Company of Crime
- August 7, 2020
- Resistance Games
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Company of Crime" is a tactical strategy game set in 1960s London. Players can choose to build a criminal empire or take on the role of a detective to stop the rising tide of organized crime. The game features turn-based combat and a reputation system that affects how characters interact with the player. Infiltration, stealth, and negotiation are key elements of gameplay.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique setting in 1960s London, with a groovy atmosphere and engaging music that enhances the experience.
- The tactical melee combat is fun and offers a variety of actions, allowing players to creatively engage in fights.
- The developers are responsive to player feedback and have made improvements since launch, showing a commitment to enhancing the game.
- The gameplay loop is repetitive, with missions often feeling the same and lacking variety, leading to boredom after a short time.
- The AI is poorly designed, making questionable decisions that diminish the challenge and strategic depth of combat.
- There are numerous bugs and interface issues that hinder the overall experience, making it feel underdeveloped and frustrating at times.
- story90 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The story in the game is described as sparse and unengaging, with repetitive mission structures that lack variety and depth. While there are elements of strategy and resource management, the overall narrative fails to captivate players, often feeling generic and tedious. Despite some enjoyable mechanics and a unique setting in 1960s London, many players express a desire for a more compelling storyline and mission diversity to enhance the experience.
“There will be different locations, surprise events, and story missions that keep the game interesting.”
“I have almost 20 hours in this game and I am really enjoying it overall. I prefer the police story as I have the most hours in that, but I was enjoying the criminal side. I just find dealing with police raids quite hard, but overall this game is really fun and worth the buy if you like tactical games like XCOM but with the mix of 1960s London and Sweeney vibes.”
“You’re following a reasonably strict campaign with more regions of London opening up as you complete story missions, while taking over and extorting businesses along the way.”
“Extremely short - no mission variety - repetitive.”
“No good story and no interesting cutscenes to get me hooked.”
“Everything feels incredibly slow, the missions are tedious, the 'plot' is blasé, and the writing is extraordinarily generic.”
- gameplay44 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been described as a solid evolution of the XCOM genre, featuring strategic elements and novel concepts, though it suffers from some clunkiness and graphical issues. Many players find the gameplay loop repetitive and tedious after a few battles, with limited variation and a lack of engaging mechanics for managing the crime empire. While some appreciate the aesthetic and thematic originality, others express frustration with the AI, UI, and overall flow of the game.
“The gameplay speaks for itself; if you are a fan of games like XCOM, I would call this the evolution of that genre.”
“It's great, a bit clunky and has a few graphical issues, but the gameplay is very solid.”
“But I still give it thumbs up for novel gameplay concepts.”
“Heat mechanics are frustrating, combat is somehow unpredictable, story not engaging.”
“After 2 hours of gameplay, I had the impression that I just did the same battle over and over again with little variations, and for some reason, I don't expect much more variations.”
“The gameplay loop seems to get a bit tedious and boring after a while (not enough things to do and cannot really do any micromanaging for the crime empire).”
- music28 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its groovy vibe and effective homage to 60s London, enhancing the overall atmosphere and concept. While many players enjoy the unique integration of music with gameplay, some express a desire for a broader selection of tracks. Overall, the music complements the game's vintage aesthetic and contributes significantly to the immersive experience.
“The music and the homage paid to 60s London is really cool, and I'm not aware of anyone doing something like that.”
“The art style and music perfectly complement the vintage and kickass vibes too.”
“The music also matches the theme of the game well.”
“The music loop is groovy, but it needs more tunes.”
“Ashtrays fill up with cigarette butts and are then emptied and replaced, all while a slightly tinny radio bangs out music with interruptions from a very 60s-ish DJ.”
“The music, while fitting the theme, can feel repetitive and lacks variety.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some users noting that they can be a bit blurry and clunky, yet still appreciating the beautiful artwork and overall aesthetic that fits the game's vintage theme. While some players find the graphics satisfactory for the price point, others criticize them as poor, suggesting that improvements could enhance the overall experience. Despite these issues, many agree that the art style and music effectively complement the gameplay.
“The artwork is really beautiful too.”
“The graphics are great, the music is cool, and I love the theme and idea of the game.”
“Enjoyable artistic design - the graphics suit the game and look pretty good for the price point.”
“The graphics are a bit blurry.”
“It has poor graphics, poor writing, poor... well basically everything.”
“It has a few graphical issues.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive depiction of 1960s London, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack and engaging details like rival gang interactions. Players appreciate the gritty and "filthy" ambiance, which complements the unique experience of playing as the antagonists in a strategy setting. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature that enriches the gameplay.
“I love the music and atmosphere and the concept.”
“The setting and atmosphere in this game is spot on.”
“The atmosphere is filthy.”
“Little touches like the various rival gangs sending messages when you intrude on their turf all add a bit to the atmosphere.”
“It's refreshing to play as the bad guys in a strategy game and the atmosphere of 60's London is great.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with a lack of engaging activities and micro-management options for the crime empire. The slow-paced gameplay and uninspired missions contribute to a sense of boredom, making the overall experience feel monotonous.
“The gameplay loop seems to get a bit tedious and boring after a while; there aren't enough things to do, and I cannot really do any micromanaging for the crime empire.”
“Everything feels incredibly slow; the missions are tedious, the 'plot' is blasé, and the writing is extraordinarily generic.”
“The strategic gameplay is tedious.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for being inconsistent, with users reporting frequent bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience.
“Sometimes still buggy.”
“A buggy mess.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the emotional manipulation mechanics available to different characters, which add depth to interactions and gameplay. The developers are actively working on enhancing this aspect in an upcoming patch, indicating a commitment to improving the emotional engagement within the game.
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting it as terrible and poorly executed, leading to an overall unenjoyable experience.
“It was terrible, not fun, and poorly optimized.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its clever dialogue, including amusing British insults, and the quirky aesthetic of its 60s-70s fashion. Players appreciate the fresh approach to gameplay, such as "gently incapacitating" enemies, which adds a lighthearted twist to the melee combat. Overall, the humor contributes positively to the game's charm, making it an enjoyable experience.
“Enjoying the melee loop is very cool. Trying not to kill anyone, just 'gently incapacitate' them, is fresh and done well. Crews of hip 60's-70's fashion nightmares are pleasing. Getting called a 'cunt' the UK way is hilarious.”
“The music loop is groovy and needs more tunes. I haven't come to a grind yet and I'm not even halfway done. The art and UI aesthetics are worth the price.”
“It's certainly worth an extra art, music, and mission DLC. Arguably the best mafia 4X tactical game currently in terms of bugs, stability, and content completeness.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that the game's replayability is currently hindered by numerous issues, but express hope that improvements could enhance the overall experience and encourage players to return.
