Strategy Game Impire Announced

Paradox Interactive, creators of surprise hit Magicka, will take us deep into the Ardanian underworld with their new strategy game, Impire.

Taking place in the classic fantasy kingdom simulator Majesty, Impire will task players with creating a personalized dungeon lair and an army of minions, then sending the evil lackeys to wreak havoc on the realm of Ardania.

Developed by Cyanide in Montreal, Impire’s campaign will follow the story of the demon Báal-Abaddon as he works to regain his powers. Summoned by an incompetent sorcerer named Oscar van Fairweather, the once-mighty demon is now merely a pint-sized imp. Building dungeons, trapping heroes, and spreading your evil influence throughout the countryside will all play their part in bringing Báal-Abaddon back to his original, horrifying form. Throughout the campaign you will level up and unlock more powerful items to aid you in furthering your evil deeds.

From the looks of the announcement trailer, and some early details, fans of the classic series Dungeon Keeper will feel right at home using the wide variety of “minions, deadly traps, and…wicked spells” of Impire in order to create a dungeon. In fact, the game bears quite a striking resemblance to Dungeon Keeper. This is not to say, however, that a new iteration of this unique game style is unwelcome. Cyanide’s take on the classic will undoubtedly add a bit of their own style as well as some new and interesting features.

In addition to all of the familiar gameplay, Cyanide is excited about multiplayer interaction—something that was a bit scant in the aforementioned series. Players will be able to co-op the base campaign as well as battle each other in a variety of multiplayer modes. With a promised menagerie of unlockable “magical item cards,” and a wide variety of devilish dungeoneering tools, I’m hopeful that there will be room for many different playstyles that will make for some exciting multiplayer battles.

Cyanide is set to release Impire on PC sometime during the first quarter of 2013. Unlike the many skeptical YouTube commentors, I am hopeful that this new take will be a devilishly satisfying revival of an old favorite.