E3 2019: Paradox Offers us a Tall Glass of Empire of Sin

Paradox does good strategy games. In fact, that’s kind of the one thing they’re really known for: strategy games. That’s why it’s unsurprising to find them behind titles like Total War, or Age of Wonders: Planetfall, a game that was also announced at E3. But just because strategy games are their MO doesn’t meant that they can’t surprise us: and I think we can all agree that the reveal of Empire of Sin was at least kind of surprising, right?

Here, see what I mean:

Empire of Sin - a character-driven strategy game set in 1920s Chicago - will be coming in 2020.

This exciting strategy game from Romero Games and Paradox Interactive, puts you at the heart of the ruthless criminal underworld of Prohibition-era Chicago. It’s up to you to hustle, charm and intimidate your way to the top of the pile and do whatever it takes to stay there. As a player, you’ll be smack-dab in the glitz and glamor of the roaring 20s, giving you a chance to thrive in the gritty underbelly of organized crime.

Personally, this doesn’t look like my cup of tea… or whatever they’re serving in those cups… but I’m always going to support attempts to take strategy games in bold new directions. And prohibition-era gangsters? That’s a direction and an era that video games haven’t done nearly enough to explore.

So while you might not get my money, Paradox, you’ll at least get my endorsement. Unless we find it out sucks. Then I’ll retract it.