Urban Empire

About

In "Urban Empire," become a mayoral dynasty leader and guide your city through 200 years of historical challenges across five distinct eras. Make critical decisions, establish infrastructure, debate political decisions, and use various tactics like bribery or blackmail to outmaneuver opponents. Experience a blend of city-building and strategic political scheming in this unique simulation game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

29%

Audience ScoreBased on 898 reviews

gameplay33 positive mentions

graphics15 negative mentions

Unique blend of city management and political simulation
Interesting concept with potential for depth
Engaging early gameplay with a focus on political maneuvering

Repetitive and shallow gameplay mechanics
Poorly optimized with significant performance issues
Lack of meaningful choices and consequences in political decisions

gameplay
202 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
72%
12%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking depth, particularly in its political mechanics and city-building aspects. While some appreciate the unique combination of political elements and city management, others criticize the unclear mechanics, poor tutorial guidance, and a frustratingly simplistic experience that fails to engage players over time. Overall, the game shows potential but suffers from execution issues that detract from its enjoyment and replayability.
- “I also really enjoyed the core mechanic of managing player-defined districts.”
- “Gameplay-wise, the game looks really hard until you learn how to pull the political parties to your side; then the game is so easy you'll never have a problem doing anything.”
- “However, I very much recommend it to those willing to go into it with an open mind as they will be able to find an excellent, deep political experience with a unique combination of mechanics and narrative choices that I have yet to find anywhere else.”
- “Repetitive and bland gameplay with barely any meaningful decisions to make.”
- “The gameplay is incredibly shallow and repetitive, decisions and mechanics seem trivial, and the narrative is far too simple and sparse to compensate.”
- “The tutorial offers no help in understanding how the game mechanics really work.”
graphics
90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
17%
The graphics of the game have received largely negative feedback, with many users describing them as outdated, bland, and riddled with rendering errors that significantly detract from the gameplay experience. Despite some players noting decent visuals under specific conditions, the overall performance is criticized for being laggy and demanding on hardware, even on high-end systems. Many reviews highlight that the graphical issues, combined with bugs and poor optimization, overshadow any potential aesthetic appeal the game might have.
- “Urban Empire impresses with its visuals.”
- “On the more technical aspects, the game itself is good-looking (though draw distance is far shorter than it should) and the graphics, though perhaps not revolutionary, are fitting, and the visuals do not leave me disappointed in the slightest.”
- “It's otherwise a very fun game, with good atmosphere, well-done graphics, nice music, interesting mechanics, and great potential.”
- “This game was poorly finished; the graphics aren't great either.”
- “Graphics are outdated, bugs galore, and a ton of other issues.”
- “I got a high-end computer, still the graphics are very choppy, about 15-20 frames/sec on medium settings (got 3.0 GHz i7 with 16GB of RAM).”
optimization
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
65%
28%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues, especially in the late game, leading to unplayable conditions even on high-end PCs. Users express frustration over the lack of updates to address these problems, noting that the game struggles with frame rates and stuttering as city size increases. Overall, the consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, detracting from its potential enjoyment.
- “If it wasn't for the optimization, I would never have written a review.”
- “With even a modicum of optimization, the game would be great.”
- “It fact, since its function was so poorly optimized, the 3D map serves only to drag down your computer's performance, and does so ever increasingly without end as the game progresses.”
- “There is zero optimization, so even though the game looks like a 2012 remaster of a 2004 game, it runs at sub-20 fps on my mid-high range PC.”
- “This game is actually pretty fun, but the thing right now withholding me from giving a positive review is the performance of this game.”
replayability
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
63%
29%
Overall, the game's replayability is a contentious topic among reviewers. While some players appreciate the variety offered by different families and starting choices, many criticize the game for its repetitive nature and lack of meaningful consequences from decisions, leading to a consensus that replay value is significantly lacking. Improvements in game mechanics and additional content could enhance replayability, but as it stands, many feel that a single playthrough is sufficient.
- “Replayability is enhanced as there are several families to choose from, each with their own unique family members, personal stories, strengths, and weaknesses.”
- “Plenty of replayability due to different starting choices you make along with quite a few scenarios to test your skill.”
- “This game already has replayability in the plethora of choices in every area.”
- “This is also the reason why the game loses all of its magic after one playthrough since it lacks any replayability value.”
- “I do not recommend this game because it is very repetitive and has no replayability, and none of the choices you make in this game have any visible effect.”
- “There is also little to no content, which is why the game itself lacks replayability as every map and family plays almost exactly the same; literally nothing changes.”
story
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
75%
7%
The story aspect of Urban Empire is criticized for being underdeveloped and lacking meaningful impact on gameplay, despite attempts to integrate family narratives and political decisions. Players feel that choices are often inconsequential, leading to repetitive experiences with little immersion in the characters or city. While some appreciate the potential for a branching narrative, many find the execution lacking, resulting in a game that feels more like a scripted story than an engaging simulation.
- “It appears that unless you have finished all tutorial missions then you can't save.”
- “While not a perfect game due to being too ambitious, I certainly enjoyed the eras and the story of the characters you play as.”
- “Urban Empire tries to mix story-telling aspects with city-building and strategic maneuvering in politics.”
- “The game has no story, narrative, and sucks at worldbuilding.”
- “There is no story or plot whatsoever to immerse in.”
- “The game fails to involve you as a player more than getting to pick one of two or three options to a story-based event, many of which don't explain the mechanical result of such.”
stability
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, frequent freezes, and significant performance issues, even on high-end systems. Many players express frustration over the lack of developer support and patches, leading to an overall unpolished experience that detracts from gameplay enjoyment. While some users have experienced minimal issues, the consensus is that the game remains largely unplayable due to its technical shortcomings.
- “It has been bug-free for our first two hours.”
- “Glitch and bug-free so far, running at 61-64 fps, which is great with peak settings.”
- “Released in a messy, poorly documented, and somewhat buggy state, then immediately abandoned by the devs who vanished.”
- “It's a buggy mess that is boring even when it's working correctly, and with zero support from the developer.”
- “The game is unpolished, buggy, and mid-end game is slow (I have a GTX 1080 Ti and I would constantly get 8 fps) and worst of all, not worth the money.”
grinding
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and repetitive, particularly in the mid to late game where micromanagement and council approvals slow down progress significantly. Many feel that the political mechanics force players down a narrow path, making the experience feel shallow and frustrating. Overall, the lack of variety and slow pacing contribute to a sense of boredom and dissatisfaction with the gameplay.
- “In the later eras of the game, playing becomes very tedious due to the game running very slow.”
- “The fact that everything you do has to go through the council vote is extremely tedious when 99% of your decisions are guaranteed to pass provided you don't do anything stupid.”
- “The game is tedious, slow, and very little information is given regarding what outcome you can expect from any action.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
20%
27%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the epic soundtrack and its ability to enhance the atmosphere, while others criticize it for being repetitive and tedious. While some players appreciate the thematic changes in the music corresponding to gameplay intensity, others find it annoying and suggest alternatives with better soundtracks. Overall, the sound design is noted as solid, but opinions on the music quality vary significantly.
- “The soundtrack is fantastic.”
- “From the ambient and epic soundtrack to the tense build-up in the courts, Urban Empire provides solid sound design which complements its visual design very well.”
- “Great tutorial and graphics thus far, and the music is tailored to each period, changing with the intensity of the situation.”
- “Music is tedious and boring after 2 minutes; now switched off for good.”
- “Very repetitive, boring music.”
- “The music is boring as shit.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its random and unpredictable events, which often lead to amusing situations and choices. While some players appreciate the comedic elements reminiscent of the Tropico series, others feel that the humor diminishes as the game progresses. Overall, the blend of humor with challenge contributes to a replayable experience, though opinions on its consistency vary.
- “The parties are hilariously random and fickle.”
- “The random events in the game are funny at times and have interesting choices.”
- “The humor is in it, not just a challenge, just like in the Tropico series and El Presidente.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
60%
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its immersive qualities, with beautiful graphics and intriguing plot elements contributing to a captivating experience. However, some players feel that the atmosphere can be undermined by frustrating controls and repetitive gameplay, leading to mixed feelings about its overall impact. Despite these criticisms, many still find the atmosphere to be a strong point that enhances their enjoyment of the game.
- “You have to like the genre, of course, but it sucks you in if you open up to it as it creates a nice atmosphere.”
- “A mix of almost impenetrable mechanics, terrible UI, beautiful graphics, incredible atmosphere, intriguing plot, and strangely addictive gameplay.”
- “It's otherwise a very fun game, with good atmosphere, well-done graphics, nice music, interesting mechanics, and great potential.”
- “The gameplay is repetitive, there is no alluring atmosphere, no special mood that makes you feel something.”
- “Mouse control is a nightmare, laggy and jerky, and with the keyboard it's not much better. Too few zoom levels and too many new windows open up where you have to click okay every time.”
- “I really wanted to like this game, but it lacks the captivating atmosphere that makes other games enjoyable.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate a significant disappointment in the emotional impact of the game, with some players feeling that the designers failed to create a meaningful narrative experience. While enjoyment of the gameplay exists, it is overshadowed by a lack of genuine emotional engagement, leading to lukewarm recommendations.
- “I do enjoy the game and would like to recommend it at this point, but it would not be a heartfelt recommendation.”
- “I don't mind game mechanics breaking a narrative immersion or being unrealistic, but this level of failure represents a basic lack of effort on the part of the designers to deliver any kind of emotional impact to the game.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling misled by advertising that did not align with the actual product experience. Many express disappointment over the lack of quality and testing, suggesting that the focus was more on profit than on delivering a satisfactory game.
- “They made a cash grab and then vanished.”
- “Maybe they should have spent time testing rather than advertising how great it was.”
- “This was not at all what I expected from all the advertisements.”