Ashes of Empire

Box art for Ashes of Empire
Publisher(s)	Microprose
Platform(s)	DOS
Release	1992
Genre(s)	Strategy

Ashes of Empire was a 1992 strategy video game produced by Microprose, released for the Amiga and MS-DOS systems. It was a follow-on, although not a sequel, to the earlier games Midwinter and Flames of Freedom.

Description

Gameplay involved working as a member of a fictional UN/NATO-type organisation to recruit followers across various CIS-inspired republics being threatened by a powerful neighbour. The mechanics of the game were very similar to the earlier Midwinter game, although the player was now able to use a selection of land and air vehicles to travel around. Combat was handled in real-time, with the player manoeuvring to engage the enemy vehicle(s).

The game was reasonably well-received but not commercially successful, mainly due to the dry nature of the subject matter and the level of detail included in the game.^[1]

Reception

Computer Gaming World in 1993 stated that Ashes of Empire was a logistical game that "trully breaks new ground" but "reveals major weaknesses", with gameplay that was "plodding and devoid of any intense challenge". The magazine approved of, however, the "truly fresh gaming experience" and "interactive education and thought puzzle which is highly topical in today's changing world", and concluded that "this type of game needs several generations of development [as a viable genre] ... It's about time, though, that a games like Ashes of Empire took the first, important step".^[2]

References