EMPIRE OF SIN
Paint the town red – with bootleg booze and a tommy gun
As soon as she swept her way into the speakeasy we knew she was trouble. Goldie by name and Goldie by appearance, this ’20s flapper is one for making an entrance – whether that be on stage, devastating audiences with her voice, or right here and now, as she’s currently devastating a horde of ill-fated goons with her minigun.
Goldie Garneau is just one of 14 total mob bosses you can play as or vie with for dominance of Chicago during the Prohibition era in this 1920s-set strategy game. The rogues’ gallery features a mashup of historical figures, with some changing very little from their real-world inspirations and others existing as more of an amalgamation of various different people, such as the aforementioned Goldie Garneau.
Game director Brenda Romero explains why they took this approach: “We wanted, ultimately, when you play the game that you could see yourself somewhere in the game.”
A FAMILY BUSINESS
There’s a lot of both of the Romeros in Empire Of Sin. For example, boss Frankie Donovan is based on Brenda’s great-grandfather who came over to the US as a stowaway when he was 12 during the 1900s, escaping famine back home – though that’s perhaps not the most unbelievable nugget of family history.
“I probably should just change his name to Paddy Donovan, but I thought that nobody would believe that was really his name,” she says. She adds, “Elvira Duarte [another boss] really did run brothels in Sonora, Mexico and is John’s great-grandmother.”
Each boss has perks and abilities specific to them. For instance, thanks to Goldie’s charming personality, trades leave her 10% better off and her speakeasies are 25% less likely to get raided. But it’s only a matter of time before these big personalities come to blows and Ms Garneau ain’t one to avoid getting her hands dirty. Her special attack – named Killer Queen – rattles off rifle rounds at multiple targets. It’s not quite dynamite with a laser beam but it’s damn close.
Beyond that, each boss can finish off foes with a special execution move. Sending a clear message to your enemies as much as your allies, there’s a risk of turning your comrades cruel over time… or worse. Your quest for dominance of the city shapes you through the traits system as much as you shape the city. We can’t wait to see how Chicago looks next spring.
“THERE’S A RISK OF TURNING YOUR COMRADES CRUEL… OR WORSE.”