Empires Shall Fall
- February 19, 2024
- Weird Penguin Games
Get on SteamIn "Empires Shall Fall" , command your troops in a dieselpunk world embroiled in the Great War between the Black Empire and Blue League. Utilize terrain and strategy to outmaneuver opponents in turn-based combat with various unit types and boss fights. Engage in local hotseat multiplayer to test your tactical prowess against friends. Non-random combat and grid-based maps hearken back to classic strategy games.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Successfully captures the essence of Advance Wars with enjoyable gameplay mechanics.
- Offers a variety of unit upgrades and perks that allow for strategic customization.
- Runs smoothly on the Steam Deck, making it accessible for portable play.
- Overall difficulty is low, making it easy for experienced players to dominate the AI.
- Art and character design are criticized, with some characters being particularly unappealing.
- The narrative and writing are weak, lacking depth and engagement.
- story40 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The story in this game is widely criticized for being weak and forgettable, with many reviewers noting a lack of interesting characters, voice acting, and meaningful narrative elements. While the gameplay is enjoyable and offers a straightforward mission structure, the overall writing is deemed poor, leading players to skim through dialogue rather than engage with it. Ultimately, the game is recommended for its tactical gameplay rather than its story, which is considered a significant drawback.
“The story and characters are very weak, but the dialogue sections are so short that those elements only come across as forgettable, rather than annoying.”
“It doesn't have much else in the way of single player content (there's always the opportunity to replay missions for better ranks), and I don't see its PvP scene taking off (especially without online), but I've enjoyed my time with the campaign.”
“I could only wish there was more to this game, perhaps more campaign missions or more battle maps with higher difficulty, maybe more unique commanders with their own superpowers and benefits or even new playable factions like the one we fight in the last campaign mission.”
“The writing and overall story is utter trash.”
“Do not buy this game for the story, because there more-or-less isn’t one.”
“No interesting characters, voice acting, cutscenes, dramatic story or influential choices.”
- graphics28 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the vibrant pixel art and smooth animations, particularly in comparison to classic titles like Advance Wars. However, others criticize the limited graphical options and express dissatisfaction with the art style, leading to an overall average perception of the game's visual appeal.
“The artwork in the game looks great, the gameplay is quick and smooth, and it does a great job scratching that Advance Wars itch.”
“The graphics pop, the battle animations are great.”
“An Advance Wars-like game with nice dieselpunk aesthetics.”
“Not for me, while the graphics are half decent, there isn't anything especially engaging about this game.”
“Options are severely limited with the only graphical option being windowed mode.”
“Art style: I didn’t like the art style here.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a solid rock-paper-scissors mechanic, with objectives primarily focused on defeating troops or capturing headquarters. Players appreciate the quick and smooth gameplay, customizable speeds, and the engaging campaign, though some criticize the handling of character powers and lack of specialization. Overall, the game successfully captures the essence of Advance Wars, offering a fun and balanced experience with appealing visuals.
“The artwork in the game looks great, the gameplay is quick and smooth, and it does a great job scratching that Advance Wars itch.”
“It has a really fun, intuitive, and interesting gameplay loop with lots of fun stuff to explore and experience.”
“My main gripe comes from how the game handles COs: CO powers are determined by faction, not character, and characters themselves have no gameplay specializations.”
“Mechanics: each map you have an objective and most of the time it's kill all troops or take the HQ.”
“Map speed, AI speed, and battle speed can all be individually controlled, along with an invaluable option to skip some of the 'confirm' menus to speed up gameplay.”
- music8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as decent, effectively maintaining the pace of gameplay and enhancing the immersive experience with sound effects. While it contributes positively to the overall atmosphere, it does not stand out significantly, receiving mixed reviews.
“The music kept things going, and the sound effects were immersive enough to 'feel' the battle.”
“Music: decent.”
“Story makes a lot of sense and the soundtrack is hot.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with users noting that while there are no performance issues on desktop systems, the experience on the Steam Deck is commendable. However, many feel that it still falls short compared to previous titles, particularly in terms of performance and graphical quality.
“No performance issues on my desktop.”
“Perhaps the largest positive I can give ESF is the Steam Deck performance while mimicking the ability to hot-swap with multiplayer like in War Room.”
“The graphics quality is disappointing, with a rating of 3/10 for performance and art style.”
“While there are no performance issues on my desktop, the overall optimization leaves much to be desired.”
“The Steam Deck performance is a highlight, but it still falls short of the optimization seen in previous titles.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in this game has been criticized for lacking depth and charisma, with reviewers noting that it feels overly edgy and pandering, reminiscent of a stripped-down version of the original franchise. The character designs are described as overwhelming and unoriginal, detracting from the overall experience.
“You take a franchise like Advance Wars, strip it of its commanders, suck it dry of its charisma, make it edgy, and then pander to the point where I started feeling the character designs hitting me in the face.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its stability, being described as not broken, buggy, or incomplete, which contributes to a smooth and enjoyable experience. Additionally, its fast-paced nature and great sound design enhance the overall quality, especially considering its affordable price.
