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. lefevrel
    Jun 22, 2009
    9
    At the beginning i couldn't play because it had a lot of bugs and always crashed with my computer which is powerful enough to un it at very high. after patch 2 i manage to play and Whow!!! the best strategy game i've ever played until now.
  2. AdamW
    Jun 22, 2009
    8
    Very good game but not with out its bugs, most of them have been fixed in patches and post release patches have been good including new units added to the game.
  3. KevinR
    Jun 21, 2009
    10
    I think that this is a modern classic of gaming. I do not agree with all of the people that say it requires much tweaking. Yes some tweaking would be nice but as a basic game it did everything that it said it would do and could do. Naval Battles:Check Land Battles:Check Historical Accuracy: Check Graphics:Check I have never spent a better $50 in my life. Another great Total War game. I think that this is a modern classic of gaming. I do not agree with all of the people that say it requires much tweaking. Yes some tweaking would be nice but as a basic game it did everything that it said it would do and could do. Naval Battles:Check Land Battles:Check Historical Accuracy: Check Graphics:Check I have never spent a better $50 in my life. Another great Total War game. 10/10 all of the way.… Expand
  4. jeffp
    Jun 21, 2009
    0
    Wow....this is a sad sad attempt at making a cheap buck. I'd rather play pong nonstop for a week than play the campaign of this game...its so repetitive...or it at least feels that way cause im playing the same mission over and over cause it wont stop freaking crashing! I mean WTF?
  5. EmilTorkelsson
    Jun 21, 2009
    9
    This game is good and I mean really good.... But then there is the Sound. Apparently my sound stutters when ever I view a cinematic in the game... This is yet to be fixed but with the latest patch to be released soon I have great hopes that this problem will disappear. But other than that this is a milestone in gaming and i hope that a expansion pack is released soon. Then I can finally This game is good and I mean really good.... But then there is the Sound. Apparently my sound stutters when ever I view a cinematic in the game... This is yet to be fixed but with the latest patch to be released soon I have great hopes that this problem will disappear. But other than that this is a milestone in gaming and i hope that a expansion pack is released soon. Then I can finally take my Swedish Empire to even greater heights and glory.… Expand
  6. ArunJ
    Jun 21, 2009
    4
    This incarnation of Total War has well and truly lost its soul. Previous titles captured the importance of characters in the making of history and allowed you to cultivate their personalities from very young age until death. Empire has abstracted the player from any sense of political intrigue and focuses purely on the battle - but lest we forget, the other half of the game is turn-based. This incarnation of Total War has well and truly lost its soul. Previous titles captured the importance of characters in the making of history and allowed you to cultivate their personalities from very young age until death. Empire has abstracted the player from any sense of political intrigue and focuses purely on the battle - but lest we forget, the other half of the game is turn-based. This means it is not as well rounded a game as the other titles. I praise the team for including ships this time but too many little touches that made the other games so enjoyable are missing from this game. The general's speech before the battle, the incidental music is less impactful, 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? Perhaps - but it takes away from the romance of the idea of war, and I say this as a staunch pacifist! Creative Assembly - you have truly taken away the soul of the game by abstracting the player from the development of characters and political intrigue. You have also abstracted the fan from truly enjoying the game by releasing it on Steam which lends itself to shoddy/sloppy work as you can always release bitty patches at will to hold the game together and bribe fans with new units when you get an earfull. It was ambitious but I hope you will reflect and realise that you must bring the game back to the fans so that the fans can interact with the game, can empathise with the nations/characters they play as and most importantly so the fans can get just satisfaction from having spent so much money to play your games.… Expand
  7. 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
  8. JuergenK
    Jun 20, 2009
    2
    To much crash downs. It's a problem of the game. My PC is high performed - no problems with the requirements.
  9. ChongL
    Jun 20, 2009
    4
    Game is unplayable at later stage. Your navy becomes useless since tring to use them will crash the game.
  10. PaulU
    Jun 19, 2009
    9
    Really good game, and those saying steam is so horrible are wrong. I myself love steam, its very convenient. Anyway, the game itself is great. The graphics are good, the AI is pretty good as well. I like how each individual unit fights, they aren't all clones doing the same thing. I do not have any bugs, but maybe that's just me.
  11. ChrisR
    Jun 18, 2009
    10
    1st of all do not listen to those who have whined and whined constantly about bugs, its only been out a few months and every single bug I had on release seems to have been fixed, this game is now honestly the greatest strategy game I have ever played, (and I've played a lot, trust me ;) ) It really does deserve all those high scores it got from the media. I hear a lot of people 1st of all do not listen to those who have whined and whined constantly about bugs, its only been out a few months and every single bug I had on release seems to have been fixed, this game is now honestly the greatest strategy game I have ever played, (and I've played a lot, trust me ;) ) It really does deserve all those high scores it got from the media. I hear a lot of people complaining about the AI in this game and I really, honestly think they're just doing it because CA have had a few bad AIs in the past (lets face it rome total war's AI did suck pretty badly, and Medievals wasn't much better) but really, the AI in this game has been improved so, so much from the last game; the battle AI makes some smart moves and it can actually prove a challenge now, it flanks properly, uses buildings chooses the units it attacks wisely etc, and the campaign AI is a perfect balance between aggressive and passive; it forms and actually holds alliances really well this time, anyway before I start to drone on, I just think people are too harsh on this game - it really is fantastic!… Expand
  12. 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.
  13. 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
  14. JezL
    Jun 18, 2009
    1
    Anyone that has rated ETW "great" deserves to be retarded. The AI is dumber than ever; your own men make your own generals cannon fodder while the enemy tends to do dumb things as well; send their own generals to the front line in a suicidal charge or never invade you by sea. The pathfinding is horrible; your ships tangle into each other no matter what formation you give them. The same Anyone that has rated ETW "great" deserves to be retarded. The AI is dumber than ever; your own men make your own generals cannon fodder while the enemy tends to do dumb things as well; send their own generals to the front line in a suicidal charge or never invade you by sea. The pathfinding is horrible; your ships tangle into each other no matter what formation you give them. The same applies with your own land troops; they will just stand there to be shot at if no orders are given instead of defending themselves by turning their attention on the closest enemy. All in all, a game that fails blatantly short like previous titles from the TW series. To do some justice. the only obvious effort given to this latest installment is the graphics and very minor adjustments. CA team is not the original team and it shows. A pity.… Expand
  15. 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
  16. StephenL.
    Jun 16, 2009
    8
    In the Total War line up this is the best so far anyone who complains that there pc crashes should spend money and get a real pc the AI is the only thing i think sucks they are stupid and to easy to destroy with little effort the naval battles are an awesome addition to Total War with updates im sure the bugs will get worked out but i have yet to have the game crash the graphics in the In the Total War line up this is the best so far anyone who complains that there pc crashes should spend money and get a real pc the AI is the only thing i think sucks they are stupid and to easy to destroy with little effort the naval battles are an awesome addition to Total War with updates im sure the bugs will get worked out but i have yet to have the game crash the graphics in the game look friggin awesome with SLI and i cant wait to see whats next in the line-up for Total War.… Expand
  17. 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
  18. RandyH
    Jun 14, 2009
    9
    Firstly the game requires very specific, and ambiguous computer setups to operate. I lucked out and one of my computers was able to run it (the rest matched the on box requirements, but for some reason it didn't run) and so my laptop runs it - amazingly. The graphics, firstly, are amazing. The region system, if you have ever played the Civilization series or previous TW games, the Firstly the game requires very specific, and ambiguous computer setups to operate. I lucked out and one of my computers was able to run it (the rest matched the on box requirements, but for some reason it didn't run) and so my laptop runs it - amazingly. The graphics, firstly, are amazing. The region system, if you have ever played the Civilization series or previous TW games, the regions are always a city, build in the city, and hope it works. This has a much more realistic, if not perfect, region system. The battle graphics are amazing as always, the naval battles= 10.9 on my scale for this game since that makes this really three games in one- campaign, land, and sea battles are usually independant focuses of other games without the other two. Civ 3, Command and Conquer, Hunting Red October are the examples of games that focus on one of the three, but do not exemplify the other two. That is why this game should be the highest rated and I give it a 9 because there are bugs (I have hit one, and only one, in three weeks of gameplay) and so nothing is ever perfect - so a 9 will suffice. 9.8 to be specific.… Expand
  19. KyleK
    Jun 13, 2009
    9
    Hands down, the Total War series is the best RTS series ever. Combines all the strategy and planning from turn-based games in the campaign mode to RTS action in the land and naval battles. Empire:Total War, in my opinion could use a little more achievement feeling like unlocking new playable factions after you beat them, as in the previous titles.
  20. PaulR
    Jun 13, 2009
    9
    A really really good game, it's my first TW but I'd say it's the best strategy game I ever played, including EU, Civ, and various RTS games. Tough the game could use a little more debugging and stability, it hurts not too much.
  21. OlivierJacquemard
    Jun 12, 2009
    3
    Too slow to load campagne, battle, etc., even with 4 GBytes of RAM and bicore 2.4 GHz.
    Not realist, if you are turk, russian, spanish, etc. Too easy if you are british, austrian, prussian, suedish, etc. Is SEGA doesn't like south or east european people ?
    Why is it not possible to play all the faction ?
  22. 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
  23. RyanL
    Jun 11, 2009
    0
    Lack of support is devastating this game. The game crashes and has ridiculous bugs and gameplay flaws, yet the developers keep feeding the ignorant masses like new units (which do the same thing as old units but just have a shiny new name or uniform). It's garbage!
  24. Tom
    Jun 10, 2009
    9
    This is another brilliant release in the TW series the only fault is the slowness of the loading and that is considerabaly small down fall when taking the rest of the games features into account
    This game keeps getting more efficient everytime it is updated by steam.
    And if your particular probelm hasnt been solved in a few months then you might have a reason to complain
  25. 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.
  26. 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!
  27. TomH
    Jun 9, 2009
    0
    Until now. Big problems just to install the game. Stem connection lost. Install interrupted. Starting the game. Not available. I Have pay'd for a finish product. To get a steam connection...Why steam connection ? I want to play of fline.
  28. PedroR
    Jun 8, 2009
    7
    Pretty awesome game, the improvement in the government feature of the game makes the game more interesting than the previous games. The sea battles are pretty cool too. But I must give an 7 because of bad AI and path-finder. It also takes a lot of graphical memory (which I don't think it needs to): I prefer a game with not-some-much graphics but playable than a fancy "look at the Pretty awesome game, the improvement in the government feature of the game makes the game more interesting than the previous games. The sea battles are pretty cool too. But I must give an 7 because of bad AI and path-finder. It also takes a lot of graphical memory (which I don't think it needs to): I prefer a game with not-some-much graphics but playable than a fancy "look at the shiny things" that you would need a expensive PC to play.… Expand
  29. Kristian
    Jun 8, 2009
    5
    For me this game recieves a solid 5. The graphics are good, the gameplay itself is good, though difficult for someone with no gaming skill like myself. Enjoyable, but riddled with bugs and set up issues that have really knocked the rating down for this one.
  30. AymericPROFFIT
    Jun 8, 2009
    8
    Un très bon jeu sur le plan immersion. Les commandes sont intuitives comme ces prédécesseurs et certaines améliorations de l'IA sont intéressantes comme une utilisation plus judicieuse de la cavalerie et la mise en place de stratégies réactives a vos propres actes. Les nouveautés comme les batailles navales jouables, lesUn très bon jeu sur le plan immersion. Les commandes sont intuitives comme ces prédécesseurs et certaines améliorations de l'IA sont intéressantes comme une utilisation plus judicieuse de la cavalerie et la mise en place de stratégies réactives a vos propres actes. Les nouveautés comme les batailles navales jouables, les technologies à rechercher, le nouveau système de diplomatie et autre, d'abord déconcertant pour un habitué des total war, se révèlent au final un moteur pour la recherche de toutes les possibilités de jeu existantes (du moins, pour ma part). Mais, car il y a toujours un mais, de trop nombreux bugs dans les batailles et certaines incohérences diplomatiques toujours présentes comme sur les autres total war ternissent ce si bon jeu.… Expand
  31. Mike
    Jun 7, 2009
    9
    Great game. Anyone who whines about crashes has never played a computer game before, it's not that bad. This game looks amazing and is a blast to play, especially the combat. It is way more in depth than previous Total War games, but not so much that it becomes tedious. It's just right as far as i am concerned.
  32. JohnSmith
    Jun 6, 2009
    9
    Apart from the few crashes I've had, this is the ultimate online strategy game. If you did not buy the game then you will most likely be unable to play online, the campaign mode is truly epic from the first series Shogun: Total War. Playing online is completely worth every single dollar, but don't think it's easy if you're a strategy beginner. Patches need to comeApart from the few crashes I've had, this is the ultimate online strategy game. If you did not buy the game then you will most likely be unable to play online, the campaign mode is truly epic from the first series Shogun: Total War. Playing online is completely worth every single dollar, but don't think it's easy if you're a strategy beginner. Patches need to come out quick to help these other folks with their crashes.… Expand
  33. FredL
    Jun 6, 2009
    0
    CA must have given lots of thoughts into the graphics of this game to give it first appeal. Sadly, everything else sink like the titanic did. 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 CA must have given lots of thoughts into the graphics of this game to give it first appeal. Sadly, everything else sink like the titanic did. 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 because it fails as a game tha is supposed to satisfy your craving for entertainment, but instead you get only frustration.… Expand
  34. DJ
    Jun 6, 2009
    5
    Good game if it works but due to the amount of bugs and problems it still has even after 3 months being released, and I'm talking about bugs that should have been fixed before release. Seems to me Creative are becoming just another money hungry whore, shame the other Total War games have been very good and had next to no major glitches.
  35. RiyadS
    Jun 6, 2009
    7
    This would have been a great game if it werent for all the crashes. I realy can't get into its mood.
  36. Mac
    Jun 6, 2009
    5
    Great graphics! But boy oh boy the game is filled with bugs, It crashes, freezes and bunch of graphic glitches! AI is poor, The game is simply not finished, And in facts its on Steam. Oh well, This is the first time CA has done a mistake like this. So shameful. But Ill let it side this one time. But overall, games is "OK".
  37. johnm
    Jun 5, 2009
    1
    Played campaign through once.Total. 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. Played campaign through once.Total. 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
  38. JJ
    Jun 4, 2009
    6
    Well, i was going to review after i had finished a grand campaign, but due to the game crashing, well, i guess im finished!. This game is one like no other for both posative and negative reason. The graphics are just amazing, the depth and attention to detail is incredible although different character models would have been nice, 1500 men with the same face was a bit of a joke . Great Well, i was going to review after i had finished a grand campaign, but due to the game crashing, well, i guess im finished!. This game is one like no other for both posative and negative reason. The graphics are just amazing, the depth and attention to detail is incredible although different character models would have been nice, 1500 men with the same face was a bit of a joke . Great sound, especially when a houndred muskets fire across the battle field at the same time, the moans and groans of close combat are just fantastic as are the sounds of bullets slaming in the enemy. Now the gameplay has more potential that a invisible ninja, the campaign is great, the joy and feeling of succes when conqouring* a region and upgrading all your cities and villages is gloryous, as is winning a battle when your outnumber 10-1, but when your bloody skirmishers face the opposite way from an incoming enemy or when your artillary wont shoot at what you tell them to or when your guys wont shoot there muskets!................you get the hint. This game is completly unfinished and buggy, and i was lucky as i got about 3/4 through a campaign before any REAL trouble. The replayabilty may be a bit short as there is very few maps and the armies are basically the same which makes for some very average custom battles. And for some reason i cannot play multiplayer at all. The only reason it gets a 6 is due to what the game could have or should have been. I will gladely give it 10 when the developers grow a back bone, refund our money and fix this mess.… Expand
  39. GeorgeW
    Jun 3, 2009
    5
    In my opinion Empire: Total War has not been the kind of squeal to the series we have all been waiting for. The game i found was very slow paced and it is BORING at many times and it also has many 'fun' issues with it. However the graphics are amazing and the sound is superb, but its one thing to have good effects and another to have shitty game play. If i have to choose, id In my opinion Empire: Total War has not been the kind of squeal to the series we have all been waiting for. The game i found was very slow paced and it is BORING at many times and it also has many 'fun' issues with it. However the graphics are amazing and the sound is superb, but its one thing to have good effects and another to have shitty game play. If i have to choose, id choose game play over looks and effects. Empire has not been able to impress me with this at all. I've played Rome total War and Medieval 2 total war and had a absolute fun time with both, i spent many hours playing each and they are both great games, but Empire just doesn't do it for me. The units are all VERY similar and the main difference is how many guys with guns and how many guys with what colors of uniforms etc. etc. Overall the game lacks a large sense of fun, and this was made by the greatest gaming company for big battles ever. But it has its moments and it has given my some smiles here and there. So here it is: 5/10.… Expand
  40. ShaneP
    Jun 3, 2009
    5
    It's would be a great game if it didn't suffer from tons of issues.Iit is hilariously buggy and regularly crashes to desktop. sometimes corrupting your save and forceing you to start all over again. The AI is terrible and it doesn't seem to have any kind of plan in either the campaign mode or the battles. Most naval battles seem to end up in the AI fleet getting stuck It's would be a great game if it didn't suffer from tons of issues.Iit is hilariously buggy and regularly crashes to desktop. sometimes corrupting your save and forceing you to start all over again. The AI is terrible and it doesn't seem to have any kind of plan in either the campaign mode or the battles. Most naval battles seem to end up in the AI fleet getting stuck against each which makes them easy targets. There's a big emphasis on naval combat but the AI very, very rarely (if ever) attacks you via the sea which makes it next to impossible to lose as the British, or indeed any faction that has cities on islands. Would be worth a 10, but CA really need to patch the game first.… Expand
  41. pauljohnson
    Jun 2, 2009
    0
    bought it 5 hrs ago and still have not been able to play it. You have to DL it off steam, it got to 50 % and my connection died and i have to start over. Couldnt tell ya about gameplay, but my score still stands as you HAVE to use steam and as I have stated I cant play this game because it takes too long to DL whatever I am DL'ing off of steam, Even though I bought the game atbought it 5 hrs ago and still have not been able to play it. You have to DL it off steam, it got to 50 % and my connection died and i have to start over. Couldnt tell ya about gameplay, but my score still stands as you HAVE to use steam and as I have stated I cant play this game because it takes too long to DL whatever I am DL'ing off of steam, Even though I bought the game at walmart. I would have gotten more enjoyment from burning 2 20's and a ten than what I got for 2 20's and a ten............… Expand
  42. FreddyTwoToes
    Jun 1, 2009
    6
    I am not a Beta-tester. I payed for a finished product and this is a mess. I have been playing PC games for over 30 years. Started on the Trash 80 for you old geeks out there. This is the buggyyyyest game I have ever bought..crash city. Those that gave a 9 or 10 are lucky SOB's (I have the latest alienware system btw) or just liars. Ok that said and affirming the pain and suffering I am not a Beta-tester. I payed for a finished product and this is a mess. I have been playing PC games for over 30 years. Started on the Trash 80 for you old geeks out there. This is the buggyyyyest game I have ever bought..crash city. Those that gave a 9 or 10 are lucky SOB's (I have the latest alienware system btw) or just liars. Ok that said and affirming the pain and suffering of my fellow gamers, now for the rest. The design and potential for this game to blossom with Modders is insane. If someone were to take the time to debug and detail this game it would be incredible. If it worked like it should it would earn those 9's and 10's you lunkheads are handing out. As for AI well not sure what you expecting there, if any you are programmers then you would know that the best way to handle that is a player vs player game direct IP or steam setup for Head to Head play. Even the most inept player can provide a better challenge than the best AI period. Sorry but just the facts of life for a long time to come until computers get much more powerful or you can settle for chess.… Expand
  43. ChristopherB
    Jun 1, 2009
    5
    The game looks great, probably because that's were Creative Assembly spent their entire budget, aside from bribing various gaming sites with advertising in exchange for favorable reviews. The fact that this is the highest rated game on Metacritic is criminal. The game is riddled with bugs, something the reviews will NOT tell you. Unit pathing is terrible, AI is mediocre (relatively The game looks great, probably because that's were Creative Assembly spent their entire budget, aside from bribing various gaming sites with advertising in exchange for favorable reviews. The fact that this is the highest rated game on Metacritic is criminal. The game is riddled with bugs, something the reviews will NOT tell you. Unit pathing is terrible, AI is mediocre (relatively unchanged from earlier titles), and navel combat is disappointing. Creative Assembly released an unfinished game. Read the user reviews.… Expand
  44. BartR
    May 31, 2009
    4
    Running on a total water-cooled i7 at 3.8 stable gigs , 2 15000 rpm SCSI's Raid 0 stripe , 2 XFX 9800GTX+ Sli , 1200 watt PSU and 6 gigs Ram and still crashes . Great game but no way it should have all these crashes . My best solution has been frequent quick saves and return but don't repeat last move before crash . Would give the game a ten otherwise .
  45. CW
    May 31, 2009
    8
    A good game, I like the new areas to play in, and the diplomacy is a lot easier to use. The series has become more accessable after this game, but the fact that you have to use steam to even play it is dissapointing. I haven't had any technical issues like the ones others have described, and overall I enjoy playing it. I just hope that they don't use steam again because I A good game, I like the new areas to play in, and the diplomacy is a lot easier to use. The series has become more accessable after this game, but the fact that you have to use steam to even play it is dissapointing. I haven't had any technical issues like the ones others have described, and overall I enjoy playing it. I just hope that they don't use steam again because I won't be buying the next one if they do.… Expand
  46. iain
    May 30, 2009
    10
    I always see these whiney comments about "it's buggy, it crashes, it's unfair or sea battles boring and so on" and i even saw one bitching about in the campagin that people started with terriroty in america, well genious if you ever pick up a history book you would know that the french and british had their colonies there as well as the dutch,the sea battles i find them a I always see these whiney comments about "it's buggy, it crashes, it's unfair or sea battles boring and so on" and i even saw one bitching about in the campagin that people started with terriroty in america, well genious if you ever pick up a history book you would know that the french and british had their colonies there as well as the dutch,the sea battles i find them a realistic a can be if your a going "there boring" well yes the ships in the 18th century wern't that fast! and also you should really try and get the updates from steam they fix everything becuase i have no bugs that everyone who gives this game a bad score have, oh yea for those whiny basterds who say "it wont work on my computer" are stupid how are using windows 98 or some crappy system, because im playing this game of a damn laptop if it can work on you comp your comp sucks! yes, and for those people who choose the other style of combat in the other games like ME2 or Rome TW please do not comment because yes i do engoy all the other games from TW series but i like this one to because not only dose it have naval battles it brings a whole new perspective to the game unlike the others oh yea for thoues people who try to play the game without steam updates do not post a single remark because it is unfare to the makers of this game and give a real sold resaon why it is bad not "it wont work, or it has bugs, the battles are boring" and what ever else they say.… Expand
  47. DanS
    May 30, 2009
    4
    This game is very poor stability-wise. If you can handle the (overlong) loading times, and random decisions to crash, go for it. Hope you have a beefy computer because once again, the poor coding has resulted in a power hungry game.
  48. SteveWolf
    May 29, 2009
    7
    Like most users (not critics), I'd give this about a 7. Its very well made, with wonderful craftsmanship, attention to detail, and a lot of love for the genre.

    But its BORING. Unlike the earlier attempts, Shogun, Rome, and Medieval, Empire is just not that interesting to play. I blame the nature of warfare during this time period. After all, the units are simply all too similar    Like most users (not critics), I'd give this about a 7. Its very well made, with wonderful craftsmanship, attention to detail, and a lot of love for the genre.

    But its BORING. Unlike the earlier attempts, Shogun, Rome, and Medieval, Empire is just not that interesting to play. I blame the nature of warfare during this time period. After all, the units are simply all too similar to one another. They all have guns, they all stand there like total idiots and shoot & get shot. And the difference between a rookie unit and a seasoned infantry division is just negligible in terms of game play. So they all pretty much just stand there and shoot at each other... very little by way of tactics that I can make out.

    Cannons are terribly unsatisfying. They're horribly inaccurate, and they don't do much to intimidate or demoralize the opponent, which was their primary effect as I understand this historic period. Which makes them seem quite pointless, when playing the game.

    Overall, the shift of focus is away from the excellent tactical battles and into what has always been TW's weak suite: the strategic game. And altough there have been considerable advancements in the strategic game, it still comes off as more of the same old same. It doesn't really feel like you're ... well, I'm not sure what you're supossed to be, in game terms, but whatever that is, its vague and ill-defined, and doesn't feel very powerful or interesting. Just mind-numbing and repetetive.

    And this from a guy who LOVEs TW: Shogun, TW: Rome, and TW: Medieval 2.    … Expand
  49. carlbob
    May 29, 2009
    0
    I bought this game on the day of release and I'm still waiting for the bugs to be fixed. I wouldn't mind if they were only little bugs, but they are actually gamebreaking. It crashes ALL the time. It isn't just my PC, loads of people are having trouble playing this unfinished game. So, I don't care how good the game is if you can somehow can get it to work; its still I bought this game on the day of release and I'm still waiting for the bugs to be fixed. I wouldn't mind if they were only little bugs, but they are actually gamebreaking. It crashes ALL the time. It isn't just my PC, loads of people are having trouble playing this unfinished game. So, I don't care how good the game is if you can somehow can get it to work; its still unplayable after 3 months. It doesn't even deserve a rating - it isn't a game, its a beta which needs 8 months more testing. The worst part about this is the 'offical' reviewers don't even mention the bugs. Are they playing the same game? Don't buy this POS.… Expand
  50. NathanH
    May 27, 2009
    9
    Great addition to the series, if your computer is reasonably up to date that is. My computer is a good distance below the recommended requirements, yet I can still play relatively well on all Medium settings with a reasonably good resolution. However, just being on medium still presents a rather fantastic experience. Steam is rather annoying but it works well enough with the game. Most of Great addition to the series, if your computer is reasonably up to date that is. My computer is a good distance below the recommended requirements, yet I can still play relatively well on all Medium settings with a reasonably good resolution. However, just being on medium still presents a rather fantastic experience. Steam is rather annoying but it works well enough with the game. Most of the AI and major gameplay issues seem to be shriveling up as Steam does it's consistent small updates that CA seems willing to pump out. An altogether fantastic game if your computer has the sacs to take it on, however, it would make sense if you decided to wait a month or so for more of the updates to stream through. I didn't wait, however I'm still perfectly happy with what I've got. Right now I say a 9, but give it a while and that may go up even further.… Expand
  51. marlandj
    May 27, 2009
    4
    The game plays excellently...if you can play it. I was able to start one campaign game. Then it automatically updated and I haven't been able to play a campaign game since. It seems there are a lot of us with this problem. Also, the whole "Steam" concept of having to be connected to the internet is just plain stupid. I am with Rick G on this, if there is another TW game and it uses The game plays excellently...if you can play it. I was able to start one campaign game. Then it automatically updated and I haven't been able to play a campaign game since. It seems there are a lot of us with this problem. Also, the whole "Steam" concept of having to be connected to the internet is just plain stupid. I am with Rick G on this, if there is another TW game and it uses Steam, I DEFINITELY will not buy it!… Expand
  52. ColbyF
    May 26, 2009
    9
    Though not as good as Rome, this is a good game. I had no technical problems (lucky me, I suppose) and it is very fun to forge an empire in the 18th century.
  53. JosephR
    May 26, 2009
    10
    Great Game. Too many bugs hopefully they produce more updates. Had to upgrade my computer but it is so worth it. Every gamer should own this game.
  54. SamH
    May 25, 2009
    0
    Game is a POS. As a customer I shouldn't have to wait several months after the game for it to be patched enough to be stable enough to play. Developers need to be taught a lesson. They can't get away with this. Other than that, the game is fairly boring. Not enough flavor to the game.
  55. EmilH
    May 24, 2009
    8
    Game is good, but as with alot of new games they release them to early, crashed alot when i started playing which causes frustration.

    Read a previous guys review and he said the game was very unstable, i have a similar setup to him, i got a Q6600 @ 3.4ghz 8gb of ram and a 4870X2, i run the game at max settings with 8AA at 1680x1050 and i have seen no lagg so far whatsoever, and i have    Game is good, but as with alot of new games they release them to early, crashed alot when i started playing which causes frustration.

    Read a previous guys review and he said the game was very unstable, i have a similar setup to him, i got a Q6600 @ 3.4ghz 8gb of ram and a 4870X2, i run the game at max settings with 8AA at 1680x1050 and i have seen no lagg so far whatsoever, and i have unit scale turned up to huge. Check ur comp for viruses dude ;)    … Expand
  56. CharlesT
    May 23, 2009
    9
    The graphics work fine and the game is amazing, the only gripe I have with it is that once your empire grows to the point where you own 2/3rds of the world it starts crashing if you try to take over the rest, which if we're honest is a very fun part of the game.
  57. TiberiusN
    May 22, 2009
    9
    I'm not crazy about the game requiring Steam, for starters. There are a few minor things that I really wish the developers would fix/add to the game (e.g. Hotseat!). Overall, though, very good game. I recommend it.
  58. DaveP
    May 22, 2009
    0
    This game is unplayable. It was pushed out for monetary gain and they had to know full and well they were destroying a series. I am willing to bet they not only knew it would go over like a lead brick but intentionally did so to boost sales of other titles. Even the most inept developer and the greediest publishers couldn't be this dumb. They saw no future potential and given the This game is unplayable. It was pushed out for monetary gain and they had to know full and well they were destroying a series. I am willing to bet they not only knew it would go over like a lead brick but intentionally did so to boost sales of other titles. Even the most inept developer and the greediest publishers couldn't be this dumb. They saw no future potential and given the current state of the failed monetary system they took what they could get and brought the series to a close .Just a few of the major game stoppers; AI inept, Sea battles boring/buggy, Crashes with 4th rate fleets or better on campaign map,Armies dissapear, Diplomacy buggy/irrelevent,No Naval AI invasions, 3 major nations get their colonial territories for free and earlier than you can,Reinforcement armies single in(sometimes right next to the enemy), to few battle maps, A minister replacement system designed to destroy your economy... among countless other bugs( not hardware issues). I don't feel there is much potential given the amount of bugs and the time past. I feel this will flutter away like our money. Avoid this game and it's publishers/developers and tell/post to others. Stop buying games period. Boycott all games for a year unless their support forum is virtually bug post free. If they don't allow you to see the support forum till after purchase then don't buy it.… Expand
  59. BillF
    May 22, 2009
    1
    Games constantly crashes - unable to play complete campaign - totally disappointed with this total war game (previous games were excellant) and it seems that updates just make it worse.
  60. DudeSicko
    May 22, 2009
    0
    Here it is, months since the release and I still cannot run ETW on my 64 bit system. I have recorded umpteen program failures in regards to memory management and just plain bad code, recorded them on the CA forums, and still nothing is being done except to make the horses look nicer in battle and the sound sweeter. Even though fixed in various patches, the AI is still the dumbest on the Here it is, months since the release and I still cannot run ETW on my 64 bit system. I have recorded umpteen program failures in regards to memory management and just plain bad code, recorded them on the CA forums, and still nothing is being done except to make the horses look nicer in battle and the sound sweeter. Even though fixed in various patches, the AI is still the dumbest on the planet even when playing at greater difficulties. And in the sea battles it is impossible to set a user AI to harass the enemy with Brigs and Sloops while manuevering you capital ships. Really a ridiculous piece or work for all the talking up it got in the beginning. NEVER AGAIN will I buy a title from Creative Assembly (some assembly required).… Expand
  61. BlueKeyboard
    May 22, 2009
    10
    If you like strategy and/or millitary games, this would be a good one to grab. only thing i don't like are the new naval battles, but you can sim them just as you would in the other total war games. i like the replay value with this one too. make sure your computer can run it - it's a little demanding. my pc runs it without skiping a beat. i don't normally rate games this If you like strategy and/or millitary games, this would be a good one to grab. only thing i don't like are the new naval battles, but you can sim them just as you would in the other total war games. i like the replay value with this one too. make sure your computer can run it - it's a little demanding. my pc runs it without skiping a beat. i don't normally rate games this high. last one before this to get a perfect score was rome: total war. before that, warcraft 3.… Expand
  62. DannyC
    May 22, 2009
    2
    Well 3 months down the line and despite never having a crash since day one the fact remains this game is just a totally broken mess.. CA must be the first company to issue patches that actually cause more problems than they fix so well done.. The patronising updates are now also getting beyond a joke.. I cant see CA ever releasing another TW PC game after this sham. Those who are giving Well 3 months down the line and despite never having a crash since day one the fact remains this game is just a totally broken mess.. CA must be the first company to issue patches that actually cause more problems than they fix so well done.. The patronising updates are now also getting beyond a joke.. I cant see CA ever releasing another TW PC game after this sham. Those who are giving it a 10 really must have there heads in cloud cuckoo land along with the critics or like a game with zero challenge, broken AI and pretty graphics.… Expand
  63. JackS
    May 21, 2009
    6
    The amount of CTD even after the latest patch during random instances is just unacceptable. Until this game crashs are reduced to at most once every 10 hours, my score on this game stands at a 6.
  64. Martin
    May 20, 2009
    8
    Well I played the total war series since medieval and i liked it...so i was looking forward to play this one, and it hits me. I know, the major savebug that deletes your former campaign is annoying, but i really like the new gameplay, the graphics and the naval battles...as for overpowered hardware you must have...well...my pc is a athlon 3500+ with a geforce 9600gt and 3 gig of ram, and Well I played the total war series since medieval and i liked it...so i was looking forward to play this one, and it hits me. I know, the major savebug that deletes your former campaign is annoying, but i really like the new gameplay, the graphics and the naval battles...as for overpowered hardware you must have...well...my pc is a athlon 3500+ with a geforce 9600gt and 3 gig of ram, and it works fine on med settings overall..so whats the point? 8 for the many minor bugs that i have been experienced, but overall a good and addictive game...oh yes, the ai is very, very stupid, even on hard setting, but well...its not that annoying...and i had steam before, so i dont know how people are bothering about...havent any problems about it since 2006.… Expand
  65. StanleyR
    May 20, 2009
    8
    Game is good , naval battles work , only problem is that AI is bad and acts idiotically sometimes , and btw , why you guys whine that Empire Total War is bad game if u cant go to play it if your steam doesn't launch it ??? Dont rate the game bad if u don't even know what is it like.
  66. Ali
    May 20, 2009
    5
    This is an awesome game, I'd have given it a ten. Unfortunately it's plagued with memory leaks and even on a high end computer you'll often find the campaign map slowing to an unplayable grind. For me this didn't occur till halfway through the grand campaign. I recommend you buy it, but make sure your store has a great returns policy, because half of you will be taking This is an awesome game, I'd have given it a ten. Unfortunately it's plagued with memory leaks and even on a high end computer you'll often find the campaign map slowing to an unplayable grind. For me this didn't occur till halfway through the grand campaign. I recommend you buy it, but make sure your store has a great returns policy, because half of you will be taking it back.… Expand
  67. AndreasH
    May 19, 2009
    9
    Great game , but it had and has many bugs thats not cool. and even doh i do play with the lowest settings it still lags sometimes! (i have amd dual core 6000+ 3Ghz and Nvidia XFX geforce 8600 GT and 2gb ram that is more than enough i think!).
  68. steveb
    May 18, 2009
    5
    Frequent crashes. I'm running a pretty robust Area 51 and I still get game play errors. The critics high marks are because they aren't really playing the game.....just looking at the game, and maybe playing the demo. I suspect it may be the Steam piece that is causing the issues, but I don't really know. Until that question is answered, I won't buy another Steam product.
  69. RustyR
    May 18, 2009
    10
    This is possibly one of the best ballanced and presented games I have played and it compares favorably with its previous versions (Rome and Medieval). The combination of grand-strategy and empire managment in a tun-based model with real-time tactical battles is probably the best way to present total global or theatre warfare and makes other so-called real-time strategy (no such thing) This is possibly one of the best ballanced and presented games I have played and it compares favorably with its previous versions (Rome and Medieval). The combination of grand-strategy and empire managment in a tun-based model with real-time tactical battles is probably the best way to present total global or theatre warfare and makes other so-called real-time strategy (no such thing) games look rediculous.… Expand
  70. AnonymousMC
    May 16, 2009
    5
    Great game if it wouldn't crash on every single campaign I have tried to finish thus far. Not sure if its a steam or game issue, either way it would be nice if they would fix the issues that cause the game to crash. Otherwise I would give this a much higher rating.
  71. stevenl
    May 16, 2009
    9
    Steam is crap. I am in Iraq and internet comes in at about 3kbs so having to do anything online is a pain. The game is good though and that is what this rating is for. For people dropping the low scores cause of steam, steam is not the game.
  72. OliverS
    May 16, 2009
    2
    A game full of bugs. You're not able to play this game without crashes and other bugs that make the gameplay horrible! Thank you CA!!!
  73. CharlieL
    May 15, 2009
    0
    What a pathetic attempt at copy protection once again. This is the whole reason I quit HL2. Do not force me to have internet to play a game offline. If I wanted to play an online game then I would have bought WOW. I am on dialup becuase the pwers that be think its fun to keep the rest of us in the 20th century so this update nonsense takes me hours and hours. This POS is going back to What a pathetic attempt at copy protection once again. This is the whole reason I quit HL2. Do not force me to have internet to play a game offline. If I wanted to play an online game then I would have bought WOW. I am on dialup becuase the pwers that be think its fun to keep the rest of us in the 20th century so this update nonsense takes me hours and hours. This POS is going back to where it came.… Expand
  74. SamM
    May 15, 2009
    9
    Ok, first things first, I'm not sure how you can rate a game because of Steam and also the game might crash either a, because your computers crap or b, you have been a noob and are trying to run a new graphics card on unstable drivers. This game is awsome and Steam has never let me down the sheer power that empire total war delivers is outstanding and amazing whilst the graphics are Ok, first things first, I'm not sure how you can rate a game because of Steam and also the game might crash either a, because your computers crap or b, you have been a noob and are trying to run a new graphics card on unstable drivers. This game is awsome and Steam has never let me down the sheer power that empire total war delivers is outstanding and amazing whilst the graphics are breathtaking and with no crash in sight for me. This game is easily best downloaded outside of Steam since I do know that Steam can sometimes have problems downloading instantly (GTA 4 was a bit of a hassle for me). But I give Steam a good rating and I disagree with people saying it's bad 9 times out of 10 its either a, your internet connection or b, your computer. This is an awsome game and earns its place within the history books of gaming!… Expand
  75. KurtL
    May 14, 2009
    10
    Like Bryan said, I don't know why all of you are whining. Get new computers. I have a 2 1/2 year old computer with an 8600gt, 1gig of ram, and a 3.2ghz singlecore. The game runs flawlessly on medium settings. Ive only crashed twice. Sure, when the game came out it was really glitchy, but there has been patches and its really improved.
  76. AndrewD
    May 14, 2009
    10
    This game rocks!!! Plan and simple. Sure some bugs are their but if you save often, which the game does for you, then just go back and dont repeat the move go on one turn and NO PROBLEM. The battles are fun, the campaign challenging, and the new streamlined diplomacy helps tremendously. Way to go Total War!!!!
  77. RyanC
    May 14, 2009
    9
    It takes a little while to get used to the interface (especially if you've played the Total War series in the past) but I've got to say it is probably one of the best games, if not the best game, in that series.
  78. JanusA
    May 14, 2009
    2
    I bought the game expecting a great follow-up to the previous TW series. MAny of the ideas in the game seem well thought-up, but the game is so bug-ridden and have so poor campaign and combat AI that it needs more than a few small patches to fix it.
  79. JonathanC
    May 14, 2009
    6
    Behind the issues with Steam, CTD's, gliches there is a serious question mark over the playability of the game at the strategic level due to the complexity of what the game is trying to re-create. There are fantastic graphics and the naval battles are especially dramatic but the game is not for thefainthearted and irrational AI dilpomacy and behaviour on the battlefield marrs the Behind the issues with Steam, CTD's, gliches there is a serious question mark over the playability of the game at the strategic level due to the complexity of what the game is trying to re-create. There are fantastic graphics and the naval battles are especially dramatic but the game is not for thefainthearted and irrational AI dilpomacy and behaviour on the battlefield marrs the experience. If you can pick up a cheap copy as I did then the game is worth playing for the battles alone, but be prepared for some throughtly annoying bugs and an unchallenging AI.… Expand
  80. Revived
    May 14, 2009
    3
    I want to say that the developer is seriously lost its credibility is releasing crude product. I think that if it will continue to pursue a bold company can change the course of action is to think about the shareholders of the company.
  81. screamingeagle
    May 13, 2009
    0
    At least some of you guys got to play the game.ive yet to get past the STEAM LOADING!!!! i was just looking around at best buy one day and i saw this game.(mind you i dont usually just buy a game right off the bat).but when i saw it i thought COOL!! this is the game ive been waiting for. plus i saw it was from creative assembly so i trusted it because theyve been known for good games like At least some of you guys got to play the game.ive yet to get past the STEAM LOADING!!!! i was just looking around at best buy one day and i saw this game.(mind you i dont usually just buy a game right off the bat).but when i saw it i thought COOL!! this is the game ive been waiting for. plus i saw it was from creative assembly so i trusted it because theyve been known for good games like ROME TW. im sure that it is a good game,its just that steam s#$% that they put it on is ruining there reputation. i mean,i bought,i should be able to play it when ever i want to.thats the last time i will ever buy a game from them as long as they have steam with it. and i will tell other fellow gamers to do the same as well.… Expand
  82. TroyG
    May 13, 2009
    0
    Any game that after being released for over 2 months still has CTD issues it has failed to deliver in my opinion. Hands down the worst MADE total war released by a long margin.
  83. JamesA.
    May 13, 2009
    9
    The gameplay is great for the most part, I still would have liked to see more depth in the options of diplomacy. You should note most of the negative user reviews come from people who either just dislike Steam, or experienced their share of crashes. The game has been heavily patched though, and the bulk of their complaints are therefore irrelevant.
  84. PoorFool
    May 12, 2009
    4
    Game looks like it might be cool but i cant get past steam yet to play it... its crashed on me twice and when it finally started working it said i have to download a crapload of patches before it will 'allow' me to play(guess the game was so crappy they dont want you to see how it was when they released it, lol). Yeah, thats a good way to keep me interested Creative Assembly. Game looks like it might be cool but i cant get past steam yet to play it... its crashed on me twice and when it finally started working it said i have to download a crapload of patches before it will 'allow' me to play(guess the game was so crappy they dont want you to see how it was when they released it, lol). Yeah, thats a good way to keep me interested Creative Assembly. not to mention i wont be able to play this at my friends house who doesnt have i-net.… Expand
  85. AndrewS
    May 12, 2009
    4
    Of all the Total War games released, Empire: Total War ranks the worst. More than simply being unfinished (we've discovered incomplete features, inactive, but left in the game code) ETW is plagued with bugs, CTDs, and general poor optimization that results in long turn times on the strategic map. A.I. is nonsensical and poorly implemented. Graphics look worse than the previous Total Of all the Total War games released, Empire: Total War ranks the worst. More than simply being unfinished (we've discovered incomplete features, inactive, but left in the game code) ETW is plagued with bugs, CTDs, and general poor optimization that results in long turn times on the strategic map. A.I. is nonsensical and poorly implemented. Graphics look worse than the previous Total War titles yet demand far more out of your video card. No blood in tactical battles. A poor game through and through. Everyone involved in the development of this game should be ashamed of themselves for releasing such a blatantly terrible game. The professional reviewers giving this game ridiculously high scores have lost their integrity and should resign from their positions. Clearly they did not actually play this game for more than a few minutes and have cost people quite a bit of money. For Shame.… Expand
  86. RickG
    May 11, 2009
    7
    Graphics very good... The idea was awesome... But the only thing that sucks is you need internet not only to activate the game, but to download and constantly updating the game to play, the reliance on the internet is the ONLY major problem with the game... So if the Total War series comes up with another like this although I am looking forward to it... I WILL NOT BUY IT!!! Because it Graphics very good... The idea was awesome... But the only thing that sucks is you need internet not only to activate the game, but to download and constantly updating the game to play, the reliance on the internet is the ONLY major problem with the game... So if the Total War series comes up with another like this although I am looking forward to it... I WILL NOT BUY IT!!! Because it will be a waste of money unless you have internet or if you need the internet and steam.… Expand
  87. BryanD
    May 11, 2009
    10
    I dont know what your all crying about. if your crappy comp cant run the game dont give it a low score. Works fine for me and i have a 2 year old vista so stop ur wining. great battles fun gameplay its hard at first but overall a great game. cant see how you dont like it unless you can run it... and thats y it has such a low score.
  88. MikeA
    May 10, 2009
    0
    I have played all the total war games and have been impressed. When I heard they were going to release empire I was very excited. That was until I purchased the game and it flat out just doesnt work on my computer. The game itself looks really cool, but I'm just going to have to return it....shit is just to much of a hastle and I feel like CA could have done a better job in creating I have played all the total war games and have been impressed. When I heard they were going to release empire I was very excited. That was until I purchased the game and it flat out just doesnt work on my computer. The game itself looks really cool, but I'm just going to have to return it....shit is just to much of a hastle and I feel like CA could have done a better job in creating a game that would work for everyone. VERY DISAPPOINTED.… Expand
  89. MattM
    May 10, 2009
    1
    I HATE STEAM!!!! I am very generous giving the game a one because it runs like a half retarded monkey was a developer. Almost nothing works on the campaign map. I have had this game and not once have been able to finish it due to the developers being half retarded monkeys. they could not stick with what worked on the other total wars.... I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!!
  90. joem
    May 10, 2009
    2
    This game had the possibility of being awesome, but it crashes every 10 mins, it's slow as can be (even on a quad core 6600, 8GB of RAM, GeForce 285, 3.5 TB of hard drive space). There is no way this game should receive the praise it's been getting. This is utterly unstable and unplayable.
  91. RodneyG
    May 10, 2009
    0
    Steam is no good at all I can never load the game without error messages such as steam is to busy to load now ? try later.
  92. JohnA
    May 9, 2009
    9
    I have read some harsh criticism from some users about Steam and other things about Empire. I think that Steam has it's pros and cons but about the game itself - it is awesome! I own all of the Total war games and I play them not so much as a hard core "gamer" but more as someone who likes historical type war games. I have loved all of the TW series and hope they come out with more, I have read some harsh criticism from some users about Steam and other things about Empire. I think that Steam has it's pros and cons but about the game itself - it is awesome! I own all of the Total war games and I play them not so much as a hard core "gamer" but more as someone who likes historical type war games. I have loved all of the TW series and hope they come out with more, maybe a TOTAL CIVIL WAR ;) . As for those who have critizied the historical accuracy of the games - it's close enough to be fun and I dare say that there is enough great content for most people (probably about 99%) to learn a thing or two. The only reason I did not give it a 10 was because of the bugs. I am pretty forgiving but it really was pretty bad in that respect, but I'm sure they will patch it all up and itI can be a 10 when they do. All in all great job to Creative Assembly. Thanks!!! By the way it occurs to me if enough people slam the game and sales aren't as good as they could be because of it they might not make anymore. Then what will I do?… Expand
  93. NickP
    May 8, 2009
    9
    Empire: Total War is a great game. It's opening stages had several issues: one for me was Steam. However, once the kinks are all worked out and since the updates have fixed a large number of crashes, Empire: Total War has matured into a wonderful game. The units move more realistically than any other Total War game and the several changes (especially to the economy) have made this Empire: Total War is a great game. It's opening stages had several issues: one for me was Steam. However, once the kinks are all worked out and since the updates have fixed a large number of crashes, Empire: Total War has matured into a wonderful game. The units move more realistically than any other Total War game and the several changes (especially to the economy) have made this game worth playing. I just hope the next time CA releases a game, they will have a significantly less number of bugs than Empire.… Expand
  94. MikeF
    May 8, 2009
    10
    What's good about this game has already been said. However, I do not think these low votes people have given it are fair just because they have crappy computers and are mad they can't play the game because of that. This game deserves the highest score out of any RTS. Just because you have a crappy computer and can't play the game doesn't mean the game is bad!
  95. MumarO
    May 8, 2009
    1
    This game is potentially incredible, the battles are excellent, but the campaign game is (even after the May 1 upgrades) filled with CTD points that make the game impossible to play. My machine is beyond perfect for this game, state of the art and up to date, its the campaign game and the coding, its just unbelievably bad. How did anyone ever sign this off in the condition it went out on This game is potentially incredible, the battles are excellent, but the campaign game is (even after the May 1 upgrades) filled with CTD points that make the game impossible to play. My machine is beyond perfect for this game, state of the art and up to date, its the campaign game and the coding, its just unbelievably bad. How did anyone ever sign this off in the condition it went out on DVD boxed or download and how can the upgrades have made things worse for CTD's than they already were? Poor testing, poor judgement and poor purchasers! Sega/creative get our money and we are left high and dry with a near useless game that may take months of work to put right. Not Good enough. I'd never buy a CA/Sega game again.… Expand
  96. Artyom
    May 7, 2009
    9
    I give it a 9 at of 10. It has some crash to desk top bugs, but the developer team is in full communication with the consumer base and works hard with patching bugs. The game experience is definitely fun, but not perfect. AI in campaign mode sometimes doesn't act smart like refusing peace no matter your offer for over a 100 years! Other than these flaws, this game has brought lined I give it a 9 at of 10. It has some crash to desk top bugs, but the developer team is in full communication with the consumer base and works hard with patching bugs. The game experience is definitely fun, but not perfect. AI in campaign mode sometimes doesn't act smart like refusing peace no matter your offer for over a 100 years! Other than these flaws, this game has brought lined combat and strategy of trading with countries to a very interesting level. I don't dare attack Great Britain not only due to their army, but they are my biggest trade partner. So I believe this game is great and will definitely mature into a classic Strategy Game.… Expand
  97. ChrisJ
    May 7, 2009
    0
    Great when it works (Campaign), but it often doesn't. Random crashes abound - I've even had several saved games that cause it to crash on continuing. In my view it - and its updates - are not fit for deployment (20+ years in the computer industry). AI is utterly inept - some nations build ships without end and do nothing with them, others do same for armies. In many campaigns Great when it works (Campaign), but it often doesn't. Random crashes abound - I've even had several saved games that cause it to crash on continuing. In my view it - and its updates - are not fit for deployment (20+ years in the computer industry). AI is utterly inept - some nations build ships without end and do nothing with them, others do same for armies. In many campaigns I've not once seen the AI send any GB expedition to India - even though its an objective. In fact, only Sweden has been to India under AI control!! AI also never seems to attempt to get rid of Pirates (of the Caribean), even though this is a key to successful trading and colony development. The developers need to go back to square one and test this properly, fix all the bugs - before doing anything else.… Expand
  98. AlexanderB
    May 7, 2009
    8
    This is a great game, but like everyone else has mentioned, the crashes still proved to be a huge downfall. Until the latest patch that is, where my system has not experienced a crash since. I have games from the very start to late 1780s and i havent crashed yet, so all in all my rating will be 8.
  99. JonC
    May 7, 2009
    3
    I waited for nearly 2 months before buying my once per year game. Paying £35 for the deluxe edition. The huge number of updates ruined the first game, the last one has left the game despite re-installations and technical support, literally unplayable after 10 turns, the beautifully presented and deeply playable game (when it works) just crashes and dies. When it worked, it was I waited for nearly 2 months before buying my once per year game. Paying £35 for the deluxe edition. The huge number of updates ruined the first game, the last one has left the game despite re-installations and technical support, literally unplayable after 10 turns, the beautifully presented and deeply playable game (when it works) just crashes and dies. When it worked, it was fabulous, the battles are fantastic, truly like nothing I have ever seen, but the campaign strategy game is simply awful. The look and feel is great but the AI is mad and inconsistent, utterly random and the economics seem to change unpredictably, you never know what's going on. Just as it all starts to get really involving the troops enter a city (not all cities, just regional capitals, the key to ownership) and bang, down it goes, goodbye game. I really do think Creative Assembly and Sega were insane to ruin this brand with a totally commercially unviable product that is leaving thousands seething. They simply cannot work hard or fast enough to put it right, if it ever can be.… Expand
  100. RyanH
    May 7, 2009
    0
    Voting a 0 because I feel that several who scored it a 9 or above either work for STEAM, Sega, CA and its affiliates or don't have any idea what a POS this "game" if I can call it so, is. AVOID AT ALL COST. Look for another game for fun. This is frustration in the making and I call it BUGS EMPIRE TOTAL SHIT and steaming horribly.
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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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