• Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Mar 3, 2009
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 3194 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. Apr 12, 2014
    0
    I reviewed this game when it first came out, but the review has mysteriously disappeared, so here is a new review! :)

    Ignore the reviews by professional critics, they are paid to give positive reviews. Have a look at the difference between the critic score and the user score. The people who bought this game know what's up. This game is garbage. Where to start? Tons of bugs.
    I reviewed this game when it first came out, but the review has mysteriously disappeared, so here is a new review! :)

    Ignore the reviews by professional critics, they are paid to give positive reviews. Have a look at the difference between the critic score and the user score. The people who bought this game know what's up.

    This game is garbage. Where to start?

    Tons of bugs. Constant crashes. The AI has trouble moving troops around the battlefields and forts. Natives did not use cannons. etc. etc. I could go on and on, but I will spare you.

    Yes, I am aware some of these issues have been resolved. That does not change the fact that this game was unfinished software when released and remains a bug-infested crapfest to this day. When I purchased this game I felt I had been cheated by Creative Assembly and I am still bitter about it even now, years later.

    Creative Assembly really hit rock-bottom with this title. If you buy this game, you are only encouraging CA to produce more garbage games. Save your money.
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  2. May 19, 2018
    2
    This game is broken. Not only because the bugs, but also user interface, game dynamics, artificial intelligence... nothing works properly.
    Total war games have become one of the worst strategy series for the PC. It is unbelievable that after so many years and so many games, total war games are still without a proper AI. It is like a platform game without a working collision detection.
    This game is broken. Not only because the bugs, but also user interface, game dynamics, artificial intelligence... nothing works properly.
    Total war games have become one of the worst strategy series for the PC. It is unbelievable that after so many years and so many games, total war games are still without a proper AI. It is like a platform game without a working collision detection.
    Programmers should be ashamed of this game. It is needed just 5 minutes of play to start finding bugs. This means that either Creative Assembly don´t have a QA department or they are aware of the bugs but they don´t give a shxx.
    Regarding the AI, they rely just on giving cheats to the computer. The computer wil know the position of all your armies, all your fleets, it will know what you can see and what you can´t, in battles it will know exactly the range and the arc of fire of your troops to put their troops in the safe edge, it will know things like when you order to your artillery to fire on the enemy general, and it will move the general away in the precise moment you make click on it.
    Diplomacy is not working because of the nonexistent AI. The rest of the nations are not trying to win, they are programmed to just go against you. So diplomacy is totally broken.
    There game does not have difficulty levels. It just have levels of cheat. The AI plays equally bad in very hard as easy.

    Why creative assembly do not program a proper AI for their games? Because they know that they will sell total war games just improving the graphics.
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  3. Jan 5, 2019
    2
    This game has been out for ten years and Creative Assembly still hasn't fixed the bug that stops you from repairing forts. Pathetic.
  4. MattE
    Sep 19, 2009
    4
    Game was fun for about a week until its several glaring defects caused me to stop playing. I have been one of the lucky few who actually never has the game CTD; however this does not make up for an inept AI and total lack of support from CA who has since moved on to work on Napolean Total War . Patches have been sporadic at best and I am still waiting on the multiplayer campaign which is Game was fun for about a week until its several glaring defects caused me to stop playing. I have been one of the lucky few who actually never has the game CTD; however this does not make up for an inept AI and total lack of support from CA who has since moved on to work on Napolean Total War . Patches have been sporadic at best and I am still waiting on the multiplayer campaign which is why CA delayed the release and over 6 months after te release there has been no feedback. Don't buy from CA again or at least until 3 months after a release and read the reviews then. Expand
  5. Jun 4, 2019
    4
    Can't understand why this game is so hyped. Provinces in Europe are way too big, which makes conquering the whole continent too easy. And since the AI almost always refuses peace deals you usually have no choice but to fully conquer them, making your country too powerful too fast.
  6. May 23, 2016
    2
    I am writing this to alert people once again at how bad this game is. Never mind how bad it was at launch, I will tell you my experience as of the last CA patch, when they announced they would no longer be patching this game.

    I played the campaign long enough to play a single battle. I was defending a fort from an enemy assault. Mere seconds after the battle started the opposing AI ran
    I am writing this to alert people once again at how bad this game is. Never mind how bad it was at launch, I will tell you my experience as of the last CA patch, when they announced they would no longer be patching this game.

    I played the campaign long enough to play a single battle. I was defending a fort from an enemy assault. Mere seconds after the battle started the opposing AI ran his general out, sweeping across his front lines, and opened fire on my fort with his cannons....directly through his general's unit, thereby killing his own general within about 15 seconds from the battle start. Probably trying to cut around my fort at my reinforcements behind and to the left of the fort.

    That was the start, then about a minute later I had moved my two reinforcing units up to flank the attacking force, when the AI decided it would meet my reinforcements head on with a cavalry charge. I had elephant cavalry and some sort of hybrid ranged/melee unit, so I switched my ranged unit into melee mode, and counter charged, relying on the elephant cavalry to break the enemy charge and my other unit to overwhelm them. Then I switched back to manage the assault on my fort, which was going well for me, only to switch back to the conflict outside my fort to find that while my elephant cavalry had charged, my other unit had not. At first I thought I had misclicked, but come to find out, when I had put the unit in melee mode, it froze in place. I couldn't move it. I had to toggle it back in forth multiple times before it "fixed itself" and I could move it again, but only in ranged mode.

    As my general was part of the now gutted elephant cavalry, I was actually at risk of being routed. I held the fort, but the AI was reforming for another attack, and all I had to stop his cavalry outside the fort was a unit that I couldn't switch from ranged mode or it would stop moving. Meanwhile his cannon had done serious damage to my wall. Reviewing the damage I realized his cannon were no longer firing, why not? Well, that is because the AI decided to abandon his cannons, which still had plenty of ammo, and charge the fort with his cannoneers, while his other units stood and watched. The marched right up to the walls, where I had local number superiority, then broke and ran, as did the rest of the forces. Giving me the victory.

    Realizing battles where not a test of skill, but a test of whether the gameplay crippling bugs the player experiences are worse than the horrible, suicidal. AI, I stopped playing then and there and have not touched the game since. i honestly think anyone who rates this game a 10/10 is either being paid, is not a gamer at all, or is playing on such easy difficulties they don't really notice how terrible things are. keep in mind, my experience, was post the last CA update, after they had "fixed" the game.

    TLDR: As of final patch, game was still broken with massive bugs and a non functional AI. Not worth playing, not to mention paying for.
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  7. Sep 16, 2010
    3
    I have been an Empire total war fan since Shogun. I am throughly disappointed with this buggy pile of crap. 7 months out and I still get crashes and the AI is out right retarded. I will never again buy anything out of CA on relase date.
  8. MarkW
    Apr 1, 2009
    2
    Well it seems the customers and the 'game' reviewers have a big difference of opinion about this game. As a customer from day 1 that is still unable to play this game without CTD or white screen crash I can honestly say that this game is nothing more than a Beta. Dont beleive me? On C.A's official forum http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/topic/52508 they are asking theWell it seems the customers and the 'game' reviewers have a big difference of opinion about this game. As a customer from day 1 that is still unable to play this game without CTD or white screen crash I can honestly say that this game is nothing more than a Beta. Dont beleive me? On C.A's official forum http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/topic/52508 they are asking the customers if they want to become part of a Beta Group to help get their game properly tested. Never thought I would see the mighty C.A fall from grace like this. Expand
  9. FletcherS
    Apr 21, 2009
    0
    This game was broke from day 1 and after numerous patches it is still broke. I have a good rig, all the other 'new' games run just fine, but ETW crashes consistently during campaigns: Attack specific town= crash. Enter specific territory= crash. I just uninstalled the game, as it is a waste of my hard drive space. This is false advertising at its worst. But I guess the company This game was broke from day 1 and after numerous patches it is still broke. I have a good rig, all the other 'new' games run just fine, but ETW crashes consistently during campaigns: Attack specific town= crash. Enter specific territory= crash. I just uninstalled the game, as it is a waste of my hard drive space. This is false advertising at its worst. But I guess the company is happy because they receive no reprisal and make tons of money on an unfinished game. Expand
  10. Oct 17, 2010
    2
    I feel as if I am being nice to give this game a 2. The installation alone took WAY longer than it should have, and I wasn't even able to play the game. The fact that I payed $20 for a game that wouldn't work on my computer, take up memory space, add stress to my already horrible day, and waste hours trying to find an answer. Anyone looking into this game is much better off taking theI feel as if I am being nice to give this game a 2. The installation alone took WAY longer than it should have, and I wasn't even able to play the game. The fact that I payed $20 for a game that wouldn't work on my computer, take up memory space, add stress to my already horrible day, and waste hours trying to find an answer. Anyone looking into this game is much better off taking the simpler installation that comes with Medieval 2: Total War. Expand
  11. Alex
    Mar 17, 2009
    2
    If you liked M2TW you will like this.. on paper at least. The use of rifles cause the player to use amazing diffrenct tactics, the addition of a large number of very small countries and the increase in trade abilities make this a welcome addition to the series. However was clearly rushed out, the game crashes repeatedly in various parts of the game for many of the users, the campain AI isIf you liked M2TW you will like this.. on paper at least. The use of rifles cause the player to use amazing diffrenct tactics, the addition of a large number of very small countries and the increase in trade abilities make this a welcome addition to the series. However was clearly rushed out, the game crashes repeatedly in various parts of the game for many of the users, the campain AI is laughable, even when at war nations (or shall i say EMPIRES) will rarely attack in land battles, only attacking fleets causing very dull gameplay. Couped with the extreme lag faced during unit selection and turns and the all over feel of unreadiness makes this game nearly unplayable. If you are new to total war get any of the previous ones, if you aren't then go play M2TW. Clearly the 'professional' reviewers once again haven't actually played the game. Expand
  12. RandallSimpson
    Mar 17, 2009
    3
    Laggy, buggy, crash-prone ... don't take my word for it: Look at the developer's own tech support forum. Minimum system specs are a joke.
    Sadly, the little bits that do run on my (well over minimum spec) system look great. Wait until it's patched at least twice before you buy. Not a retail-ready product at release.
  13. ChrisN
    Apr 19, 2009
    1
    I never did this before but I've had such a horrible experience with this game that I could not help myself. All the "critics" must be playing a different game than the one I bought. First and the most infuriating of all is the AI. Out of all the total war games I have played in the past I can never remember it being so bad. The units are often unresponsive to your commands and when I never did this before but I've had such a horrible experience with this game that I could not help myself. All the "critics" must be playing a different game than the one I bought. First and the most infuriating of all is the AI. Out of all the total war games I have played in the past I can never remember it being so bad. The units are often unresponsive to your commands and when you do manage go get them to do what you want they usually have terrible pathing. Try taking a enemy fort without any cannons to see what I mean. Tell your units to grapple the wall and what usually happens is a few of them bounce up and down the rope while the rest of them sit at the base of the wall doing nothing. It's an exercise in frustration. Next is the load times. I don't know if it's just my computer or what but it takes upwards of 2 mins sometimes for a battle to load. Add it to the fact that after your AI does another idiotic thing and costs you a battle that you want to reload it. You spend more time at loading screens than actually playing the game. I don't know if this game was rushed out or something but it feels unfinished and it is almost unplayable in it's current state. And this is even after the patches downloaded from steam. In closing, I just want to give a big F.U. to all the people who had anything to do with this terrible, half-assed, pile of garbage. I used to like this series very much but after wasting 50$ on this embarrassment I will not be buying any more total war games in the future. Expand
  14. DerrickS
    Apr 21, 2009
    4
    It looks great on paper. It looks absolutely amazing on paper. Unfortunately this is a PC game, not one played on paper. There is an absolute deluge of bugs which range from rending the game unplayable to making it just not fun. Examples include save files becoming corrupted, the AI not having the ability to attack over the ocean, units gladly firing into their own lines, cannons going It looks great on paper. It looks absolutely amazing on paper. Unfortunately this is a PC game, not one played on paper. There is an absolute deluge of bugs which range from rending the game unplayable to making it just not fun. Examples include save files becoming corrupted, the AI not having the ability to attack over the ocean, units gladly firing into their own lines, cannons going off whether you tell them to or not, numerous sound bugs, the list goes on. To top it off most of the countries play just about the same, with the same units (different names) and not-unlockable minor nations. They also took out things like family trees. Aside from the terrible AI battles are pretty fun. The graphics are good and the underlying mechanics are good. I like how cities develop more in this one than in MW. Overall I'd wait a while before buying this. It's at least one major patch away from being any real fun at all, and likely an expansion away from realizing it's potential. Expand
  15. StuartHayes
    Mar 6, 2009
    2
    Buggy, Buggy, Buggy, has crashed 20-30 times in my first 8 hours of playing. Now stuck at one point in the game, crashing after each battle before I can save. Game should never have been released with such stability issues. When it was working it seemed like a great game. Don't waste your time starting it until the patches have been rolled out
  16. AndrewHaeberlin
    Apr 1, 2009
    4
    This would have been a great game . . . if they'd finished developing it. Buggy, crash prone, and utterly unplayable. Don't buy it for at least a few months - the fact that they're apparently using fans of the series to do play testing rather than doing it themselves is frustrating, to say the least.
  17. NickMartin
    Apr 7, 2009
    0
    this game is unplayable. Repeated crashes to desktop from a multitude of reasons and corrupted save files which prevent you from reloading games. Just go here: http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/forums/126 and you can see all the issues with the game and the lack of support from Creative Assembly. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME.
  18. RobNadr
    Mar 18, 2009
    0
    Sounds like a great game if you could install it from the CD. Went to website to see how to do it and tried it and it did not work. Sent an email and have not heard back from Sega. Best advice... don't buy, stay with Medival War II.
  19. AaronLaed
    Mar 26, 2009
    0
    I was a huge fan of the totalwar series, but this is by far the worst of the totalwar games released. It crashes constantly (after downloading the first patch) The AI is weak and unit pathing is terrible. I can't recall buying a game as bad as this one. I doubt that I will ever purchase another totalwar game, what a piece of junk! Buy Rome Totalwar if you want to play a good game.
  20. MatthewMoore
    Apr 1, 2009
    0
    Well I wish I could complain about the crashing in this game but I still have not been able to play it. I knew i would have to register is with steam before I was able to play... was not aware that it needed to download from them. I move around the country alot and don't always have a great internet signal. I love my other Total War games but wouldn't reccomend this one to myWell I wish I could complain about the crashing in this game but I still have not been able to play it. I knew i would have to register is with steam before I was able to play... was not aware that it needed to download from them. I move around the country alot and don't always have a great internet signal. I love my other Total War games but wouldn't reccomend this one to my worst enemy. Expand
  21. JohnH.
    Mar 22, 2009
    1
    After playing Medieval II: Total War and seeing the promo videos of Empire, I purchased the game on the day of release. What a disappointment! The game is unfinished and requires a huge amount of work to become playable, let alone enjoyable. It is very buggy and will crash to desktop several times per turn. The AI is crude at best and it's almost impossible to lose the game. TheAfter playing Medieval II: Total War and seeing the promo videos of Empire, I purchased the game on the day of release. What a disappointment! The game is unfinished and requires a huge amount of work to become playable, let alone enjoyable. It is very buggy and will crash to desktop several times per turn. The AI is crude at best and it's almost impossible to lose the game. The developer, The Creative Assembly, has been slow to patch and if you read the gaming forums, has created a huge backlash through the gaming community with this release. My recommendation for anyone considering purchasing this game is to delay that purchase until it has become evident that the game has been fixed with appropriate patches and updates. At this time, the game is broken and unplayable. Expand
  22. Nov 28, 2014
    1
    Someone complained about a lack of updates on reviews?
    Ok, here it is.
    This is the worst game of the series Total War. I found the gameplay and the strategy of the entire system to be flawed and annoying. On easier difficulties the enemy would just enter your line of sight, get shot at, flee as they were being butchered, 10 seconds later they decide to make another attempt because well
    Someone complained about a lack of updates on reviews?
    Ok, here it is.

    This is the worst game of the series Total War. I found the gameplay and the strategy of the entire system to be flawed and annoying. On easier difficulties the enemy would just enter your line of sight, get shot at, flee as they were being butchered, 10 seconds later they decide to make another attempt because well - nothing changed. Again they enter the line of fire, take a few losses and run.

    How is this better than Rome 2? A Total war game in which the AI ran through my volley of catapults (barely on Hard difficulty) to reach my few melee units, circled my general with pikes and closed in for the kill, that I barely escaped from. I don't get how some people's brain works, when games like Empire total war is considered to be awesome and Rome 2, is crap. Rome 2 has it's flaws still, but years later, Empire total war is still a piece of crap.
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  23. TotalWarFan
    Feb 27, 2010
    4
    Though I love Total War games and believe that they are among the greatest games of any genre ever made, I can't say that I was impressed. The battle graphics are horrible, especially when you zoom out, and the diplomacy is also terrible. The custom battle maps are also very bad, with the fact that there are barely any buildings, and the AI players are absolutely horrible! The Though I love Total War games and believe that they are among the greatest games of any genre ever made, I can't say that I was impressed. The battle graphics are horrible, especially when you zoom out, and the diplomacy is also terrible. The custom battle maps are also very bad, with the fact that there are barely any buildings, and the AI players are absolutely horrible! The campaign is fun, but Africa, South America, and at least parts of Central and Eastern Asia should be included. The unit detail is fairly good, but the men all look exactly the same; even the militias, Native Americans, and minutemen! Empire: Total War is okay but Medieval II: Total War is, without a doubt, the best video game ever made, and no one should ever make the mistake of comparing Empire to Medieval II or even Rome: Total War. I would give it a higher score because of the campaign, and even with all the problems it is a good game, but I must give Empire: Total War a 4 because it is a terrible game in comparison to the rest of The Creative Assembly's games. I only hope that Napoleon: Total War is better. Expand
  24. TChips
    Apr 3, 2009
    2
    Waited a few months to buy the game as suggested by other users, but its been a huge dissapointment, I installed the game and tried to load it but the annoyin windows messag came up saying that the game had stopped working. Ive been a huge fan since shogun came out and i feel let down so far by empire. im gonna write another review when the game decides it wants to work and then ill see ifWaited a few months to buy the game as suggested by other users, but its been a huge dissapointment, I installed the game and tried to load it but the annoyin windows messag came up saying that the game had stopped working. Ive been a huge fan since shogun came out and i feel let down so far by empire. im gonna write another review when the game decides it wants to work and then ill see if it lives up to game spys reivew Expand
  25. PeteB
    Apr 18, 2009
    1
    This game doesent play properly and it crashes continually- I cant understand how anyone can say it is good!! You are lucky to finish a couple of campaign moves before a crash. Avoid at all costs.
  26. AustriaFrance
    Apr 3, 2009
    0
    What a Steaming pile! I cannot even get the demo to load (through Steam) without crashing. $50 for what? So Steam can regulate what I do? No thanks. Good luck to everyone who chooses to support such pile of waste (Steam that is). I agree with the afforementioned boycott strategy! DO NOT BUY THIS GAME UNTIL STEAM GOES AWAY!!!
  27. harmbrands
    Mar 5, 2009
    1
    I can't play the game because steam is messing things up . as they most of the time do.
    i bought the original special forces edition. but it is a waste of money next time i will get an cracked version from th internet. quess then i will have a much better chance the works fine.
  28. MatthewW
    Mar 13, 2009
    0
    So far, I can't even get past the opening menu of the game, it keeps crashing when trying to download the campaign or scenarios. I have plenty of disk space, yet the game took over two hours to download. I liked the other TW series, but this has been the worst gaming experience thus far.
  29. DanL
    Mar 16, 2009
    2
    I was looking forward to this game. Just recieved it delivered to find i have to load STEAM in order to play it. I hate Steam, I hate it with a passion. And for it to be added into a single player game is pathetic. Poor show for the Total War team
  30. SteveF
    Mar 4, 2009
    4
    I would have given this game a higher score, but the fact that it is tied to Steam ruins the game for me too.
    I bought the retail DVD version and it still needs Steam running in the background to work.
    It really bugs me having stuff consuming resources running in the backround, especially when it is probably monitoring your every click. Steam sucks..
  31. H.Schmoll
    Mar 8, 2009
    4
    Steam is awful. The game crashes all the time. I love the total war series, but I can barely get it to work under this horrible engine. When it does work the load times are too long. All the finesse that existed in the former series are now gone. Plus you get to witness the Steam advertisements every time you start...
  32. RichardMartin
    Apr 5, 2009
    0
    I would love to have a rave review or statement about this game, but no matter what i try and whatever computer i try to install this game onto, it just will not work. And further more steam, which you have to sign upto and get downloads to patch the game just do not even attempt to download as the server is always too busy. So in summary, don't buy this game.
  33. AndreasC
    Mar 6, 2009
    1
    As long it comes along "steam"... steam gonna come out your head. It makes it terrible... ,crushes, "staying in line" waiting long before playin'... awful. Slows down and diminishing every concept to enjoy the game! Otherwise the game is nicer than earlier versions... seabattles, getting into some of the buildings in the rts, better graphics, bigger maps and more interestingAs long it comes along "steam"... steam gonna come out your head. It makes it terrible... ,crushes, "staying in line" waiting long before playin'... awful. Slows down and diminishing every concept to enjoy the game! Otherwise the game is nicer than earlier versions... seabattles, getting into some of the buildings in the rts, better graphics, bigger maps and more interesting possibilites with trade routes on the map. Steam -7 Total War Empire 8 and more... Expand
  34. RussT
    Mar 6, 2009
    2
    I have not even been able to play the game yet. Steam is such a pile and keeps giving messages like, "game is not available at this time, please try again in a few minutes". I don't even want to use steam. I just want to play this game on my computer by myself. I'm sure the game is pretty awesome, but steam is just ruining it. Shame on total war for attaching this game to steam
  35. NeilHart
    Mar 10, 2009
    3
    Great game, but if you cant play a campaign to conclusion due to the many bugs in the game, you have to wonder if perhaps a little more testing was in order before release. Will try and go back to it if and when they patch the errors, until then, unplayable
  36. GerryHughes
    Mar 7, 2009
    2
    Install instructions are non-existant. Steam is absolutely ********* Had to discover for myself that I needed to be connected to he nent just to install the game and that I had to create a steam account before the game would install. Once that had been done had to search the net to discover game could not be run offline until it had first been run once online which it would not do untillInstall instructions are non-existant. Steam is absolutely ********* Had to discover for myself that I needed to be connected to he nent just to install the game and that I had to create a steam account before the game would install. Once that had been done had to search the net to discover game could not be run offline until it had first been run once online which it would not do untill it had been updated. So far I have been unable to update and run the game because the steam servers are too busy. Need I say more ? Expand
  37. HagenR.
    Mar 4, 2009
    2
    thr game might be good... i dont know cos i cant play it, cos this f...ing steam doesnt update. I´ve got two dvd´s in my box, but they are not needed. I have to instal over steam... what the... steam sucks, it is slow and not worth the price, the game has cost.
    Maybe it is a good game but how knows without the ability to play it
  38. BrettStephens
    Mar 4, 2009
    0
    Steam is not user friendly, download speeds are horrid. any other game I bought in a store I would be playing in 15 minutes, this game I bought 6 hours ago and am still hours from playing. Not a good experience and I am definately not buying any more games that steam is involved in.
  39. Lizard
    Mar 4, 2009
    0
    This looks like a fantastic game but I wont be buying it because it's been Steamed, developers wakethe hell up !! you are commiting suicide by tying your products to this control freak system that so many of us despise, I'd rather give up playing games than have this intrusive rubbish on my computer.
  40. TomaszP
    Mar 5, 2009
    0
    Steam did not allow me to even start this game. I bought it in retail still when trying to run it the only result is "This game is unavailable". I've tried everyting, used almost 10 hours of my priceless life to make it work and got nothing. Most fortunately I was able to get my money back from retailer... I think it's time to swim to infamous bay of pirates and try my luck Steam did not allow me to even start this game. I bought it in retail still when trying to run it the only result is "This game is unavailable". I've tried everyting, used almost 10 hours of my priceless life to make it work and got nothing. Most fortunately I was able to get my money back from retailer... I think it's time to swim to infamous bay of pirates and try my luck there. It's rather sad outcome. Expand
  41. giorgio
    Mar 8, 2009
    1
    questo gioco sarà pure bello ma è una merda il fatto che bisogna collegarsi ad internet ed aspettare ogni volta l'aggiornamento.....a me ad esempio salta internet e a volte và molto lento...molto spesso ci vogliono anche due ore per fare l'aggiornamento su Steam e mi passa completamente la voglia d giocare......vi ho regalato 60 euro...
  42. MarkF.
    Sep 7, 2009
    4
    Great concept and graphics but poor delivery. You cant play the game for more than 15 minutes without it crashing. Most features are bugged beyond playability and its just plain irritating to play. I have been a Total war fan since shogun and I must say I' m disappointed with the latest game in the series. I resent paying $69.99 for a game I can barely play even though my system is Great concept and graphics but poor delivery. You cant play the game for more than 15 minutes without it crashing. Most features are bugged beyond playability and its just plain irritating to play. I have been a Total war fan since shogun and I must say I' m disappointed with the latest game in the series. I resent paying $69.99 for a game I can barely play even though my system is well above the requirements. Expand
  43. Mar 29, 2012
    1
    I played every Total War release up till Empire. Rome was amazing, and had a Mod community in the hundreds of thousands. Empire, while visually stunning, was a heap of garbage once you get into the nuts and bolts of the game. While graphics have made vast improvements since Rome, Empire TW's diplomacy, combat mechanics, AI, reinforcement system, "ease of access" for modding, and siegeI played every Total War release up till Empire. Rome was amazing, and had a Mod community in the hundreds of thousands. Empire, while visually stunning, was a heap of garbage once you get into the nuts and bolts of the game. While graphics have made vast improvements since Rome, Empire TW's diplomacy, combat mechanics, AI, reinforcement system, "ease of access" for modding, and siege mechanics were a step backwards 10 years from Rome. I cannot for the life of me see how this game has a 90 rating. It's a candy coated lump of garbage. I have to laugh at all the PC gamer magazines that gave this game a 90+ or 100 rating. If you played any of the amazing Rome TW mods, you have to wonder why Creative Assembly decided to snub their noses at their modding community by making Empire so incredibly difficult to mod. In addition, Creative Assembly pretty much abandoned ship on fixing the infinite number of bugs and gave up on improvements for Empire, moving on to release an entirely new title Napoleon TW. As much as I loved the TW series, Empire was my last purchase from Creative Assembly. Expand
  44. AlexanderMcswiggan
    Mar 5, 2009
    0
    What the F***, steam is the worst thing to hit the internet. What were you thinking the total war team? send out a mod now to remove steam from the start up, they have under invested and almost no one can play your game, i have been waiting for this game for months, this is the last time i buy anything from creative assembly, due to your the fact you have tongue so far up steams arse
  45. HansPeter
    Mar 20, 2009
    0
    Das Spiel wäre sicher eines der besten, jedoch kann ich es nicht spielen, da meine Internetverbindung zu langsam ist, um die Updates oder das Spiel herunterzuladen. Des Weiteren habe ich unter der Woche keine Internetanbindung. Was soll ich mit einem Einzelspieler-Spiel am Wochende? Was soll ich mit einem Einzelspiele-Spiel, das eine Internetverbindung braucht, unter der Woche, in derDas Spiel wäre sicher eines der besten, jedoch kann ich es nicht spielen, da meine Internetverbindung zu langsam ist, um die Updates oder das Spiel herunterzuladen. Des Weiteren habe ich unter der Woche keine Internetanbindung. Was soll ich mit einem Einzelspieler-Spiel am Wochende? Was soll ich mit einem Einzelspiele-Spiel, das eine Internetverbindung braucht, unter der Woche, in der ich kein Internet habe!!?? Expand
  46. YvesV
    Mar 5, 2009
    0
    I took a lot of my sparse free time to get my steam account going again, to get the game installed, only to find out it doesn't run. "Not available at this time, try again later". I paid for this game! I should not have to try again later.

    I will NEVER EVER by a steam game again.

    And as it is, I spent 50 Euro's on something that is currently not working at all.
  47. Darrenf
    Mar 4, 2009
    0
    I agree with John R. 4 hours later the game still hasn't installed thanks to Steam what a joke on the support forum they slate every antivirus program and recommend you uninstall it. DONT! its the software that is the problem. I would love to see how good the game is but so frustrated by now I think a trip back to Game looms.
  48. JenLovering
    Mar 5, 2009
    3
    You would think this is a multi-platform console release judging by all the dumbing down they did across the board. Also, loading times are way too long. If you're not obsessed with graphics, stick with Medieval: Total War (yes the first one). It's still the best and most fun of the TW games.
  49. OliverV.
    Mar 4, 2009
    3
    I CAN'T BELIF' THAT SWEDEN IS A PLAYABLE COUNTRY .... Sweden was a Major power in Scandinavia... But Denmark had atleast the same power and ideas of making Colonies around the world... Sweden did not they just ... did Swedish things... they should have picked Denmark and not Sweden i am realy ... i cannot belif' it
  50. Sep 5, 2011
    4
    I have not yet played this game because it has been downloading for 4 hours. Only 16 hours remaining. Really excited to play the new game TOMORROW!!!!
  51. JohnW.
    Oct 6, 2009
    1
    This game was released with so many false promises and the dev team more interested on implementing new content rather than fixing existing bugs. still waiting on the co-op campaign that will probably never come out.
  52. CarlB.
    Jan 30, 2010
    2
    The game could have been one of the greatest, but for some reason it was botched. The AI is useless, and there is absolutely no diplomacy in the game. Both ingredients that are vital to a strategy game. The following questions sum up my experience: Why release an unfinished game in the first place? Why after 6 patches is it still unfinished? Why after 6 patches do CA decide not to support The game could have been one of the greatest, but for some reason it was botched. The AI is useless, and there is absolutely no diplomacy in the game. Both ingredients that are vital to a strategy game. The following questions sum up my experience: Why release an unfinished game in the first place? Why after 6 patches is it still unfinished? Why after 6 patches do CA decide not to support their unfinihes game anymore? Why after the unfinished game being out for 6 months do CA decide to announce the next game in their franchise? Expand
  53. BB
    Jul 26, 2009
    4
    I used to love, and still do play Rome: Total War, and when i heard of this game of musket fire i was thrilled, but now that i seen it in action I'm disappointed. There are many things that could have been done better, like: uniforms of soldiers are, especially of line infantry, are almost the same by all factions; not enough unique units; a lot of bugs (i especially hate that one I used to love, and still do play Rome: Total War, and when i heard of this game of musket fire i was thrilled, but now that i seen it in action I'm disappointed. There are many things that could have been done better, like: uniforms of soldiers are, especially of line infantry, are almost the same by all factions; not enough unique units; a lot of bugs (i especially hate that one when you fight an opponent who has reinforcements coming and they "stall" and do not come into the battlefield from the outset, being stuck on buildings and stuff like that); the cannon fire could have been improved; when you made the game so that you don't have to lay siege and you can attack instantly, i think you should have reduced the turns from 6 months to like 2, i think that would have been better considering that the pace of the game is faster; one of the largest disappointments is that the rivaling factions do not fight and expand, the only fighting seen by the NPC factions is between Russia and Sweden (where they exchange 1 or 2 regions) and between Austria and Ottoman Empire (that's how all the other factions should act like); i really miss the whole Russian empire (the Asian part) and other parts of the world like Japan (making that with samurais and eastern architecture would have been great), China, Australia, Africa, in simple terms the whole world; that combined with some bugs make this game average, in the price count of not 50 euros but rather 20. Now i can start talking about the good parts: sea battles are a step in the right direction; good graphics; doesn't chrash alot; the campain map is very diverse; i like some details (the trading ships, better NPC relations/diplomacy options). I thought that this game would be multiplayer capable (not just battles. but the campain map). I really wanted to give the game a great rating, but this really is a step down from medi II and rome TW. Expand
  54. AlexCannon
    Jul 2, 2009
    4
    I gave this game 4 because of the following reasons 1.wtf this is so boring this isnt entertaning its stupid 2.Price Dont know why but i paid 69.99 for it and it sucks balls want that 70 dollars back thanks for taking my money for a horrible game
  55. RichH.
    Aug 10, 2009
    2
    I have been a big fan of the Total War Series but this game is a disappointment. Do not waste your money until they fix the bugs. As soon as you build up a large empire and decide to take over the world, the game keeps crashing. It's frustrating as you invested so much time. Also Steam sucks. Why do I have to pay $50.00 and cant own the game! I will never buy a game that is Steam I have been a big fan of the Total War Series but this game is a disappointment. Do not waste your money until they fix the bugs. As soon as you build up a large empire and decide to take over the world, the game keeps crashing. It's frustrating as you invested so much time. Also Steam sucks. Why do I have to pay $50.00 and cant own the game! I will never buy a game that is Steam only again. Doubt I will ever buy a total war game again. Expand
  56. TheJG
    Jan 23, 2010
    0
    Why would someone release a game that is not finished? i don't know the simple thought of publishers selling games knowing that they fix it isn't right. so i bought the game and had all the requirements an kept on crashing for no reason. I've been playing since the original medieval TW and this is a big disappointment and now they are coming out with Napoleon TW? no thank you.
  57. JoD
    Mar 24, 2010
    2
    This game SUKS because of the stupid Steam program slowing it down all the time and the stupid patches. I am having so many errors trying to log on because I don't have the best internet connection where I live and if I lost my connection then the game craps out. I WILL NOT BUY any more total war games with STEAM, I F'N bought the game and when I have work that takes me out of This game SUKS because of the stupid Steam program slowing it down all the time and the stupid patches. I am having so many errors trying to log on because I don't have the best internet connection where I live and if I lost my connection then the game craps out. I WILL NOT BUY any more total war games with STEAM, I F'N bought the game and when I have work that takes me out of town I can't play without internet...I think I have it bad but I could only imagine how pissed it would make me if I were in the military and had to put up with this BS in a war zone, I am a VET, and had to put up with this crap. I F'N paid money for this crap and now I have to log in to play, through a STY service "STEAM" which SUKS and if I loose connection the game stops working...its just reminds me of asking my mother if I could play a vidio game. DROP the steam login because I know I will not play/buy any more games that require a third party to play. AND I would never recomend this game to anyone that has to travel and likes to play. Expand
  58. adamk
    Dec 20, 2009
    0
    Trash, avoid this buggy waste of space for a game. Not to mention the multiplayer side of the game is even worse
  59. DaniS
    Dec 23, 2009
    2
    This Game is not an improvement of the old game. Do not buy it
  60. DylanJ
    Dec 8, 2009
    3
    Poorly scripted, poorly thought out, poor to play. Its a wretched game.
  61. RussellLamb
    Apr 2, 2009
    4
    Excellent series but the latest is chock full of bugs. This game and Fable 2 just goes to show what rushing an unfinished game to the retail shelf looks like. All the game critics who gave this game higher than 70 should be beat down like the financial anlysts that said the economy was going to be just fine in 2008.
  62. richardmorgan
    Apr 29, 2009
    1
    What can I say about this buggy piece of sh*t! Believe the negativity because its all true and more. Heck, go to the forums and you will notice 75%(being generous) of customers are having MAJOR problems with it. The main reason I give it a 1 is because all the PAID reviews giving it a 90%. You gotta be fukin kiddin me. Stick with the older TW games this one is ass.
  63. marsu237T
    May 6, 2009
    0
    Just ridiculous... Spending 60USD on a game that bugs and crash constantly.... Actually this is the only certainty when you start playing... You now that whatever is to happen you will not FINISH the game...
    Used to be a TOTAL fan of total war series... Just not anymore this is MY LAST PURCHASE from this editor!!!!
  64. pauljohnson
    Jun 2, 2009
    0
    bought it 5 hrs ago and still have not been able to play it. You have to DL it off steam, it got to 50 % and my connection died and i have to start over. Couldnt tell ya about gameplay, but my score still stands as you HAVE to use steam and as I have stated I cant play this game because it takes too long to DL whatever I am DL'ing off of steam, Even though I bought the game atbought it 5 hrs ago and still have not been able to play it. You have to DL it off steam, it got to 50 % and my connection died and i have to start over. Couldnt tell ya about gameplay, but my score still stands as you HAVE to use steam and as I have stated I cant play this game because it takes too long to DL whatever I am DL'ing off of steam, Even though I bought the game at walmart. I would have gotten more enjoyment from burning 2 20's and a ten than what I got for 2 20's and a ten............ Expand
  65. nikkolih
    Jul 16, 2009
    4
    I have played alot of pc games and i would have to say that this game is the most crash prone waste of money i have ever brought its a complete farce.after 3 so called fix it patches lol the game still does not work.crashes due to memory leaks are regular computer ai is appalling god fobid there's a different face on your soldiers its just awful and a real shame cos the total warI have played alot of pc games and i would have to say that this game is the most crash prone waste of money i have ever brought its a complete farce.after 3 so called fix it patches lol the game still does not work.crashes due to memory leaks are regular computer ai is appalling god fobid there's a different face on your soldiers its just awful and a real shame cos the total war series is great apart from this one.im god smacked they released a game in this condition did they even test it at all?how can review sites give this game a unfinished game a 9 with all the bugs and crashes.in the near future i will be avoiding all games with creative assemble and sega attached to it.sega stick to sonic the hedgehog i ask you follow people here if blizzard made this game would it have been a bugged crash pone nightmare???i don't think so. Expand
  66. OysteinA
    Jul 10, 2009
    4
    Looked fantastic in the first 30 minutes, then problem after problem started rearing its ugly head. This unfortunately makes it next to unplayable, as well as utterly predictable (AI is at best poor, at worst completely absent). Factions are also straight up carbon copies of each other, so very very little work went into that. What could have been a fantastic game is (this far) the most Looked fantastic in the first 30 minutes, then problem after problem started rearing its ugly head. This unfortunately makes it next to unplayable, as well as utterly predictable (AI is at best poor, at worst completely absent). Factions are also straight up carbon copies of each other, so very very little work went into that. What could have been a fantastic game is (this far) the most unplayable game of the year in my opinion. Expand
  67. FredP
    Jul 20, 2009
    0
    Unplayable. The overall look and feel of the interface has been changed to something under-developed which frankly doesn't make sense. There are too many bugs, such as your infantry units taking cover on the opposite side of the wall, arse toward enemy musket. The naval battle system doesn't accomplish anything to really convince you you're battling at sea.
  68. JeremyH
    Jul 3, 2009
    1
    Once again I trust the community and I know RTW enough to understand the glitches people talk about and I absolutely hate the fact that you have to have internet access plus Steam to get it working. It's understandable that the customer is guided away from the glitches because steam automatically gives updates, but why not finish the dang game, give it another freakin year and maybe Once again I trust the community and I know RTW enough to understand the glitches people talk about and I absolutely hate the fact that you have to have internet access plus Steam to get it working. It's understandable that the customer is guided away from the glitches because steam automatically gives updates, but why not finish the dang game, give it another freakin year and maybe Steam wouldn't be necessary. I love how my updates been starting for the past 10 minutes and a most likely 60$ game tricks it's customer due to the internet access being vital. I love how I go out and get ripped off by the once great Creative Assembly. I'm sure many people will agree with me that the next Total War isn't going to be a must. I can't wait until I finally get ETW working and realize it's horrible because of crashes and crappy AI. A lot of the gaming community is most definitely poor or cant afford a bunch of different computers to see whats compatible with the game. Expand
  69. Kampfkeks2212
    Jul 4, 2009
    4
    I was so disappointed when i play the game the first time! The other games of Total War were very fantastic, the gameplay was the best and you don't have to have the best PC of the world for playing them! And now Empire... Crash down after some minutes and you have to have the best Pc for choosing the highest graphic... Then there were the siege... horrible.. there isn't a city I was so disappointed when i play the game the first time! The other games of Total War were very fantastic, the gameplay was the best and you don't have to have the best PC of the world for playing them! And now Empire... Crash down after some minutes and you have to have the best Pc for choosing the highest graphic... Then there were the siege... horrible.. there isn't a city only a fort with undestroyable walls and your cannons shots have a stupid white stripe behind the cannonballs.. The maps aren't well designed and the campaign is very easy.. If I try to use my navy my pc crash down. At last every unit is the same.. there aren't very special units! I'm here very disappointed. Expand
  70. ChristopheF.
    Jul 6, 2009
    3
    Though the game has a tremendous scope, its strategical value is quite limited by its whole gameplay value. Game will be slow even with high end computers, but this would not be the main problem if it were not for : - Units pathfinding is buggy, and units are almost always messing up when it comes to being in formation. This creates unpleasant situations where it is impossible to set up Though the game has a tremendous scope, its strategical value is quite limited by its whole gameplay value. Game will be slow even with high end computers, but this would not be the main problem if it were not for : - Units pathfinding is buggy, and units are almost always messing up when it comes to being in formation. This creates unpleasant situations where it is impossible to set up your units as they would be in real battles. - Naval battles are, quite unfortunately, not as interesting to play, as they need constant micromanagement for little gameplay effect. - Strategic map is almost impossible to use. Rome Total War 3D map was fine because it was new, but you see what I mean when speaking about Medieval Total War 2 using same technology. Medeival Total War 1 used a 2D map, and it was great, accessible, fast and strategic. - Hard to see game pieces on strategic map - And of course, so many bugs and slow-things (I am talking with a last generation ultra-expensive card and 4GB RAM) you would ask whether reviewing online magazines get paid by the game company itself, to give ultimate scores to something this buggy. Expand
  71. GreogryV.
    Jul 9, 2009
    0
    Very bad game in my opinion, if I would throw my 50 euro's out the window i'd feel much much better than owning this piece of dung. I expected that you could custom create a country with a custom leader building an army and the land from scratch. Not in this game, just scenario's with countries I'm not interested to play with.
  72. KarlH
    Aug 16, 2009
    4
    Game is not working like promised from the publishers. Multiplaying community lags very because of limited chatting abilities like public places beyond steams friends and groups. Game is still buggy and not all stable after many month of release. multicore support was even given with a patch... a fact that shows how we are treated: beta testers... anyway this game would have 10 if there Game is not working like promised from the publishers. Multiplaying community lags very because of limited chatting abilities like public places beyond steams friends and groups. Game is still buggy and not all stable after many month of release. multicore support was even given with a patch... a fact that shows how we are treated: beta testers... anyway this game would have 10 if there would be following: chat lobby for making clans satisfied fixing all bugs and introduce steams anti cheat functionalities more flexible games and more maps! theres no 3v3 maps at all like in rome or mtw2 sieges can be only fought 1v1 what a shame! more different and more balanced factions a ranking system that is not just there but fair and working and dont suffer people for game crashes! i dont give a s... on meta score they are all proven untrue. i wont buy a total war game until the community have prooved it being fine. Expand
  73. GregC
    Aug 3, 2009
    0
    The most bug ridden POS I have ever played. The latest patches have gone some way to fixing this, but not far enough - I am unable to continue playing the game because teh game repeatedly crashes to desktop at the end of this turn. Stuck in a loop, unable to progress. At
  74. ZEEH
    Sep 1, 2009
    0
    After testing out this title we come to the conclusion and sadly must say it is without a doubt the most interesting yet failure of the total war series. It falls short on numerous ways. The most obvious one is the AI; something that failed during the transition to QC. Coding is simply amiss. The poor execution and performance on several systems indicate this; glitches abound, twitches After testing out this title we come to the conclusion and sadly must say it is without a doubt the most interesting yet failure of the total war series. It falls short on numerous ways. The most obvious one is the AI; something that failed during the transition to QC. Coding is simply amiss. The poor execution and performance on several systems indicate this; glitches abound, twitches frequently. Orders are delayed while others are ignored. Steam may be a convenience for SEGA's pockets, but surely not for the customers. After testing out the patches that were supposedly to fix the numerous problems, we found even more of them. Quite simply an unfinished and rushed product to the consumer served cold. A game that "will" eventually be fixed and playable for everyone if supported until then. Good luck with that. Expand
  75. sweenyt
    Sep 13, 2009
    1
    Dull, a great idea very poorly delivered. the inclusion of Stream is annoying in the extreme. The game crashed frequently. Too many things to list without blood pressure rising. Terrible. Stick to the old versions of total war and enjoy the more addictive and more playable older versions. Nice promotional screen shots though.
  76. JimM
    Sep 10, 2009
    0
    I have one of the latest pc system that easily handles the latest most demanding game titles and curiously not this one. Now, I wish I read the user comments instead of the shit mag reviews before heading out for it. It's disgusting to see 10's ratings on here when the truth is this game is rampant of bad coding and mistakes. Amazing stuff happens in this game. Gunfires are I have one of the latest pc system that easily handles the latest most demanding game titles and curiously not this one. Now, I wish I read the user comments instead of the shit mag reviews before heading out for it. It's disgusting to see 10's ratings on here when the truth is this game is rampant of bad coding and mistakes. Amazing stuff happens in this game. Gunfires are silent, boats ram each other no matter the formation, orders given are inverted; soldiers will go left if you tell them to go right, they will even expose their butts to the enemy fire if you tell them to take cover behind a wall ! Incredibly, this game made it to the consumer. Time to hit the beach to steer clear from this insanity. Expand
  77. KS
    Jan 12, 2010
    0
    One of the all time biggest disappointments I've ever had. I hate Steam, the game and graphics are laughably pathetic. Released WAY before it was ready. I didn't expect this from a Total War game, because I loved Rome Total War and MTW 1 and 2. I doubt I'll ever buy another Total War game again - certainly not Napoleon.
  78. chrise
    Jan 4, 2010
    1
    horrible, cant read the words on screen, transparent, very slow, and very long to load, and I have a new computer.
  79. gameratheartIllustrious
    Oct 14, 2009
    0
    I dub this game bugs empire total malware because this is what it is. Equipped with steam, it supposedly makes things much easier for you to dl and play it, but it's more like an inconvenience. I played it via a friend's own copy on his pc. And I'm glad I did that because I wouldn't even buy it. Will I be purchasing it future wise and Napoleon the sequel? Definite no. I dub this game bugs empire total malware because this is what it is. Equipped with steam, it supposedly makes things much easier for you to dl and play it, but it's more like an inconvenience. I played it via a friend's own copy on his pc. And I'm glad I did that because I wouldn't even buy it. Will I be purchasing it future wise and Napoleon the sequel? Definite no. WIll I be making a purchase via Steam with CA future titles? Indefinitely NO. Expand
  80. MikeR.
    Oct 19, 2009
    3
    Don't believe the Hype! ETW is the worst Total War game. It was released in an unfinished state, loaded with bugs and glitches. As of October 2009, most of these issues have not been resolved. Also, CA has announced that patch 1.5 will be the last major patch for this game, despite the fact that many bugs are unfixed and the AI is horrible. CA has stopped supporting this game, a Don't believe the Hype! ETW is the worst Total War game. It was released in an unfinished state, loaded with bugs and glitches. As of October 2009, most of these issues have not been resolved. Also, CA has announced that patch 1.5 will be the last major patch for this game, despite the fact that many bugs are unfixed and the AI is horrible. CA has stopped supporting this game, a clear admission that ETW is a failed product. If you buy ETW you are paying your money to CA for the dubious "privilege" of acting as a beta tester for garbage quality software. This game is an unplayable mess, and should never have been released. Don't reward CA for producing junk. Do not buy this game, or it's related expantion packs or DLC, including Napoleon Total War. Do not get ripped off as I was. Consider yourself warned! Expand
  81. Agentsmith
    Dec 13, 2009
    2
    The game is a great concept...but is also a downgrade from previous titles. for example, the assassination and spying vids were removed. performance is horrid even on a GTX295 and an INTEL i7 920. They should be fixing game play problems and the crashes instead of releasing expansion. I do not know what kind of PC it needs to run decently. Do not Buy it, my pc is high end and still lags. The game is a great concept...but is also a downgrade from previous titles. for example, the assassination and spying vids were removed. performance is horrid even on a GTX295 and an INTEL i7 920. They should be fixing game play problems and the crashes instead of releasing expansion. I do not know what kind of PC it needs to run decently. Do not Buy it, my pc is high end and still lags. Interface is very hard to grasp and there are so many things to do, the simplicity of previous titles was lost too. keep your money or just play medieval 2, its a lot better. Expand
  82. brad
    Dec 1, 2009
    3
    ca you should be fighting lawsuits right now! you sold a game that was not finished?! further more the bugs have not been fixed at all and if you happen to pick up the wrong unit at the wrong time the game crashes! although i like many of the new features of this gamelike the naval battles and new countries around the world it would help if i could play them. smooth move you retards every ca you should be fighting lawsuits right now! you sold a game that was not finished?! further more the bugs have not been fixed at all and if you happen to pick up the wrong unit at the wrong time the game crashes! although i like many of the new features of this gamelike the naval battles and new countries around the world it would help if i could play them. smooth move you retards every one of you should be taken out behind your ofice building and shot! you obviously did not learn work ethics when you went to college. Expand
  83. ArthurNeddyS
    Dec 22, 2009
    3
    If I was just rating the gameplay and concept (of a fully working game), then this would have scored much higher. As it is though, with a high-spec system, this game is very hard to enjoy due to the constant crashes. Even after finally setting it up at much lower than required settings and getting it working, the developers brought out another patch to introduce some new units and ... If I was just rating the gameplay and concept (of a fully working game), then this would have scored much higher. As it is though, with a high-spec system, this game is very hard to enjoy due to the constant crashes. Even after finally setting it up at much lower than required settings and getting it working, the developers brought out another patch to introduce some new units and ... that required a whole lot more adjustments and fixes before I could play the game again. That said, it's still not smooth sailing here. Even with a powerful PC, this game cannot be played smoothly. Anyone attesting otherwise is simply not being honest. It's a real pity to come across Empire after enjoying other games in the Total War series. It's also a pity that after the poor level of committment to making this game playable by Sega and Co, I will not be trusting them with any future purchases. Adios, Total War. It was fun while it lasted. Expand
  84. stavrosa
    Dec 3, 2009
    3
    very difficult game for someone who want to learn the game!!i buy it but i play only for one hour!!sorry...
  85. SBellows
    Mar 12, 2009
    4
    In my opinion the game in it's current state is barely acceptable for human consumption. The overboard copyright system is the first travesty (steam) followed up with random crashes, rediculious hardware demads and feeble pathfinding. With alot of patching it might be worth something by the time it becomes abandonware.
  86. TANAKATANAKA
    Mar 13, 2009
    1
    avete clonato imperial glory, il gioco non gira, continua a scattare anche con risoluzioni basse, pur avendo 4 gb di ram e 1 gb di ram video con un t9550 da 2,66 ghz,
    le vostre informazioni risultavano false avete fatto una pessima figura.
    possiedo tutta la serie total war, ma empire mi ha profondamente deluso, mi ritengo raggirato
  87. JamesB
    Mar 5, 2009
    0
    I loved the demo. I own all the other total war games, Unfortuneately, steam totally ruins this one. I have recieved multiple error messages from Steam while just trying to install such that I haven't even been able to play the game yet. Steam's trouble shooting section on the web is very complex and lists hundreds of possible things that could be wrong. I had some difficulty I loved the demo. I own all the other total war games, Unfortuneately, steam totally ruins this one. I have recieved multiple error messages from Steam while just trying to install such that I haven't even been able to play the game yet. Steam's trouble shooting section on the web is very complex and lists hundreds of possible things that could be wrong. I had some difficulty with getting the demo to work and realized that I didn't want to buy the game via steam so I brought the box. Unfortuneately, you need steam to install and probably also to play! Don't buy this game unless this steam issue is resolved. By the way I sent a message to SEGA support two days ago. They sent me a acknowledgement email only so far. If I ran my business or treated my customers this way I would no longer jave a job. Total war and SEGA have bombed this one and all of you who are having the same problems as me should get your money back. Expand
  88. KimSandberg
    Apr 25, 2009
    3
    This would be a great game, but eventhough it is on its 3rd or 4th patch it still is unplayable. It crashes to desktop all the time, nomatter if i play it on vista, or my 2 other XP installations.

    This is definately the last time i buy a game from this company
  89. KeithRogers
    Apr 8, 2009
    1
    Im sure I would love the game, if only I could get it to work. It crashes before I even get passed the loading screen. I have a computer with some of the latest hardware that is more than capable of runnin this game. I have been trying to get tech support and they dont respond to any of my emails.
  90. OlivierJacquemard
    Jun 12, 2009
    3
    Too slow to load campagne, battle, etc., even with 4 GBytes of RAM and bicore 2.4 GHz.
    Not realist, if you are turk, russian, spanish, etc. Too easy if you are british, austrian, prussian, suedish, etc. Is SEGA doesn't like south or east european people ?
    Why is it not possible to play all the faction ?
  91. nakedsun
    Jul 10, 2009
    4
    I've been playing total war games since shogun and this is the first time iv been disappointed. this game countless problems glitches and obvious short comings. I feel ripped off this game was not worth £35. all the professional reviews skate over the problems with this game, seriously did anybody ACTUALLY PLAY THIS CRAP BEFORE THEY RELEASED IT!?!?!?
  92. JanetteC.
    Jul 11, 2009
    0
    The graphics might look nice but what's the point if you can't play it? It's like having a shiny sexy new car with no engine. Pointless! I'm not happy with Steam as a marketing tactic. I'm not happy with Sega and CA as they have obviously released this too soon. I am not happy with these bitty little increments when everything should be stable to start with. And The graphics might look nice but what's the point if you can't play it? It's like having a shiny sexy new car with no engine. Pointless! I'm not happy with Steam as a marketing tactic. I'm not happy with Sega and CA as they have obviously released this too soon. I am not happy with these bitty little increments when everything should be stable to start with. And I'm not happy with the magazines that have given this a good rating and have obviously not tried it. Expand
  93. Serj
    Jul 15, 2009
    4
    I had great hopes for this game, bought it on the 1st day and i didn't like it. My problem is that its simply not fun to look at the units whily they reload theyr weapons and shoot, i never used gun based units in MTW2 because its not fun. I mean of course the game looks good but its a bit buggy, and many players will like it but at the end of the day all that matters its the fun and I had great hopes for this game, bought it on the 1st day and i didn't like it. My problem is that its simply not fun to look at the units whily they reload theyr weapons and shoot, i never used gun based units in MTW2 because its not fun. I mean of course the game looks good but its a bit buggy, and many players will like it but at the end of the day all that matters its the fun and this is more boring then anything. Expand
  94. Duff
    Jul 21, 2009
    3
    Between all the problems such as the crashes, the glitches, and just the gameplay in general, it deserves no better than a 4 if that. besides that theres basically no objectives besides the new world owning european powers and when will this game ever be taken to having the map play on multi player?! i thought that was part of the game when i bought it =/ major step down from rome and medi II.
  95. MikeWW
    Jul 22, 2009
    2
    I actually kind of liked the game at first but I just decided after not playing for a few months to start a new game and I keep getting a message that the servers are busy!?!? I HAVE the DVDs - I PAID for the DVDs! This company owes money back to customers if this is not resolved!
  96. SheldonW
    Jul 24, 2009
    2
    Steam slows installation. Support for installation is patchy, but the game wouldn't install without it. This is not a game you can just go , out buy and play. Nine hour install on a quad-core. I missed the steam sticker on the back. Never again. The last SEGA game I'll buy.
  97. nevillem
    Jul 26, 2009
    0
    Unplayable. Simple waste of time and money.it just won't start! i still can't get over how useless 35 euros worth was and that i waited 28 hours download and 35 euro for an error bar saying ''empire:total war has stopped working'' when all that came up was a white screen.i have a vista a decent one too,expensive very new and the menu wouldn't even come Unplayable. Simple waste of time and money.it just won't start! i still can't get over how useless 35 euros worth was and that i waited 28 hours download and 35 euro for an error bar saying ''empire:total war has stopped working'' when all that came up was a white screen.i have a vista a decent one too,expensive very new and the menu wouldn't even come up!!!colossal disappointment topped off with numerous guarantees off crashes and crappy gameplay.HUGE disappointment,and i want a refund or some sort of version that WORKS. Expand
  98. MatsB
    Jul 29, 2009
    2
    Here comes a low vote from me, because i think this is a scam! Paying about 50$ for a game, that i cant play b/c of all the bugs. Some proper patches, that makes the game DON'T crash when i try to start it, and so on.. It worked for a few hours and now i cant even start it.. I´ve read a lot on the web about this, and it aint just me who´s having these issues.
  99. TravisB
    Jul 3, 2009
    0
    Waiting for patches to make this worth playing. (fixes to the ai) This has to be the most crashiest and buggy game i have played since 1997 with an absolutely atrocious opponent AI. Its a disgrace that this gets the ridiculous review scores it gets in magazines. I use an up to date system fully updated with no problems with any new game that come out. Gaming is my passion and I make sure Waiting for patches to make this worth playing. (fixes to the ai) This has to be the most crashiest and buggy game i have played since 1997 with an absolutely atrocious opponent AI. Its a disgrace that this gets the ridiculous review scores it gets in magazines. I use an up to date system fully updated with no problems with any new game that come out. Gaming is my passion and I make sure that I can play anything. For an idea about the constant fixes that their doing to this game type in "daily update empire" into google to see the daily updated forum on the work their doing to make this game playable. For example making the ai actually invade, its just ridiculous seeing the fixes there making now that should have been done before release. Their obvious campaign to rubbish the public complaints about this game in various forums has also sullied their reputation massively in the eyes of the gaming public. It boggles my mind. Expand
  100. DamienC
    Jul 3, 2009
    0
    no animations for agents, the characters barely evolve over time whatever you do, can't change the gouvernment type for all you want unless you make a unrest on purpose, you don't need to play the battles because your economy will end up to be unlimited so fast that it's a joke, ai is the worse yet, the generals don't do any speeches, the diplomacy is pointless because no animations for agents, the characters barely evolve over time whatever you do, can't change the gouvernment type for all you want unless you make a unrest on purpose, you don't need to play the battles because your economy will end up to be unlimited so fast that it's a joke, ai is the worse yet, the generals don't do any speeches, the diplomacy is pointless because unless you give everything to the ai he will refuse offers - technology and alliances-) There's probably other things to come to mind for bad points, but at least there is still support for patches and they usually listen to the community. The expansion might end up being better. For now the only thing to come up with something good to improve the game is the modding community. Summary : too easy, buggy, lacks the feeling of previous titles and repetitve on so many things it's a joke at the times. = boring (at least the historical facts are good but i didn't buy a book...). Expand
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 62 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 61 out of 62
  2. Negative: 0 out of 62
  1. Astonishing...Immense... A strategy masterwork. [Mar 2009, p.54]
  2. In some ways, it's the closest we've come to the enormous social novel from the period after that which Empire chronicles: it's a Tolstoy-esque War and Peace of a game. Its problems may be the inevitable problems of trying something with such sheer scope. As such, if you want the breathtaking vision of the game, you have to accept the flaws in the details - for now, at least.
  3. This is the best Total War game thanks to all the little tweaks. Sometimes little differences make a good game great. The battles ask of you that you think more about your actions and managing your empire never was easier. The sea battles are fun to watch, but are a little hard to control. Nevertheless, Empire: Total War is a game that can make you forget about the time.