Impire

 PC
User Score
5.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 148 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 47 out of 148
  2. Mixed: 40 out of 148
  3. Negative: 61 out of 148

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  1. Taziar
    Feb 16, 2013
    5
    I have actually played the game and and after seeing the delusional reviews here, I felt compelled to chime in. (8.3? Really?) The atmosphere in the game is fine, and the humor, while a bit simple, is also fine. The real problem is the game-play. It isn't fun. In fact, it can be rather tedious. Basically the game consists of 5 parts. Building your dungeon, defending your dungeonI have actually played the game and and after seeing the delusional reviews here, I felt compelled to chime in. (8.3? Really?) The atmosphere in the game is fine, and the humor, while a bit simple, is also fine. The real problem is the game-play. It isn't fun. In fact, it can be rather tedious. Basically the game consists of 5 parts. Building your dungeon, defending your dungeon from heroes, adventuring, raiding, and maintenance. No, it is not as exciting as it sounds.

    Building your dungeon is basically rotating and dropping a pre-sized room next to a corridor. Layout is unimportant because you generally teleport your units everywhere. Other than perhaps a cluster of kitchen's as you will spend a fair bit of time feeding your minions. It is generally unsatisfying and happens at a fairly slow pace. It feels more like the base building in a RTS, you do it just to get the buildings deployed to unlock functionality, not because you are actually designing a base.

    Defending your dungeon, now here is one of the tedious parts. Every couple of minutes, 2-4 (depending on stage of the game) ladders will randomly appear scattered within your dungeon. If you don't destroy them, a group of heroes will come out of one of them roughly twenty seconds later. You can setup patrols to destroy the ladders, but you rarely bother, because if you do, the heroes will simply come in through the dungeon entrance and attack your base anyway. So you teleport your squads back and attack the ladders and then teleport them to the entrance to attack the heroes. Then you send your minions to feed, and teleport them back to where they were before you were attacked.

    Adventuring is wandering around a too-dark area doing simple quests with mediocre combat. It is the best part of the game, and you can't enjoy it because you have to stop and teleport your minions back every couple of minutes to deal with the heroes. Or feed your minions.

    Raiding. Basically, you switch to a world map with a couple dozen locations on the map. There are 3 different types, each gives a different resource, and sometimes quest specific locations as well. But all you do is right click on one and select a single squad to send. Your squad leaves the dungeon, and comes back a minute later and you get resources, and possibly lose units. That is it. The quest ones are basically the same, just with a quest update thrown in. There is no real interactivity. It adds a little something to the game, but nothing to write home about.

    Maintenance. Ugh. You have to send your minions to feed. Often. When you lose a unit, you have to go through a couple of screens to create a replacement, send him to training to level two, go to a squad menu, add him to a squad, purchase upgrades for each unit separately (basically armor/weapons lvl 1-3, no real customization) and then send the squad for feeding. You can have replacements on hand, but still have to do all the same micromanagement.

    The UI has issues and needs to be streamlined, and there is too much micromanagement. Like you can tell an imp to repair a building, and he will, then just sit there. You have to wait until the repair is complete to then manually request an Imp go to work in said building. The same with ladders. Unless you set squads on patrol mode (which you generally don't want as they will wander off) when you teleport a squad next to an invading ladder, you have to manually select the squad you just sent, and manually tell him to destroy the ladder he is basically standing on top of. When you have to destroy 4 ladders, it is teleport, select, target ladder, repeat. 4 times. Every couple of minutes.

    Beyond the tedium, there is no real tactical depth and combat is kinda boring. Squads (which consist of 4 units) get bonuses depending on unit composition and level, but only with 4 different units. So, for example, if one of your bonuses is extra healing and you replace a DPS unit with a second healer, you lose the healing bonus. Odd logic. So the game encourages you to throw together squads from random groups of units. And combat is basically swarming the enemy with all your squads. There is no strategic reason not to, as you can instantly teleport your squads to wherever you want them. (albeit one at a time, as the UI has no streamlining) There are also reports of a few bugs, though I have not personally encountered any. To be fair, the developers have been active on Steam forums and I suspect the bugs will actually be fixed rather quickly. They have also promised to address some of of the other game issues, like the UI and constant need to feed your minions. With a couple of patches, they could get the game to a 6-7 rating, which is respectable for a $20 game in a genre with few other options. But as of right now, playing the game is a chore.    … Expand
  2. Boom-Mage
    Mar 4, 2013
    7
    A fun strategy game, neat idea, nice graphics.
    Controls and micromanagement are pretty annoying.
    WADS controls the camera nicely but mouse movement in menues to manage squads and such is awkward and laggy. The icons on the map are too large and won't always hide when put on hide. When trying to select single items on the map while zoomed out and you get a magnifying screen of whats    A fun strategy game, neat idea, nice graphics.
    Controls and micromanagement are pretty annoying.
    WADS controls the camera nicely but mouse movement in menues to manage squads and such is awkward and laggy.
    The icons on the map are too large and won't always hide when put on hide. When trying to select single items on the map while zoomed out and you get a magnifying screen of whats happening on mouse over, its annoying and sometimes in the way.
    the concept is great, I think with a few control and management tweeks this could be a great game    … Expand
  3. thvaz
    Feb 17, 2013
    5
    There is almost no AI of note the squads won't even eat when they are hungry, making the game a micromanagement hell. Monsters freed from their rooms won't run rampant through your dungeon, making the game boring.
    The cut scenes are a pain to watch, the humor is very bland.
    I will give a 5 because despite all these flaws, the game is playable enough, though it still has an unfinished    There is almost no AI of note the squads won't even eat when they are hungry, making the game a micromanagement hell. Monsters freed from their rooms won't run rampant through your dungeon, making the game boring.
    The cut scenes are a pain to watch, the humor is very bland.
    I will give a 5 because despite all these flaws, the game is playable enough, though it still has an unfinished feeling about it. It could be a better game, even if different from Dungeon Keeper, but is failed in being so.    … Expand
  4. Eskaton
    Feb 15, 2013
    7
    Its been described as Dungeon Keeper meets Dawn of War 2 and they seem like accurate reference points. Don't expect a straight modern era version of DK, its not that and it hasn't pretended to be. The gameplay is pretty good, and it runs well but for me, I found the level of micromanagement needed for your troops was a bit irritating, it could also be a little easier/quicker to navigateIts been described as Dungeon Keeper meets Dawn of War 2 and they seem like accurate reference points. Don't expect a straight modern era version of DK, its not that and it hasn't pretended to be. The gameplay is pretty good, and it runs well but for me, I found the level of micromanagement needed for your troops was a bit irritating, it could also be a little easier/quicker to navigate around the map. Voice acting and dialogue seem above average. 7/10 from me is well above average and equates to worth buying.… Expand
  5. Comradepinko
    Feb 16, 2013
    7
    The general flavor and theme of this game is a nice continuation of the Dungeon Keeper games of old, and at 20 dollars on release it's not a bad price, but it does suffer from a clunky interface (a inexplicable time delay on mouse scrolling, reseting your camera view if you open menus, and generally awkward in game menus).

    If you want an interesting RTS-DK hybrid this game is for you.    The general flavor and theme of this game is a nice continuation of the Dungeon Keeper games of old, and at 20 dollars on release it's not a bad price, but it does suffer from a clunky interface (a inexplicable time delay on mouse scrolling, reseting your camera view if you open menus, and generally awkward in game menus).

    If you want an interesting RTS-DK hybrid this game is for you. If you were looking for a modern reboot of DK then you may want to pass or wait for this to drop to something more like 5 dollars.    … Expand
  6. Chomag
    Feb 16, 2013
    6
    Your 1st impression would be that the game is a Dungeon Keeper remake. It's not. At least not really. In DK you didn't have direct control over the minions and they generally did their own things, which gave that game its charm. In Impire you do have direct control and it resembles an RTS more than a "social manager" kind of game.

    The game also has a strong aura of "low budget". I    Your 1st impression would be that the game is a Dungeon Keeper remake. It's not. At least not really. In DK you didn't have direct control over the minions and they generally did their own things, which gave that game its charm. In Impire you do have direct control and it resembles an RTS more than a "social manager" kind of game.

    The game also has a strong aura of "low budget". I haven't played it for that long but the voice acting is minimal and lacking, lots of cheesy animations that would make anyone above 14 yo facepalm. And the interface is...average. It's not bad but functional and that's that, nothing to go crazy here. It's worth the price on Steam but buy if you got nothing else to play, which is very probable considering the market's current lack of games that aren't complete garbage.    … Expand
  7. EmperorZoltan
    Feb 16, 2013
    5
    Impire just doesn’t feel like a finished game. It’s buggy as hell, corners have been cut and key features such as combat and base design feel rushed and poorly executed. Still, it’s better than DUNGEONS, but unless you are a diehard fan of the genre I’d steer clear of this one. Do yourself a favour and head to GOG.com and buy yourself a copy of the classic bullfrog game Dungeon Keeper.
  8. giskarduk
    Feb 28, 2013
    6
    Impire is a fun game and at the price it is worth buying. It has its funny moments but the game is best described as nothing outstanding and slightly buggy. Some of the missions are drawn out and rather dull and there is no real base building involved. Just a combination of defending your dungeon and attacking the surface world. The rooms are always the same size and not scalable but canImpire is a fun game and at the price it is worth buying. It has its funny moments but the game is best described as nothing outstanding and slightly buggy. Some of the missions are drawn out and rather dull and there is no real base building involved. Just a combination of defending your dungeon and attacking the surface world. The rooms are always the same size and not scalable but can be rotated, Skirmish is actually multiplayer and not Skirmish at all and the makers plan to sell you upgrades as optional extras.

    I enjoyed it the game, I think its worth the price but it is not going to win any awards but that does not mean you should avoid it. I personally would follow this rule based on what you have read about it. If you think you may like it, you probably will. If you think you will not like it, you probably will not.

    Nice game, nothing exciting, worth buying.    … Expand
  9. Scritty
    Feb 16, 2013
    6
    It's not a bad game, but it certainly not a patch on DK or even the slightly below par DK2, which are available for a lot less than this and still play as well. MY fave part of DK was designing very specific traps and plans, rooms of different sizes etc. With the prebuilt rooms and no real Imp customization and direct control of the Imps, the game is more of a lite RTS that requires twitchIt's not a bad game, but it certainly not a patch on DK or even the slightly below par DK2, which are available for a lot less than this and still play as well. MY fave part of DK was designing very specific traps and plans, rooms of different sizes etc. With the prebuilt rooms and no real Imp customization and direct control of the Imps, the game is more of a lite RTS that requires twitch reactions than a true successor to DK. Only game that offers what DK had (and a LOT more of course) is probably Dwarf Fortress. Possibly Gnomoria. Not bad, but 15 years on you'd have thought SOMEONE could have done a decent modern take on DK...but this is another decent enough game that fails to live up to the past classics in terms of depth of gameplay.… Expand
  10. RaidenHitsu
    Feb 17, 2013
    6
    NOTE: THIS IS NOT A DK CLONE PEOPLE. I had great expectations and they didn't fall short. Let's start talking about some minor things, the humor is funny, the story is engaging and the graphics, well, I personally like them a lot, it's no new gen but it's pleasant to the eye with a little cartoonish in it. In this game you find yourself managing a dungeon, you form squads of units that actNOTE: THIS IS NOT A DK CLONE PEOPLE. I had great expectations and they didn't fall short. Let's start talking about some minor things, the humor is funny, the story is engaging and the graphics, well, I personally like them a lot, it's no new gen but it's pleasant to the eye with a little cartoonish in it. In this game you find yourself managing a dungeon, you form squads of units that act as a single unit and they learn new skills, which depends on the units you used. These squads will be used outside of your dungeon when you send them on missions to gather resources raiding places or inside your dungeon to defend it, patrol it or liberate it from monsters inhabiting them. You build corridors, rooms and customize your dungeon whatever you like, there is even a points system that acts as a sort of "research" that allows unlocking stuff during a game. All in all I'm having a blast with this title, I never played DK, but I played Dungeons (which was, hey build a luna park for heroes essentially). I'm not saying Dungeons is not nice, they're different and similar in some aspects and I did enjoy both, althought I think I enjoyed more Impire. There is a story mode that can be played up to 4 players (4 players campaign!!!) or a skirmish mode. Last but not least, from one mission to another, your avatar "hero" or whatever you call it, gets permanent experience so you can upgrade him with new wings, or skin which are stats/abilities upgrades all visible on your char, it feels nice to see the little guy grow and become different. Anyways, the only downside that I can think of is that it can be a little repetitive after some time, but the formula is highly replayable, simple and relaxing so I don't mind. It suffers from some minor bugs from launch and there are some rough edges that could've been smoothed for a better gameplay (for example teleport to eat would've been nice, instead of teleport near kitchen and then order to eat) but the developers' team seems to be community friendly so I think those things will be ironed out in no time. Recommend it! I would give it an 8/10 but I feel like putting in a 10 because of those awful zeros.… Expand
  11. Dethstar
    May 4, 2013
    6
    A poor comparison with Dungeon Keeper or any other classic of that genre. However, not a terrible game if taken at face value. There have been one or two other dungeon keeper type games lately that were on par with this. Unfortunately, it simply lacks feature and content. It is very linear and there is little real strategy involved. The dungeon design is largely irrelevant. Having saidA poor comparison with Dungeon Keeper or any other classic of that genre. However, not a terrible game if taken at face value. There have been one or two other dungeon keeper type games lately that were on par with this. Unfortunately, it simply lacks feature and content. It is very linear and there is little real strategy involved. The dungeon design is largely irrelevant. Having said that, it runs without crashes or glitches and has its moments. No depth whatsoever. The bones of a decent game without the feeling that you doing more than following a formula. A very polished shame of a game.… Expand
  12. Notger
    Feb 21, 2013
    5
    Humor is nice, artworks are great, but this game grows old quite fast.
    The main points are simplistic mechanics, lacking build freedom and lots of micromanagement (and I mean lots: ladders popping up, minions having to be fed and so on).
    See Taziars review for more details.
  13. GodEmperor47
    Apr 28, 2013
    6
    Impire suffers from one major flaw: it's incredibly tedious. Research and party formation occupy most of your time, and once you've created a tank/2 dps/healer combo in a few monster parties, the game is too easy. Customizing your dungeon lord can be cool, but it takes several missions to gain anything and the combat isn't any more satisfying when using your demon avatar than it is withImpire suffers from one major flaw: it's incredibly tedious. Research and party formation occupy most of your time, and once you've created a tank/2 dps/healer combo in a few monster parties, the game is too easy. Customizing your dungeon lord can be cool, but it takes several missions to gain anything and the combat isn't any more satisfying when using your demon avatar than it is with the parties of imps. It's mechanically sound (aside from an option to have your monsters automatically feed themselves, having to do it manually every five minutes gets old), but doesn't bring enough innovation or entertainment to the table. Not a horrible Dungeon Keeper knock-off, but I wish it'd been a bit more like DK and a bit less like Evil Genius (imagine all the boring parts of both games mashed together, and that's what you get here).… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
45

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 28
  3. Negative: 13 out of 28
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Jun 10, 2013
    80
    A charming strategy, with pleasant gameplay, some original ideas and humorous wackiness. A must have for old friends of Dungeon Keeper. [April 2013]
  2. CD-Action
    May 7, 2013
    50
    A game similar to Dungeon Keeper but worse in every aspect. [CD-Action 05/2013, p.76]
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Apr 15, 2013
    58
    Impire would be below average strategy game in the spirit on Dungeon Keeper, but thanks to really awful, long-winded and unfunny attempts of humour, it becomes something much, much worse. [Apr 2013]
See all critic reviews »