In the years since the Great War broke out between the Black Empire and the Blue League, there has been one special prize that neither has been able to claim for good: Liberstadt, the city of freedom. This city has become a flashpoint in the war, such that whomever can hold it will likely win. Liberstadt is a city with secrets, though, and the chaos lurking there will turn the tides of war in unexpected ways.

Empires Shall Fall is bound to remind you of other games, so let’s put it on the table right now: This is indie Advance Wars. It borrows a lot of elements from Nintendo’s extensive Wars series, including the basic combat mechanics, capturable buildings, unit interactions and CO commands.

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New features and variety

There are some new features at play, including faction-specific unit upgrades that can be swapped out between missions and even a level editor. The aesthetics are also a bit different, with most units having a vaguely WW1-esque dieselpunk feel.

There’s a respectable amount of variety in the levels, with some including novel mechanics such as a fog of war that hides units on both sides until revealed via radar. Most levels are challenging but not excessively so, and a player with some strategy game experience should be able to finish the game without too much difficulty.

There’s enough flexibility with the upgrade system that most levels can be completed with more than one strategy, though the impact of most upgrades is fairly minimal.

Not too much to interact with the audience with Empires Shall Fall

Empires Shall Fall features some minimal opportunities for audience interaction, mainly with regard to the upgrade system. There aren’t any branching paths or optional objectives, though, so don’t expect much here. This is a decidedly old-school experience that’s most appropriate for an audience that appreciates older games.

This one’s a pretty easy call – if you liked any of the Wars games, you’ll also like Empires Shall Fall as it builds heavily on its precursors. If you aren’t a fan of those games, then this probably isn’t for you.

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Drew Johnston

ANDREW JOHNSTON is a teacher, writer and journalist based out of mainland Asia. He is a regular contributor to Superjump Magazine, where he specializes in independent video games and the gaming culture of East Asia. He has published short fiction in 30 markets and anthologies including Daily Science Fiction, Nature: Futures and the Laughing at Shadows Anthology.