Page 79 - Computer Power User - February 2017

Mo’ Mayor, Mo’ Problems

BY VINCE COGLEY

$39.99 (PC) • ESRB: Rating Pending
Kalypso Media • www.kalypsomedia.com
Gamers have been building and running cities since 1982, when Don Urban Empire kindly gives you the option to begin a campaign in tutorial
Daglow’s Utopia established the genre. Of course, seven years later city mode, which is something I highly recommend. The actual building process
builders really rose to prominence in 1989, the year Maxis introduced essentially consists of drawing a district, allocating its zones (residential,
the granddaddy of them all, SimCity. Dozens of city builders have come commercial, industrial), and deciding whether to include infrastructure (gas,
and gone since then, and although they’ve steadily grown more intricate electricity, etc.) and public services (schools, clinics, police stations—a rare
(often allowing you to drill down to the thoughts, desires, and ambitions of opportunity to actually place structures where you want them). Your town
individual citizens), the basic objectives haven’t changed much. then grows itself; homes and businesses automatically spring up, requiring
almost no input or guidance from the player. The first district is “free,” as far
Urban Empire, the work of Finnish developer Reborn Games, doesn’t want to as spending political capital goes, but be prepared to throw down at City Hall
be known as a city builder. Instead, it’s a “city ruler.” Sure, you build, but it’s when it’s time to expand. Want to make changes to an existing district? That’ll
a mostly hands-off process. Urban Empire instead focuses on the politicking require—you guessed it—another vote.
necessary to successfully run your city. As your city develops, the game not only
requires you to deal with all sorts of difficulties that typically affect a town but Amping up the political aspect of building and running a city is definitely
also pits you against political rivals to outmaneuver. It’s no wonder that Kalypso, intriguing, so it’s a little disappointing that Urban Empire delivers very little
which publishes the popular island sim Tropico, scooped up this game. intrigue. Yes, you can blackmail and bribe certain council members, and the
game’s multiparty system is unlike anything you can expect to encounter in
From the jump, Urban Empire presents you with options, options galore. You American politics. However, too often votes boil down to “Is there enough
start by choosing from one of four political families, each with attributes that cash in the city treasury to afford this?” as opposed to real political wrangling.
provide specific bonuses to your bottom line, to start and rule over a new
town in the fictitious European country of Swarelia. The campaign begins In truth, Urban Empire shines brightest when it channels Nikola Tesla instead
in 1820 amidst the Industrial Revolution, and as you’ll quickly learn, the of Boss Tweed. Reborn Games clearly spent a lot of time constructing the
technology in Urban Empire is just as pivotal as the politics. game’s tech tree and keeping it reasonably consistent with technological and
social trends as they’ve developed over the past two centuries. Encouraging
Urban Empire has a distinctly Eurocentric feel to it. In most regards, locating innovation has a positive payoff for your citizens, but actually implementing
the game world between Austria and Italy (per Kalypso’s blog) matters little. new technologies has a price tag. I should note that you can use your family’s
Buildings are buildings, and streets are streets. However, when it comes to wealth to finance development, but once you zero out your own bank
the game’s political parties, this Yankee admits that it wasn’t always easy account, be prepared to do some more political panhandling.
to keep track of what each faction wants. (“OK, now who are these guys in
the Free Democratic Party, and exactly how free and/or democratic are they The variety of architecture in Urban Empire, and how it changes through
hoping our little burg will be?”) I learned quickly, though, because for as much history, is also laudable. Ultimately, Reborn Games has created an interesting
spin on a classic genre, but Urban Empire needs more soul, perhaps a sense
as Urban Empire wants you to believe that you’re the boss, almost nothing
happens without the say-so of your city council. of humor, and an even stronger executive branch. ■

CPU / February2017 79