Urban Empires
Preview
If you miss Sopranos, this may be just for you
by T3HDX
previewed on PC
Gangs of urban environments
Urban Empires is a new project that is under way, being published by Strategy First. Since being started way back in January of 2004, very little is known about this new PC online 3D ‘gang’ simulator. Urban Empires has elements of both strategy and action weaved together. You will fight for control over a city, with up to 5 other people at any one time. The main objective of this game is to earn in-game currency. You can do this through many ways, such as importing drugs, extorting money and robbing other businesses and gangs. Once you acquire enough money, you can use it to upgrade your own gang, buying new guns, cars and legitimate businesses as fronts.
Mixing legal with illegal
The main strategy point of the game is the business side. Having both legal and illegal and business, there is quite a lot to choose from. The legal businesses act as front for your real operations, your illegal activities. What legal businesses there are in the game are currently undisclosed, but it is known that you cannot change these businesses in any way, and are spread around the city. One thing to note is that you can extort money from the legal businesses. Your illegal businesses are where you make the real money to fund your gang. These illegal businesses have been confirmed, and you will see them in-game; Headquarters’ (HQs), Safe houses, Warehouses, Illegal Casinos, Prostitution, Numbers Rackets, Illegal Breweries, Money Forging and Loan Sharking. Each business has their own unique income and expenditure, however it is not known whether they are pre-set, or randomised. All illegal businesses require a basement, however, and there is a limited number of suitable buildings in the city which meet the needs.
And when you get bored with the management
At any point during the game, you are able to jump down right into the action, taking control of one of your gang members. Whilst roaming the city, you’re free to do anything you please, such as getting into vehicles to mug the owners, and even complete the orders you set for your gang to do yourself whilst in this mode of play
Each of your gang members in the game are given attributes, which have an influence in how successful they can be doing particular activities during play. Health (hit points of the gangster), Weapon (shooting/weapon ability of the gangster), Driving (how well a gangster can drive a vehicle), Street Smarts (how easily a gangster can escape from pursuing police), Strength (how well a gangster can fight hand to hand) and Intimidation (how intimidating the gangster is).
