14 DAY TRIAL // I have cleared out all competing political entities from my own continent. The wars were not easy but now there’s plenty of space for my civilization to develop. And I can take my own military forces, concentrate them and find new places to conquer, preferably someone who is weaker and already occupied with another conflict.
I command some light infantry to defend my cities and one weaker mobile division as a reserve. Now it is time to get in contact with a Maritime Trading House and find out how much it will cost to try and move the rest of my forces around. Or maybe it’s a good idea to invest more in development and take to the seas once my strength increases.
Oceania is the first downloadable content pack for Shadow Empire, developed by VR Designs and published by Slitherine Ltd. I played on Steam on the PC. The DLC introduces more variety for planet generation and some extra mechanics.
The biggest tweak in Oceania, as the chosen name makes clear, is that planets can now have big bodies of water, separating continents or creating archipelagos of small islands. The idea is to add to the realism of the planets where players try to create their thriving empires while introducing more gameplay opportunities.
To explore and exploit the newly watery worlds, garners will interact with the new Maritime Trade Houses. The title also has naval logistical points and enemies can come from the sea. There are no ships that player’s themselves design or build and everything is centered around interactions with representatives from the new thallasocratic entity.
Oceania offers the option to trade their stock and get dividends but also to weigh in during policy meetings. The various houses fight each other to control the seas. It adds to the complexity of the title but it feels very weird to be unable to actually click on a ship and directly tell it where to go.
Shadow Empire is a turn-based strategy game, at its core, with a side of faction management and personal interactions. Players will move units across the map, battling opponents to secure territory and improve the position of their own faction.
Each turn, gamers need to handle decisions, decide how to spend Political Points, invest resources toward more military assets, and consider what battles are worth fighting. It takes time and failure to understand all the nuances of the game. But it is rewarding to see how choices interact with each other and how seemingly small tweaks can lead to major results.
Make sure to read the manual before jumping in and do not be afraid to simply try things out and see what happens. This is the kind of game that can deliver hundreds of hours of fun but needs players to make a decent investment of time and energy first.
Shadow Empire: Oceania doesn’t, unfortunately, add much to the presentation of the game. The game’s look is functional and it can take time to learn all elements of the interface and what to click to reach certain options. The sound design is also pretty limited, although the soundtrack remains a bright spot.
Conclusion
The problem is that the addition of water does not come with actual ships for the player to control. The entire concept of watery worlds feels only half-implemented, which is a shame. Shadows Empire is a strategy game that needs a ton of time to reveal its depth. It’s a shame that Oceania never fully delivers on its potential.
A review key was provided by the publisher
