Sure, Civilization launched the 4X genre by letting simulate the whole of human history, but there’s nothing stopping us from exploring, expanding, exploiting, and exterminating in a more narrow field of the past. Oriental Empires, published by Iceberg Interactive, will do just that by challenging players to conquer historical China.
You’ll start with a single settlement from one of sixteen unique factions with their own bonuses and penalties, and you’ll do battle with other nations on the fields of diplomacy or warfare. Battles will feature soldiers in the thousands, recreated in detail on the game map, and you can zoom in for greater fidelity or far out for a full strategic overview.
A few players have already been enjoying the game’s closed beta, but the title will hit Early Access soon. Early Access is estimated to last two months, as multiplayer is implemented and the game undergoes final balancing and bug testing.
Oriental Empires will launch September 20 on Steam for $29.99, with a final release expected by the end of the year.
