Golden Weapon Set (featuring three exclusive weapon skins plus “Romero” gun sound effects), and the Curb Stomp Execution animation. In addition to all that, a Premium Edition grants access to a pair of post-launch expansions and the “stylish” Al Capone’s Fur Coat costume.
Lastly, those that pre-order the game on Xbox One, PS4, Switch, or PC will get the The Good Son Pack, featuring an exclusive in-game mission – in which Cyril Mcrae attempts to reconnect with his estranged father – and a recruitable gangster.
