Empire of Sin

They have abandoned the game completely. DIdnt even give us the full season pass worth of dlc first. Its riddled with bugs, some that are even game breaking or will lock your playthrough. Not to mention so much of the content is hollow and boring after a few times. I really wanted this game to be good. I would love to play a good Xcom style mafia themed game. But this one is NOT it!

I'm gonna leave this as a thumbs down till we get that second expansion I paid for. Edit: Review pending on quality of the new expansion. It's been years so we'll see.

I kept coming back to this game because I love the genre. And to be fair, I think [i]Empire of Sin[/i] has an overall aesthetically pleasing set of presentation values. From the music in the background to the sound effects to the styling--you name it, this game brings a lot of style to deliver on its promise. I just like the look, feel, and so much about it. I think that's why I couldn't give up on it. I bought it and refunded it at least twice before finally picking it up as cheap as it's ever likely to get during the 2024 summer sales. Beyond mere looks, I can also say there's a fair bit of compelling game play to be had here. The turn-based combat portion is enjoyable to a point. I like the variety in classes of criminal and the different skill trees they bring to the table. I don't think it all works quite as well as some other games with similar mechanics, but I've tried a couple different bosses and can honestly say there's room to play in different ways. I think my favorite is Sai Wing Mock for his ability to throw devastating poison bombs. It's such a powerful skill, especially when you can make him a melee brawler and do it again after three turns of cutting down fools with single strikes. But here's why I have to give this game an overall yet qualified negative review: it just doesn't hold up for long. For the first six to ten hours I was still running into new things, learning, and enjoying finding my way in the gangster world. But somewhere around that time frame I'd pretty much seen it all. I hung on until hour fifteen because I'd basically been screwed over by Al Capone and swore myself an oath I'd put him in the ground. Doing so was very satisfying, though it was as long protracted battle that cost me one good gang member to wounds and another due to affairs of the heart. But beyond that, there's honestly little to no reason to keep playing. I'm already clearly the most powerful faction in the entire game. Expanding into other neighborhoods and taking over more rackets has essentially become grunt work. And the promise of what's left for me is... well... doing that same thing over and over again in the next neighborhood and the next and the next and... I just don't think it holds up for long. The bugs and obviously re-worked systems don't help either. I've run into a few real show-stopper bugs along the way. And I hate how some of the mechanics--like the adjacency requirement for precincts, the lines connecting one neighborhood to another, etc.--feel like they were added simply to pad runtime. For crying out loud, I'm playing as a criminal: I'm [i]supposed[/i] to ignore rules and red lines in the sand! Sheesh. In the final analysis, I absolutely got my money's worth. I paid something like $10 for the game and had a solid 10+ hours of genuine fun. I'm a real sucker for this genre of games, so if you're like me and are desperate for another title in this under-served field, then you could probably have fun with it too. But I think for most players it's just not going to be worth your money. There are plenty of better games out there. Especially now that the publisher and/or developers have basically stopped working on the game, even screwing people who bought the promised second DLC out of their money. The game isn't great as it is, and it's just not going to get any better it seems. What a pity.

Biggest scam Paradox has ever committed. They abandoned the game before publishing the 2nd Expansion which is still being sold as part of Deluxe and Premium editions.

In 2026, Empire of Sin stands as a completed project. While the developers have moved on, the game is in its most stable state following the massive "Last Update" (v1.11) in late 2025. Adding the Make It Count DLC is generally considered essential by the community to move the game from a "combat simulator" to a "mafia tycoon." Here are three ways to frame your review for the game and the DLC: Option 1: The "Financial Empire" Review Best if you enjoy the tycoon/management side of the game added by the DLC. Recommended Finally, a game that lets you be the Mob's Accountant. If you played Empire of Sin at launch and hated the repetitive combat, the Make It Count DLC (paired with the free Precinct Update) is what saves the game. It shifts the focus from "kill every guard in Chicago" to "bankrupt your rivals." Why the DLC makes it count: Maxim Zelnick: He’s arguably the most interesting boss. His "Bolster the Ranks" ability is a life-saver in tough fights. The Loan Shark Racket: This finally gives you something to do with your cash other than just upgrading speakeasies. It creates a "Blackmail" loop that feels actually mob-like. The Fixer Class: These gangsters are game-changers. Being able to bribe your way out of combat or use Caltrops to control the battlefield adds a tactical layer the base game lacked. 2026 Status: The game is bug-free for the most part now. It's a solid "B+" strategy game. Don't play the base game without this DLC.

If you want a story-driven game that is full of bugs, then you should definitely buy this game. You can waste your money on this game. This game had a lot of potential, but the developer only cared about making money and didn’t care at all about fixing the bugs. You will never be able to enjoy this game, because when you least expect it, a bug occurs and completely disrupts the gameplay, forcing you to start the game all over again.

Abandoned and not worth the money. It had potential but it got wasted. Only fun for a short time until it gets too repetitive and boring