Empire of Sin

While there are many strengths to this impressive strategy/roleplaying/city building combination, its control issues and bugs have the potential to ruin the player's immersion. For instance, one wrong move or failed skill check during a mission for your henchment in Empire of Sin can throw an entire run off course, so saving frequently is a must, which occasionally feels like a distraction. In combat, it's too easy to mis-click an unwanted action or accidentally place a character outside of their allotted movement range. These small missteps add up rather quickly and have a tangible effect on tasks that are dependent on the proper pacing and player focus.

This being said, hardcore strategy game lovers will find it worth the hassle. The most notable accomplishment of Empire of Sin is that it doesn't back down from what it wants to be. Pushing boundaries in games, in this case by including so many moving pieces, will always be risky, but it's better in the long run rather than playing it safe. Empire of Sin could have been much simpler by only including one or even two tasks to focus on, but simpler isn't always better. Setting the bar higher also means that there's more opportunities for patches and bug fixes that may lead to this title fulfilling its full potential, even if it's not there on release day. Warnings regarding flaws aside, the most important takeaway from Empire of Sin is that it's a lot of fun. When you're on a run where everything's coming together, players definitely get the feeling that they are unstoppable. Taking risks and surviving another day always makes hearts skip a beat, and if draws such as aiming to refine battle strategy won't make players come back for more, the goals of finishing an intriguing quest storyline or managing the most profitable casino will.