At launch, Romero Games’ Prohibition-era organized crime strategy game Empire of Sin was widely criticized by reviewers and gamers for its myriad technical problems, exploits and balancing issues. Still, even as critics expressed frustration that the game’s ambitious blend of real-time strategy, role-playing and management simulation gameplay launched in such a flawed state, many acknowledged Empire of Sin‘s potential to become what was initially promised.
Thankfully for fans, Romero Games isn’t giving up on the game. Since launch, it has formed the Community Council, a group of dedicated and vocal players who give their honest feedback, which the developers have used to implement necessary changes to the game. Now, at PDXCON, Romero Games has announced the first major content drops that will be coming to Empire of Sin: the paid-DLC Make It Count and a free update entitled Precincts.
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Post-Launch Patches So Far
In the months following the game’s launch, Romero Games has released several major patches. The two most significant changes so far have been fixing issues related to Safehouses and adding auto-resolve to combat. Originally, Safehouses were way too easy to find, meaning that players could simply show up, kill the enemy boss and take over their rackets instead of using strategic and meticulous planning as the game intends.
With update 1.03, Safehouses were changed to initially look like any other building, meaning players will need to put in the work to identify them first. The 1.04 update then fixed an exploit so that Safehouses would now double normal passive healing rather than instant healing. On top of that, attacking a racket is now considered an act of war, meaning that players will need to think hard about whether a single speakeasy is worth going to war over. This encourages a more diplomatic and varied approach to gameplay.
Additionally, Empire of Sin now has auto-resolve for combat, meaning players can see how a fight will go and what options they have in the situation. Players initially complained that the game had too many fights, all of which needed to be handled manually. Now, players can choose to either fight manually or select “Auto-Resolve” to deal with the fight based on the projected odds.
Earlier this week, Romero Games launched the “Gangster Update,” which is meant to be the final patch focused primarily on bug fixes and bringing the game in line with what players hoped it would be at launch. The latest changes include an update weapon proficiency system and improvements to the game’s controls and missions. Following this update, the team will be focusing on new content rather than game balancing and stabilization — and the new content announced so far looks promising.
Make It Count
Empire of Sin‘s first piece of paid-DLC will be Make It Count, and it’s launching later this year. The expansion adds a new boss and a new profession to the game. Many of the game’s crime bosses are depictions of real mobsters from that era, and Make It Count will add Meyer Lansky. In addition to co-founding the organized crime group Murder, Inc., Lansky was known for his association with the Jewish mob and developing the National Crime Syndicate, an organization that brought together criminal groups of different ethnicities. In Empire of Sin, Lansky provides a new level of strategy and action, as he’s good with both a gun and numbers. He comes with a boss mission and five unique gangsters.
The expansion will introduce even more ways to play the game. There’s a new profession called “The Fixer,” which the developers have compared to Mike from Breaking Bad. The Fixer’s job is mediating conflicts between gangsters and dealing with economics. This fits well with another feature Make It Count will add: the option to set up a loan shark empire. These will have to be run out of existing businesses, and players will need to have a Fixer on staff to unlock it as an option. Building a loan shark empire will require players to think about investments and risk, making it a new and fresh way to experience the game.
Precincts
Not all of Empire of Sin‘s new content will be locked behind a paywall. Launching alongside Make It Count, the free Precincts update will add plenty of new features that allow players to better manage their empire. The update introduces Precincts, which make locations matter more than ever before. With them, player can manage neighborhoods and cut off enemy supply lines by growing their own turf — or have their own supply lines cut off by a rival’s expansion.
The centerpiece of each Precinct is the Depot; taking over a Depot will award control of the precinct. Players can use their Depots to buy upgrades and improvements for their empire, such as adding a lawyer service or building a shooting range. Since upgrades are finite, players will need to choose wisely. As for other Depots, it’s possible to rob one with taking it over, which is good for those who aren’t ready to expand their empire. Depots can also be weakened by attacking rackets within Precincts first.
Other features included in the update will be improvements that simplify the interface and new ways to win the game outside of taking out the other bosses. A major goal of both Make It Count and Precincts seems to be adding variety to gameplay and missions so that it is less combat-heavy and there are more ways to solve mission outside of outright violence. Precincts will
Modders will also be happy to learn that Empire of Sin will start supporting mods with this update, which the developers have said will be expanded with later DLC. Overall, these changes appear to revitalize Empire of Sin, particularly combating the mid to late-game slump some players have experienced. Whether or not they purchase the premium expansion, the game looks to be moving in a positive direction by adding more variety than there was before.
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