Impire

Impire is a real-time strategy video game developed by Cyanide Studios and published by Paradox Interactive, and released for Microsoft Windows via Steam on February 14, 2013.^[2][3][4]

Impire
Developer(s)	Cyanide Studios
Publisher(s)	Paradox Interactive
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release	February 14, 2013
Genre(s)	Strategy,[1] dungeon management game

Gameplay

Initial press reactions to Impire drew comparisons with Bullfrog Productions's Dungeon Keeper, a real-time strategy game released in 1997 that received widespread critical acclaim. Alongside Dungeon Keeper, Impire similarly grants the player command over a subterranean empire, with the ability to construct buildings, recruit monsters, and engage minions in combat.^[5]

Setting

Within the fictional universe of Impire, the player assumes the persona of Baʿal-Abaddon, a primordial evil summoned from Tartarus and imprisoned in the physical form of a demonic imp, initially forced to serve the incompetent sorcerer Oscar van Fairweather. During the course of Impire, Baal-Abaddon escapes van Fairweather's control and attempts to reconstruct his ancient, nefarious empire under the continent of Ardania.^[6]

Development

Shortly after announcing the project on July 26, 2012, Yves Bordeleau, the Studio Director of Cyanide Montreal indicated that Impire was in 'pre-pre-alpha' during his presentation to GameSpot staff. Throughout Bordeleau's demonstration, he frequently referenced the 'scenarios' in the single-player and co-operative campaign setting of Impire, suggesting that the structure of the game is predominantly mission-based.^[7]

Reception

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
Metacritic	45/100[8]

Review scores

Publication	Score
4Players	65%[9]
Destructoid	3.5/10[10]
Eurogamer	3/10[11]
Game Informer	5/10[12]
GameSpot	4.5/10[13]
GameSpy	[14]
GameStar	47%[15]
Jeuxvideo.com	14/20[16]
PC Gamer (UK)	63%[17]
PC PowerPlay	3/10[18]
The Escapist	[19]

Impire received "unfavorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.^[8]