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. AndyA
    Sep 6, 2009
    10
    Brilliant game-it has some glitches, the patch helps, (and I am sure more patches to come), but given the flaws it still gets a 10 for pure brilliance! If all games reached this level I would have little social life! An expansion into the 18th century and the Napolionic wars would be great1.
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. FatMan
    Sep 2, 2009
    10
    I don't know what is wrong with u ppl's computers, seriously. Steam works perfectly fine, and for Half Life 2 as well. The GAME IS NOT SLOW, just u ppl's cmops suck. A battle for me loads in 13 or less seconds, even te big ones, sure the custom battles are shit, but great campaign makes up for it! Even thouhg u can play as only 12 Nations is still enjoy it, adn the part I don't know what is wrong with u ppl's computers, seriously. Steam works perfectly fine, and for Half Life 2 as well. The GAME IS NOT SLOW, just u ppl's cmops suck. A battle for me loads in 13 or less seconds, even te big ones, sure the custom battles are shit, but great campaign makes up for it! Even thouhg u can play as only 12 Nations is still enjoy it, adn the part about crappy AI is only partly true. The AI IS AGRESSIVE and i have seen seaborne invasions happen, like a french capture of Ceylon. In around 50 turns the map looks so diffrent, Prussia has slaughtered everyone around it, Sweden is kicking Scandinavian ass, Spain has the Iberian and other areas, and the Maratha have all of India, those are just some examples. Crashes happen only around every 40 turns for me, and never during battles, so u ppl clearly have a CRAP COMP. Overall, aside from some very minor bugs, everything else is fine with the game.… Expand
  5. 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.
  6. ZEEH
    Sep 1, 2009
    0
    After testing out this title we come to the conclusion and sadly must say it is without a doubt the most interesting yet failure of the total war series. It falls short on numerous ways. The most obvious one is the AI; something that failed during the transition to QC. Coding is simply amiss. The poor execution and performance on several systems indicate this; glitches abound, twitches After testing out this title we come to the conclusion and sadly must say it is without a doubt the most interesting yet failure of the total war series. It falls short on numerous ways. The most obvious one is the AI; something that failed during the transition to QC. Coding is simply amiss. The poor execution and performance on several systems indicate this; glitches abound, twitches frequently. Orders are delayed while others are ignored. Steam may be a convenience for SEGA's pockets, but surely not for the customers. After testing out the patches that were supposedly to fix the numerous problems, we found even more of them. Quite simply an unfinished and rushed product to the consumer served cold. A game that "will" eventually be fixed and playable for everyone if supported until then. Good luck with that.… Expand
  7. 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
  8. MickeyS
    Aug 31, 2009
    10
    One of the best games I've played in years, and I game a few hours a day. It combines RTS with turn based strategy like I have never seen before. From full control over sea and land battles that are awesome, to meticulous turn based tech and structure building. Diplomacy, religion, trading, etc... Best RTS/Turn Based I've played yet. Voting down for crashes seems silly to me. One of the best games I've played in years, and I game a few hours a day. It combines RTS with turn based strategy like I have never seen before. From full control over sea and land battles that are awesome, to meticulous turn based tech and structure building. Diplomacy, religion, trading, etc... Best RTS/Turn Based I've played yet. Voting down for crashes seems silly to me. Could be your machine, etc... should vote on game play, not vague computer issues. It hasn't crashed on me once (three months of playing so far).… Expand
  9. Highelf
    Aug 30, 2009
    8
    The game itself is great. For the first time the Dutch play their part, and the ships aswell. A few negative points of the game are the following: first of all, Steam. The idea of Steam is great, but it should not be a prior for a game to play... Next, I miss the movies when rakes do their jobs. Luckily, the gentlemen do have the movies when they are duelling. Unfortunately, they are not The game itself is great. For the first time the Dutch play their part, and the ships aswell. A few negative points of the game are the following: first of all, Steam. The idea of Steam is great, but it should not be a prior for a game to play... Next, I miss the movies when rakes do their jobs. Luckily, the gentlemen do have the movies when they are duelling. Unfortunately, they are not able to duel with their eastern counterparts, the scholars...After all, an 8.… Expand
  10. AnonymousMC
    Aug 30, 2009
    1
    Yeah just another Total War waste of time. Every Total War Game except Shogun has crashed on me, leaving me with no possibility of moving further on in my campaign. Here I have invested who knows how many hours on my campaign and the game refuses to let me attack anyone or anything without crashing. 159 Turns in the game and now it decides to totally shut down. Total War is a Total WasteYeah just another Total War waste of time. Every Total War Game except Shogun has crashed on me, leaving me with no possibility of moving further on in my campaign. Here I have invested who knows how many hours on my campaign and the game refuses to let me attack anyone or anything without crashing. 159 Turns in the game and now it decides to totally shut down. Total War is a Total Waste as usual. I won't hold my breat for Napoleom Total War.… Expand
  11. Kazuma-
    Aug 29, 2009
    9
    First time in the total war series where you can actually fight using boats, it is also very different from previous ones in the fact that it takes a little more stratagy to play and doesn't mean you will win if you have the majority of the troops sad that it likes to crash sometimes (it happens once in a while) and you have to go through steam, glitches don't really happen that First time in the total war series where you can actually fight using boats, it is also very different from previous ones in the fact that it takes a little more stratagy to play and doesn't mean you will win if you have the majority of the troops sad that it likes to crash sometimes (it happens once in a while) and you have to go through steam, glitches don't really happen that much for me, sure they do happen but i've seen far worst so i was okay with that it is defintely a fun game to play though and i'm happy i have it.… Expand
  12. Jeff
    Aug 29, 2009
    3
    Almost the perfect total war game. The size of the map, the naval battles, the new tech tree and the detail are superb. Just watching bayonet duals can be very engrossing. But there is a is a VERY big downside to this game. The fact that you have to load and run STEAM, a 3rd party software is a bit of a nuisance, but even worse is the client stability, or rather lack there of. Even with a Almost the perfect total war game. The size of the map, the naval battles, the new tech tree and the detail are superb. Just watching bayonet duals can be very engrossing. But there is a is a VERY big downside to this game. The fact that you have to load and run STEAM, a 3rd party software is a bit of a nuisance, but even worse is the client stability, or rather lack there of. Even with a computer twice as powerful as the box says is required the game still crashes constantly. In my current campaign I have had to repeat the same year over and over for the last two days because of client crashes. These problems are expected in a beta, but not half a year after release. for this reason alone I am dropping the rating from a 9 to a 3.… Expand
  13. JasonS
    Aug 28, 2009
    2
    If it is not broke, then don't fix it. I have been a fan of Total War since the Shogun days. I eagerly awaited the arrival of each new series, with great anticipation and for the most part receiving great satisfaction with each game. Now the arrival of Empire Total War. My anticipation has been satisfied but I am not satisfied with this game at all. 1. I do not expect to have to If it is not broke, then don't fix it. I have been a fan of Total War since the Shogun days. I eagerly awaited the arrival of each new series, with great anticipation and for the most part receiving great satisfaction with each game. Now the arrival of Empire Total War. My anticipation has been satisfied but I am not satisfied with this game at all. 1. I do not expect to have to purchase an entirely new computer to run a new game 2. I do not expect to have to deal with some on line server to make the game I purchased with two discs in my possession each time I want to play. 3. I do not want a server automatically updating my machine with a game patch without having the ability to inspect all the updates first before installing them on my computer. 4.I do not expect a game that as Medieval Total War II which runs exceptionally well to be destroyed by a new game which does not play well does not load well and does not represent the quality of game that I have come to expect from The Creative Assembly. Finally. In the old Medieval Total War days a group calling themselves the Lordz mad a mod for the old game which was called Napoleonic Total War. This game functions way better than the brand new and improved Empire Total War. To the members of the Creative Assembly. Please forget about meeting deadlines and the bottom line of how much more money you are going to make by delivering a game by the deadline. Give the gamers the kind of game they have come to expect from you in the past. A game that delivers everything and stands for quality in gaming. It is what we expect from you and what your honor and integrity demands.… Expand
  14. JesseS.
    Aug 27, 2009
    3
    This game makes me furious. I've been waiting for a good 4 hours for it to install and it still says it will take another 5 hours. The most retarded thing i have seen out of any computer game !!! Just installing the game is a huge piss off ! I'm already disappointed with it, and I haven't even started playing it yet !
  15. 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.
  16. OliverSlaughter
    Aug 26, 2009
    9
    An amazing new edition to the Total War: Empire Total War improves on the earlier games in the series in nearly everyway. The game is massive in scope as you find yourself taking on massive amounts of strategic diplomacy and fighting. This game is definitely not casual as days need to spent on it to complete the 'Grand Campaign' and some more casual people will go insane with theAn amazing new edition to the Total War: Empire Total War improves on the earlier games in the series in nearly everyway. The game is massive in scope as you find yourself taking on massive amounts of strategic diplomacy and fighting. This game is definitely not casual as days need to spent on it to complete the 'Grand Campaign' and some more casual people will go insane with the micro-management. The game runs on steam, which some don't agree with but I personally find to be great as you do not need a disc and you can link it easily to your friends and find great servers everywhere in the world.… Expand
  17. EdwardV
    Aug 26, 2009
    10
    This game is more than what people just play and get over with this game is telling storys about the men who fought and died.This game can be be played over and over and you still wouldn`t get the same result.This game is the one to stop all other games in the 18th centruy.This is unstopible
  18. mannyg.
    Aug 25, 2009
    9
    The game is great, I would have gaven it a "10" if they put in a little more time and making the game more historic. like music, colors and advents, but all in all for now the game is great and you should buy it .
  19. 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.
  20. MarcioT.
    Aug 23, 2009
    2
    Activating the game just sucks. A bad strategy for such renowed marks as SEGA, Creative Assembly, and the Total War branch. That Steam thing idea is so weird that I never more want to see it again.
  21. joew
    Aug 21, 2009
    9
    This new edition to the total war franchise is the most easy to play and navigate with a 100% epic campaign map with a lot more detail than any of the previous games. The only downside is you need a very high performance computer for it to work but this is no a game fault just annoying.
  22. HB
    Aug 18, 2009
    2
    A real step backwards in gameplay compared to Medieval II. The new features do not compensate for what was lost from the old game. However, most annoying is that you have to play from Internet/Steam especially when messages appear when you want to play "our servers are too busy". Bought the disk and still have to be connected and play (if their servers are not too busy) via Steam. I will A real step backwards in gameplay compared to Medieval II. The new features do not compensate for what was lost from the old game. However, most annoying is that you have to play from Internet/Steam especially when messages appear when you want to play "our servers are too busy". Bought the disk and still have to be connected and play (if their servers are not too busy) via Steam. I will never buy again a game from Sega if it only can be played via a server. Probably the sad end of the Total War series which used to be a delight.… Expand
  23. NeilH.
    Aug 18, 2009
    9
    Buggy when it first came out, but CA have supported and patched this to become the most complex and addictive Total War yet. Still a little more work to do (upcoming 1.4 patch looks as though it will solve most pressing problems), but if you like your strategy deep, Empire will give you many many hours of gaming pleasure. I recommend trying some of the excellent mods out there too.
  24. 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
  25. KarlH
    Aug 16, 2009
    4
    Game is not working like promised from the publishers. Multiplaying community lags very because of limited chatting abilities like public places beyond steams friends and groups. Game is still buggy and not all stable after many month of release. multicore support was even given with a patch... a fact that shows how we are treated: beta testers... anyway this game would have 10 if there Game is not working like promised from the publishers. Multiplaying community lags very because of limited chatting abilities like public places beyond steams friends and groups. Game is still buggy and not all stable after many month of release. multicore support was even given with a patch... a fact that shows how we are treated: beta testers... anyway this game would have 10 if there would be following: chat lobby for making clans satisfied fixing all bugs and introduce steams anti cheat functionalities more flexible games and more maps! theres no 3v3 maps at all like in rome or mtw2 sieges can be only fought 1v1 what a shame! more different and more balanced factions a ranking system that is not just there but fair and working and dont suffer people for game crashes! i dont give a s... on meta score they are all proven untrue. i wont buy a total war game until the community have prooved it being fine.… Expand
  26. SteveC
    Aug 11, 2009
    4
    I would be happy to give this game an 8 or 9 if it wasn't so buggy. I have never had issues like I do with this game. I will say I have been using Steam for quite a while and have been satisfied with it. The problems with this bug filled piece of software belong to Creative Arts and SEGA. Fix this darn game and make it a good edition to a great family of games.
  27. RichH.
    Aug 10, 2009
    2
    I have been a big fan of the Total War Series but this game is a disappointment. Do not waste your money until they fix the bugs. As soon as you build up a large empire and decide to take over the world, the game keeps crashing. It's frustrating as you invested so much time. Also Steam sucks. Why do I have to pay $50.00 and cant own the game! I will never buy a game that is Steam I have been a big fan of the Total War Series but this game is a disappointment. Do not waste your money until they fix the bugs. As soon as you build up a large empire and decide to take over the world, the game keeps crashing. It's frustrating as you invested so much time. Also Steam sucks. Why do I have to pay $50.00 and cant own the game! I will never buy a game that is Steam only again. Doubt I will ever buy a total war game again.… Expand
  28. ValentinoGamboa
    Aug 10, 2009
    10
    Awsome much btter than other total wars but unit graphics well still really cool but its the same way rome tw looks all units same but no problem and campaigh may go fast but makes u fight faster and to all the whiners complaining abought boring als its beacuse ur setting difficulty on easy retard and the graphics are still awsome on laptop come on u stupid dumbass
  29. Dan
    Aug 10, 2009
    9
    Excellent game, a few bugs. Gameplay is amazing, whether managing your cities during the campaign or taking charge of your men during battle. There are a few bugs that need to be fixed soon. There are times when the pathing gets screwed up and your men will end up facing the wrong direction. Sometimes the artillery won't unlimber/limber making it impossible to move it. Besides those Excellent game, a few bugs. Gameplay is amazing, whether managing your cities during the campaign or taking charge of your men during battle. There are a few bugs that need to be fixed soon. There are times when the pathing gets screwed up and your men will end up facing the wrong direction. Sometimes the artillery won't unlimber/limber making it impossible to move it. Besides those 2 gameplay issues there is some trouble with online play on rare occasions. Overall, this game is well worth the purchase, I have played this more than most games that I purchase. On another note, I don't know why people are giving this game a bad review when they are upset about downloading it through steam- that is your choice. It will take time to download and install as it is a very large file.… Expand
  30. DesmondK
    Aug 9, 2009
    9
    The last total war game I played was Rome. It was, and remains to this day, one of my favourite games of all time. Empire, while not quite as perfect as Rome, is still a bloody good game. The only problem it has is a plethora of bugs (which in my opinion have been greatly exaggerated - I've had the game 2 weeks and haven't had a problem starting up nor gotten a single CTD) and The last total war game I played was Rome. It was, and remains to this day, one of my favourite games of all time. Empire, while not quite as perfect as Rome, is still a bloody good game. The only problem it has is a plethora of bugs (which in my opinion have been greatly exaggerated - I've had the game 2 weeks and haven't had a problem starting up nor gotten a single CTD) and even then there is nothing that can't be fixed with patches (although I do agree that it could have used a bit more time in the oven).… Expand
  31. CarlF
    Aug 9, 2009
    10
    I think this is the best game ever played. Even though 15 GB i quite a lot for a game. I've just got myself a new grafic card, so there's no problem there.But i didn't like to have a Total War game on Steam but it works, so that's why i gave it a 10.
  32. SebastienL.
    Aug 8, 2009
    9
    Let me just say this game is great overall, sure they are bugs even a few here and there, yet those thinking that a perfect game exist should leave the gaming community now and spare us all the complaints. The surprising thing is that even average desktop or in my case case high-end laptop with only dual core will work perfectly. Actually the CPU speed has an importance yet those with Let me just say this game is great overall, sure they are bugs even a few here and there, yet those thinking that a perfect game exist should leave the gaming community now and spare us all the complaints. The surprising thing is that even average desktop or in my case case high-end laptop with only dual core will work perfectly. Actually the CPU speed has an importance yet those with quad-core complaining it was not working should return their PC or stop making their own. In any events, I enjoy the game and agree that some of the crashes are at a bad spot but then when is a good time anyway. Spend your money if you are sure your PC will run it, then have fun and even after hours you will still enjoy it.… Expand
  33. tysonw
    Aug 6, 2009
    9
    First off let me say ive been a huge fan of total war series. never been disappointed. i picked it up in early march. i don't like to give reviews to games when they are first release i believe give them some time to get fixed up. this game had serveral bugs in it upon release which did disappoint meh. but after several months theres been some new content and fix serveral major bugs. First off let me say ive been a huge fan of total war series. never been disappointed. i picked it up in early march. i don't like to give reviews to games when they are first release i believe give them some time to get fixed up. this game had serveral bugs in it upon release which did disappoint meh. but after several months theres been some new content and fix serveral major bugs. this game isn't polished but alot better then release. it has very nice graphics, i enjoy the music cause it fits the mood of the game. also lots of fun little mods out there now days. i never really cared for this era untill i played empire total war. i love the trading and naval battles do get a bit repetive but can be epic if u have a massive navy. the new unit commands and cannons having different types of ammo that does matter makes this game hours of fun. i first got this game i put 40 hours plus into it. overall the only really disappointing thing was i wish they were more creative with the campaign victory conditions and more factions were playable overall this is a fun addictive game. just like CA promised they have fixed it up quite and bit and give u free content and thats how a company should be =). i give it an 8 for minor bugs and victory conditions can be tedious.… Expand
  34. PedroM
    Aug 6, 2009
    10
    JUst simple the best game ive played untill now .Im a number one fan of TW series.Bugs,errors etc we always find in other games to .But the qualitie of the details,uniforms,fields,campaign,naval battles,multiplayer etc just dont have any kind of comparation with any other game ive seen untill today.And im 30 years old i know what im talking about.
  35. PhillipF
    Aug 5, 2009
    10
    i gave this game a 10/10 because (sorry if i am off with my spelling) i have played the other total war games besides shogun. I have no problem with steam because i also play sins of an solor empire with uses impusle it is just like steam. for the one persion that stated that he had a 9 hour install with a quad i would check your system it sounds like you were intalling with win 98 it i gave this game a 10/10 because (sorry if i am off with my spelling) i have played the other total war games besides shogun. I have no problem with steam because i also play sins of an solor empire with uses impusle it is just like steam. for the one persion that stated that he had a 9 hour install with a quad i would check your system it sounds like you were intalling with win 98 it only took me a half an hour to intall but the paches took me about an hour more. i love war games and this one has my moneys worth also people that complaine so much about the game i have notice is ether crack, bad intall or they are over doing the computer needs to end the bad reviews steam and impuse are much better than EA games and now Uibsoft games becase it has a 3 time intall. peolpe that have real problems sorry if i affended you but i had to say it and to the makers of the game hope to see a WWI - WW2 game built like this game. PS i preorderd tis game befor it came out and cancelled it because of iddots spaming hatered about this game and steam but now i got the game and i am loveing it and for any one in the future that reads reviews do not fully belive them Long live Prussia.… Expand
  36. dubidudubi
    Aug 5, 2009
    0
    DON'T BUY THIS GAME. It is FULL of bugs; some of them appear at the end of great campaign making you lose all the time you wasted on it. Absolutely disappointing that a so good game have so many unplayable bugs... I'm sure that all the development team have been fired after this.
  37. 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
  38. DillH
    Aug 5, 2009
    9
    To all the people who are complaining about long installations and such... wtf it took 20 minutes, and my comp is the best, so ignore that shit. Anyway, the gameplay is generally very enjoyable, this is one of the best rts' i've ever played.
  39. PeterS
    Aug 5, 2009
    3
    A good idee and great graphics, but it is not playable do to ever occuring crashes in various places. Wait at least a year to purchase this game.
  40. JKing
    Aug 4, 2009
    10
    Absolutely a great game. Now most crashes are fixed. I was a little dissapointed in the game with the crashes but in time all was corrected and I love it! This is definetly worthy of being considred one of the best in the total war series!
  41. HippolyteA
    Aug 4, 2009
    0
    The game seems good but Steam's update is a worst shit that i never seen before. I would never again buy any game where Steam has in charge his maintain.
  42. GregC
    Aug 3, 2009
    0
    The most bug ridden POS I have ever played. The latest patches have gone some way to fixing this, but not far enough - I am unable to continue playing the game because teh game repeatedly crashes to desktop at the end of this turn. Stuck in a loop, unable to progress. At
  43. tsv
    Aug 3, 2009
    0
    As of right now this game sucks! it is unplayable! all i see when i try and open it is a big white screen! then after about 5 minutes a report comes up and says please tell microsoft about this problem! unlike some other people that actually can play it before it crashes. they can experiance it i CANT!there goes 50 bucks. i really did love all the other total war games except this 1. And As of right now this game sucks! it is unplayable! all i see when i try and open it is a big white screen! then after about 5 minutes a report comes up and says please tell microsoft about this problem! unlike some other people that actually can play it before it crashes. they can experiance it i CANT!there goes 50 bucks. i really did love all the other total war games except this 1. And im not sure if im gna buy another tw game when it comes out.… Expand
  44. calbotten
    Aug 2, 2009
    0
    Whats with all the bugs? i loaded everything, downloaded the steam account like it said, downloaded all of the necessary updates. I have all of the system requirements, but when i got done installing everything, restarted the computer and tried to play total war, but all i got was a message saying "empire.exe has encountered a problem and had to close sorry for the inconvenience." I neverWhats with all the bugs? i loaded everything, downloaded the steam account like it said, downloaded all of the necessary updates. I have all of the system requirements, but when i got done installing everything, restarted the computer and tried to play total war, but all i got was a message saying "empire.exe has encountered a problem and had to close sorry for the inconvenience." I never even got to play the friggan game. I can't figure out how to fix this problem. is this problem fixable, and how? please help.… Expand
  45. Tarkus(ITA)
    Jul 30, 2009
    9
    This game is worth it. I'm sorry about all the bad comments I've read but I'm still happy with it. The game is not too heavy (though you still need a good graphic card and RAM) and the gameplay is great just like all the other Total War games we've played. I've played all of them except Shogun and Empire is a good step forward. The new campaing map edits improved This game is worth it. I'm sorry about all the bad comments I've read but I'm still happy with it. The game is not too heavy (though you still need a good graphic card and RAM) and the gameplay is great just like all the other Total War games we've played. I've played all of them except Shogun and Empire is a good step forward. The new campaing map edits improved the game and made it more realistic, economy is more realistic and it is hard as it should be. Land battles are simply awesome; I don't think enemy AI sucks, it's always been the worst characteristic of Total War series, but this time AI is acceptable. Sea battles are a welcomed innovation and they are cool, though when there are too many ships in your side, like 6 or 7 (or even more), it is hard to control your fleet. The graphic is great, aswell as the sound, I'm glad I spent my money on this game because Creative Assembly really deserved my 50 … Expand
  46. 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.
  47. MatsB
    Jul 29, 2009
    2
    Here comes a low vote from me, because i think this is a scam! Paying about 50$ for a game, that i cant play b/c of all the bugs. Some proper patches, that makes the game DON'T crash when i try to start it, and so on.. It worked for a few hours and now i cant even start it.. I´ve read a lot on the web about this, and it aint just me who´s having these issues.
  48. 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
  49. nevillem
    Jul 26, 2009
    0
    Unplayable. Simple waste of time and money.it just won't start! i still can't get over how useless 35 euros worth was and that i waited 28 hours download and 35 euro for an error bar saying ''empire:total war has stopped working'' when all that came up was a white screen.i have a vista a decent one too,expensive very new and the menu wouldn't even come Unplayable. Simple waste of time and money.it just won't start! i still can't get over how useless 35 euros worth was and that i waited 28 hours download and 35 euro for an error bar saying ''empire:total war has stopped working'' when all that came up was a white screen.i have a vista a decent one too,expensive very new and the menu wouldn't even come up!!!colossal disappointment topped off with numerous guarantees off crashes and crappy gameplay.HUGE disappointment,and i want a refund or some sort of version that WORKS.… Expand
  50. BB
    Jul 26, 2009
    4
    I used to love, and still do play Rome: Total War, and when i heard of this game of musket fire i was thrilled, but now that i seen it in action I'm disappointed. There are many things that could have been done better, like: uniforms of soldiers are, especially of line infantry, are almost the same by all factions; not enough unique units; a lot of bugs (i especially hate that one I used to love, and still do play Rome: Total War, and when i heard of this game of musket fire i was thrilled, but now that i seen it in action I'm disappointed. There are many things that could have been done better, like: uniforms of soldiers are, especially of line infantry, are almost the same by all factions; not enough unique units; a lot of bugs (i especially hate that one when you fight an opponent who has reinforcements coming and they "stall" and do not come into the battlefield from the outset, being stuck on buildings and stuff like that); the cannon fire could have been improved; when you made the game so that you don't have to lay siege and you can attack instantly, i think you should have reduced the turns from 6 months to like 2, i think that would have been better considering that the pace of the game is faster; one of the largest disappointments is that the rivaling factions do not fight and expand, the only fighting seen by the NPC factions is between Russia and Sweden (where they exchange 1 or 2 regions) and between Austria and Ottoman Empire (that's how all the other factions should act like); i really miss the whole Russian empire (the Asian part) and other parts of the world like Japan (making that with samurais and eastern architecture would have been great), China, Australia, Africa, in simple terms the whole world; that combined with some bugs make this game average, in the price count of not 50 euros but rather 20. Now i can start talking about the good parts: sea battles are a step in the right direction; good graphics; doesn't chrash alot; the campain map is very diverse; i like some details (the trading ships, better NPC relations/diplomacy options). I thought that this game would be multiplayer capable (not just battles. but the campain map). I really wanted to give the game a great rating, but this really is a step down from medi II and rome TW.… Expand
  51. SheldonW
    Jul 24, 2009
    2
    Steam slows installation. Support for installation is patchy, but the game wouldn't install without it. This is not a game you can just go , out buy and play. Nine hour install on a quad-core. I missed the steam sticker on the back. Never again. The last SEGA game I'll buy.
  52. Aurelio
    Jul 23, 2009
    4
    The game isn't a significant improvement over its predecessors, but what really brings the score down is the unacceptable number of bugs present even after the third patch. Some of these glitches actually crash the game at the worst possible moment (for example at the end of a long victorious battle). This would be unexcusable in any game, but the more so in the fifth instalment of a The game isn't a significant improvement over its predecessors, but what really brings the score down is the unacceptable number of bugs present even after the third patch. Some of these glitches actually crash the game at the worst possible moment (for example at the end of a long victorious battle). This would be unexcusable in any game, but the more so in the fifth instalment of a long-running high-quality series. In fact Creative Assembly managed to kil the hen with the Golden Eggs because of a hasty release that should never have happened. Even when the game manages to run (or to be precise crawl, even on a high-spec Quad-Core PC like the one I use) the gameplay fails to impress as there is little new aside the naval battles. AI is worse than ever and this is another major disappointment. How did the critics in the mags dare awarding this game such high marks? Have they ever played it? I used to love this series. The key word is USED TO. 4/10 and only out of nostalgy for the good times.… Expand
  53. MikeWW
    Jul 22, 2009
    2
    I actually kind of liked the game at first but I just decided after not playing for a few months to start a new game and I keep getting a message that the servers are busy!?!? I HAVE the DVDs - I PAID for the DVDs! This company owes money back to customers if this is not resolved!
  54. markm
    Jul 22, 2009
    9
    Really good game, shame about the gliches on steam from time to time. I can get buried in this game for days on end. Could do with HMS Victory being made available to all Empire owners through Steam though!. And would really benefit from having all factions, including the pirates available to players.
  55. Duff
    Jul 21, 2009
    3
    Between all the problems such as the crashes, the glitches, and just the gameplay in general, it deserves no better than a 4 if that. besides that theres basically no objectives besides the new world owning european powers and when will this game ever be taken to having the map play on multi player?! i thought that was part of the game when i bought it =/ major step down from rome and medi II.
  56. FredP
    Jul 20, 2009
    0
    Unplayable. The overall look and feel of the interface has been changed to something under-developed which frankly doesn't make sense. There are too many bugs, such as your infantry units taking cover on the opposite side of the wall, arse toward enemy musket. The naval battle system doesn't accomplish anything to really convince you you're battling at sea.
  57. BOBB
    Jul 19, 2009
    0
    I may change this review later, but for now, it deserves a solid 0, for being literally unplayable. First off, since you need steam to play the game, you get all of the inconvienence of steam and virtually no benefits, especially if you want to play the campaign, which is the mainstay of all total war games. Because of steam, it cannot run on my computer due to an error opening the game, I may change this review later, but for now, it deserves a solid 0, for being literally unplayable. First off, since you need steam to play the game, you get all of the inconvienence of steam and virtually no benefits, especially if you want to play the campaign, which is the mainstay of all total war games. Because of steam, it cannot run on my computer due to an error opening the game, and it cannot be installed on another computer because of steam too. $50 down the drain.… Expand
  58. SteveL.
    Jul 19, 2009
    0
    The AI in this game is horrible. Even after several patches, the AI cannot execute basic functions like launch an assault from sea. If you play as England, you don't need to defend your island nation, because the AI will NEVER attack you. This was never a problem in Rome Total War or M2TW. This is pathetic & makes the game extremely boring and dumbed down. I don't understand why The AI in this game is horrible. Even after several patches, the AI cannot execute basic functions like launch an assault from sea. If you play as England, you don't need to defend your island nation, because the AI will NEVER attack you. This was never a problem in Rome Total War or M2TW. This is pathetic & makes the game extremely boring and dumbed down. I don't understand why the AI is so horrible. I also don't understand why this games received such high "proffesional" review scores. I will not buy another TW game unless they do a 180, and I will NEVER let "professional" reviews influence my decision to purchase a game again.… Expand
  59. 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.
  60. 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
  61. Ironic
    Jul 17, 2009
    9
    Best total war game yet! Instead of just sticking new units in medievil 2 and calling it a new game, the campaign map is vastly improved, the ai seems to be more intresting, overall its a better and more tactical game. It seems pretty stable, and ive not had a crash yet, and ive been able to play it with steam in offline mode without any problems. Only issue is it is still missing anyform Best total war game yet! Instead of just sticking new units in medievil 2 and calling it a new game, the campaign map is vastly improved, the ai seems to be more intresting, overall its a better and more tactical game. It seems pretty stable, and ive not had a crash yet, and ive been able to play it with steam in offline mode without any problems. Only issue is it is still missing anyform of proper multiplayer map campaign.… Expand
  62. nikkolih
    Jul 16, 2009
    4
    I have played alot of pc games and i would have to say that this game is the most crash prone waste of money i have ever brought its a complete farce.after 3 so called fix it patches lol the game still does not work.crashes due to memory leaks are regular computer ai is appalling god fobid there's a different face on your soldiers its just awful and a real shame cos the total warI have played alot of pc games and i would have to say that this game is the most crash prone waste of money i have ever brought its a complete farce.after 3 so called fix it patches lol the game still does not work.crashes due to memory leaks are regular computer ai is appalling god fobid there's a different face on your soldiers its just awful and a real shame cos the total war series is great apart from this one.im god smacked they released a game in this condition did they even test it at all?how can review sites give this game a unfinished game a 9 with all the bugs and crashes.in the near future i will be avoiding all games with creative assemble and sega attached to it.sega stick to sonic the hedgehog i ask you follow people here if blizzard made this game would it have been a bugged crash pone nightmare???i don't think so.… Expand
  63. Serj
    Jul 15, 2009
    4
    I had great hopes for this game, bought it on the 1st day and i didn't like it. My problem is that its simply not fun to look at the units whily they reload theyr weapons and shoot, i never used gun based units in MTW2 because its not fun. I mean of course the game looks good but its a bit buggy, and many players will like it but at the end of the day all that matters its the fun and I had great hopes for this game, bought it on the 1st day and i didn't like it. My problem is that its simply not fun to look at the units whily they reload theyr weapons and shoot, i never used gun based units in MTW2 because its not fun. I mean of course the game looks good but its a bit buggy, and many players will like it but at the end of the day all that matters its the fun and this is more boring then anything.… Expand
  64. daver
    Jul 14, 2009
    2
    The game is cool, i think, as i have not been able to play for more than 1 min before crash,crash,crash..... never buy a game requiring a steam account, it's brutal. will they ever release a version that does not require it?
  65. VictorN
    Jul 13, 2009
    8
    This game is great, don't get me wrong, but the bugs and glitches just ruined my overall experience with this game. However, the game is pretty enjoyable if you are willing to get past its problems, so I'm gonna give this an 8/10. But just because it's a great at its core.
  66. MikeD.
    Jul 11, 2009
    0
    Well I see the problem right now simply as I bought my game and i cannot play it. I don't like the fact that I HAVE TO play online. Medieval Total War was not like that. I just want to play a campaign and the servers are too busy. What a buy. I think that MAKING me play online is lame. I'm an older gamer and I like the good new strategy games but I don't play online. I paid Well I see the problem right now simply as I bought my game and i cannot play it. I don't like the fact that I HAVE TO play online. Medieval Total War was not like that. I just want to play a campaign and the servers are too busy. What a buy. I think that MAKING me play online is lame. I'm an older gamer and I like the good new strategy games but I don't play online. I paid $60.00 for this game and it's too busy for me...amazing.… Expand
  67. 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
  68. JanetteC.
    Jul 11, 2009
    0
    The graphics might look nice but what's the point if you can't play it? It's like having a shiny sexy new car with no engine. Pointless! I'm not happy with Steam as a marketing tactic. I'm not happy with Sega and CA as they have obviously released this too soon. I am not happy with these bitty little increments when everything should be stable to start with. And The graphics might look nice but what's the point if you can't play it? It's like having a shiny sexy new car with no engine. Pointless! I'm not happy with Steam as a marketing tactic. I'm not happy with Sega and CA as they have obviously released this too soon. I am not happy with these bitty little increments when everything should be stable to start with. And I'm not happy with the magazines that have given this a good rating and have obviously not tried it.… Expand
  69. nakedsun
    Jul 10, 2009
    4
    I've been playing total war games since shogun and this is the first time iv been disappointed. this game countless problems glitches and obvious short comings. I feel ripped off this game was not worth £35. all the professional reviews skate over the problems with this game, seriously did anybody ACTUALLY PLAY THIS CRAP BEFORE THEY RELEASED IT!?!?!?
  70. OysteinA
    Jul 10, 2009
    4
    Looked fantastic in the first 30 minutes, then problem after problem started rearing its ugly head. This unfortunately makes it next to unplayable, as well as utterly predictable (AI is at best poor, at worst completely absent). Factions are also straight up carbon copies of each other, so very very little work went into that. What could have been a fantastic game is (this far) the most Looked fantastic in the first 30 minutes, then problem after problem started rearing its ugly head. This unfortunately makes it next to unplayable, as well as utterly predictable (AI is at best poor, at worst completely absent). Factions are also straight up carbon copies of each other, so very very little work went into that. What could have been a fantastic game is (this far) the most unplayable game of the year in my opinion.… Expand
  71. NathanW.
    Jul 9, 2009
    8
    The total war game series is probably the best RTS game I've ever played. At first I thought medieval was the best thing ever but when this came out it blew medieval away. Empire:total war has the best graphics AI deaths and unit control system out of all the RTS I've played before except maybe universe at war on unit control. One of its best features is the new campaign map The total war game series is probably the best RTS game I've ever played. At first I thought medieval was the best thing ever but when this came out it blew medieval away. Empire:total war has the best graphics AI deaths and unit control system out of all the RTS I've played before except maybe universe at war on unit control. One of its best features is the new campaign map with the fact that it,1, has the buildings outside of the towns which I think is more realistic and,2, that there is three theaters of war, India, North America, and Europe. The only reason I gave it a eight is that in single and multiplayer battles there isn't very many factions to choose from and I dont want to have to get a mod just to play a faction. Also, the faction's units are so similar and that it doesnt show the factions strengths and weaknesses, its not a important feature but its fun to know and could help when choosing a faction. Lastly, when you kill a faction in campaign their not playable, thats what gave me more of a reason to kill them off in medieval. Oh and I never patched and it never crashed or anything except once and because my pc had a virus.… Expand
  72. GreogryV.
    Jul 9, 2009
    0
    Very bad game in my opinion, if I would throw my 50 euro's out the window i'd feel much much better than owning this piece of dung. I expected that you could custom create a country with a custom leader building an army and the land from scratch. Not in this game, just scenario's with countries I'm not interested to play with.
  73. TimRawlins
    Jul 7, 2009
    8
    Its a good game. The strategy elelments are just the filler for the real game, which in MHO is the tactical battles, which are amazingl! (10 out of 10). But the campaign is pretty crap really, because the campaign AI is really dumb-ass, every faction goes to war at the drop of a hat and there is ZERO real conversation or meaningful alliance system.

    This game has a ways to go to be    Its a good game. The strategy elelments are just the filler for the real game, which in MHO is the tactical battles, which are amazingl! (10 out of 10). But the campaign is pretty crap really, because the campaign AI is really dumb-ass, every faction goes to war at the drop of a hat and there is ZERO real conversation or meaningful alliance system.

    This game has a ways to go to be really good. The developers need a good hard think about the strategic AI and need to make the alliances and trade and all the diplomacy actually worthwhile. After playing through about 8 campaigns on various difficulties, I think it might actually get interesting if you have a multiplayer campaign, because the AI always acts in the same totally boring way, so there is only ever one way to play a campaign, and you can't lose.

    Maybe with Empire Total War II they will sit down and create an actually interesting game where there is more to it than a linear expansion of your holdings, while most factions are swallowed up and disappear. Maybe you can get victory points by ways of scientific progress,. and peaceful trading and other kinds of things that will mean you actually have to think about a way to win rather than the present unimaginative mode of waiting for everyone else to attack you so you can crush them in self defence.

    I mean for a strategy game, this has pretty well ZERO strategy required.

    The battles though, the battles, they are AWESOME    … Expand
  74. 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?
  75. ChristopheF.
    Jul 6, 2009
    3
    Though the game has a tremendous scope, its strategical value is quite limited by its whole gameplay value. Game will be slow even with high end computers, but this would not be the main problem if it were not for : - Units pathfinding is buggy, and units are almost always messing up when it comes to being in formation. This creates unpleasant situations where it is impossible to set up Though the game has a tremendous scope, its strategical value is quite limited by its whole gameplay value. Game will be slow even with high end computers, but this would not be the main problem if it were not for : - Units pathfinding is buggy, and units are almost always messing up when it comes to being in formation. This creates unpleasant situations where it is impossible to set up your units as they would be in real battles. - Naval battles are, quite unfortunately, not as interesting to play, as they need constant micromanagement for little gameplay effect. - Strategic map is almost impossible to use. Rome Total War 3D map was fine because it was new, but you see what I mean when speaking about Medieval Total War 2 using same technology. Medeival Total War 1 used a 2D map, and it was great, accessible, fast and strategic. - Hard to see game pieces on strategic map - And of course, so many bugs and slow-things (I am talking with a last generation ultra-expensive card and 4GB RAM) you would ask whether reviewing online magazines get paid by the game company itself, to give ultimate scores to something this buggy.… Expand
  76. 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.
  77. Kampfkeks2212
    Jul 4, 2009
    4
    I was so disappointed when i play the game the first time! The other games of Total War were very fantastic, the gameplay was the best and you don't have to have the best PC of the world for playing them! And now Empire... Crash down after some minutes and you have to have the best Pc for choosing the highest graphic... Then there were the siege... horrible.. there isn't a city I was so disappointed when i play the game the first time! The other games of Total War were very fantastic, the gameplay was the best and you don't have to have the best PC of the world for playing them! And now Empire... Crash down after some minutes and you have to have the best Pc for choosing the highest graphic... Then there were the siege... horrible.. there isn't a city only a fort with undestroyable walls and your cannons shots have a stupid white stripe behind the cannonballs.. The maps aren't well designed and the campaign is very easy.. If I try to use my navy my pc crash down. At last every unit is the same.. there aren't very special units! I'm here very disappointed.… Expand
  78. JessieT
    Jul 3, 2009
    1
    The zooming into the battle from the campaign map, governors, creating spies and diplomats (for god's sake I wait interminably for gentlemen to spawn when I have full blown modern universities and then they are greats like Daniel Defoe and Adam Smith and are given 3-star ratings). In sum, the ability of the player to have a hand in developing different aspects of the game is missing.The zooming into the battle from the campaign map, governors, creating spies and diplomats (for god's sake I wait interminably for gentlemen to spawn when I have full blown modern universities and then they are greats like Daniel Defoe and Adam Smith and are given 3-star ratings). In sum, the ability of the player to have a hand in developing different aspects of the game is missing. Re-equipping soldiers with the latest armour/sword upgrades meant you had to care a little more about your soldiers before they went into battle. Having very experienced soldiers meant they were more effective in battle and you could take them from battle to battle with pride knowing they were your soldiers and could win despite being outnumbered. The idea that you can regenerate soldiers without affecting the population or the experience level of the soldiers just contributes to the sense that soldiers are 'cannon fodder'. An accurate reflection of the times?… Expand
  79. DanN
    Jul 3, 2009
    0
    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 government type for all you 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 government type for all you want unless you make a unrest on purpose.… Expand
  80. FrankE
    Jul 3, 2009
    0
    From the disappointing AI for land/sea battles to the flawed pathfinding and then the horrible crashes you experience, it just makes you want to toss the game into the dumpster and be done with it. The game is rampant of bugs and bad coding. I justify this with a zero
  81. JeremyH
    Jul 3, 2009
    1
    Once again I trust the community and I know RTW enough to understand the glitches people talk about and I absolutely hate the fact that you have to have internet access plus Steam to get it working. It's understandable that the customer is guided away from the glitches because steam automatically gives updates, but why not finish the dang game, give it another freakin year and maybe Once again I trust the community and I know RTW enough to understand the glitches people talk about and I absolutely hate the fact that you have to have internet access plus Steam to get it working. It's understandable that the customer is guided away from the glitches because steam automatically gives updates, but why not finish the dang game, give it another freakin year and maybe Steam wouldn't be necessary. I love how my updates been starting for the past 10 minutes and a most likely 60$ game tricks it's customer due to the internet access being vital. I love how I go out and get ripped off by the once great Creative Assembly. I'm sure many people will agree with me that the next Total War isn't going to be a must. I can't wait until I finally get ETW working and realize it's horrible because of crashes and crappy AI. A lot of the gaming community is most definitely poor or cant afford a bunch of different computers to see whats compatible with the game.… Expand
  82. StevenP
    Jul 3, 2009
    0
    A beautiful addictive game with serious, Major AI flaws. No AI seaborne invasions? In an empire game? Pathfinding Issues, Factions building entire Milita Armies. I don't know why I'm surprised exact same issues were had with every other of their releases. Once again it will be left to the mods to fix. and for ruining the game with a Steam update I give 3/10 I'm off to play A beautiful addictive game with serious, Major AI flaws. No AI seaborne invasions? In an empire game? Pathfinding Issues, Factions building entire Milita Armies. I don't know why I'm surprised exact same issues were had with every other of their releases. Once again it will be left to the mods to fix. and for ruining the game with a Steam update I give 3/10 I'm off to play Catan again - forget this techology rubbish for a while.… Expand
  83. DamienC
    Jul 3, 2009
    0
    no animations for agents, the characters barely evolve over time whatever you do, can't change the gouvernment type for all you want unless you make a unrest on purpose, you don't need to play the battles because your economy will end up to be unlimited so fast that it's a joke, ai is the worse yet, the generals don't do any speeches, the diplomacy is pointless because no animations for agents, the characters barely evolve over time whatever you do, can't change the gouvernment type for all you want unless you make a unrest on purpose, you don't need to play the battles because your economy will end up to be unlimited so fast that it's a joke, ai is the worse yet, the generals don't do any speeches, the diplomacy is pointless because unless you give everything to the ai he will refuse offers - technology and alliances-) There's probably other things to come to mind for bad points, but at least there is still support for patches and they usually listen to the community. The expansion might end up being better. For now the only thing to come up with something good to improve the game is the modding community. Summary : too easy, buggy, lacks the feeling of previous titles and repetitve on so many things it's a joke at the times. = boring (at least the historical facts are good but i didn't buy a book...).… Expand
  84. TravisB
    Jul 3, 2009
    0
    Waiting for patches to make this worth playing. (fixes to the ai) This has to be the most crashiest and buggy game i have played since 1997 with an absolutely atrocious opponent AI. Its a disgrace that this gets the ridiculous review scores it gets in magazines. I use an up to date system fully updated with no problems with any new game that come out. Gaming is my passion and I make sure Waiting for patches to make this worth playing. (fixes to the ai) This has to be the most crashiest and buggy game i have played since 1997 with an absolutely atrocious opponent AI. Its a disgrace that this gets the ridiculous review scores it gets in magazines. I use an up to date system fully updated with no problems with any new game that come out. Gaming is my passion and I make sure that I can play anything. For an idea about the constant fixes that their doing to this game type in "daily update empire" into google to see the daily updated forum on the work their doing to make this game playable. For example making the ai actually invade, its just ridiculous seeing the fixes there making now that should have been done before release. Their obvious campaign to rubbish the public complaints about this game in various forums has also sullied their reputation massively in the eyes of the gaming public. It boggles my mind.… Expand
  85. joe
    Jul 3, 2009
    1
    Way to buggy to play for more then a few mins. This game had great possibility but came up lacking. I kept holding my breath that the "next patch release" would fix everything. It hasn't. This game is garbage. But don't take my word for it go sink $50 on this train wreck and find out for yourself.
  86. AlexCannon
    Jul 2, 2009
    4
    I gave this game 4 because of the following reasons 1.wtf this is so boring this isnt entertaning its stupid 2.Price Dont know why but i paid 69.99 for it and it sucks balls want that 70 dollars back thanks for taking my money for a horrible game
  87. BenG
    Jul 1, 2009
    9
    Great game. I'm playing it on ultra, fantastic graphics and so far perfect game play... no bugs what so ever.I think the only area I could possibly think of significantly improving this game would be in terms of the ability to align units in a more preferable manner, and the functions of fortifications which seem akward. Overall a fantastic game, which I'm enjoying thoroughly.
  88. 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.
  89. RobT
    Jun 27, 2009
    10
    Empire total war is a game with all the good signs and attributes expected of a strategy game. It has variety and can be played by anyone of any skill level. It has a smooth learning curve and an atmosphere that promotes strategy and smart thinking and rewards it accordingly.It is a game that is addicting, fun and easy to learn but hard to master.
  90. EivindE
    Jun 27, 2009
    9
    This is technically the best of the series in my opinnion, and the most packed i think. With different stuff you can do. I have played it since the first medieval total war. I was worried beacouse of the time period picked that it wouldnt be interresting. But they pulled it off and its a blast playing it. It would have gotten a 10 but because of bugs it gets one point lower. there are This is technically the best of the series in my opinnion, and the most packed i think. With different stuff you can do. I have played it since the first medieval total war. I was worried beacouse of the time period picked that it wouldnt be interresting. But they pulled it off and its a blast playing it. It would have gotten a 10 but because of bugs it gets one point lower. there are however, fewer bugs than in some of the older games at launch.… Expand
  91. DaveK
    Jun 27, 2009
    0
    My PC is only 1 year old, has quad core and a Geforce 8800 card with 4G Ram so it easily meets the specs. I have updated all drivers, have installed Xp as it is more stable and I have used Steam to update my game to the max. I have been gaming for 30 years and I have played all of the TW games. Guess what? crash crash crash crash crash. The graphics might look nice but what's the My PC is only 1 year old, has quad core and a Geforce 8800 card with 4G Ram so it easily meets the specs. I have updated all drivers, have installed Xp as it is more stable and I have used Steam to update my game to the max. I have been gaming for 30 years and I have played all of the TW games. Guess what? crash crash crash crash crash. The graphics might look nice but what's the point if you can't play it? It's like having a shiny sexy new car with no engine. Pointless! I'm not happy with Steam as a marketing tactic. I'm not happy with Sega and CA as they have obviously released this too soon. I am not happy with these bitty little increments when everything should be stable to start with. And I'm not happy with the magazines that have given this a good rating and have obviously not tried it. Sega, CA, Steam and various magazines. You have shot yourself in the foot with this one. I will never buy Sega/CA again (which is a shame). I also have no trust in gaming magazines and will now wait for real reviews from forums before buying any more games like this. I will be returning this game back to the shop and I will demand a refund. In the UK a game should be "fit for purpose" - this game obviously is not.… Expand
  92. ShayanA
    Jun 26, 2009
    10
    By far one of the best RTS's I have ever played. I've never played a Total War game, but I've always been a huge fan of RTS games and this games goes on top to be one of the best. It's an excellent mix of RTS and Civilization.
  93. 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
  94. leejackson
    Jun 25, 2009
    4
    Havering played all the other total war games and owning them i was disappointed by this title, compared to the other titles the game was over simplified for i guess people who don't like learning curve, the ai is terrible at empire management and in battles and will refuse almost all your diplomacy requests
  95. 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
  96. DavidB
    Jun 24, 2009
    8
    While a great game one issue which really bugged me was the fact that you could never see why a nation refused your treaties- that's all, beside a few bugs that have gotten patches recently.
  97. JackL
    Jun 23, 2009
    10
    Jake B is reviewing the game before he even has it working! Clearly has no understanding of the game proper as of yet and appears to be criticizing Steam! By arguing with steam you are basically arguing with 20 million people who use steam! E:TW is a fantastic game, people may have played the rubbish tutorial missions and dismissed the game as being awful. They may have attempted the main Jake B is reviewing the game before he even has it working! Clearly has no understanding of the game proper as of yet and appears to be criticizing Steam! By arguing with steam you are basically arguing with 20 million people who use steam! E:TW is a fantastic game, people may have played the rubbish tutorial missions and dismissed the game as being awful. They may have attempted the main singleplayer campaign and found it awful. They may appear to reach the minimum settings but it lags and they go crying to their mothers for a better system! Now I don't have a great system it can run crysis warhead on medium/ high but can't run this overly well. But the employment of a semi-non linear singleplayer campaign with chapters based around the American war of independence gently eases you into the fantastic new features of the game, and is fantastic for both new and old players alike! Ship combat is fantastic fun and gives a new twist to the usual total war strategy! Land combat is more involving than ever, organizing your lines efficiently and making good use of both melee and ranged combat are a good mix! if you want to feel the intensity of melee combat, which by the way is better than ever before in an RTS, just zoom down to your troops and watch fast paced intense and brutal fights between soldiers. The game should appeal to both new players of the Total war series and veterans of previous TW games! overall a fantastic experience and I would recommend this game to you any day of the year!… Expand
  98. AnonymousMC
    Jun 23, 2009
    3
    The Naval battles are good, land battles less so. I enjoyed Rome Total War land battles more. The major problem that I have is that it crashes in campaign mode, otherwise I would give it 8 - good but could do better. Was enjoyig it, but now moving on because of the crashes.
  99. jeremyporter
    Jun 22, 2009
    8
    This game possessed too many glitches and steam is more work than merely installing to your computer.I didn't play for a month due to a sudden glitch do to upgrades to the game. That being said I love this game and can't wait till you develop a civil war version.
  100. JakeB
    Jun 22, 2009
    3
    Ok I bought a new computer about a year ago its a Vista. Vista has lots of problems with downloading stuff but i trust the community and plenty of Vista people play this. I've downloaded Rome: Total War and set all the settings to high except the unit amounts, and its always worked fine except the crash probably every two hours after a turn, heck maybe 5 if im wrong. I'd say 4 Ok I bought a new computer about a year ago its a Vista. Vista has lots of problems with downloading stuff but i trust the community and plenty of Vista people play this. I've downloaded Rome: Total War and set all the settings to high except the unit amounts, and its always worked fine except the crash probably every two hours after a turn, heck maybe 5 if im wrong. I'd say 4 crashes in a day on average. Not a big deal because i just load it back up and pick up were I left off, mabe restart a battle that i just auto win or lose depending on the first outcome (before it crashed). I've looked all over and tried different methods to get Empire: Total War working, but can't. When i try to load the game, it's a white screen and when the cursor loads, the game crashes. I've tried downloading on admin, but no luck. Im currently waiting for the game to update on my third reinstall. Once again I trust the community and I know RTW enough to understand the glitches people talk about and I absolutely hate the fact that you have to have internet access plus Steam to get it working. It's understandable that the customer is guided away from the glitches because steam automatically gives updates, but why not finish the dang game, give it another freakin year and maybe Steam wouldn't be necessary. I love how my updates been starting for the past 10 minutes and a most likely 60$ game tricks it's customer due to the internet access being vital. I love how I go out and get ripped off by the once great Creative Assembly. I'm sure many people will agree with me that the next Total War isn't going to be a must. I can't wait until I finally get ETW working and realize it's horrible becuase of crashes and crappy AI. A lot of the gaming community is most definitely poor or cant afford a bunch of different computers to see whats compatable with the game. Nice job, Sega or whoever did a good job ripping us off this time but next time they put all their bets on another Total War the're goin down for good even if it's compatable and not glitchy... because what average guy wants to spend another 60$ on a game series thats ripped them off in the past? Well I hope I didn't write a bad review considering I'm putting a good deal of my trust into the community, but I know how a company likes to curve your thoughts to get you to buy the game. They clearly put "Hey you gotta have internet access for it to work!" in small print, and not nearly as exciting as i stated it, for a reason. I would've been happy with less graphics and just better AI and a nice 1700 theme. Like that one guy said "Shogun: Total War is still my favorite in the series". Well STW is the first and crappiest and doesnt have nearly as good visual as TW has today. To end this ill just say "Hey, I'll go out and buy a better graphics and video card and see if this games worth playing!"… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 62 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 61 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 62
  3. Negative: 0 out of 62
  1. PC Gamer UK
    94
    Astonishing...Immense... A strategy masterwork. [Mar 2009, p.54]
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  2. Eurogamer
    90
    In some ways, it's the closest we've come to the enormous social novel from the period after that which Empire chronicles: it's a Tolstoy-esque War and Peace of a game. Its problems may be the inevitable problems of trying something with such sheer scope. As such, if you want the breathtaking vision of the game, you have to accept the flaws in the details - for now, at least.
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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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