Having spent many hundreds of hours playing various grand strategy games in which building an empire and painting a map is the core experience, I had to check out Fall of an Empire. It’s a bit different from the usual games, like Europa Universalis V. In Fall, you’re actively working to prevent the total collapse of an empire, balancing politics, warfare, and resources in a Roman-inspired game world. It’s almost frantic in its pacing at times, but still retains that grand strategy flair. So, how does it hold up? Let’s dive into our Fall of an Empire review to see if this grand strategy game is worth your time and energy!
Editor’s Note: The Guide Hall received a review copy of the game from the developer/publisher/PR for this review. Their generosity does not impact our overall opinion or thoughts on the game.
The Good
The overall premise of Fall of an Empire is what really drew my attention. Most other grand strategy games have you start small, with a budding nation, and build up into grandeur. But not FoaN. Here, you’re starting in reverse, with a crumbling realm that requires you to balance shaky diplomacy, deadly politics, scarce resources, and weary troops. It’s challenging from the get-go, and I think that’s where most people struggle initially.
It’s in accepting that challenge that I had the most fun. You’re not the most powerful, not anymore, and even a coordinated barbarian horde attack can leave you reeling. It’s the possibilities; will you restore your empire, or will it crumble? It makes for high replayability.
Elsewhere, the writing is top-notch. The stories and flavor pull you into this alternative world, giving you something more to invest in besides just your dying nation.
Lastly, I think it’s important to note how responsive the developer has been to date. They’ve addressed multiple concerns from community members, pumped out numerous hotfixes and patches, and continue to work on the game.
The Bad
I, like many others, have encountered a few bugs, glitches, and occasionally confusing design choices that have plagued the strategy gameplay in Fall of an Empire. My first playthrough was relatively smooth. I didn’t notice anything egregious, and I didn’t endure any game-breaking bugs or crashes. But subsequent playthroughs started showing some cracks.
One issue led to the loss of certain in-game decisions and events after loading up the game following a short break. I returned to find enemies I previously defeated returned from the dead, plaguing my lands once more. And in a few instances, decisions I had made were undone.
Elsewhere, a few quality-of-life concerns stick out. Namely, managing your armies. It’s overly challenging to manage ongoing wars due to the fact that you have almost too many armies that require individual input. Skill issue? Perhaps.
Lastly, performance. On multiple occasions, stuttering and significant frame drops occurred. While this isn’t a high-speed competitive FPS, the stuttering does ruin the experience in its own way here. It’s frustrating as you make grand plans for an invasion or city defense, only to find your game chugging along in the moment, ruining the momentum.
The Verdict
Overall, Fall of an Empire won’t dethrone Europa Univeralis, but it doesn’t need to. It offers a unique perspective on the grand strategy game, with its focus on a crumbling empire coming back from the brink. For fans of the genre, it’s a nice detour. But I don’t see it offering significant lasting power to keep players returning for multiple playthroughs.
Grab it on sale if you’re a long-time grand strategy fan!