Urban Empire

 PC
  • Publisher: Kalypso
  • Release Date: Jan 20, 2017
User Score
5.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 39 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 39
  3. Negative: 13 out of 39
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  1. Inference
    Jan 26, 2017
    8
    It has many things to adjust (as many reviews say) but the main idea of this game is great and it has possibility of improvement much. I expect additional patch that it will be great game. But not just now.
  2. Bumbajack
    Jan 21, 2017
    9
    I love it. Great, smooth mix of apolitical simulation with City building features. Don't expect a city builder though, it is more macro management like..
  3. rs232
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    This game is fantastic. I will admit, it has a large learning curve. The creator of this game made an excellent new genre of City Building, Real Time Strategy, and Turn based gaming. I have been playing city builders since the original Sim City. This game has all of the fun of those games, with an added element of politics. You must learn to work with, and destroy, the politicalThis game is fantastic. I will admit, it has a large learning curve. The creator of this game made an excellent new genre of City Building, Real Time Strategy, and Turn based gaming. I have been playing city builders since the original Sim City. This game has all of the fun of those games, with an added element of politics. You must learn to work with, and destroy, the political parties to get the things you want passed. This makes it a very realistic game, and fun once you get the hang of it.

    I really believe that those who gave this game a low score should take another look. It definitely takes several plays to figure it out. But, that is OK, because once you do, it is a ton of fun.    … Expand
  4. Sixth_Path
    Feb 12, 2017
    10
    After a complete play-through, I believe I can judge the game in its entirety. For a strategy lover like myself, it was honestly a very refreshing experience with different elements of gameplay than what we're used to see in this category of games.

    Obviously, it really lacks polish on some aspects that were largely reviewed by other criticisms (lack of explanations, uselessness of    After a complete play-through, I believe I can judge the game in its entirety. For a strategy lover like myself, it was honestly a very refreshing experience with different elements of gameplay than what we're used to see in this category of games.

    Obviously, it really lacks polish on some aspects that were largely reviewed by other criticisms (lack of explanations, uselessness of infrastructures, weird taxation system, shortage of data sets ...) but overall, I was positively surprised by the mechanics and delighted to see my economy flourish.

    I believe the game tries to paint an accurate picture of the life of a mayor having to lead a city, with multiple statistics at hand without knowing exactly what investment will modify citizen needs. Another thing most reviewers apparently dismissed was to spread large investments as institutions on multiple districts. I continued to create districts at a fast pace and ended up covering the entire map around the middle of the IV era and I can tell you money flowed (I ended up the game with a capital of 76M and a monthly net income of 1450k), the key is having your city grow by creating new districts (without any infrastructure, at least before the last era).

    10 is maybe not an accurate note but I did put it to offset the abusive 0-2 scores. The game is worth a solid 8.    … Expand
  5. JJAron
    Aug 19, 2020
    9
    While playing this game I was having fun. I bought it for 3$ or something like that, and it's good game. I didn't expect to much, and Urban Empire surprised me very well.

Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Most Shared PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
62

Mixed or average reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 20
  3. Negative: 1 out of 20
  1. CD-Action
    Mar 6, 2017
    60
    In Urban Empire the worlds of politics and economy collide in an interesting but moderately successful way. [03/2017, p.70]
  2. CGMagazine
    Mar 4, 2017
    75
    While exploring the many intricacies can be downright frustrating, and the political game can get difficult, Urban Empire is a game unlike any other in its genre. I’ve never played a sim that actually follows the rules of the democracy we have today. That alone makes it a unique enough title to at least try out. I just wish there was a little extra polish or at least a more thorough explanation on how the smaller intricacies in the game work.
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  3. Games.cz
    Mar 3, 2017
    50
    Untraditional conception of building strategy promised many, but instead of that, it delivered dys-functional game mechanics and botched gameplay. Urban Empire stands between the two genres, and takes the worst from both – limited building is combined with dysfunctional political part of the whole game.
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