Empire: Total War

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

Mixed or average reviews- based on 3194 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,895 out of 3194
  2. Mixed: 545 out of 3194
  3. Negative: 754 out of 3194
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  1. shadow2000m
    Aug 14, 2020
    2
    This game is initially an ambitious and innovative game ... On arrival, however, it is a nameless cloth. Bugged as it is not allowed, we play more to suffer and rage than to have fun.
    The premise is good but nothing is right .. Messed up diplomacy, i messed up, messed up morale, town and strong messed up balancing between messed up faction and little that catches up with the title.
  2. Jurgens
    Sep 2, 2019
    0
    A buggy mess of a game. The AI is brain-dead at best and the campaign often freezes in the middle of a session. I deeply regret purchasing this title.
  3. Vanco
    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.
  4. chingchangwalla
    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.
  5. Elizondo
    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.    … Expand
  6. BadIdeas
    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.    … Expand
  7. Cioby
    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.    … Expand
  8. mikerolf1
    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.    … Expand
  9. pig_lickin_bob
    Sep 22, 2013
    2
    I love Total war games, Rome and Medieval 2 have never left my hard drive since i installed them, but I have to say that empire total war is an abomination of Total war games First of it takes way to long to load, the grand campaign is more of a course in micro management then an actual game, and the campaign AI do F-all in the way of attacking me. The sea battles do redeem the game aI love Total war games, Rome and Medieval 2 have never left my hard drive since i installed them, but I have to say that empire total war is an abomination of Total war games First of it takes way to long to load, the grand campaign is more of a course in micro management then an actual game, and the campaign AI do F-all in the way of attacking me. The sea battles do redeem the game a bit, but as the only highlight this is very poor. The Battle AI is more likely to glitch and send a single file of men against you then have tactics, and the hanging point of battle is supposed to be the musketeers, but it takes a couple of volleys from your WHOLE ARMY to destroy one unit. The garrison able buildings and forts are a poor replacement for the cities and castles of earlier games and provide the enemy with an easy target more then give you any defensive value. Cannons would be helpful in battles if they killed more then 3 enemy units a shot. Overall a sad disappointment after the previous games, this game has a boring grand campaign, HORRIBLE AI, ineffective units and repetitive battles. ALSO ALL THE UNITS LOOK THE REALLY SIMILAR! WTFs UP WITH THAT?!… Expand
  10. Kearon
    Dec 18, 2012
    4
    While the game offers a level of complexity that I normally find entertaining, I find the world screen the most interesting. Battles turn into the two sides lining up and shooting at each other which while perhaps historically accurate leads to boring repetitive battles with strategy breaking down to putting guys with the longest range in back and shortest in front. This was my firstWhile the game offers a level of complexity that I normally find entertaining, I find the world screen the most interesting. Battles turn into the two sides lining up and shooting at each other which while perhaps historically accurate leads to boring repetitive battles with strategy breaking down to putting guys with the longest range in back and shortest in front. This was my first introduction to the Total War series but this particular game felt like a waste of $, I had high expectations and was very disappointed.… Expand
  11. SWiToNeZz
    Oct 23, 2012
    2
    It didn't starts anyway i try to. When it starts then it crashes many times. So i give two points for at least the graphic and those few minutes i could play it .
  12. Psychopski
    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
  13. stoneysilence
    Mar 27, 2012
    3
    The graphics are beautiful, there is no doubting that. However everything else was a huge step backwards from TW:M2.

    Rather than going to one place in every region now you have to click on a bunch of different areas. Haven't been able to figure out how to speed up the enemy or my own troop movement on the world map. In general I just can't stand this new version.
  14. p360assassin
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    Now before i write this review, i must say that i, like many pc users, pirated this game so i could try it before i buy, so i have no bias from steam, even tho i have heard u need ot download the game off steam just to play, using steam isent bad, and the servers are almost always up, the **** about them constantly down is ****.

    Anyways... this game is horrible. The idea of guns sounds    Now before i write this review, i must say that i, like many pc users, pirated this game so i could try it before i buy, so i have no bias from steam, even tho i have heard u need ot download the game off steam just to play, using steam isent bad, and the servers are almost always up, the **** about them constantly down is ****.

    Anyways... this game is horrible. The idea of guns sounds good, but the realistic shooting is INCREDIBLY annoying, the soldiers have to line up just to shoot and then take 1 million years to miss and reload, AND THATS THE BEST SOLDIERS.
    You can no longer edit map in custom battles (choose settlement size and other things).
    The soldiers are useless, the first battle in road to independence was horrible since it shows that the guys using swords and arrows are more powerful then the guys using guns.

    The game doesent crash NEARLY as much as people say, if the game isent starting, its because ur computer cant handle the graphics which btw is way higher then specified. Graphics look great even tho my pc lags if i zoom in.

    AI is the worst in the series, soldiers dont do a dam thing i say.

    Dont buy this game, thank god i pirated before i bought or id of been scamed by ****. Also people insulting game, dont say its bad just because it needs steam to play, steam aint that bad and ive never had a game that i couldent install from disk that required steam, it just still needs to patchs, although i dont know if ur arguement on that is valid.    … Expand
  15. lostintime
    Dec 17, 2011
    0
    I would have given this game a 10, but when I play a grand campaign it will after a period of time crash to desktop. I could handle this, unfortunately it gets worse. When I load the game back up and try to load my last saved game, it crashes again! I can't continue my game from the initial crash. Every saved game crashes. I have tried every fix I could find on internet forums to no avail.I would have given this game a 10, but when I play a grand campaign it will after a period of time crash to desktop. I could handle this, unfortunately it gets worse. When I load the game back up and try to load my last saved game, it crashes again! I can't continue my game from the initial crash. Every saved game crashes. I have tried every fix I could find on internet forums to no avail.

    Really, what a pile of crap game. I am glad I only grabbed it from steam really cheap because if I paid a fair sum I would be really pissed off. Still what a rip off! Years after its release and it still doesn't work.    … Expand
  16. safjac
    Dec 1, 2011
    0
    This game looks like a 10. I read the cover when I bought the bloody thing at Walmart. It seems that I will never know because the game is not on the disks that I bought. Steam is. After painfully complying with all the hoops and faithfully sitting, rolling over, and playing dead I finally get a Steam account created. Great! Now I get to play, right? Not so fast, Rover. Steam is currentlyThis game looks like a 10. I read the cover when I bought the bloody thing at Walmart. It seems that I will never know because the game is not on the disks that I bought. Steam is. After painfully complying with all the hoops and faithfully sitting, rolling over, and playing dead I finally get a Steam account created. Great! Now I get to play, right? Not so fast, Rover. Steam is currently unable to process your request. Bad dog! Please try again later. So I sat, rolled over, played dead, chewed my shoes and tried again. Eventually I catch Steam at a moment when it is not on break (that daily 15 minute window). Wow! I actually get to play! Not so fast, Amigo! First you have to say hello to my little friend. 5 hours and 58 minutes to download something that I bought in a store. I must commend Creative Assembly for their laudable effort at making masturbation with ground glass and barbed wire seem like an attractive alternative. Jolly good show. I have to rate this game a 0 only because all the schlep involved makes it worth a -8. I buy games in stores, on disk because I do not want to deal with the interweb. I pay, I play... or so I thought.… Expand
  17. crage
    Nov 8, 2011
    1
    Two years after release and it's still buggy. Constant crashes and I get maybe 20-30 turns before saved games become corrupt. If it wasn't so frustrating to play because of the glitches it might be a good game.
  18. schmo
    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!!!!
  19. CivforBrains
    Jun 4, 2011
    2
    Incredibly bad, nearly non existent AI ensures this game will get a very low score from me.
    The "professional" reviewers should truly be ashamed of themselves. Likely, they are $miling all the way to the bank though.
  20. wellington
    Jan 21, 2011
    4
    Positive features: definitely a good concept, excellent graphics. I would say the graphics are (almost) good enough for movie producers to use for computer-generated battle animations. I have in fact seen amateur productions on YouTube in which people use Empire Total War to re-create or reenact historical battles.

    The game actually seems to combine some of the better ideas from the    Positive features: definitely a good concept, excellent graphics. I would say the graphics are (almost) good enough for movie producers to use for computer-generated battle animations. I have in fact seen amateur productions on YouTube in which people use Empire Total War to re-create or reenact historical battles.

    The game actually seems to combine some of the better ideas from the Europa Universalis historical simulation game (diplomacy, missionaries, advisors/ministers) and the Cossacks series from Strategy First. The sea combats involve realistic considerations such as wind direction.

    Negative features:
    (1) Neither I nor any other user is interested in connecting to the Steam network (a security issue because I have to lower my hardware firewall security to "low" to do this) every time we want to play the game, logging on, or waiting for Steam to update. I understand that an offline mode is available but it does not work reliably. This by itself means I am unlikely to buy any other game in this series, or any other game that involves Steam.

    (2) The "path blocked" alert that comes up whenever two armies or characters tries to use the same route is a game ruiner. There is no reason why the software should not be able to auto-manage non-hostile units that are on the same road or sea route. E.g. two Rakes or Gentlemen should simply be able to pass or sidestep each other instead of requiring the player to act to resolve the traffic jam. This annoyance comes up all the time but, even worse, it is sometimes impossible to play a game to completion because (apparently) a large number computer-managed armies get into traffic jams and the game simply freezes up as if it is in an endless loop. The only way to get out of it is in fact to shut it down in Task Manager ==> not quite ready for prime time.

    (3) In battles that involve rain, the rain is often so realistic that you cannot see your units or those of the enemy. This makes it very difficult to manage the battles. It should be adequate to indicate that rain is present and will make misfires and so on more likely. This by itself is however a minor issue.    … Expand
  21. gandalfthegray
    Dec 26, 2010
    0
    Absolute piece of junk. Total waste of money. Took 4 hours to install and update. Graphics come up incorrectly so you cannot make any adjustments to the game to even get it started. Takes over 10 minutes to actually load and start. Total waste, don't buy this game, it sucks.
  22. Mango_Fandango
    Dec 19, 2010
    4
    After playing 300 odd hours I can honestly say that this is by far the weakest title in the Total War series.

    Pros: - multiplayer campaign (it's a beta and unsupported) - the period - the naval battles (not perfect but manageable) - diplomacy is reminiscent of Europa Universalis III - CIv IV influences are present making the campaign less cluttered Cons: - multiplayer campaign (it's a    After playing 300 odd hours I can honestly say that this is by far the weakest title in the Total War series.

    Pros:
    - multiplayer campaign (it's a beta and unsupported)
    - the period
    - the naval battles (not perfect but manageable)
    - diplomacy is reminiscent of Europa Universalis III
    - CIv IV influences are present making the campaign less cluttered

    Cons:
    - multiplayer campaign (it's a beta and unsupported)
    - bugfest
    - random crashes
    - random freezes
    - totally unstable
    - steam achievements are either broken or they don't follow the description
    - piss easy AI even on Very Hard/VH. - DLC heavily favour western factions whilst Russia, Poland and Sweden are practically abandoned
    - Maratha are ridiculously overpowered. they have line-infantry on par with western European powers and they possess the best artillery (on par with Ottomans but also possess the puckle gun)    … Expand
  23. nevrock7
    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
  24. Skyjumper
    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.
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. S'JetK.
    Jan 28, 2010
    0
    One heap of filth coming from gamespy reviewer for that 100. This game ought to be scrapped and redone from scratch. This game was so badly coded it irks sickness all over. Why would you ask why does the dev selling you a game in such broken state? Ask instead why you omitted to check out the "Users ratings" and the forums before spending your hard earned C Bill. Here's a wise step One heap of filth coming from gamespy reviewer for that 100. This game ought to be scrapped and redone from scratch. This game was so badly coded it irks sickness all over. Why would you ask why does the dev selling you a game in such broken state? Ask instead why you omitted to check out the "Users ratings" and the forums before spending your hard earned C Bill. Here's a wise step for you. Support developers that sell high "users ratings" and you'll kill the bad competion ie. Creative Assembly and their partner in crime ie. Steam. Do we want to spend on broken games? Do we want to bail out failure? You decide.… Expand
  29. 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.
  30. cl
    Jan 19, 2010
    0
    This game is not ready for public distribution. I am using a system that is far above the requirements for this game and it still will not work. I have reinstalled, upgraded, etc. and still nothing. This has been a waist of time and money on my part and has completely ruined my experience with Total War. I seriously doubt I will ever have thought of purchasing another. Laughably insulting This game is not ready for public distribution. I am using a system that is far above the requirements for this game and it still will not work. I have reinstalled, upgraded, etc. and still nothing. This has been a waist of time and money on my part and has completely ruined my experience with Total War. I seriously doubt I will ever have thought of purchasing another. Laughably insulting to the public is the best way to put it.… Expand
  31. 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.
  32. 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.
  33. DominikE.
    Dec 24, 2009
    2
    It's the best game, I've ever played!
  34. DaniS
    Dec 23, 2009
    2
    This Game is not an improvement of the old game. Do not buy it
  35. peterf
    Dec 22, 2009
    2
    Disappointing land battles no tactics needed whatsoever and if you crash one ship into another nothing really happened the AI tries to slow your ships down when it thinks your going to crash as well so where is the control !!!
  36. 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
  37. 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
  38. 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
  39. NikitaM
    Dec 13, 2009
    2
    I like the campaign and the sea battles, but the ground battles(which i prefere more not good enough)
  40. danh
    Dec 8, 2009
    3
    Purchased ETW special forces on release for £50 retail. Over 12months since release or so, the game still has epic gameplay issues and have not been fixed. Graphical glitches and crashes naming a few. I rate my personal computer as a high spec with upto date drivers. CA is also adding new content to the game which you have to purchase to play. Issues should be dealt with before Purchased ETW special forces on release for £50 retail. Over 12months since release or so, the game still has epic gameplay issues and have not been fixed. Graphical glitches and crashes naming a few. I rate my personal computer as a high spec with upto date drivers. CA is also adding new content to the game which you have to purchase to play. Issues should be dealt with before expansions get released. Support is also disapointing. 90 Meta score is majorly overrated. ETW is the worst total war franchise ever played dispite the fantastic concept, set within 17th and 18th century.… Expand
  41. DylanJ
    Dec 8, 2009
    3
    Poorly scripted, poorly thought out, poor to play. Its a wretched game.
  42. 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...
  43. JoeB
    Dec 3, 2009
    4
    This was an incredibly disappointing game. I'm a huge total war fan - loved Rome, Medieval 2, and was eagerly looking forward to this. The game is OKAY, but not great. WAY too many bugs, even after patches. The game runs choppy on a decked out computer. Naval battles are kinda neat, but tiresome after a while. All in all, it's okay, but to be honest I'd rather play Rome or This was an incredibly disappointing game. I'm a huge total war fan - loved Rome, Medieval 2, and was eagerly looking forward to this. The game is OKAY, but not great. WAY too many bugs, even after patches. The game runs choppy on a decked out computer. Naval battles are kinda neat, but tiresome after a while. All in all, it's okay, but to be honest I'd rather play Rome or M2. What I don't understand is why they continue to push the expansion pack for this game before fixing all the problems with it???? How does that make sense? No expansion for me, please.… Expand
  44. MichaelR
    Dec 1, 2009
    0
    Spent days trying to install it and then it didn't work properly. Little to no support and married to Steam with no prospects for improvement. Don't buy it, don't buy from CA or SEGA and don't ever have anything to do with Steam. It's just another form of robbery.
  45. 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
  46. AlexanderM
    Nov 20, 2009
    0
    I feel slightly sad about this game it is like the childhood sweet heart you have not seen in years, only to find out she is 300lbs plus and just retird from a career in head butting walls. What happened to TW , All the main review sites and mags should hold their heads in total shame, at release ETW was ...wel broken and AI is still out to lunch after many patches for the over 500 bugs I feel slightly sad about this game it is like the childhood sweet heart you have not seen in years, only to find out she is 300lbs plus and just retird from a career in head butting walls. What happened to TW , All the main review sites and mags should hold their heads in total shame, at release ETW was ...wel broken and AI is still out to lunch after many patches for the over 500 bugs most blatantly game breaking. How could reviewers miss the massive amounts of CTD'S or the fact the AI would not do naval invasions or the weak battle AI all game breakers. This for me is my last CA game, such a shame but i suppose all things come to an end even old lost loves. I could breakdown a review about the many many incomplete or shockingly bad aspects of this game, but hey why break the trend i will do as the so called proffesional reviewers did only in a diametrical fashion..this game is one to aviod with a passion.… Expand
  47. 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
  48. harryr
    Oct 16, 2009
    0
    Unbelievable amount of bugs. Completely unfinished at release, still only half-way playable 7 months down the road. I strongly discourage anyone from buying this hyped up excuse for a computer game.
  49. SteveM
    Oct 15, 2009
    0
    It looks pretty enough at first. But, despite the fact that my PC significantly exceeds the minimum required spec it crashes constantly making it unplayable. Steam don't care. Their support just fob you off once they have your money and refuse to help after informing you that their subscriber agreement gives them the right to sell you crap and keep your cash.
  50. JohnSmith
    Oct 15, 2009
    0
    The game was unplayable at release, now it is just playable but still it have many flaws. All the faction are the same but with different colours, and if you want some variation you have to pay for it on top of what you already paid in the fisrt place. The game could have been great but it seems to have been rushed too quickly and have left many features out, leaving things done in a rush,The game was unplayable at release, now it is just playable but still it have many flaws. All the faction are the same but with different colours, and if you want some variation you have to pay for it on top of what you already paid in the fisrt place. The game could have been great but it seems to have been rushed too quickly and have left many features out, leaving things done in a rush, like sieges, which are the worse in all the total war series.… Expand
  51. samt
    Oct 15, 2009
    4
    I started with shogun total war, which i loved when it came out. Then i jumped on rome total war which i also liked and played alot. This one ETW was hyped up and was suppose to be this great new total war game. Well lets just say i think im done with the total war series after this one. I gave it a 4 cause of its graphics and new battle play with ships which i like, but other then that I started with shogun total war, which i loved when it came out. Then i jumped on rome total war which i also liked and played alot. This one ETW was hyped up and was suppose to be this great new total war game. Well lets just say i think im done with the total war series after this one. I gave it a 4 cause of its graphics and new battle play with ships which i like, but other then that it hasent changed. The multi play is exactly the same which really should be changed, and the AI sucked. It is in the end simply boring!… Expand
  52. Melter
    Oct 14, 2009
    2
    Full price for a beta game? My god i really hope that software law is changed so stuff like this stops happening because if it was the case i would have returned this game within the first day it was terrible. It was worse than a beta game, atleast beta testers dont have to pay to play a game they end up having to tell the devs to fix. I Gave it a 5 due to its sort of turn around since Full price for a beta game? My god i really hope that software law is changed so stuff like this stops happening because if it was the case i would have returned this game within the first day it was terrible. It was worse than a beta game, atleast beta testers dont have to pay to play a game they end up having to tell the devs to fix. I Gave it a 5 due to its sort of turn around since 1.5 but as CA have said themselfs no more major patches coming which is definatly not what this game needs as 1.5 fixed alot of problems but brought new ones to the table as did every other patch they released, you know what im dropping it to a 2 due to CA's pathetic attempt at ''not fixing'' covering up their mistakes. Just to note, If you want a better Meta score CA, make a better bloody game you con-artists.… Expand
  53. BrantC
    Oct 14, 2009
    2
    This game was riddled with bugs from day one. They promised features that were scrapped after a delayed release. They still have not fixed people hacking online, basically ruining any attempt at competitive play. Their staff even posted in a blog that they were not happy with the game on release, even going as far as saying they were ashamed to send copies to their friends. Creative This game was riddled with bugs from day one. They promised features that were scrapped after a delayed release. They still have not fixed people hacking online, basically ruining any attempt at competitive play. Their staff even posted in a blog that they were not happy with the game on release, even going as far as saying they were ashamed to send copies to their friends. Creative Assembly has shown that they continue to move in the wrong direction with the total war series, and are malicious towards their customers. With that said, the game is enjoyable for a campaign or so, but really lacks in any tactical depth and AI capability.… Expand
  54. 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
  55. yoyo
    Oct 13, 2009
    4
    It is a great game... When it is actually working and not finding new ways to crash with it's infestation of bugs.
  56. MikeE
    Oct 10, 2009
    2
    What sham this game turned out to be. Poor performance, bugs out the wazoo, horrific AI and the developer has already given up on to make their next killing with Napolean Total War.
  57. RD
    Oct 10, 2009
    0
    This idiotic STEAM REQUIREMENT makes this thing a pain. I want to play the game. Not be forced into downloads which wont stop even when you tell them to do so. You're locked out of playing until it's finished doing whatever it wants to do. I'll never purchase any game again from these people.
  58. LeeM
    Oct 9, 2009
    1
    The multiplayer side of Total War has gone backwards with Empire total war. - No Lobby -Servers are decentralised -Maps are seen as mod and change the version of your game -Every update brakes mods - Always desynchs -Easy modifiying stats to cheat In conclusion dont bother with this game or the new one they are planing to release as its just a clone with new units.
  59. Bob
    Oct 9, 2009
    3
    Would have been a wonderful game if it wasn't for the bugs. Even the new patch 1.4 doesn't resolve the glaring bugs and massive unresolved instabilities that still are very much present in the game. The game would be worthwhile if the only issue was AI. After all, all the Total War games have AI issues and Empire is no different in this respect. The AI seriously counters my Would have been a wonderful game if it wasn't for the bugs. Even the new patch 1.4 doesn't resolve the glaring bugs and massive unresolved instabilities that still are very much present in the game. The game would be worthwhile if the only issue was AI. After all, all the Total War games have AI issues and Empire is no different in this respect. The AI seriously counters my moves on the battlefield like a massive retard- allowing itself to get flanked and then letting it's melee units sit there for target practice. But the main issue is that it CTDs constantly. I can play about 5-10 moves before the computer simply freezes and program becomes unresponsive. Granted, this is on a monster rig with a GTX 275.… Expand
  60. UngoK
    Oct 9, 2009
    0
    The worst game I've played. Horrible AI, bugs, crashes, CTD, blue screen. The magazines' reviewers have obviously decided it best to give this "game" a 10 despite the fact that they never even played it when released. They were obviously bought for this dubious "stellar" rating. This proves there is greed and corruption even in the video game industry. You'd be a fool to The worst game I've played. Horrible AI, bugs, crashes, CTD, blue screen. The magazines' reviewers have obviously decided it best to give this "game" a 10 despite the fact that they never even played it when released. They were obviously bought for this dubious "stellar" rating. This proves there is greed and corruption even in the video game industry. You'd be a fool to rush and buy whatever CA has in store next for you; Napoleon's campaign. The mag reviews forgot to take out the 1 in front of that 0 in exchange for money period. Run for the hills on this one and any future CA releases and give yourself ample time and space whenever you decide what to play next especially coming from CA.… Expand
  61. AdamWilson
    Oct 8, 2009
    0
    I cant play the single player because it CTDs after every handful of turns.

    The multiplayer is in the stone age is well behind the standard of other multiplayer games.

    The way the battles play out are very unrealistic and riflemen fire like modern day snipers.

    Avoid this game and future ones released by CA/ Total War.
  62. MortisN.
    Oct 7, 2009
    3
    Empire is like a Ferrari without an engine, beautiful, sleek, a marvel of design in every other regard... yet it's still not going anywhere. I have the feeling most of the critics were attempting to future proof their reviews for the eventuality when Creative Assembly would fix the glaring bugs. In which case E:TW would be an amazing game, but unfortunately CA decided to pull a Empire is like a Ferrari without an engine, beautiful, sleek, a marvel of design in every other regard... yet it's still not going anywhere. I have the feeling most of the critics were attempting to future proof their reviews for the eventuality when Creative Assembly would fix the glaring bugs. In which case E:TW would be an amazing game, but unfortunately CA decided to pull a Valve, why fix bugs when you people will pay you $50 for this game, and another $50 for a sequil of the exact same engine, with all the bug fixes! Creative Assembly lost my respect with this title.… Expand
  63. gollum
    Oct 7, 2009
    0
    ETW has been hyped to the stars and one more time it all turned out to be white lies. Not only the game is unstable, buggy and incomplete, but it is simplistic and boring as hell. The only aspect of the game that is good is the visuals, but they can't save the gameplay or alleviate the frustration. CA has become overambitious and probably quite a bit greedy. Patches admittedly fix ETW has been hyped to the stars and one more time it all turned out to be white lies. Not only the game is unstable, buggy and incomplete, but it is simplistic and boring as hell. The only aspect of the game that is good is the visuals, but they can't save the gameplay or alleviate the frustration. CA has become overambitious and probably quite a bit greedy. Patches admittedly fix things, but it is clear that the core gameplay and AI of the game wont change, and they are really really bad both on the campaign and the battles.… Expand
  64. MatthewG.
    Oct 6, 2009
    3
    A flash in the pan. Looks nice. But the competition provided by the AI makes me feel like I'm playing my 6 month old nephew in Chess.
  65. GregM.
    Oct 6, 2009
    0
    Horrible bugs, laggy and slow, no ai. They keep trying to sell everything as DLC, where are the patches!!!. Now they trying to sell the exclusive peroder content again. Hello what does exlusive mean you cant sell it again.
  66. HelgIvanov
    Oct 6, 2009
    4
    ...posle patcha 1,5 mne stalo yasno chto eta komanda shabashnikov i halturthikov.Ves etot proekt sploshnoy bag.
    Nitchego putnova eta komanda zdelat ne mojet, vmesto gramotnyh programistov nabrali horoshih piarthikov, poetomu sleduthi ih proekt NTW pokupat ne budu tak kak bolee them za 2 goda ne smogli zdelat ETW, a za 6 mesiacev oni sobirautsia zdelat Napolejna.
    RTW the BEST!
  67. WalterB.
    Oct 6, 2009
    2
    The game has been entirely unplayable for months due to a crash bug introduced in a patch. The AI was extremely weak when it was playable and instead of fixing the game, they decided to go on and make their next one. I would not recommend this for purchase.
  68. StevenS.
    Oct 6, 2009
    0
    Buggy game that went from broken AI, missing features (naval invaision AI) to a game that has saved games that corrupt, or won't start up now in the latest patch. Good for maybe 3 hours before you realize how horribly broken the game is, or if the game "helps" you to that realization by crashing.
  69. 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.
  70. gointomexico
    Oct 5, 2009
    2
    Very buggy, spotty customer support. I cant play some of my saves because it crashes every time. I emailed customer support,and they close my tickets after 48 hrs. The first ticket I opened got closed even after I provided the info they requested. I opened another ticket asking why that ticket was closed, and that ticket got closed too. My life is too important to waste on buggy software, Very buggy, spotty customer support. I cant play some of my saves because it crashes every time. I emailed customer support,and they close my tickets after 48 hrs. The first ticket I opened got closed even after I provided the info they requested. I opened another ticket asking why that ticket was closed, and that ticket got closed too. My life is too important to waste on buggy software, and jerky CS.… Expand
  71. JeremyJ.
    Oct 5, 2009
    1
    Promised multiplayer campaign, but never delivered. Crashes consistently under certain conditions, even with high-end hardware and up-to-date drivers. Forces me to update even when I have the auto-update setting disabled.
  72. Alexandr
    Oct 3, 2009
    1
    Absolutely awful state at release. It was almost unplayable gameplay wise. And then with a patch they made the game technically unplayable until the following patch. Absolutely disgusting work from CA.
  73. JamesM.
    Oct 1, 2009
    0
    A piss poor game sums up my feelings for this game. Dumb AI, Bugs after all their patches, No MP Campaign (which they said we would get (lairs), a lot of point less game play. And it does seem that France loves the white flag, since there is only one city in all of France. The be time reviewers where bought off and no way is this one of the best games ever made. More or less how not to A piss poor game sums up my feelings for this game. Dumb AI, Bugs after all their patches, No MP Campaign (which they said we would get (lairs), a lot of point less game play. And it does seem that France loves the white flag, since there is only one city in all of France. The be time reviewers where bought off and no way is this one of the best games ever made. More or less how not to make a game.… Expand
  74. MickN
    Oct 1, 2009
    2
    I decided to hold off on reviewing Empire even though I bought it off Steam on release day. It was broken and nearly unplayable on release due to the near total absence of AI opposition. The AI was so bad that it couldn't even land armies off ships. In short, this meant that island nations like the UK were unbeatable when played by the gamer, and worthless when acting as an AII decided to hold off on reviewing Empire even though I bought it off Steam on release day. It was broken and nearly unplayable on release due to the near total absence of AI opposition. The AI was so bad that it couldn't even land armies off ships. In short, this meant that island nations like the UK were unbeatable when played by the gamer, and worthless when acting as an AI opponent.

    Patch 1.4 FINALLY came out after six months, promising to fix the AI. Well, it's still crap. Not as crap on release, but still so utterly useless that it robs any enjoyment the player might have had were the AI even remotely competent.
    It's a slap in the face to the consumer that the game was shipped in such a terrible state, a further slap in the face that the slowly released patches have done little to ameliorate the many problems, and a final slap that CA has decided to devote their efforts into wringing more money out of dupes like me via questionable DLC and worthless expansions like Napoleon.

    Why would I care about Napoleon:TW when the base game is in such a crap state?    … Expand
  75. Matthew
    Sep 30, 2009
    2
    I really really like this game. The total war series has always been one of my faves, and empire has been the best so far. It, for me, has the perfect balance of all the elements needed in a good stratagy game, and the introduction of navel combat was awsome. It lets me down on one cruical issue tho, bugs. I have not yet been able to complete a proper long campaign due to the fact that I really really like this game. The total war series has always been one of my faves, and empire has been the best so far. It, for me, has the perfect balance of all the elements needed in a good stratagy game, and the introduction of navel combat was awsome. It lets me down on one cruical issue tho, bugs. I have not yet been able to complete a proper long campaign due to the fact that each time i get so far throught the game for various reasons i encounter a fatal error. like taking a city causes a crash each time i try, or ending a turn causes a crash and wont work even after a re-load, due to corrupted save files, i have had the same problem on multiple computers. Without being able to play a campaign through it makes it infuriating and pointless to start a new one. This would be a 10/10 rating, if not for that factor.… Expand
  76. mcd
    Sep 24, 2009
    4
    I am not buying a Creative Assembly game again. Game is horribly broken, diplomacy AI is weird at best, loading times are too long, changing turns take a minute at least, this is just plain disappointing. I've had it since release date and it's not gotten much better, even with the patches. And now they're trying to release NEW GAMES IN THE SAME VEIN after several months?I am not buying a Creative Assembly game again. Game is horribly broken, diplomacy AI is weird at best, loading times are too long, changing turns take a minute at least, this is just plain disappointing. I've had it since release date and it's not gotten much better, even with the patches. And now they're trying to release NEW GAMES IN THE SAME VEIN after several months? It's insulting.… Expand
  77. Michael
    Sep 19, 2009
    0
    It is a Fine game. I don't really care for some small problems . I have Only one question: How it is possible such a team with so many years in that serie to make wrong the borders of GREECE and set them as F.Y.R.O.M (Former Yugoslavian Republic Of Makedonia) because Makedonia is not inside GREEKS borders but out of them. I loved that game till the moment I saw these bullshits .It is a Fine game. I don't really care for some small problems . I have Only one question: How it is possible such a team with so many years in that serie to make wrong the borders of GREECE and set them as F.Y.R.O.M (Former Yugoslavian Republic Of Makedonia) because Makedonia is not inside GREEKS borders but out of them. I loved that game till the moment I saw these bullshits . MAKEDONIA IS GREEKS. OH I RATED 0 BECAUSE THEY HAVE CREATED AN NON-HISTORY GAME.THEY ARE ASHOLDS… Expand
  78. 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
  79. FunS
    Sep 17, 2009
    0
    A solid 0 for a terrible game. Without bugs this game would get an easy 10. Unfortunately, it was released with bugs all over, and so much so that after almost a year diplomacy among several other features that were promised to the latest in the TW series leave us all completely in frustration. CA has definitely given themselves a serious bad reputation with this one for rushing this guy A solid 0 for a terrible game. Without bugs this game would get an easy 10. Unfortunately, it was released with bugs all over, and so much so that after almost a year diplomacy among several other features that were promised to the latest in the TW series leave us all completely in frustration. CA has definitely given themselves a serious bad reputation with this one for rushing this guy out to the gamers like you. The user rating is currently at 6.7 for a good reason. Always trust the user rating I say, NEVER with the official rating as it is promoted by greed and corruption as it is usually used for dirty marketing tricks for pretty much anything nowadays.… Expand
  80. GregH
    Sep 17, 2009
    0
    This gane is Bugged!!!, I have every Total War game from Shogun, and this one just does NOT work, it crashes to desktop constantly, and dont give me that system stuff, I have a i7,12g ram, 1g card... it played fine until you get to a point in the game and it just will not let you take an enemy city, I can do everything except capture a city, once I send troops in *crash* and it This gane is Bugged!!!, I have every Total War game from Shogun, and this one just does NOT work, it crashes to desktop constantly, and dont give me that system stuff, I have a i7,12g ram, 1g card... it played fine until you get to a point in the game and it just will not let you take an enemy city, I can do everything except capture a city, once I send troops in *crash* and it doesn't matter what city, I was seiging 3 cities, and each city attempt resulted into a *crash*.. Also it crashes to desktop when u move generals out of Cities... And I am not very fond of playing a strategy Turn base game, and be required to havea steam account to play a game that doesn't require internet: that is just to much control demands for me... This will prolly be the last Total War series I purchase, do to the inablitlty of the game to not stop crashing and having be required to have a steam account. Sad… Expand
  81. CarmenI
    Sep 14, 2009
    0
    Since day 1, ETW has given me only frustration installing it via a program callled Steam. On the box there is nothing indicating that I must be connected to it, just an internet connection. This is seriously a violation of basic human rights, misleading ad. To add further insult, the game had trouble installing via Steam. It took weeks for them to get this steam fixed in order to install Since day 1, ETW has given me only frustration installing it via a program callled Steam. On the box there is nothing indicating that I must be connected to it, just an internet connection. This is seriously a violation of basic human rights, misleading ad. To add further insult, the game had trouble installing via Steam. It took weeks for them to get this steam fixed in order to install it properly. The game was virtually unplayable; continuous crashes, units didn't respond to commands, the client was very unstable, wait, there wasn't one. The game didn't even have sounds just the annoying and uninspired music. The sea warfare was faring no better; formations were moot. Ships acted more like bumping cars, and still do. With every new patch came new bugs turning things for worse. I resent CA and its affiliates for doing this sort of business; Selling an unfinished product and charging for full price. This release should have been delayed for further testing. Anyone acclaiming this with a 10 are tryng to mislead you for monetary gains. This product deserves a solid 0 for failing its promises. There is no excuse for what they did; rushing an unfinished product and figuring it's ok to fix it later (8 months and counting).… Expand
  82. 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.
  83. WimpieM
    Sep 13, 2009
    3
    Empires unfortunately falls short of a complete product as too many bugs plague this once amazing title. However, without all the bugs, graphical glitches, AI problems and incessant crash to desktop issues this could have been the best strategy game to date. There might be too many issues to sort out with patch releases so let's hope Napoleon Totalwar can deliver what Empires should have.
  84. PeteS
    Sep 12, 2009
    1
    Truly a good looking pc game turning ugly. We all know that in every game there are bugs, but ETW tops the cake. It is virtually unplayable without the few patches that have been available. But even with them, there are so many still! CA promised us naval battles, but the ship battles act up more like bumping karts with cannons. The formations are virtually useless. In addition, the Truly a good looking pc game turning ugly. We all know that in every game there are bugs, but ETW tops the cake. It is virtually unplayable without the few patches that have been available. But even with them, there are so many still! CA promised us naval battles, but the ship battles act up more like bumping karts with cannons. The formations are virtually useless. In addition, the diplomacy is so broken. The AI seems to think it's a fair trade exchanging your ferrari for say a lemon car; makes me look like total idiot trying to trade at all. Adding insult to injury, I have to have internet and something called Steam to register in order to play ETW??! What if I don't have internet access? I give this "game" a solid 1 and I'm being fair. ETW ought to be renamed Bugs Empire Total Disaster.… Expand
  85. VonT
    Sep 10, 2009
    0
    Heaps of problems, fustrations, and no fun game if you can call it a game. Nul is what one french would say about this game. "I can fix it later, I have a deadline to meet" philosophy ends here. The time for irresponsibility is over. A game should be as entertaining as it can be. Something of historical value should not be devalued like this, even for a game of this level. A waste of my Heaps of problems, fustrations, and no fun game if you can call it a game. Nul is what one french would say about this game. "I can fix it later, I have a deadline to meet" philosophy ends here. The time for irresponsibility is over. A game should be as entertaining as it can be. Something of historical value should not be devalued like this, even for a game of this level. A waste of my time and yours as well as your money. Good day.… Expand
  86. 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
  87. 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
  88. 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
  89. AnonymousMC
    Aug 30, 2009
    1
    Yeah just another Total War waste of time. Every Total War Game except Shogun has crashed on me, leaving me with no possibility of moving further on in my campaign. Here I have invested who knows how many hours on my campaign and the game refuses to let me attack anyone or anything without crashing. 159 Turns in the game and now it decides to totally shut down. Total War is a Total WasteYeah just another Total War waste of time. Every Total War Game except Shogun has crashed on me, leaving me with no possibility of moving further on in my campaign. Here I have invested who knows how many hours on my campaign and the game refuses to let me attack anyone or anything without crashing. 159 Turns in the game and now it decides to totally shut down. Total War is a Total Waste as usual. I won't hold my breat for Napoleom Total War.… Expand
  90. Jeff
    Aug 29, 2009
    3
    Almost the perfect total war game. The size of the map, the naval battles, the new tech tree and the detail are superb. Just watching bayonet duals can be very engrossing. But there is a is a VERY big downside to this game. The fact that you have to load and run STEAM, a 3rd party software is a bit of a nuisance, but even worse is the client stability, or rather lack there of. Even with a Almost the perfect total war game. The size of the map, the naval battles, the new tech tree and the detail are superb. Just watching bayonet duals can be very engrossing. But there is a is a VERY big downside to this game. The fact that you have to load and run STEAM, a 3rd party software is a bit of a nuisance, but even worse is the client stability, or rather lack there of. Even with a computer twice as powerful as the box says is required the game still crashes constantly. In my current campaign I have had to repeat the same year over and over for the last two days because of client crashes. These problems are expected in a beta, but not half a year after release. for this reason alone I am dropping the rating from a 9 to a 3.… Expand
  91. JasonS
    Aug 28, 2009
    2
    If it is not broke, then don't fix it. I have been a fan of Total War since the Shogun days. I eagerly awaited the arrival of each new series, with great anticipation and for the most part receiving great satisfaction with each game. Now the arrival of Empire Total War. My anticipation has been satisfied but I am not satisfied with this game at all. 1. I do not expect to have to If it is not broke, then don't fix it. I have been a fan of Total War since the Shogun days. I eagerly awaited the arrival of each new series, with great anticipation and for the most part receiving great satisfaction with each game. Now the arrival of Empire Total War. My anticipation has been satisfied but I am not satisfied with this game at all. 1. I do not expect to have to purchase an entirely new computer to run a new game 2. I do not expect to have to deal with some on line server to make the game I purchased with two discs in my possession each time I want to play. 3. I do not want a server automatically updating my machine with a game patch without having the ability to inspect all the updates first before installing them on my computer. 4.I do not expect a game that as Medieval Total War II which runs exceptionally well to be destroyed by a new game which does not play well does not load well and does not represent the quality of game that I have come to expect from The Creative Assembly. Finally. In the old Medieval Total War days a group calling themselves the Lordz mad a mod for the old game which was called Napoleonic Total War. This game functions way better than the brand new and improved Empire Total War. To the members of the Creative Assembly. Please forget about meeting deadlines and the bottom line of how much more money you are going to make by delivering a game by the deadline. Give the gamers the kind of game they have come to expect from you in the past. A game that delivers everything and stands for quality in gaming. It is what we expect from you and what your honor and integrity demands.… Expand
  92. JesseS.
    Aug 27, 2009
    3
    This game makes me furious. I've been waiting for a good 4 hours for it to install and it still says it will take another 5 hours. The most retarded thing i have seen out of any computer game !!! Just installing the game is a huge piss off ! I'm already disappointed with it, and I haven't even started playing it yet !
  93. MarcioT.
    Aug 23, 2009
    2
    Activating the game just sucks. A bad strategy for such renowed marks as SEGA, Creative Assembly, and the Total War branch. That Steam thing idea is so weird that I never more want to see it again.
  94. HB
    Aug 18, 2009
    2
    A real step backwards in gameplay compared to Medieval II. The new features do not compensate for what was lost from the old game. However, most annoying is that you have to play from Internet/Steam especially when messages appear when you want to play "our servers are too busy". Bought the disk and still have to be connected and play (if their servers are not too busy) via Steam. I will A real step backwards in gameplay compared to Medieval II. The new features do not compensate for what was lost from the old game. However, most annoying is that you have to play from Internet/Steam especially when messages appear when you want to play "our servers are too busy". Bought the disk and still have to be connected and play (if their servers are not too busy) via Steam. I will never buy again a game from Sega if it only can be played via a server. Probably the sad end of the Total War series which used to be a delight.… Expand
  95. 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
  96. SteveC
    Aug 11, 2009
    4
    I would be happy to give this game an 8 or 9 if it wasn't so buggy. I have never had issues like I do with this game. I will say I have been using Steam for quite a while and have been satisfied with it. The problems with this bug filled piece of software belong to Creative Arts and SEGA. Fix this darn game and make it a good edition to a great family of games.
  97. 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
  98. dubidudubi
    Aug 5, 2009
    0
    DON'T BUY THIS GAME. It is FULL of bugs; some of them appear at the end of great campaign making you lose all the time you wasted on it. Absolutely disappointing that a so good game have so many unplayable bugs... I'm sure that all the development team have been fired after this.
  99. PeterS
    Aug 5, 2009
    3
    A good idee and great graphics, but it is not playable do to ever occuring crashes in various places. Wait at least a year to purchase this game.
  100. HippolyteA
    Aug 4, 2009
    0
    The game seems good but Steam's update is a worst shit that i never seen before. I would never again buy any game where Steam has in charge his maintain.
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Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best PC Game of 2009
3
#3 Most Discussed PC Game of 2009
6
#6 Most Shared PC Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 62 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 61 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 62
  3. Negative: 0 out of 62
  1. PC Gamer UK
    94
    Astonishing...Immense... A strategy masterwork. [Mar 2009, p.54]
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  2. Eurogamer
    90
    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.
    Read full review
  3. InsideGamer.nl
    93
    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.
    Read full review
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