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. erfunfazli
    Jul 21, 2023
    5
    Worst Total War game I ever played.
    Empire Total War is not good compared to other Total War games bad battles, weak AI and... make it bad game.
  2. ZID346
    Apr 2, 2023
    7
    It's weird to fight with only ranged units and horses, but it worked. Interesting and campaign, A bit more complicated than in other installments of the series (advantage). Good title.
  3. RadiationGamer
    Feb 26, 2023
    6
    I generally liked Total war games. And this was one of them. Game mechanics offer you a realistic combat experience. I especially liked that it deals with the new age and colonialism, and this is the most beautiful feature that distinguishes it from other total war games . But the lack of variety for the game and the lack of development makes it extremely boring during the overall gameplayI generally liked Total war games. And this was one of them. Game mechanics offer you a realistic combat experience. I especially liked that it deals with the new age and colonialism, and this is the most beautiful feature that distinguishes it from other total war games . But the lack of variety for the game and the lack of development makes it extremely boring during the overall gameplay that the AI ​​behaves like an idiot even at the highest "difficulty". Although I am not very liked the naval warfare system of the game, I can see it as normal since naval warfare is tried for the first time. I was hopeful about many things from Empire Dan, but it fell far short of my expectations. The sound of the music could have been a little louder because the music in general is underpowered by the sound effects. The team or man who made the music should have noticed this. Of course, that's not a huge minus. Apart from these, one of the minuses of the game is that you cannot play with small states and Indian tribes. Playing only with big states can get boring after a while. Other than that, it's a average game. This is the highest rating I can give this game. 6… Expand
  4. LegateTheAnime
    Jan 31, 2023
    7
    This game's ambition is still inspiring, but it failed to meet that ambition. The trading is the best in the series and the battles become huge, but that's all it has going for it. It's bugs are so numerous I could not even begin to describe all the ones I encountered in 20 hours.
    I still really like this game, but it could be much better.
  5. VictorHugo1482
    Aug 30, 2022
    7
    In New York (ayy, ah-ha) (uh, yeah)
    Concrete jungle (yeah) where dreams are made of
    There's nothin' you can't do (yeah) (okay)
  6. Yaav13
    May 9, 2022
    5
    My truthful honorable incorruptible conclusive rating of this considered game: 5.
  7. Bushido95
    Sep 27, 2021
    7
    После невероятной Medieval II продолжение Empire: Total War была не тем чего ждали фанаты.. слишком большой скачок в истории.
    Спустя годы попробовав снова откинув все предрассудки и попытавшись в объективность игра мне понравилось.    После невероятной Medieval II продолжение Empire: Total War была не тем чего ждали фанаты.. слишком большой скачок в истории.
    Спустя годы попробовав снова откинув все предрассудки и попытавшись в объективность игра мне понравилось.
  8. Gorbunov2004
    May 24, 2021
    5
    Игра вроде и интересная а вроде и нет все бои стали скучными да появились морские битвы. Система дипломатии улучшилась.
  9. Denis94
    Apr 27, 2021
    6
    Este título de la saga es el primero en abordar las grandes batallas tanto navales como terrestres del siglo XVIII y aunque sea uno de los que más cariño tengo tiene varios fallos importantes.

    Los gráficos no envejecieron muy bien el paso del tiempo hizo demasiada mella en este aspecto además popping es muy evidente, aunque hay batallas que desde ciertos ángulos parecen auténticos    Este título de la saga es el primero en abordar las grandes batallas tanto navales como terrestres del siglo XVIII y aunque sea uno de los que más cariño tengo tiene varios fallos importantes.

    Los gráficos no envejecieron muy bien el paso del tiempo hizo demasiada mella en este aspecto además popping es muy evidente, aunque hay batallas que desde ciertos ángulos parecen auténticos planos de película.

    El Gameplay es bastante fluido pero tiene varios problemas entre ellos las tropas a veces no obedecen las indicaciones y hacen lo que quieren, luego la IA no está a la altura... llegué a ver cómo cargaba la caballería de frente sin ton ni son contra mi infantería de línea.

    La campaña puede que sea el mejor aspecto de este juego está muy cuidada.

    Históricamente no es correcto, los errores de uniformes y bandera Españoles son algo que choca mucho a la vista, da la sensación que solo está cuidado en ese aspecto las tropas de Inglaterra y es una lastima.

    En definitiva no es mal juego pero le condenan demasiado los errores tanto de jugabilidad como visuales que son bastante evidentes, una pena para un juego que pudo ser la joya de la corona de los TW.    … Expand
  10. elefsar
    Apr 22, 2021
    6
    Boring, bad mechanics and ui. Did i mention it is boring? Animations are bad too.
  11. erdogfu96
    Feb 9, 2020
    7
    For me it was one of the worst in total war series. Campaign idea of all of the world were good but not well designed. Also diplomacy were unstable and unrealistic. Game was not well paced, it was too slow.
    Graphics:7/10
    Sounds: 7/10
    Gameplay: 8/10
    Fun: 7/10
  12. CountCristo
    Jul 19, 2019
    7
    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
  13. hiltong55
    Jul 19, 2018
    7
    With over 100 logged hours I think I am in a position to judge this game. Also, I should note that I am including the Warpath DLC in my opinion. I will also say that I do have a bit of bias in my review since I have a deep love for this time in history and style of combat. But I also know that this is far from a perfect game.

    I first started with the Road To Independence campaign. It    With over 100 logged hours I think I am in a position to judge this game. Also, I should note that I am including the Warpath DLC in my opinion. I will also say that I do have a bit of bias in my review since I have a deep love for this time in history and style of combat. But I also know that this is far from a perfect game.

    I first started with the Road To Independence campaign. It definitely helps you learn how to control and maneuver a little bit but overall I would say the story is okay at best and really does not take that long to finish. Also, it is the only way you really get to play as America so it kind of does fulfill that itch but I still don't know why you can't play with them in the main campaign mode.

    The main campaign mode has a decent amount of countries to chose from along with varying victory conditions based on the size and location of your country. The map is very large covering all of Europe, North Africa, The Middle East, India, North America and the upper half of South America. There are also trading ports in places like Madagascar but that is all you can do there set up a trade route. The way you move around the map has largely gone unchanged from prior TW games and that is just fine with me. Diplomacy saw a change from the family tree system to a more timely government system that allows you to promote Generals instead of raising them which makes sense. You can fire people in places of government but I never found myself looking too much into this aspect of the game as it is self-propelling and does not have much impact on your progress. The technology bracket accelerated my building collages and universities is a much-welcomed improvement to the series as you unlock new abilities through study as well as being able to trade and steal technological discoveries as well. Diplomacy as with many games of the turn based genre could be better but is functional. Still feels like the whole if they like you they will work with you and if they don't they won't style of a system we usually get but at least you can often still trade with unfriendly nations if you make it worth their while. Alliances also do make some sort of sense and do have so impact on your decisions especially on harder levels. I am pleased to say that the AI is no pushover if you crank up the level but are still very much beatable if you have experience with the game.

    Let us talk about combat. Ground combat is very satisfying. Units are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but are competent overall. Creative Assembly did a great job in getting the style of combat of that time down to where it feels like you are commanding troops of that time in a sensical manner. Newly added naval combat is total crap in my opinion and really needed to be worked on more before they added it to the game. I would have been happy with simulation just like in Rome TW and that is what I found myself doing anyway after several frustrating naval encounters where I had the clear upper hand. I thought maybe it was just me but apparently many others share my frustration.

    Lastly, I would like to mention the Warpath DLC where you can play as Native American factions. Basically what was done was the devs took the victory conditions from the European countries in the main game, slapped them on the native factions and called it a day. I played through the short campaign with one of the native factions and I lost not because I was playing on a hard difficulty or I was getting my ass kicked in combat, but because I could not get to my enemy fast enough with a reasonable amount of forces to take over a city. They did not take into account that the native cities are very spaced out and they do not have roads for a fairly long time due to the small size of your beginning cities. So travel is a lot slower without connecting roads and trough rough terrain which is what you are working through with most native factions. Plus the combat with natives is not nearly as fun given the design of the game. Combat was mostly designed around musket troops which the natives naturally have very few of. You really need the numbers advantage to have any chance of winning which is a chore with slow travel.

    For some reason, I wanted to give this game an 8/10 and that is only because as I said I am biased towards this time period. The game has flaws for sure but has kept me playing on and off for years. However my final verdict is a 7/10 GOOD. This is mostly due to the lackluster DLC and naval combat.    … Expand
  14. VagueShape
    Feb 25, 2016
    7
    Giving it a 7, A decent installment of the Total War franchise that offers some fresh mechanics like gunpowder, the ability to traverse continents, strategic battles that aren't focused solely on the capital city(forts and such) and good naval battles.

    While the game isn't perfect, the new features offer a fresh experience that should be fun for awhile for most people.
  15. Levin
    Aug 9, 2015
    7
    Total war has been around for quite some time, and I have bought and played all of them since the initial Shogun. The expanded campaign map is welcome and the trading ports, Naval warfare likewise. Lots of pluses that is, but there are drawbacks as well. To me, those drawbacks are "blocker bugs". Blocker bugs would be something that would prevent the game from being released. PreviousTotal war has been around for quite some time, and I have bought and played all of them since the initial Shogun. The expanded campaign map is welcome and the trading ports, Naval warfare likewise. Lots of pluses that is, but there are drawbacks as well. To me, those drawbacks are "blocker bugs". Blocker bugs would be something that would prevent the game from being released. Previous Total war games has had a few, but I am amazed that a franchise that's been around for so long still has issues like this. After half an hour of navigating three ships against nine enemy ships, having one left and aaaaalmost winning the battle and the game freezes... The graphics are also quite bad. Room for improvement. Yay!… Expand
  16. TheGamer31
    Aug 2, 2015
    7
    This is easily the worst entrance into the series (other than Rome II). The concept for this game was so good and it had so much potential but it all got wasted for some reason. It could have been that they were rushed for release or that they were using a new engine, but whatever the reason, it still doesnt excuse this game for its quality. That being said it is still a good game. ThereThis is easily the worst entrance into the series (other than Rome II). The concept for this game was so good and it had so much potential but it all got wasted for some reason. It could have been that they were rushed for release or that they were using a new engine, but whatever the reason, it still doesnt excuse this game for its quality. That being said it is still a good game. There are a lot of very memorable things about this game like some of the battle. I remember in my first playthrough I played as the United Provinces, it was late game and I was invading Russia. I was on their final settlement, which was Moscow and they had built a star fort for the city. It was a massive battle, my army was made of 3 max chevroned elite unit stacks and their army was made up of 7 garbage militia army that were untrained. I lost all but 4 units but I won and with it I wiped out Russia!… Expand
  17. amontillado
    Mar 27, 2015
    6
    If you are a fan of the Total War series, this is an adequate entry, but it isn't a strong one. The interface can be confusing, at first, and many of the simplified battle mechanics are more complex - so you need to take some time to learn it. This feature, in particular, is frustrating when you're very first campaign mission begins with a battle and there is little intuition from theIf you are a fan of the Total War series, this is an adequate entry, but it isn't a strong one. The interface can be confusing, at first, and many of the simplified battle mechanics are more complex - so you need to take some time to learn it. This feature, in particular, is frustrating when you're very first campaign mission begins with a battle and there is little intuition from the interface; especially frustrating if you're a veteran of the series and feel like an idiot for not understanding.

    Yet, much of the commentary about the frustration of the battle mechanics, campaign, etc. boils down to a problem of the developer's goals and gamer audience needs'. From the gamer's POV, we want a streamlined, intuitive system so we can jump right into the game and explore it. We want the immersion of the experience without being jolted out of it by bugs or gameplay failures. From the developer's standpoint, the feeling is that they wanted to bring home the realism of battle in that time, shooting for historical accuracy as much as possible. What got sacrificed in a spirit of authenticity was streamlined gameplay.

    It does bring home how rain affected battles when you the general have to navigate through the fog of war, essentially. It brought home how spread these empires were and how much time, concentration, and energy went into establishing a global network in a time when information moved slower. And it does bring home the frustration of navigating troops and ships prior to the telegraph and much later, radio-based communication.

    So what we have is a game that from an historical standpoint, fairly accurate. From the gamer standpoint, very obnoxious. Puzzling, do we reject or accept it, but we cannot do either as it won on one perspective but lost another. If you play this, choose which way you want to approach it, for if you approach it as just a game then you will be disappointed. If you approach it as a simulation of an historical period, you will find some enjoyment, but it does test your resolve and patience. And that, is probably why it does not score as high as it could have.    … Expand
  18. aadms
    Mar 26, 2015
    7
    This is an updated grade for something that I would have given a zero if I was posting on metacritic back in 2010. I bought the game five years ago and was stunned when I got home and learned what the "online connection requirement" was needed really meant. I had to download it on my 12 kb per second connection! Two Days later....I get to finally play.....just to find out my graphicsThis is an updated grade for something that I would have given a zero if I was posting on metacritic back in 2010. I bought the game five years ago and was stunned when I got home and learned what the "online connection requirement" was needed really meant. I had to download it on my 12 kb per second connection! Two Days later....I get to finally play.....just to find out my graphics card was seriously out of date and that the spec requirements was a, at that time, $500 graphics card. YYYEEAAAARRRRRGH!!! I had whoafull looking characters moving on the screen, not even moving their feet, just floating along with bland backgrounds. I cried that day. And I played and enjoy TW: Medieval so much. That was a zero for this game.

    Now...about a half a year after buying a brand new computer with a top of the line processor and graphics card, I remembered this game and finally played it. It plays like all the other Total War games, so expect the same experience. I liked the ship movements and building fleets to control the seas. I did not like the slow tedious ship battles, so I just clicked the resolve immediately button every time. The A.I. is a little suspect. When I attack someone, even if they are out numbered 10 to 1, they will just march forward to attack me which allowed me in every battle to employ the same strategy. I did not like the "gentlemen" who are suppose to help you town make improvements faster, because, it didn't seem like they did that at all. They could be use for research, but only one research can be down at a time as I found this out thinking I had three smart gentlemen researching only to find out I was just researching the last one I clicked on. Useless. I played Sweden and hurried as fast as I could to the New World to establish colonies, only to discover that in 1718 all the land was colonized. Great. The campaign doesn't even start until 1701. Heck! Sweden did colonize New York in the 1600s but no, I have to play when the British were firmly established there. They should have started the campaign in the early 1600s. Other than that, its Total War: A Game Five Years Ahead of Its Graphic Card and stupid DRM through Steam.    … Expand
  19. reviewobsession
    Jan 28, 2015
    6
    Welcome to the second era of CA and the first game of this era which was developed with their strange engine; Warscape! In this era, you'll encounter many strange bugs, frustrating crushes, unfinished mechanics and weak technical support. Additionally you'll play the last hardcore and innovative Total War game in the series. Empire Total War is a broken game with beautiful features. It'sWelcome to the second era of CA and the first game of this era which was developed with their strange engine; Warscape! In this era, you'll encounter many strange bugs, frustrating crushes, unfinished mechanics and weak technical support. Additionally you'll play the last hardcore and innovative Total War game in the series. Empire Total War is a broken game with beautiful features. It's story is similiar to Rome 2 Total War.(another warscape game) It was released unfinished and broken. After one year, they fixed some serious bugs and let the mod community complete it. At the end of the day customers had a game with game-breaking bugs and poor AI even efforts of great mod community. Getting back to the game, early modern warfare concept works well and using gunpowder units is entertaining. But my advice is stay away from naval and siege battle features. These parts of the game are still buggy and frustrating after many updates. Campaing map is huge and there are many empires to pick. Unit diversity is satisfaying, especially if you play with non-european empires. European nations fight each other with the similiar line infantry and its upgraded versions. Maratha Confederacy and Ottoman Empire have interesting units to play like war elephants and janissaries. You can combine their melee units with their weak rifleman and try different strategies against modern european armies. Battle AI is terrible but thanks to the early modern warfare concept and line battle tactics which hide AI's meaningless decisions, you can play as if there is no huge problem.(Units are generally static except cavalary) Other features like trade system, goverment management and technology development are well designed. If you really want to play this buggy game you should get DarthMod to enhance your gameplay. Good luck and have fun...… Expand
  20. Magnethead
    Dec 23, 2014
    5
    This game is a source of continued frustration. I periodically install it and then remember why I never play it and uninstall it two hours later. The game has so much potential, great ideas, nice naval battle addition and the whole idea of playing the gun line battles in the Total War engine is excellent. However, it all falls apart due to the controls of the game.

    Moving your gun lines    This game is a source of continued frustration. I periodically install it and then remember why I never play it and uninstall it two hours later. The game has so much potential, great ideas, nice naval battle addition and the whole idea of playing the gun line battles in the Total War engine is excellent. However, it all falls apart due to the controls of the game.

    Moving your gun lines around is just too tricky and illogical for the game to feel like anything but a struggle against the engine itself rather than against the enemy. Many areas of the maps don't allow for lines to be deployed evenly there and if you try, you get very strange formations with your soldiers often pointing in the wrong way or just taking forever to get into formation. At other times they'll just take the most ridiculous route to get into your new formation in your new location. Finally, sometimes they just bug out and either wander off the map completely or do nothing. The game compensates for this by making the AI ridiculously easy to beat. I've had many battles where I never felt like I was in control and that my plans came together and yet I'm rewarded with a heroic victory time and again. And this is on Very Hard difficulty, mind you.

    Darthmod helps a bit with some of the most annoying errors but not nearly enough. In the end, this game could have been excellent but just ends up being very annoying.    … Expand
  21. lifeofbrian
    Dec 1, 2014
    7
    Its a solid game. However unfortunately they left the game riddled with bugs. I just picked the game up after years of not playing it and lo and behold the game will still continue to freeze on occasion when you say to start a next turn. This was a problem that the game had back in 2009 when it launched. Basically buyer beware.
  22. Cam_53
    Aug 16, 2014
    5
    Great game until i get to the year 1760 then it crashes have tried all fixes and nothing works so half the rating for a half playable game disappointed overall.
  23. Scottyv2
    Feb 13, 2014
    6
    I can't say that I exactly enjoyed the hell out of it, it seemed to be more marketed for casual gamers who just pick it up and play for an hour then go outside with friends. When I would be playing this it would be for at least 2 hours minimum and I just can't enjoy it, even with darthmod increasing the re playability. The battles just aren't as epic as Napoleon that came afterword andI can't say that I exactly enjoyed the hell out of it, it seemed to be more marketed for casual gamers who just pick it up and play for an hour then go outside with friends. When I would be playing this it would be for at least 2 hours minimum and I just can't enjoy it, even with darthmod increasing the re playability. The battles just aren't as epic as Napoleon that came afterword and there came a point that I just auto resolved all my battles and won. After that win I just couldn't enjoy it, so couldn't give it a very high score over all.… Expand
  24. Dimppa
    Dec 12, 2013
    6
    After playing somewhat 500 hours with Medieval II it was a shock to play Empire. I understand that they didn't want to do something over and over again, but i really missed family tree duo to that it's missing everything and everyone fell hollow. AI was here bad but not much from Medi II. (or it might be duo to mods that i had more than 20) Also i never like whole 17 19-Century timeAfter playing somewhat 500 hours with Medieval II it was a shock to play Empire. I understand that they didn't want to do something over and over again, but i really missed family tree duo to that it's missing everything and everyone fell hollow. AI was here bad but not much from Medi II. (or it might be duo to mods that i had more than 20) Also i never like whole 17 19-Century time period.
    But if you like muskets and ships it's still a good game    … Expand
  25. orctown-troll
    Oct 20, 2013
    7
    A game with pros and cons. Sure buy for CA fans and strategy nuts. The game is pretty, with a nice range of factions, a huge map to mess around in and fun tactical battles. Beyond that the game is pretty shoddy, and is so incredibly easy, that it really needs the player to handicap themselves. The craziest feature is political control. Once you conquer an area, the player has to wait aboutA game with pros and cons. Sure buy for CA fans and strategy nuts. The game is pretty, with a nice range of factions, a huge map to mess around in and fun tactical battles. Beyond that the game is pretty shoddy, and is so incredibly easy, that it really needs the player to handicap themselves. The craziest feature is political control. Once you conquer an area, the player has to wait about 12 months before it fully assimilates into your country. Thus you can conquer and hold ALL of Europe, the middle east and the Americas without needing to worry about rebellions, or financial costs that might threaten your complete control of the world. This is of course, ridiculous. Compared to Europa Universalis games it is also POOR game design. CA games look prettier, and it is probably more fun to feel tough and kick everyone in the arse. However as a simulation or 'historic game' it's a complete joke. Also, its no small matter that the loading screens in this game run for ages. Over time there is a lot of time lost waiting for the computer to stuff your screen with mindless prettiness.

    Orctowngrot    … Expand
  26. jamesphillip198
    Sep 14, 2013
    6
    This game has good new features that weren't polished enough, and the AI leaves much to wish for. Once you conquered 5 to 6 cities is pretty much game over. The AI never really puts a challenge against you, and spams trade ships like crazy instead of a solid fleet. It's enjoyable with mods, but the vanilla game as a 'meh' feeling to it.
  27. Orctownorc
    Aug 24, 2013
    7
    A game with pros and cons. Sure buy for CA fans and strategy nuts. The game is pretty, with a nice range of factions, a huge map to mess around in and fun tactical battles. Beyond that the game is pretty shoddy, and is so incredibly easy, that it really needs the player to handicap themselves. The craziest feature is political control. Once you conquer an area, the player has to wait aboutA game with pros and cons. Sure buy for CA fans and strategy nuts. The game is pretty, with a nice range of factions, a huge map to mess around in and fun tactical battles. Beyond that the game is pretty shoddy, and is so incredibly easy, that it really needs the player to handicap themselves. The craziest feature is political control. Once you conquer an area, the player has to wait about 12 months before it fully assimilates into your country. Thus you can conquer and hold ALL of Europe, the middle east and the Americas without needing to worry about rebellions, or financial costs that might threaten your complete control of the world. This is of course, ridiculous. Compared to Europa Universalis games it is also POOR game design. CA games look prettier, and it is probably more fun to feel tough and kick everyone in the arse. However as a simulation or 'historic game' it's a complete joke. Also, its no small matter that the loading screens in this game run for ages. Over time there is a lot of time lost waiting for the computer to stuff your screen with mindless prettiness.

    THE GROT REVIEW CRITERIA: After a long time writing reviews like an anus, think its time to set a few bad habits straight: Stop insulting designers. Show some respect for the design process and getting games in circulation. Hence (1) No Red scores. (2) Game scores as follows: Bad Game 5/10. Poor Game 6/10. Mediocre Game: 7/10. Good Game 8/10. Great game 9/10. Stella Game 10/10. To get 10/10 it must be a game that can be (theoretically) play-able for 1000+ hours. Not only great but near endless fun. Games may be bad or poor but making them should earn respect. Thus even the worst POS will still be a 5/10. 0/10 no longer exists in my vocabulary. Yellow is the new red. For the sake of accountability: you can reply if needed: Orctowngrot: Tim Rawlins: timtimjp@yahoo.com    … Expand
  28. Tripnip14
    Aug 5, 2013
    5
    The campaign and naval battles are awesome!!! The new technology tree and the immense scale make the campaign very fun, and the naval battles are top notch. However the land battles are absolute garbage, with horrible AI and even worse pathfinding (it's not unusual for it to take a cavalry unit 15 minutes to get out of a gate). I've been playing total war games since Medieval 1, and thisThe campaign and naval battles are awesome!!! The new technology tree and the immense scale make the campaign very fun, and the naval battles are top notch. However the land battles are absolute garbage, with horrible AI and even worse pathfinding (it's not unusual for it to take a cavalry unit 15 minutes to get out of a gate). I've been playing total war games since Medieval 1, and this is definitely the most thrown together one. Since you'll be spending most of your time on the battlefield, and it is broken, I give this game a 5.… Expand
  29. iseeall
    Jul 29, 2013
    5
    A game in Total War series which I liked much less than Rome or Medieval. Most of the new features were annoying: the strategic map is now crowded with buildings which used to be parts of cities previously. Too detailed and over-complicated empire management. The ability to control a ship is out of place in a strategic game here it's just a clumsy simulator. Finally, the US flagA game in Total War series which I liked much less than Rome or Medieval. Most of the new features were annoying: the strategic map is now crowded with buildings which used to be parts of cities previously. Too detailed and over-complicated empire management. The ability to control a ship is out of place in a strategic game here it's just a clumsy simulator. Finally, the US flag everywhere and the main campaign focusing on the US independence war. I know your primary paying audience is the US, but the rest of the world which is much more people and more players aren't that much interested in the US history so that you would have to put it (and nothing else) into the campaign. I didn't have any interested in the main campaign, tried to play for Germany and Russia and dropped after a few turns. The strategic map is just muddy, you can't see anything. The battles are somehow clumsy and lack the drive of Rome Total War. The units speaking their own language might seem a fun idea at first but I would much more prefer to hear english with national accents. Not that this game is bad: those who haven't seen Rome or Medieval may like it. It's just that the series lost its touch in this game. Actually, I'm not even sure one could create a playable Total War-style game in the setting where there are so many range units and the concept of "line tactics". This just doesn't work with games where you normally want to out-maneuver opponents.… Expand
  30. CaptainThom
    Jun 27, 2013
    7
    Empire total war has received an unjust amount of criticism allot of which was due to bugs and initial issues with steam. Now the game has been patched its a far better gaming experience but doesn't live up to M2:TW and Rome:TW, battles just aren't as fun or engaging and sieges in particular are a mess.No longer do you attack castles/towns with the buildings from the campaign map insteadEmpire total war has received an unjust amount of criticism allot of which was due to bugs and initial issues with steam. Now the game has been patched its a far better gaming experience but doesn't live up to M2:TW and Rome:TW, battles just aren't as fun or engaging and sieges in particular are a mess.No longer do you attack castles/towns with the buildings from the campaign map instead you attack different forts which are pretty much the same every-time and offer little variety of strategy required to capture them. Naval combat which looked brilliant is just a pain and even after 250 hours i have no clue how it works resulting in the imperfect auto resolve option being used the majority of the time.

    That said the campaign map has been extended dramatically with America, India and trade routes added giving the game a much grander feel. The graphics are also fantastic really stepped up from M2:TW, giving battles a realistic and epic feel. Technology trees also allow you to research advance technology which you can see take effect on the battlefield in the form of new moves or new units, you can use technology to improve the economy or the enlightenment of your people. This adds new complexity to the game and allowing different styles of play to be used.    … Expand
  31. not_batman27
    Jan 21, 2013
    7
    at first the game looked terrible to me, there is no proper welcome, if you don't go throught at least the first 2 chapters of the "road to independece" you wont know how to play, but after you play that campaign, the game opens the amazing and large options it has, because of the use of gun powder you have to use completly diffrent tactics. the economy in this game plays a huge role,at first the game looked terrible to me, there is no proper welcome, if you don't go throught at least the first 2 chapters of the "road to independece" you wont know how to play, but after you play that campaign, the game opens the amazing and large options it has, because of the use of gun powder you have to use completly diffrent tactics. the economy in this game plays a huge role, it's very fragile and alliances have diffrent meaning. its very diffrent from the old total war games but it was gonna have a change at some point, all of the people that say they are fans of the total war franchise and say this game is bad, aren't real fans, just because of the change in the game, they were forced to make a diffrent change, in total this is a great and amazing game, shame how people threated it… Expand
  32. JimCorbett
    Sep 3, 2012
    7
    As its own game, Empire is flawed and confusing. Add some Mods to it and you will get the true Total War experience. Empire is a daunting change from previous Total War installments but you will eventually get used to it. It is much more difficult to manage and empire and secure your borders due to settlements being spread out. Siege battles, which used to by my favorite part of a totalAs its own game, Empire is flawed and confusing. Add some Mods to it and you will get the true Total War experience. Empire is a daunting change from previous Total War installments but you will eventually get used to it. It is much more difficult to manage and empire and secure your borders due to settlements being spread out. Siege battles, which used to by my favorite part of a total war game, are boring and repetitive. It's still a fun game, but nowhere near as good as previous installments in the series.… Expand
  33. Hudson633
    Aug 15, 2012
    6
    Fantastic infantry/cavalry/artillery/naval programming, I thoroughly enjoyed the grand campaign multiple times, and playing custom battles on both land and sea. Sadly the enemy AI appears quite basic, either you can run rings round them, or they relentlessly attack. The game is plagued by small bugs and glitches left in, since they weren't completely gamebreaking. But it's heartbreakingFantastic infantry/cavalry/artillery/naval programming, I thoroughly enjoyed the grand campaign multiple times, and playing custom battles on both land and sea. Sadly the enemy AI appears quite basic, either you can run rings round them, or they relentlessly attack. The game is plagued by small bugs and glitches left in, since they weren't completely gamebreaking. But it's heartbreaking that so many weren't fixed, making this a flawed experience. The worst one is a memory leak, reducing frame rates massively, very frustrating. Sometimes I'd rather play Imperial War instead.… Expand
  34. OverdueReview
    Aug 15, 2012
    7
    Beta game is what popped to mind when I first installed and played this game when it came out. How the #$@%! did this pass QA? Even to this day, after several patches, I can
  35. kane148
    Aug 13, 2012
    7
    By time I played this game, they seemed to have sorted out most of the major bugs, for I didn't have much trouble at all playing Empire. I found it to be a good game overall, with a mix of great improvements and disappointing letdowns. The available world is at least twice as large as that of previous titles, as this game introduces North and Central America and the Indian subcontinent toBy time I played this game, they seemed to have sorted out most of the major bugs, for I didn't have much trouble at all playing Empire. I found it to be a good game overall, with a mix of great improvements and disappointing letdowns. The available world is at least twice as large as that of previous titles, as this game introduces North and Central America and the Indian subcontinent to the playable map (as well as a few more distant trade destinations). This gives much more potential territory to conquer and enemies to face, though it has the downside of requiring you to spread further and quicker than in previous games in order to win the campaign. Diplomacy is further developed from earlier games, and there is now much more incentive to be a faithful ally or honest enemy--although countries tend to have the annoying habit of hating you forever once you go to war with them. The introduction of the research system is nice, since it gives you another way to gain (or lose!) the edge against your rivals, and the ability to buy, sell, trade, or steal research can be handy. The battles are somewhat different in this game, since many units now use guns of various sorts, but Empire follows the same basic style as previous titles. I loved the addition of defensive works for besieging armies (mines, trenches, stakes, etc.), which allow one to prepare for counterattacks, as well as the ability of most infantry to use stone walls as cover. There is a pretty good diversity of unit times in this game (especially if you have the DLC unit packs), and this is keenly seen in the vastly improved array of ship types, which make the naval theater much more exciting. For the first time, players can choose to control their fleets directly during naval battles, allowing for strategy to play into the outcome instead of just numbers. Personally I gave up on figuring out the relatively complex controls for naval battles and just used the auto-decide, but I'm sure next time I play I'll find them easier. There are too many other aspects of this game which I'd like to mention, but I'll leave those to others and just say that this game is definitely worth playing if you are a fan of the Total War franchise, and even if not, I'd recommend giving it a shot.… Expand
  36. CrackaCrunch
    Aug 13, 2012
    6
    Let me start on the positive side. This game is an absolute MUST for strategy gamers. Excellent total war combination of great battles with turn based strategy inbetween. The main reason I gave the game a 6 though, is that it is very unpolished. From poor AI to awful diplomacy, the game needs a little help. The only reason I'm writing this review is to inform people that with DarthVader'sLet me start on the positive side. This game is an absolute MUST for strategy gamers. Excellent total war combination of great battles with turn based strategy inbetween. The main reason I gave the game a 6 though, is that it is very unpolished. From poor AI to awful diplomacy, the game needs a little help. The only reason I'm writing this review is to inform people that with DarthVader's mod (called DarthMod) this game is an absolute 10. Look up his mod, it is by far and away the most popular, and it sets out to fix all of the things that keep this game from being scored higher. You will NOT be disappointed.… Expand
  37. FFStudios
    Jun 8, 2012
    7
    [First impressions] Steam and I have a complicated relationship: sometimes I see it as a smooth and intuitive way to manage games, whilst other times I curse it for my slow Internet and strange glitches. Anyway, back in 2009, I was causing Steam after I lost my first account and the ability to play Empire Total War. Recently, I managed to find my account and activate ETW; so here's a first[First impressions] Steam and I have a complicated relationship: sometimes I see it as a smooth and intuitive way to manage games, whilst other times I curse it for my slow Internet and strange glitches. Anyway, back in 2009, I was causing Steam after I lost my first account and the ability to play Empire Total War. Recently, I managed to find my account and activate ETW; so here's a first impression review. Empire is certainly quite spectacular with a heavier emphasis on gunpowder weapons and yet the stragegy has been lost somewhat now that your units use guns rather than physical weapons, making them less significant and somehow more dull than Medieval 2. The interface has been redesigned, and by that I mean it's completely incomprehensible thanks to the confusing styling and randomly rearranged functions. One of the most significant additions to the game is naval combat; so now you can actually fight the battle rather than clicking "auto-resolve" with every battle, followed by "clear defeat". The naval combat is spectacular, more so than land battles, but is virtually impossible to control. If you select a ship and right click on an enemy, they flat out don't attack; they just dither in circles while the enemy picks away at your hull. The world map isn't much better thanks to a confusing HUD and apparent lack of the flag colouring from Medieval 2 which made it much easier to tell which cities were weak and which we're overflowing. So, after first impressions; Empire Total War is spectacular and mind bending, but suffers from an unintuative interface and confusing AI.… Expand
  38. Ragegoat
    May 9, 2012
    5
    Empire: Total War is a grand scale strategy game in which you play a major power approximately form 1700 to 1800. The game, like other total war games, switches between a turn based mode where you administrate your cities, move armies, do research and so on and a battle mode, where you take real time command of the troops fighting the battles of the turn based mode. The game is very prettyEmpire: Total War is a grand scale strategy game in which you play a major power approximately form 1700 to 1800. The game, like other total war games, switches between a turn based mode where you administrate your cities, move armies, do research and so on and a battle mode, where you take real time command of the troops fighting the battles of the turn based mode. The game is very pretty on a system that can run it, but has unreasonable resource demands. On a low-spec system the usage of sprites is very obvious and pretty horrible to look at. Much older games of the series (Rome, Medieval 2) looked better on such a system as they employed less sprites, and if your PC can run Empire to look good it can also run Shogun 2 to look better. Granted, it is awesome to watch a cannon ball plow through an infantry regiment. The muzzle loader infantry combat also looks very cool, but unfortunately the AI is very unimaginative with regards to using the armies, and what it does usually only amounts to a mass suicide. In older or newer Total War games the AI does much better. The AI also suffers from bugs - for instance when you shoot a hole in a fortress wall the AI might place a unit there and re-evaluate this unit's plans so often that it pushes a good (and way above recommended specs) CPU to the limit. Only way to get the game responsive again is to charge said unit - as soon as it is engaged in close combat the game will start flowing again. While the system for tech, buildings and such is way better than the older installments, Empire also lacks something the older games have: the ability to play as defeated minors. This limits the play time of the game very much, since you'll have access to the same majors beating up the same minors. The diplomatic AI also does a lot for making the game repetitive. Once you end up in war with some country you'll probably be at war till either is destroyed. Peace agreements last few turns since the AI feels very sore about having just lost a war against you decides to go lose another. On the other hand naval combat is very good with historically accurate ships, beautiful graphics and such. Best (and first) total war game for a naval battle in my experience. While Empire: Total War provides a good many hours of entertainment there are better Total War titles out there. I'd recommend playing them first.… Expand
  39. Wulfburk
    Mar 9, 2012
    7
    At the first months after release the ammount of bugs really ruined the game, but now after 4 years, the game does give justice to the Total War series. The only issue is lack of mod tools, being the reason that i took one point of its score (was going to give it a 8) but even without mod tools DarthMod does a great job at making a total overhaul of the game gameplay, graphics, scale andAt the first months after release the ammount of bugs really ruined the game, but now after 4 years, the game does give justice to the Total War series. The only issue is lack of mod tools, being the reason that i took one point of its score (was going to give it a 8) but even without mod tools DarthMod does a great job at making a total overhaul of the game gameplay, graphics, scale and other elements!… Expand
  40. sdg
    Dec 26, 2011
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Overall Good Game. Positives: Vast map. Naval battles. Huge scale of combat across continents. Negatives: The economy system early on is a pain, especially in higher difficulties. Often, the Enemy AI is not very smart (will rush cannon's loading grape shots). Negotiations and Diplomacy options are limited. AI acts illogically diplomatically if higher difficulties (will declare war even when at highly disadvantageous position). Lastly, no FBR skill for Maratha's.… Expand
  41. smijatov
    Aug 21, 2011
    6
    Empire Total War definitely had big shoes to fill after Rome, which was one of the best games I've ever played, and most certainly the best Total War game (which are all excellent).
    It surely was entertaining, but the whole concept was a bit off, partially at least, with the fact that it's set in the modern age. The thrill of the 1-on-1 battle that the previous games had is lost to a high    Empire Total War definitely had big shoes to fill after Rome, which was one of the best games I've ever played, and most certainly the best Total War game (which are all excellent).
    It surely was entertaining, but the whole concept was a bit off, partially at least, with the fact that it's set in the modern age. The thrill of the 1-on-1 battle that the previous games had is lost to a high extent due to the time period the game is set in.
    That being said, the graphics are amazing and the sea battles are rather entertaining, though they have a steep learning curve, imo. Usually would just go on the automatic one for that.
    Overall, nice visually but nowhere as exciting as the other Total War games.    … Expand
  42. wordy_actions
    Jul 26, 2011
    5
    I am a massive Total War fan, but Empire: Total War was disappointing and a missed opportunity. While some new features were extremely welcome, such as more robust diplomacy and research, ultimately what stopped this from being great were the tactical battles. There was almost no interesting dynamics to the battles. Cavalry and artillery were under-powered, and you could win the entireI am a massive Total War fan, but Empire: Total War was disappointing and a missed opportunity. While some new features were extremely welcome, such as more robust diplomacy and research, ultimately what stopped this from being great were the tactical battles. There was almost no interesting dynamics to the battles. Cavalry and artillery were under-powered, and you could win the entire campaign with only massed line infantry. Naval battles were spectacular to look at, but controlling more than one ship was a headache. As to the campaign map, while the epic scope was appreciated, the fact that the map was so large that it made the campaign slow and unfocused. Compared to such masterpieces as Rome: Total War and Medieval II: Total War, this one was a let-down. Anyone interested in the Total War series I recommend you get Total War: Shogun 2 and skip this one.… Expand
  43. Braccheus
    May 24, 2011
    6
    While the game adds a lot of complexity to the frame that existed from earlier series in a way that makes the game more realistic and engaging (such as making mines, farms, etc. points within territories that must be defended), the added complexity becomes quite repetitive quite quickly. Unfortunately, the added complexity almost appears to be a half-baked after thought. Diplomacy in theWhile the game adds a lot of complexity to the frame that existed from earlier series in a way that makes the game more realistic and engaging (such as making mines, farms, etc. points within territories that must be defended), the added complexity becomes quite repetitive quite quickly. Unfortunately, the added complexity almost appears to be a half-baked after thought. Diplomacy in the game is almost comically horrible. Military alliances have been replaced by a general alliance system which makes it almost impossible to ally with certain nations due to factors outside the control of the player. Furthermore, it is almost impossible to develop a peace treaty with combatant nations regardless of who started the war or if territory changed hands leading to wars that have lasted for over fifty years (hardly realistic of the time period). Battles also appear quite buggy with animations being performed at the wrong time. While purely cosmetic, it does put a dampener on what is supposed to be the game's main feature. Another problem with the battles is their repetitiveness. While I don't mind fighting a battle for 45 minutes, I have used the same two tactics in almost every battle with either very few losses, or losses that are disproportional to those inflicted on the enemy. Finally, we have the steam element. After purchasing this game, be ready to wait for a roughly 1.5 gig patch to download through steam, and be sure to run steam offline if you have a bad connection. Otherwise, you will be unable to play as you have to be online to turn on the offline mode for steam (go figure). One distinguishing plus to add, however, is the naval battles. Although these are incredibly slow (even with the fast forward button), it is a legit step above simply having ships auto battle each other (especially when your nation is Dependant on a navy to hold its empire together. Graphics are also amazingly good save for the bugs mentioned above. Unfortunately, these are only present in the battles themselves where in general, you're too busy fighting to notice them. In general, Empire Total War is a great game if far from perfect. Admittedly, it was somewhat of a let down for me in comparison to Rome Total War. While fun at first, the problems I mentioned take quite a bit of the fun out of the game. Furthermore, the complexity, which does add a challenging layer, is one more thing to have to have to look after while still implementing the same interface present in Rome Total War which presents its limitations quite quickly.… Expand
  44. Rainbowsix1326
    May 8, 2011
    7
    I was certainly not dissapointed with this Total War title. Although I found the attention to unit detail rather dissapointing that does not hinder the gameplay in any way. The only thing stopping me from giving this game a 10 is the fact that I found the AI a little bit too glitchy and slow.
  45. apaeth
    Apr 4, 2011
    6
    Total waste of time. Admittedly I am new to total war games and the learning curve was quite large for me. So large that what is supposed to be fun simply wasn't. The campaigns are hard, the battles difficult to grasp and the complexity of the whole enchilada made it hard to swallow.

    I started with the Road to Independence campaign and by the start of the 3rd chapter I was overwhelmed. I    Total waste of time. Admittedly I am new to total war games and the learning curve was quite large for me. So large that what is supposed to be fun simply wasn't. The campaigns are hard, the battles difficult to grasp and the complexity of the whole enchilada made it hard to swallow.

    I started with the Road to Independence campaign and by the start of the 3rd chapter I was overwhelmed. I had one army and one city and was surrounded by 5-6 armies - all the neutral factions declared war on me as well the British and after 5-6 failed attempts to get established I just deleted the whole thing from my computer - sigh...    … Expand
  46. islesofurth
    Mar 9, 2011
    5
    while i enjoyed ships battles atlast "finaly can win every fight", the historics within the game were fasinating and playing with guns is always fun, however i greatly disliked the extra turn time that it brought and the lack of fighting capability of garasind units, its like lets go in that house and have tea party we dont need to shoot the oncoming hordes we will just invite them in forwhile i enjoyed ships battles atlast "finaly can win every fight", the historics within the game were fasinating and playing with guns is always fun, however i greatly disliked the extra turn time that it brought and the lack of fighting capability of garasind units, its like lets go in that house and have tea party we dont need to shoot the oncoming hordes we will just invite them in for some supper

    Rome Total War, still the best of the all    … Expand
  47. Splix
    Mar 28, 2010
    5
    This game has a lot of new features that I really would have loved to see in previous Total War installments. I love the new Diplomacy Screen. It gives loads of information and doesn't hassle you with having to move diplomats all over the world as in the past. The addition of naval battles is extremely overdue and a welcome new addition. I also like the idea of a technology tree but This game has a lot of new features that I really would have loved to see in previous Total War installments. I love the new Diplomacy Screen. It gives loads of information and doesn't hassle you with having to move diplomats all over the world as in the past. The addition of naval battles is extremely overdue and a welcome new addition. I also like the idea of a technology tree but it could have been implemented in a much better manner than it was in this game. Also being able to build multiple buildings for a settlement is much better I think because it seems a bit more realistic in that what you build is based more on your economy now. I also like how blockading is much better implemented in this installment than in the past games. Now for the things I don't like which far outweigh the good. First off it seems that the AI becomes dumber with each Total War installment. Which to me seems counter intuitive because with better technology at the developers disposal the AI should get smarter with each new game. I absolutely hate the gentlemen, rakes, & missionaries spawning. It is extremely annoying and more so cause half the time I don't want them on the map period, and the implementation of them makes no sense from a realism standpoint. Basically let me use a tax slider for techs, and let me recruit spies & missionaries if I want them. I also do not like the strength cap on armies. It really irritates me when I get limited not on unit slots but on how strong my units are as happened to me with GB getting limited to 14 fourth rate ships. The whole new town thing is just flat out annoying. If they want the game to be more like Civilization then just cut the crap and bring up a screen where I can manage all that junk for the region like in Civilization. The way it is set up now is just annoying and time consuming. I don't like having to click all over the map looking for little spinning hammers just to manage my regions. On the battle map Army control has not improved much either. I must it admit it is far better than MTW2, that was just atrocious, but I still miss the level of control and response from the days of Rome. Another large annoyance is the bugs in this game... Did I say there were bugs in this game? This game crashes so often that it makes it almost unplayable sometimes. It is also extremely slow to respond and freezes up for 15-30 seconds at a time almost every time I click on a naval unit, which sucks when playing a naval power. I would assume it was just my system but I have probably four times the system requirements and have no problem running even the newest games in high quality mode. All in all this game is mediocre at best. It brings some new ideas to the table but leaves you feeling empty when all is said and done. I really can't nail it down but it just doesn't give me that awe struck feel that Rome did when I first played it, and even though I really did not care for the Campaign in MTW2, it still seemed like a fresh and exiting game when compared to Rome. This game though... well... it's just really nothing that special.… Expand
  48. DeadGuy
    Mar 2, 2010
    6
    The much talked about battle AI does not cut it at all in ETW, and is certainly no match at all for veterans of the series. The graphics are shiny, there are many innovative features in the campaign, sadly many are left half-done, and patches have not adressed the problem over the many months ETW has been out. Despite it's flaws, I can't say I don't enjoy playing ETW, even The much talked about battle AI does not cut it at all in ETW, and is certainly no match at all for veterans of the series. The graphics are shiny, there are many innovative features in the campaign, sadly many are left half-done, and patches have not adressed the problem over the many months ETW has been out. Despite it's flaws, I can't say I don't enjoy playing ETW, even quite frequently. There are many nations to play, but very little variety between them. Line Infantry are the same across the board, even if they're called something else in some armies. Artillery is extremely powerful and can rip approaching armies to shreds due to the AI being unable to avoid it or close with your lines quick enough, but at the same time it needs to be micromanaged always, because the fire at will function will kill more of your own men than the enemy's.… Expand
  49. RBoone
    Feb 17, 2010
    5
    Look this game's battle AI is broken as of now, the devs said they will fix it but honestly the AI has been broken for 6 months now. If they knew how to fix the AI blob/melee bug then they would have done so. The whole game is perfect however because the of various bugs and lack of polish I will give it a 5/10. That's how unplayable the AI bugs make the game. You can win almost Look this game's battle AI is broken as of now, the devs said they will fix it but honestly the AI has been broken for 6 months now. If they knew how to fix the AI blob/melee bug then they would have done so. The whole game is perfect however because the of various bugs and lack of polish I will give it a 5/10. That's how unplayable the AI bugs make the game. You can win almost half your battles without even moving your armies. The AI can't even keep a line to fight you. It's awful, it's worse then any Total war title I've played and I've played all of them past Rome:TW. The thing is even if CA fixed this problem, there's still an astounding amount more that needs fixings such as latest Nvidia card drivers turning hings invisible or the fact we can't repair forts or the AI never making peace with itself. The game leaves a good first impression but once the bugs start to show up and the AI craps out on you, then odds are you won't be having any more fun with this title.… Expand
  50. ZuherG
    Jan 30, 2010
    7
    Ive been a player of Total war games since Shogun 10 long years ago, and was sooooo excited by the prospect of guns playing a major role, as well as the naval warfare aspect... neither of these were as grand as I envisaged .... maybe even disappointing.... I dearly hope Napoleon will be better.....
  51. JoshN
    Jan 20, 2010
    6
    Game is a little Buggy which still don't seem to have been fixed. It requires vastly more power than the result really needs. Its laggy on my new "Gamer" laptop. And the graphics are not that much more impressive than Rome: Total War. However, the gigantic world map is fantastic, the units are well balanced. Also the sea battles are great as i have been wanting them for some time. Game is a little Buggy which still don't seem to have been fixed. It requires vastly more power than the result really needs. Its laggy on my new "Gamer" laptop. And the graphics are not that much more impressive than Rome: Total War. However, the gigantic world map is fantastic, the units are well balanced. Also the sea battles are great as i have been wanting them for some time. But have to turn of the water affects despite my 512mb ATI Radeon card -_- and 4|GB RAM. A good game but just seems rushed and the power requirements are ridiculous when you see what u actually get in return!… Expand
  52. krish
    Jan 19, 2010
    5
    Average at best, so many disapointments. Ai you have to babysit to get any challenge. To easy to exploit the ai, in its siniter non responsive way. When there's a cheap offer on then buy it. 50 euros it's not worth. I wouldn't recommend it in its current state (melee bug) no hotfixes and no more major patches on the horizon, maybe for 10 euros that's all it's Average at best, so many disapointments. Ai you have to babysit to get any challenge. To easy to exploit the ai, in its siniter non responsive way. When there's a cheap offer on then buy it. 50 euros it's not worth. I wouldn't recommend it in its current state (melee bug) no hotfixes and no more major patches on the horizon, maybe for 10 euros that's all it's worth in my oppinion, sad only after 10 months of release.… Expand
  53. randallp
    Jan 18, 2010
    7
    love this game. but ive had nothing but bad luck with steam. nothing works as it says after a purchase at steam store. support never accepts my support login or passwords. i am very disappointed with steam.
  54. ?
    Jan 5, 2010
    7
    I give 7 why? I think, that Medieval: Total War is better. There is more option in quick battle. Graphics is good, but it can be better and threre are to more errors.
  55. MJ
    Jan 5, 2010
    7
    Al in all a good game, unlike most people i had no problems at release. The land battles are fun as always in the Total War series, but the great campaign is so boring and the ai too easy. For a decent campaing i suggest Rome: Total War or the very unappreciated Imperial Glory, which had many features of Empire years before.
  56. RL
    Jan 4, 2010
    5
    Game with much potential, but not realised - even after 10 months of extra development. CA/Sega have a poor attitude towards this title, and it is treated as if it were a beta to the forthcoming Napoleon:Total War.
  57. BillD
    Jan 2, 2010
    5
    Should have saved my coin of the realm! Been wargaming since 1975, on the computer since 1982 - so many glitches and poor concepts (solo internet game play a must?!) I will continue to be happy with my dos based SSI titles!
  58. DiegoE
    Dec 30, 2009
    7
    Entertaining, but far from historically accurate.
  59. CooperM
    Dec 14, 2009
    6
    Fan since Rome:TW, loved M2:TW and this is just a disgrace. Creative Assembly was my favorite developer but this may have ruined my faith in them. Far too many glitches to count, bought it the day it came out and I have purcheased all of the expansions and gotten all the updates and still crashes on my brand new gaming computer. The support for this game is terrible, period!
  60. GKiloh
    Dec 12, 2009
    5
    My vote would have been higher save for the fact that lockups are so routine
  61. RobC
    Dec 1, 2009
    5
    When it was released it crashed constantly, now that it's fixed it's actually quite a bland game.
  62. DavidS
    Nov 30, 2009
    5
    im not going to nag like all you kids about oh its soo buggy, its a complete failure, its a waste of money, blah blah blah! its got bugs. its so infested with them, the terminator wouldnt even bother with this game. but guess what? you think it will ever be 100% fixed? NO! why?, b/c the money has been made and newer, better games are coming out. If I owned a labeled software company and im not going to nag like all you kids about oh its soo buggy, its a complete failure, its a waste of money, blah blah blah! its got bugs. its so infested with them, the terminator wouldnt even bother with this game. but guess what? you think it will ever be 100% fixed? NO! why?, b/c the money has been made and newer, better games are coming out. If I owned a labeled software company and made my money back off a title that was a flop,I wouldnt fix it entirely either. why sink so much more into a flop, when i can take that money and make a winner. jeez, bunch of toddlers whining. As for my 2 cents, overall this game isnt that bad. but it sure beats East Trading Company by a mile, but 1701 has more to offer than this game does, shame too. I dont dare going online with this game and all its bugs. but i do agree with Ezra Y, it takes alot to make these type games and does deserve more than a 0, but this particular one deserves no more than a 8, so i split the difference +1.… Expand
  63. [ANONYMOUS]
    Nov 24, 2009
    7
    I ahve had no problem with game crashes and the game has excellent variety. The siege battles are awful though and pathing issues make the calvary almost useless. This game definitely feels like it was rushed through the later stages of development. Most countries have the exact same units and stats so the only difference is map position.
  64. ValhunK
    Oct 27, 2009
    5
    A let down after all the previous superb total war games, fortresses usually don't work as they should, the army nearby does not always seem to want to men the guns, in land battles the enemy seems to prefer charging you all too often, so there's not as much tactics to use as in the previous games as its all just a blitzkrieging of regiments... plus no time to watch the carnage A let down after all the previous superb total war games, fortresses usually don't work as they should, the army nearby does not always seem to want to men the guns, in land battles the enemy seems to prefer charging you all too often, so there's not as much tactics to use as in the previous games as its all just a blitzkrieging of regiments... plus no time to watch the carnage up close, as it is all over in seconds... I thought the armies of the day squared off and shot each other to pieces... but the game is more like a WW1 dash from the trenches by the infantry... of yeah and trying to get your horses to move in formation and gather before a charge, good luck, most get lost at fences or walls... and there are always plenty of those around even in the bloody deserts... compared to the medieval 2 game, the land battles are only half as fun... and last about 10% of the time... also I hate the fact that you do not see your units improve with tech development, I mean, if I develop new bayonets, I would expect my melee attack to increase, but no, nothing, also if my unit gains experience, I would excpect them to be better shots, or something, but there is no improvement in the campaign... a level 3 experienced unit is still just as good/crap as a greenhorn, rokie, just picked up my first musket unit... the cities are harder to manage, or more to the point, its hard to see a specific return on an improvements, oh and the same goes for tech upgrades, it says "+4 to regional wealth growth", but in your region, there is no change seen... oh yeah, and if the people are rebelling, you can't massacre them any more... not quite in line with history I'm affraid, I guess this is a more diplomatic version of the game and it ignores the wonderfull powers for example of the russian tsars to slay 1/2 of the populus and be considered a hero... nope, here the people are just pissed and continue to piss you off with strikes and such... I really hate that, as I am a tipical lover of the "civilization builder type games" where you grow your faction into a wealthy and powerfull one that eventually conquers the world... or so it went in Medieval 2... no such luck here... furthermore, diplomacy and the AI are bull shit... first of all the harder the level the less likely you are to set up a trade with someone, ok I guess because the AI faction is not into money right, also try to exchange technology? you can offer the AI 6 technologies for his shitty one, but does he accept it, noooo... there is no cost/benefit review, it's just, the AI at hard will refuse all, fullstop... I guess the harder the game, the less realistic it becomes... also in harder mode, all neighbours attack you, but in no organised fashion, and one at a time... I mean, yould you go and attact your neighbour that is 5 times more powerfull than you, only to be utterly destroyed, and after you kill the blighter, what happens, an even smaller neighbour declares war... the game is more about chasing small guerilla units and killing off the AI factions one by one, than any real large conflicts... even if you pump money and technology into your AI friend, he'll still attack you when you're at your strongest and he's at his weakest... basically the AI is crappier than in previous games for my taste...all in all I think the game was released waaay too soon, many bugs should have been solved before hand... but I gues the guys were more interested in earning a profit from sales, paying off the magazines to get good reviews and screwing the public out of their money... I guess these days no one's into putting out a good product... It just doesn't feel like a total war game and there is no way in hell I'm ever buying another one from the serries, I guess the totalwar team peaked out in Medieval 2, which I still prefer to play compared to Empires... instead of buying I suggest downloading the game from torrent, and finding better use for your money... Empires is not worth paying for...… Expand
  65. alk
    Oct 24, 2009
    6
    A fan since Shogun: TW, I have been following the series since the beginning. But this latest entry was overhyped and was clearly rushed out the door before they finished it (e.g. naval invasions left out on release? Are you kidding me?!). Buggy as hell, even many months after release. Also all factions except for England and France had clearly been left unfinished in terms of unique A fan since Shogun: TW, I have been following the series since the beginning. But this latest entry was overhyped and was clearly rushed out the door before they finished it (e.g. naval invasions left out on release? Are you kidding me?!). Buggy as hell, even many months after release. Also all factions except for England and France had clearly been left unfinished in terms of unique units; note how they have finally released some downloadable units to make up for the poor roster when it first came out: clearly released in an unfinished state. A big minus is that this series is notoriously demanding on the CPU, much more than any modern FPS for example. And yet CA still has not enabled dual-core optimisation! We've seen games use two cores for years now, some even are utilizing quad core tech. Most of these games don't even require that much power, unlike Empire: TW.… Expand
  66. AlexL
    Oct 17, 2009
    5
    Quality of the game is very poor. A year after release and multiple patches later, I still haven't been able to completely finish a Grand Campaign. Games crash with no error messages, saves cannot be loaded, games in progress cannot be saved, white screen of death, you name it. Very frustrating.
  67. StevenR
    Oct 16, 2009
    5
    All the way back to Shogun again. This could have been the chance to step up to the next level, but the game has been released too early and just leaves the player open mouthed and screaming WHY? at the terrible AI, especially in the campaign mode.
  68. SungaL
    Oct 14, 2009
    6
    GAme has a huge problem: IT IS POLITICALLY CORRECT !! two big flaws: NO slaves merchants (and thus slavery system), and NO ethnic minorities, like the Jewish (so important they provided most of the loaned money to governments open their imperial companies and establish central banks). Could say also theres a lack of River Plate and South America realismus, but then you would say Im a bit GAme has a huge problem: IT IS POLITICALLY CORRECT !! two big flaws: NO slaves merchants (and thus slavery system), and NO ethnic minorities, like the Jewish (so important they provided most of the loaned money to governments open their imperial companies and establish central banks). Could say also theres a lack of River Plate and South America realismus, but then you would say Im a bit regionalist.… Expand
  69. AndyW
    Oct 9, 2009
    5
    The game looks fantastic, the campaign map plays out pretty good but the battle ai is absolutely atrocious. It is so bad that i have shelved this game indefinitely. The game is abosolutely no challenge what so ever due the ai reforming its regiments. These soldiers, reform in front of your battle line whilst getting shot to pieces letting you easily win. Not only that reform towards your The game looks fantastic, the campaign map plays out pretty good but the battle ai is absolutely atrocious. It is so bad that i have shelved this game indefinitely. The game is abosolutely no challenge what so ever due the ai reforming its regiments. These soldiers, reform in front of your battle line whilst getting shot to pieces letting you easily win. Not only that reform towards your line so they end up in melee and rout soon after. I would give it a 8 or 9 if the bai was working, unfortunately the game is ruined by this and giving it a good rating just because it has good graphic or good campaign ai is not enough. Total war needs to be the whole package and empire is not that. I think if they do not fix the bai issues, they will be disillusioning half the community and Napoleon sales will plummet.. Also this is the first total war game i have been majorly disappointed with period.… Expand
  70. KurtC
    Oct 8, 2009
    7
    Bought this off STEAM, and it's really not worth 50 bucks. They should have priced it for half of what it was worth, because the game itself was incomplete or obsolete. You see, there are so many bugs with the whole game like the AI and the crashes... For example, after I beat the the U.S. Campaign, I started on the Grand Campaign. I picked Great Britain (would've picked the Bought this off STEAM, and it's really not worth 50 bucks. They should have priced it for half of what it was worth, because the game itself was incomplete or obsolete. You see, there are so many bugs with the whole game like the AI and the crashes... For example, after I beat the the U.S. Campaign, I started on the Grand Campaign. I picked Great Britain (would've picked the U.S. but I was disappointed that CA put it in) and I was working my way to conquering the whole world. But one day, on a fateful night, I loaded my game, and did what I always do, and ended my turn. Then, it showed one of my allies sailing to an island, all of a sudden, my game crashed! I launched the game again, and did the same thing, crashed once again. I tried about 20 times but it kept crashing, and finally I reset my computer, hoping that it would fix something but it didn't. So I just stopped playing the game for 2 weeks. I just quit... So one day I decided to get back to it, I launched the game and once I get to the SEGA logo it glitches and keeps repeating "Seeeega, Seega, Seggaaa." Over and over again. So, I re-installed my game, and waited for 2 gruesome hours. I then restarted my computer, and launched the game, and guess what? The problem still existed. I decided to go to the forums, and I looked for a solution that someone might have posted. This person posted a list of instructions to fix the problem similar to mine. So I followed it, I know it could be a trick, but others were saying it work. Desperate, I followed the instructions, and you know what? My game started to work again! I know if all you hardcore gamers picked up this RTS game, you'll hate it and some of you will love it. All I am saying is, never buy a game once it's released... You should read reviews and personal critics from gamers or maybe try the game yourself.… Expand
  71. HeinerG.
    Oct 6, 2009
    5
    Very nice Game but although Patch 1.5 is released, the Game still crahes to Desktop nearly every turn, in Battles or on Campaign Map. This is very frustrating and sometimes i think its waste of time to play the great Campaign, because its nearly unplayable in the last 40 Turns because of CTD! Too bad.
  72. BenW
    Sep 21, 2009
    5
    Uses the same mechanics to control your soldiers as in earlier games , which isnt really any good as in the last games everyone either had a sword , or a bow and arrow and shot over there mates heads , now 60 of your own men unchecked can shoot your entire army in the back. I know you can toggle auto fire off , but in real life , even if i was told to fire at will , id probably not shoot Uses the same mechanics to control your soldiers as in earlier games , which isnt really any good as in the last games everyone either had a sword , or a bow and arrow and shot over there mates heads , now 60 of your own men unchecked can shoot your entire army in the back. I know you can toggle auto fire off , but in real life , even if i was told to fire at will , id probably not shoot every single person in my battalion. Also the game crashes about every 3rd battle. No cheats also sucks , I know people think you shouldnt cheat , but tbh my PC has never complained about me using give_money command in single player in any of the other total war games. Cant see why they thought it needed removing in this installment. I used to enjoy sending 20 cannons into a battle unaided by infantary or cavalry and watch them blow up a few people and then all get wiped out , Not exactly historically acurate, but if i want historical acurracy i wouldnt play computer games to teach me anyway. If they had made the game the same as the old total war games with the gfx and time period this game would of rocked , seems rushed and not ready for the napoleon addon pack they are releasing for it early next year. It has also had 4 patchs since release which dont actually seem to solve the main problems in the game but do address some issues. If you love the old total war games this is worth a look, but id wait until you can find it in the bargin bin rather than dishing out 30 rips for it.… Expand
  73. MarkR
    Sep 19, 2009
    5
    This game does not deserve the stellar critic reviews, and it is obvious that most of the industry reviewers must have overlooked much in order to rate this game so highly. The game clearly remains broken in spite of patches. I have resolved to try and get some value out of my purchase by playing through the Road to Independence and Grand Campaign before uninstalling and moving on. In the This game does not deserve the stellar critic reviews, and it is obvious that most of the industry reviewers must have overlooked much in order to rate this game so highly. The game clearly remains broken in spite of patches. I have resolved to try and get some value out of my purchase by playing through the Road to Independence and Grand Campaign before uninstalling and moving on. In the course of 4 hours of game play this morning, I had 5 crash to desktop, 4 in the midst of battles, and encountered AI glitches twice that forced me to either concede a battle that I was winning or reload a save game and fight the battle again. The game does not run consistently well, and often freezes momentarily or slows down for extended periods. This game looks nice, the details and the intended elements of game play are good, but it is just plain broken. It has been at best a mediocre gaming experience for me and a huge disappointment given the high expectations for this game. IMHO it is not the 9+ that reviewers are giving it. I might be able to finish it, but I would rather have not purchased it.… Expand
  74. WillC
    Sep 10, 2009
    5
    I must say I was excited to see that some one had finely made a 18th Century R.T.S. that was worth playing. Well that was what I was thinking until I installed this and began to play. Not 15 minutes into playing grand campaign mode this video game failed to perform and resulted in a crash. After attempting to re-install this program I found that these problems continued and at times got I must say I was excited to see that some one had finely made a 18th Century R.T.S. that was worth playing. Well that was what I was thinking until I installed this and began to play. Not 15 minutes into playing grand campaign mode this video game failed to perform and resulted in a crash. After attempting to re-install this program I found that these problems continued and at times got worse. Being a former tester in the video game industry I tend to think that I expect more from titles then most. But the constant software failures, Clipping issues, and lagging animation leads me to believe that this game was a rushed product that was not tested properly, and no it isn't my computer this computer is loaded with the best hardware and software on the market and runs all previous games with out issues. I understand this is a resent release and like all new games will have its issues but this game is by far the most broken game I have yet to encountered next to Dream Catchers Super Power 2. I firmly recommend this game be fixed soon or I will insure you that I will never buy another Sega product again. I'm giving this game a 5 due to it excellent concept but poor performance.… Expand
  75. RickW
    Sep 5, 2009
    5
    This game is borken, plain and simple. The AI for both the campaign and battle map is worse than the previous installments in the series. With every patch the inherent problems with the games become more and more evident. The AI will never use diplomacy, will refuse most negotations for no reason, and will never declare peace on other AI, meaning that every nation is a war with everyone This game is borken, plain and simple. The AI for both the campaign and battle map is worse than the previous installments in the series. With every patch the inherent problems with the games become more and more evident. The AI will never use diplomacy, will refuse most negotations for no reason, and will never declare peace on other AI, meaning that every nation is a war with everyone else for the entire game. On the battle map, the AI is incredibly inept and can do nothing but charge you head on with bayonets after running bakc and forth before your firing lines. Pathfinding is hopeless and random glithces will crash your game about every hour or so. The multiplayer for this game has some promise, but it is unfinished. Balance and unit diversity form the latest patches make the gamplay intersting and exciting with every game. However there are only about 10 maps with totally unfair starting positions. There are also only three scenarios. Because of this replayibility on multiplayer is limited which is a shame becasue it's the only part of the game that works. This game looks imprssive and the reviewers paraded it about, but it is nothing more than an empty shell of a really good idea. Stay away from this game unless you are a diehard fan of the CA series multiplayer.… Expand
  76. WilliamB
    Sep 3, 2009
    5
    Graphics are nice if you have a good enough video card! The minimum system requirements are far too low. to play it on those requirements would make the game nearly un-playable. Sea battles are a nice feature. Campaign map is boring and confusing. VERY BUGGY! Not finished.
  77. Leatherneck918
    Sep 1, 2009
    5
    This game is still broken at 1.3 patch. Im giving CA one more chance at fixing this BETA of a game with patch 1.4 that is suppost to come out in Late September. If the game is still not up to specs as Avertised, I will be giving up on this game and wait for the modders to fix it.
  78. joe
    Aug 31, 2009
    6
    i love all the total war series... i've played them all... but the whole steam thing??? i've been loading this crap all day just to play my game... i mean usually the total war series just gets better and better but steam is a bad idea.... but still.... i cant wait to play it
  79. PaulB
    Aug 27, 2009
    6
    Playable and fun, but essentialy a beta version. Some of the standard features of other TW games are ommitted, leaving me feel a little cheated. Luckily the modders are improving this game all the time and patches are available, with more promised.
  80. SimonL.
    Aug 24, 2009
    5
    This game is way too buggy, it continually crashes and suffers graphics glitches all the time. The game play is excellent and if it actually worked it would be magnificent but it was obviously rushed out without enough testing. The patches have not fixed its problems.
  81. AlexT
    Aug 17, 2009
    5
    The gameplay is good; a very addicting game until you have a sprawling empire then your game crashses. I believe this is not a problem of computing power as Greg C stated. but rather I think that it is that the computer is too powerful and the problem is 64-bit Vista, which is required if you have a new computer with more than 4GB of RAM. Also I think that in trying to take full advantage The gameplay is good; a very addicting game until you have a sprawling empire then your game crashses. I believe this is not a problem of computing power as Greg C stated. but rather I think that it is that the computer is too powerful and the problem is 64-bit Vista, which is required if you have a new computer with more than 4GB of RAM. Also I think that in trying to take full advantage of the computer's RAM the game intrudes on reserved system RAM and Vista's data execution protection is kicking in.… Expand
  82. BobH
    Aug 5, 2009
    6
    AMAZING!!!!! perfect game i'm so lucky it works on my computer.although 2 things 1.Stream WTF it is just loads of crud I HATE STREAM!!!!2.AI is so stupid i mean it never attacks u:(! and it just sits there and gets killed!!!!Its a great game though very historical and a nice map oh, and about the map the AI is like broken or something cause it just sits there and dose nothing!!! I AMAZING!!!!! perfect game i'm so lucky it works on my computer.although 2 things 1.Stream WTF it is just loads of crud I HATE STREAM!!!!2.AI is so stupid i mean it never attacks u:(! and it just sits there and gets killed!!!!Its a great game though very historical and a nice map oh, and about the map the AI is like broken or something cause it just sits there and dose nothing!!! I would also like to play as nations such as idians pirates ext. i rate this game a 6.… Expand
  83. TuroOraste
    Jul 30, 2009
    5
    Multiplayer features on this game are simply shadows from the TotalWar2. Its also build on steam so you cannot resell the game if your not happy about it. Total War2 was alot better with its features and musics. This one had grafical updates but all armies have the same units.

    Shortly: Empire Total war is 15 gt of laggy crap.
  84. JacobC.
    Jul 28, 2009
    6
    It came from a great legacy but it fails to meet its mark in this new version. What I'm most upset about is the thing called STEAM. Its slow, crashy, and overall just plain stupid. It has no point in being here. I played Dawn Of War 2 on STEAM and it installed the game in 10mins or less. This game took over 5hrs to download. It really made me angry. So in conclusion: Game = Alright It came from a great legacy but it fails to meet its mark in this new version. What I'm most upset about is the thing called STEAM. Its slow, crashy, and overall just plain stupid. It has no point in being here. I played Dawn Of War 2 on STEAM and it installed the game in 10mins or less. This game took over 5hrs to download. It really made me angry. So in conclusion: Game = Alright but a little boring, STEAM = F*#$ You Dude!… Expand
  85. ab
    Jul 19, 2009
    6
    Very good campaign and graphics. very enjoyable other than every 5 or so mutes your computer crashes, then it takes 30 minutes to load and crashes again.
  86. MattL
    Jul 17, 2009
    5
    Well, what can I say? You saw the reviews. When you play ETW, the game's an all-out 10. Kicks every kind of strategy ass you can think of. But, the game right now is nigh unplayable, and when you can't play a game, why give it a rating at all? So I'm taking the middle ground, ETW in another six months will doubtless be the 10/10 it deserves, but SEGA's rush release has Well, what can I say? You saw the reviews. When you play ETW, the game's an all-out 10. Kicks every kind of strategy ass you can think of. But, the game right now is nigh unplayable, and when you can't play a game, why give it a rating at all? So I'm taking the middle ground, ETW in another six months will doubtless be the 10/10 it deserves, but SEGA's rush release has made the thing full of holes. I'm taking the middle ground between both and giving the game a 5/10. Pick it up when it's cheaper and without a doubt more playable than the one that costs sixty bucks now.… Expand
  87. stevew.
    Jul 11, 2009
    5
    Overall i was disappointed, i really enjoyed rome but this for me is too big, too difficult and on the whole i can't face the game, there is no scope to build up an empire in my eyes. i would rather play civilization now which for me is more fluid. In terms of factual accuracy they have done a good job in this game, but it does not feel like a game... not enjoyable... i had high Overall i was disappointed, i really enjoyed rome but this for me is too big, too difficult and on the whole i can't face the game, there is no scope to build up an empire in my eyes. i would rather play civilization now which for me is more fluid. In terms of factual accuracy they have done a good job in this game, but it does not feel like a game... not enjoyable... i had high expectations of this game, but i am let down.… Expand
  88. KenN
    Jul 7, 2009
    6
    Too buggy to get max score. All games need updates to iron out minor bugs and correct balance; this game needed major rework under the hood to get it right. Did they test it at all or did they release a half-finished game because their eyes were full of dollar signs?
  89. Jason
    Jul 5, 2009
    5
    Game released without advertised features. buggy beyond any acceptable standard and latest patch made game unplayable. high professional review scores shed light on problems inherent to the industry at large.
  90. pietjej
    Jun 30, 2009
    6
    Great game. Too bad it was released in a very buggy and unfinished condition. Hopefully they give something back for free for all the trouble their fans went through although I doubt that. Today you have to pay to be a beta tester it seems. I remember I got a t-shirt for beta testing settlers 3.
  91. NickL
    Jun 25, 2009
    6
    Got the newest patch, and still sadly disappointed. I have not bothered to play this much, and will not probably for months when the game gets up to a decent standard. The first battle I got in after the 1.3 patch I won easy, because my AI opponent killed its own general and about 30-40 other guys with its own cannon fire. Still I had a shot at losing since only one of my units wanted to Got the newest patch, and still sadly disappointed. I have not bothered to play this much, and will not probably for months when the game gets up to a decent standard. The first battle I got in after the 1.3 patch I won easy, because my AI opponent killed its own general and about 30-40 other guys with its own cannon fire. Still I had a shot at losing since only one of my units wanted to man the cannon on the fort walls. Also, my single reinforcement unit decided that once it went in melee mode it no longer had firearms and froze after I tried to switch melee mode off. Some "bugs" are just funny though. Like why are my elephants climbing over wooden fences? Wouldn't an animal that ways a few tons be a little much for a flimsy wooden fence to support? Or, hey all the other units in the AI's army are fleeing other then the cannoneers. What are they doing? Charging the fort, without their cannons. Anyone who gave this game an 8 or above needs to go out and buy a couple of good video games.… Expand
  92. MaximeL
    Jun 24, 2009
    5
    I have all the titles of the total war series and have never been disappointed until this one came out. It didn't have any bug at first but the new patches seemed to add problems on my game. the campaign is so easy you don't need to do anything even when you manage all and play the hardest. Most of the faction units are so much alike that the battles get boring fast. It takes so I have all the titles of the total war series and have never been disappointed until this one came out. It didn't have any bug at first but the new patches seemed to add problems on my game. the campaign is so easy you don't need to do anything even when you manage all and play the hardest. Most of the faction units are so much alike that the battles get boring fast. It takes so long to finally get a unique unit that it's not worth teching for it since you'll then waste your economy... even if you get them, they're not that much of a boost on the battlefield. it lacks the feel of all the previous titles (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
  93. HenryB
    Jun 21, 2009
    5
    In short, this game just isn't ready for prime time. I've tried playing this game for over a week now, and it is just infuriating how many show-stopper bugs crop up. This isn't just about crashes to desktop (I've actually not experienced any). My problems have all been around the campaign running along for several hours, only to encounter a bug that wipes out all of In short, this game just isn't ready for prime time. I've tried playing this game for over a week now, and it is just infuriating how many show-stopper bugs crop up. This isn't just about crashes to desktop (I've actually not experienced any). My problems have all been around the campaign running along for several hours, only to encounter a bug that wipes out all of your work. - Ships trying to blockade your port end up on land, so you cannot attack them and break the siege. (Your economy is now ruined, and you must start over). - Your key artillery pieces are enormously stupid. I can understand if they accidentally shoot other units. But if targets move sufficiently off to the side, the cannons will line up in a single file and shoot through each other. That is silly. And can turn a key battle from sure victory to a close defeat. - Units on the campaign map will just disappear when moving between fleets and land, making rush reinforcements of areas risky. - The AI in battles and campaign is just horrible. - The trade Routes system (IMHO) is botched in its design. When you create a trade route from (say) the east indies to Europe, it goes through 4 or 5 different maps. In any one of these maps, a pirate can attack the route and severely disrupt your income. The interface doesn't allow any practices that were used to avoid this problem in reality- convoys, seasonal shipping, etc. - Agents just don't work well. You can't make them and they just die randomly (either through assassination or old age) leaving you without a key person. I love the Total War series. However, this game shows so many gameplay bugs (again, not just crashes to desktop) that you will find yourself absolutely infuriated when you must abandon a campaign after hours of work. There is no excuse for such horrible quality. I am actually shocked how favorably all the Critics reviewed this game. No other game in my memory has gotten such rave reviews by the critics only to be panned by the public due to bugs. How did CA manage this? Were the reviewers not reading closely? I've seen a lot of criticism of negative reviewers on this board and elsewhere. People say things like "its just a minority of users with problems complaining. The vast majority of people have no problems." This just isn't true. Right now, the user reviews of MetaCritic put this game at 6.8. And CA's forums are near revolt. Empire isn't the worst game ever- indeed its promise is what annoys me so much. But it has to be one of the biggest DISAPPOINTMENTS in my long (20+ yrs) gaming career.… Expand
  94. berty
    Jun 18, 2009
    6
    So i haven't got the best PC in the world 3GBram 3GBpro, downloaded the updates and still crashers ! changed the graphics still crashers ! great game but cant handle the crashing all the time its SO annoying. If ya get pissed off really quick DO not buy this game.
  95. SerraS
    Jun 18, 2009
    7
    Totally agree with the above. The game is beautiful but older computers will have LESS problems....SLI is not supported by this game, so any modern powerful rigs will have to disable SLI or go back to old nvidia drivers. The strategy part of the game has moved on leaps and bounds and is much better on nearly every level. However..the battle maps, gorgeous they might be, are home to pretty Totally agree with the above. The game is beautiful but older computers will have LESS problems....SLI is not supported by this game, so any modern powerful rigs will have to disable SLI or go back to old nvidia drivers. The strategy part of the game has moved on leaps and bounds and is much better on nearly every level. However..the battle maps, gorgeous they might be, are home to pretty boring battles. Cavalary are the most interesting units now as they at least FIGHT one another. blokes stood shooting at one another just doesnt cut it. Compare this with the joy of unleashing a plethora of arrows at the enemy from a hill and hearing that satisfying noise as they dig in.........Medieval Total War is a much better play....and still looks nearly as good. Empire Total War ? Naa....This is Empire War....nothing total about it.… Expand
  96. MichaelBraly
    Jun 18, 2009
    5
    Initially enjoyed the game as a step forward as I figured out the system and it's differences from Medieval 2: Total War. Then I realized that there's no reasonable AI to speak of at the strategic level. Combined with somewhat obtuse documentation and a development team which seems focused on providing shinies instead of gameplay improvement (in fact, strategic gameplay almostInitially enjoyed the game as a step forward as I figured out the system and it's differences from Medieval 2: Total War. Then I realized that there's no reasonable AI to speak of at the strategic level. Combined with somewhat obtuse documentation and a development team which seems focused on providing shinies instead of gameplay improvement (in fact, strategic gameplay almost feels like a step back from previous titles), I'm comfortable placing this at 5. Great for the graphics and the boom of guns, but horrible if you're looking for an interesting and engaging game that will suck all of your time.… Expand
  97. MarcusG
    Jun 16, 2009
    5
    I love the disclaimer and will have to visit again just to see what happens to my comment, "Coments will be reviewed and may be edited prior to postin.: With the exception of vulgarity, why would a comment need editing? Does that not undermine the basic credibility as well as point of user comments? LOL. Perhaps someone should have edited all the poor grammar and mispellings. At any rate, I love the disclaimer and will have to visit again just to see what happens to my comment, "Coments will be reviewed and may be edited prior to postin.: With the exception of vulgarity, why would a comment need editing? Does that not undermine the basic credibility as well as point of user comments? LOL. Perhaps someone should have edited all the poor grammar and mispellings. At any rate, I have played Creative Assembly games from Shogun to the present Empire. I have enjoyed Shogun more than any other title, however, I do have a penchant for Samurai. Until an update on June 16, 2009, my Empire wokred well. Alas, now it crashes whenever I attempt to initiate a game from the main/in -game menu. No this game is not perfect and having to use Steam is...not ideal. This is the way of the world and ALL developers should consider how customers can be alienated away from their franchise by this practice. We are paying and may not wish to use steam, gamespy, Xfire... Afterall, only the developers are benefiting from this practice and at 50 bucks for this title... Enough said. When Empire works, it is a BLAST. Sometimes it is a bit slow...the campaign map movement takes time and SHOULD take time as armies march across the land. As for the naval battles, well...I do enjoy them despite seeing certain shortcomings. These shortcomings certainly reflext the communication barriers of that time. Deal with that as there were no iPhones/Sidekicks/Rants onboard naval ships of that time, so I think the challenge of naval battles lends a great amount of realism. I won't post my system specs here as they far exceed what is recommended minimum, though not a Core i7 system. I won't be upgrading to that for awhile and it is unfortunate developers would design for such high end systems while also not disclosing that little fact on the product packaging. At any rate, like US, this game is not perfect, but fun and has some interesting features. I cannot rate it as high as I would like and if this entire review was read, it should be apparent why. Is it worth $50? Not in my opinion, however it is a worthwhile addition to the library. I just hope the patches and improvements continue and allow this game to do more than gather dust in my library.… Expand
  98. Joeyf
    Jun 12, 2009
    5
    I'm so dissipointed in this game. it's a lot of fun to play except for the bugs. There is a random audio bug that cuts short whatever the advisers tell you and sometimes shuts off the audio altogether. Even worse though is a bug that stops the game from giving you more objectives after chapte 2 of the Road to Independance campaign unless you do everything in a super specific I'm so dissipointed in this game. it's a lot of fun to play except for the bugs. There is a random audio bug that cuts short whatever the advisers tell you and sometimes shuts off the audio altogether. Even worse though is a bug that stops the game from giving you more objectives after chapte 2 of the Road to Independance campaign unless you do everything in a super specific order. if that was the only big bug i would go back and play through that chapter a 3rd time following the steps in the online forums but it sounds like that kind of radom crap happens a lot in this game. i don't have enough game time to start playing stuff that crashes out like that. i'm chucking this peice of junk. Shame on you SEGA!!!… Expand
  99. JamesG
    Jun 10, 2009
    5
    Im a huge total war fan, but i feel let down by this rushed and incomplete game. It has so many bugs, and the AI is even worse that before, even after a patch. I think after a few more months of work this game will be upto the standards of the other total wars, but for now this game just gets a 5 from me. I feel sega may have got CA to rush the game for release, it so needed a few more months.
  100. RichardB
    Jun 9, 2009
    6
    Crash, play for 20 mins, crash, play for 20 mins and then another crash. Another game that was rushed out the door before it was ready. Would really love to play a game that was stable on release, any game! Apart from all that the game is great - well you can imagine it being great when they getting it stable!
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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

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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.
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  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.
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