Empire Deluxe Combined Edition is the latest in the classic Empire Series of games, which has spanned almost five decades. Empire Deluxe is a game about taking cities. Starting with just one, the city enables a commander to produce units. These units in turn can directly attack or support the attack of more cities.
The game revolves around conquering the world through military might, starting with a single city and expanding your empire by capturing other cities and building up your military forces to defeat opponents.
The gameplay is incredibly addictive, with a simple yet deep mechanic that keeps players coming back for "just one more turn." You'll spend hours building up your empire, exploring the map, and engaging in thrilling battles against the AI or other human players.
The game offers a high degree of customization, allowing you to tweak various aspects, from the unit types and their capabilities to the map generation and victory conditions. This, combined with the randomly generated maps, ensures that no two games are exactly alike, providing endless replayability. You can tailor the experience to your liking, creating new challenges and strategies to explore.
Beneath the relatively simple mechanics lies a depth of strategic complexity. You must carefully manage your resources, balancing the production of various unit types, the construction of cities, and the deployment of your forces to achieve victory. Decisions around unit composition, troop movements, and target prioritization are crucial, as the AI opponents provide a formidable challenge.
As you progress through the game, you'll witness the gradual growth and expansion of your empire, which is immensely satisfying. Capturing new cities, developing more advanced unit types, and watching your military might grow is incredibly rewarding. The sense of progress and accomplishment keeps you engaged and invested in the outcome of each game.
For many players, this is a game they've been playing for decades, and the latest iteration provides a familiar and beloved experience. The game's legacy as one of the first and most influential 4X strategy games is a large part of its appeal, tapping into players' nostalgia and fondness for a true classic.