Urban Empire PC

Urban Empire for PC is an economic, city-building simulation game. It was developed by the Finish Fragment Productions studio that created the Rescue series, and published by Kalypso Media.

Mechanics

The action of Urban Empire for PC starts in 1820 and takes place over the course of two hundred years. As decades go by, both the technology and geopolitical conditions change, which constantly provides new challenges. In total, we can play throughout five primary historical periods.

In most games of this genre the player is an impersonal manager of a city, or a mayor at best. In Urban Empire, on the other hand, we control an entire family from which the subsequent mayors originate. Starting out, we choose between four families that have unique traits, defects, and philosophies of development. For example, for Kilgannons, social justice is a priority, while the surname of Sant’Elias is connected to the belief that better life is ensured by scientific progress.

In the game, we obviously have to fulfill typical responsibilities of a mayor. Therefore, it is necessary to build infrastructure, plan the districts layout, drive the economic growth as well as to ensure our citizens’ satisfaction and solve their problems. The technological changes, such as electric trams, antibiotics, or the appearance of electronic games, bring both challenges and opportunities to improve the life of our society.

To a large extent, the game focuses on the unofficial aspects of being a mayor, not only the professional responsibilities. Therefore, apart from traditional tasks connected to managing a city, we also have to engage in political and personal affairs. It is necessary to influence members of the city council and to corrupt or blackmail those who oppose us. Such actions have to be done in secrecy in order to keep our family’s name perfectly clean and thus allow our kin to win subsequent elections. The gameplay is enriched by over eight hundred events that require us to making decisions fraught with dire consequences. These choices are forced by, for example, the appearance of the hippie subculture, the beginning of the struggle for the gender equality, or the increasing opposition against compelling children to work.

Last updated on 25 November 2016