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It's a complex (albeit exhausting) system that reflects the struggles of politicians at almost every level of government.Īs political parties evolve, their core values will twist and morph, until they've splintered into their component factions. As they bicker, you can spend political goodwill, call in favors, or make sweeping threats to sway the parties-each of which comes with consequences. And even if you do have the money, you'll first have to propose whatever change you want to make, and then wait a few months as the city council deliberates on the change. Running water for all sounds nice, but unless your city is packed tight, it's a tough expenditure to justify.

That tension between the cost of different services and infrastructure upgrades, your own goals, and the capriciousness of the council members (each of whom have their own constituents to appease) is an excellent, sturdy foundation for this management sim. Each new district will have an up-front cost to build out the necessary infrastructure, and then monthly maintenance that you'll have to keep in check as you turn on more and more services.

As you progress, you can unlock sewage, electricity, and new types of roads, all the way up to robotics and sci-fi-inspired gizmos. You'll also be in charge of zoning and organizing new districts, as well as deciding which types of technologies to bring to your fine city. That gives you a strong tie not only to the city you build, but also to the narrative of your family across many generations. You may choose to send your eldest child (and your future successor) to a boarding school abroad, which could affect their reputation years down the line. Along the way, however, you'll also be making decisions about how you, personally, live your life.

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Beyond that, you're free to push for whatever improvements and projects you'd like. If you get into trouble, you can run to the emperor and get a fat check and an easy bailout-though you'll lose a bit of political clout. You can't be removed from office, and you can't run dry on money, either. When the game starts, you'll have unchecked power, taking control of a political family with blessings from the emperor of the fictional country Swarelia. That addition makes Urban Empire one of the most realistic (and, at times, most frustrating) city-building simulators around.

As the leader of your city, you can push for women's rights or abolish child-labor laws-but you're always at the behest of a fickle city council. Urban Empire unshackles you, but in so doing gives you a sobering dose of reality. SimCity, for example, lets you take the reins of a nascent city, but it came with some huge limitations in terms of what sorts of decision-making powers you can wield. 'Give people what they ask for, take care of them, and there won't be any problems.'įor better and worse, Urban Empire lets you explore that idea-or, at least, more than some of its iconic cousins. We like to think that, given the keys to the city, we'd do better than a real politician. These days, it's easy to let political frustration well up a bit.

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