Though you'll occasionally come across some really problematic situations in which you're either under attack by an unmanageably large mob of saboteurs or in which you're running out of money much faster than you can earn it, you can still manage to complete the game's single-player campaign without too much difficulty. That's because aside from the occasional difficulty, Casino Empire is an extremely straightforward, even simplistic game in which you can win practically every scenario by building some games, buying up some advertising, waiting for your existing games to make more money, then repeating the process. In fact, you'll find that once you reach a certain plateau level of hotel rating, clientele, and income, you can literally sit back and twiddle your thumbs until you win. Casino Empire isn't a deep or even challenging strategy game by any means, but there's certainly something relaxing about having a bustling, colorful casino full of happy patrons and bright, flashing slot-machine lights while the money keeps rolling in.
You'll meet tongue-in-cheek parodies of celebrities on the strip.
Casino Empire doesn't look spectacular, though it does sound a bit better than it looks. You can fill out huge casino lots that can look extremely active, thanks to Casino Empire's simple, colorful graphics, but the game's plain-looking card tables, slot machines, decorations, and patrons that would have looked a lot better had they been more detailed. Fortunately, Casino Empire features fairly decent voice acting. Your employees and patrons will make short, occasionally witty remarks when you click on them, and you'll also meet celebrity patrons and new casino bosses that hire you on at the beginning of each of the game's eight missions--they have more-interesting voices that spoof well-known celebrities like Bill Cosby, Siegfried & Roy, and Regis Philbin, and they're good for a laugh or two. The game also has good ambient, jazzy background music that's fitting for a casino, and though it also has a soundtrack consisting of songs licensed from Vegas mainstays like the Brian Setzer Orchestra, these tracks are few and far between, and you'll be able to access them only later on in the game's missions. The game also has a free-form sandbox mode that helps extend the game's replay value somewhat, though it's still tough to justify the $40 retail price.
Casino Empire was based on an idea with a lot of promise, and it's a shame that the game doesn't really realize that potential because of gaps in its design--like its incomplete interface and its overly simple, straightforward gameplay--and because of its less-than-impressive graphics and sound. However, if you're more interested in the relaxing sights and sounds of Las Vegas than you are in playing a highly challenging strategy game, you might want to take a gamble with Casino Empire.
Casino Empire (PC):
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