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. SteveQ
    May 6, 2009
    2
    The AI is about the worst in any game I've ever played. The AI can't invade by sea, thus leaving England impotent as an AI nation and invincible as a Player nation. It removes the point of having different continents and the whole point of the naval battles dissapear. The AI is not aggressive, does not use armies on the field properly (it can't figure out how to use The AI is about the worst in any game I've ever played. The AI can't invade by sea, thus leaving England impotent as an AI nation and invincible as a Player nation. It removes the point of having different continents and the whole point of the naval battles dissapear. The AI is not aggressive, does not use armies on the field properly (it can't figure out how to use artillery, cavalry and infantry TOGETHER) and after about 10 hours I realized the AI NEVER attacked my cities. This was a disgraceful release.… Expand
  2. marsu237T
    May 6, 2009
    0
    Just ridiculous... Spending 60USD on a game that bugs and crash constantly.... Actually this is the only certainty when you start playing... You now that whatever is to happen you will not FINISH the game...
    Used to be a TOTAL fan of total war series... Just not anymore this is MY LAST PURCHASE from this editor!!!!
  3. AnonymousMC
    May 5, 2009
    7
    I'll be very brief: When it works right, it's good. When it works wrong (which is more often than not, verifiable by posts on the Steam community and even Creative Assembly's own forums), it's terrible.

    The multiplayer support at the launch of the game and at the time of the review is sub-par to what most games had available in the late 1990's. If you are    I'll be very brief: When it works right, it's good. When it works wrong (which is more often than not, verifiable by posts on the Steam community and even Creative Assembly's own forums), it's terrible.

    The multiplayer support at the launch of the game and at the time of the review is sub-par to what most games had available in the late 1990's.
    If you are even considering buying this game, I suggest waiting for a few more months, in hopes that flaws are patched.    … Expand
  4. BryanK
    May 5, 2009
    3
    Since my one month old rig (with latest drivers etc) can't run this game without frequent random crashes I will have to give this game a very low score. The game is good when it works (7+) but when you can't play it due to massive instability issues, then there is no point in even having purchased it. I still have a little hope that CA will eventually make the game stable, but I Since my one month old rig (with latest drivers etc) can't run this game without frequent random crashes I will have to give this game a very low score. The game is good when it works (7+) but when you can't play it due to massive instability issues, then there is no point in even having purchased it. I still have a little hope that CA will eventually make the game stable, but I think it will be several months before that happens.… Expand
  5. GeorgeD
    May 4, 2009
    9
    One of the most detailed -- perhaps the most detailed -- strategy games ever released. It offers compelling real time strategy on the games battle fields. When not on the battlefields though, the game incorporates wonderfully complex turn based empire management. It combines some of the best elements from traditional RTS games with some of the best of the Civilization games. Truly worth One of the most detailed -- perhaps the most detailed -- strategy games ever released. It offers compelling real time strategy on the games battle fields. When not on the battlefields though, the game incorporates wonderfully complex turn based empire management. It combines some of the best elements from traditional RTS games with some of the best of the Civilization games. Truly worth any strategy gamers time.… Expand
  6. andrewL
    May 4, 2009
    1
    Problems Problems Play and wait for the crashes. My personal favourate is when you finish your turn, play though an hour of computer games turn to crash at the end of the last battle. wonderful....not.
  7. MikeF
    May 3, 2009
    4
    First off, what I liked about the game. I like how the Campaign has been changed from previous games. Where in METW2 you could only create 3 units per city and only one city per region the way recruitment and city building has been improved tremendously. Politics and Diplomacy are no longer a headache now either, rather than sending an Emissary across a continent only to have him First off, what I liked about the game. I like how the Campaign has been changed from previous games. Where in METW2 you could only create 3 units per city and only one city per region the way recruitment and city building has been improved tremendously. Politics and Diplomacy are no longer a headache now either, rather than sending an Emissary across a continent only to have him assassinated or unsuccesful the one click to the faction diplomacy screen is welcomed. The Campaign map is huge and the game does look very nice indeed. But and this is a big but, everything I've praised seems to result in problems. Mainly crashes to desktop. At first I could only get an hour of playing in, then after a few patches I had no problems. But then when I made it to the year 1780, I crashed every single time I pressed End Turn. People may say "That's because your system can't handle this game". To which I say WRONG. Between the CTD's I get a solid 60FPS. I have had no overheating problems and keep my computer up to date entirely. This game needs alot more polish, the latest patch addresses alot of crash issues but really because this has taking so long to fix, I have lost all interest in this game and Creative Assembly. It has really been a big dissapointment. At first I kept thinking that it's early stages for the game to be released, they'll realise that there are problems and they will release a patch as soon as they can. But now, really is this what companies are going to do in the future? Release bug ridden games to the public? Once more, games that can't be returned after installing because of having to register them? If you buy this game, just know that it has been a very rocky road and still is. I've been a TW fan since METW and this game just isn't up to standards with their previous titles. All in all, the gameplay is good, graphics are brilliant and it's just such a shame that it's just full of game breaking bugs.… Expand
  8. SakariM.
    May 2, 2009
    0
    This game is the biggest game disspointment I have ever experienced. The game is completely unplayable, it is ridiculous. I wont state all that is wrong because it has already been said, but what truly has me aghast is that every single media reviewer has praised this game to the stars. I can barely play this game for an hour before I get too frustrated to continue. I am never trusting This game is the biggest game disspointment I have ever experienced. The game is completely unplayable, it is ridiculous. I wont state all that is wrong because it has already been said, but what truly has me aghast is that every single media reviewer has praised this game to the stars. I can barely play this game for an hour before I get too frustrated to continue. I am never trusting reviewers of games again, they are untrustworthy liars. One of my favourite examples of its ridiculousness? Pre-release they boasted of their amazing motion capture "period authentic" melee. Melee is just a buggery mess with a few poorly synced bayonet duels. Wheres my muddy and bloody brawl?… Expand
  9. KoteeO
    May 1, 2009
    10
    I am not a fan of RTS games at all. I have tried 10 to 20 of them in the last few years. However, this game is amazing! The graphics, the attention to detail, and the gameplay is fun fun fun! I have not even tried multiplayer yet...I'm addicted!
  10. SR
    May 1, 2009
    5
    I bought the disc version of this and from 1707 the game kept crashing, so I would leave it a while and carry on and it seemed to clear. Now I have got as far as 1711 and when I resolve my turn it gets stuck halfway through. I have wasted a lot of time on what is basically a beautiful, addictive but horrendously flawed game. I note no one from the manufacturers has explained why the game I bought the disc version of this and from 1707 the game kept crashing, so I would leave it a while and carry on and it seemed to clear. Now I have got as far as 1711 and when I resolve my turn it gets stuck halfway through. I have wasted a lot of time on what is basically a beautiful, addictive but horrendously flawed game. I note no one from the manufacturers has explained why the game keeps crashing. I got rid of the boxed version and am now downloading it again from the site. THIS IS A STUNNING 10/10, let down by the constant faults. Maybe it is the STEAM aspect I don't know, but if this download doesn't work, I will be removing it and STEAM from my PC and never buying another Total War game again. Sorry guys.… Expand
  11. Renaldi
    May 1, 2009
    9
    I give it a nine because I would never give a perfect score to any game. empire Total War is the grandest Total War game ever. The campaign map is really global. with Europe, mid east, America and India available for land conquest and South America, Ivory Coast and East Indies available as trade regions. The gameplay is great, the scope of the game is so wide that it probably needs at I give it a nine because I would never give a perfect score to any game. empire Total War is the grandest Total War game ever. The campaign map is really global. with Europe, mid east, America and India available for land conquest and South America, Ivory Coast and East Indies available as trade regions. The gameplay is great, the scope of the game is so wide that it probably needs at least a few months to try all the factions in campaign. The naval battle is also great. Ships could blow up into pieces because they did in RL. Imo this game is a must have for anyone who thinks that he or she is a 17th century history buffs and anyone who simply appreciate a terrific game(they don't come often).… Expand
  12. AMC
    Apr 29, 2009
    3
    2 months in this game is as unstable as it was at launch. It has the potential to be the game of the year, if not the decade. Essentially it is a bug ridden mess that should ahve been tested for another 6 months. Looks like SEGA stuffed up the TW series by shoving this down our throats. Also...WHY DOES IT NEED STEAM? 90% of customers will buy this for the single player Grand Campaign.
  13. NovahawkA
    Apr 29, 2009
    0
    Hmm ok where to begin my review. Installing ...installing...silence...nothing happens...ahh ....installing...Blue screen...wtf!!! file missing what!!? Please reinstall 11.3 GB game. wtf!!! after 2 hours of trying to install I gave up. Steaming and angry at CA and SEGA and Gamespy "review" . What a load of crap. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Someone ought to sue all of them and give Hmm ok where to begin my review. Installing ...installing...silence...nothing happens...ahh ....installing...Blue screen...wtf!!! file missing what!!? Please reinstall 11.3 GB game. wtf!!! after 2 hours of trying to install I gave up. Steaming and angry at CA and SEGA and Gamespy "review" . What a load of crap. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Someone ought to sue all of them and give them a piece of their mind for this outrageous stunt they pulled. Thanks to them, I will save money from buying future crap made by them and spend it on the things that works for me. And I hope someone will put these guys out of business for good and in Jail.… Expand
  14. MortenB
    Apr 29, 2009
    4
    I haven't had any chrashes after updatin Display driver. The look and feel of the game is really good. The tactical part, both land and sea look just great, and here the AI plays OK, not really smart, but OK. But on the strategic level the AI is a disaster! It makes the most stupid decissions, and when you add the fact that i NEVER moves troops by sea, not even to defend, and it I haven't had any chrashes after updatin Display driver. The look and feel of the game is really good. The tactical part, both land and sea look just great, and here the AI plays OK, not really smart, but OK. But on the strategic level the AI is a disaster! It makes the most stupid decissions, and when you add the fact that i NEVER moves troops by sea, not even to defend, and it NEVER makes peace with enemies, it really ruins the challenge. It feels like they have used the AI from 15 years old 2. rate game. I have played 2 campains and I'm really too bored to start a new. What a shame.… Expand
  15. mattm
    Apr 29, 2009
    5
    They haven't finished it ,to be honest when i playey mtw2 it had loades of cool historical battles and the AI was clever. Empire truggled to run with better than recommended requirements on vista. Online play is cool but every time you log on it's shoved in my face and starts opening windows because i'm not connected to steam. The AI makes a basic line almost every time They haven't finished it ,to be honest when i playey mtw2 it had loades of cool historical battles and the AI was clever. Empire truggled to run with better than recommended requirements on vista. Online play is cool but every time you log on it's shoved in my face and starts opening windows because i'm not connected to steam. The AI makes a basic line almost every time unless you have a army of pure calvery and the frame rate is laborious. The only reason i gave it a 5 is because AI on navel command is spot on, the ships are picture perfect and enemy commanders are adaptable and intelligent. Other than some ships crashing together when in formation it's good. But that only happens when i finally get to it.… Expand
  16. richardm
    Apr 29, 2009
    0
    Buggy piece of crap is all this is. And no i dont hate Steam. I just hate buying a game that gets ratings of 10's from major magazines and sites only to find out the game is less fun than checkers. AI is HORRIBLE and too many bugs for me. anyone that says different is a fanboy because ETW is BUGGY as heck for EVERYONE. AVOID!!
  17. richardmorgan
    Apr 29, 2009
    1
    What can I say about this buggy piece of sh*t! Believe the negativity because its all true and more. Heck, go to the forums and you will notice 75%(being generous) of customers are having MAJOR problems with it. The main reason I give it a 1 is because all the PAID reviews giving it a 90%. You gotta be fukin kiddin me. Stick with the older TW games this one is ass.
  18. TimothyW
    Apr 28, 2009
    1
    This is a really bad game. I bought it, and I was all excited, but there are so many bugs and the gameplay is boring and tedious to the point that I haven't touched it in about a month. I was waiting for them to patch it, but so far they still haven't fixed all the issues as of 04 - 28 - 09 - Over a month after they released it. I'm particularly annoyed by their new This is a really bad game. I bought it, and I was all excited, but there are so many bugs and the gameplay is boring and tedious to the point that I haven't touched it in about a month. I was waiting for them to patch it, but so far they still haven't fixed all the issues as of 04 - 28 - 09 - Over a month after they released it. I'm particularly annoyed by their new building setup where you basically have no choice but to build what they tell you to build, and some towns and villages only let you build one thing. It makes no sense! I'm the King and if I want a stable in the middle of the frozen tundra, then I'm going to build it there! Damn you, SEGA, for ruining the Total War Series, I truly think you have sunk your own ship. (The addition of naval battles is the best thing about this game and that's why it earns 1 point.)… Expand
  19. ChrisS
    Apr 28, 2009
    1
    I bought this game and was genuinely excited as a seasoned TW player and multiplayer online enthusiast. How I was dissapointed. The support for online players on MTWII was frankly dreadfull and basically led to me putting the game back on the shelf once the campaigns and 6 months of online playing was up. I played RTW BI online for years! Now this, I havent had much trouble with the bugs I bought this game and was genuinely excited as a seasoned TW player and multiplayer online enthusiast. How I was dissapointed. The support for online players on MTWII was frankly dreadfull and basically led to me putting the game back on the shelf once the campaigns and 6 months of online playing was up. I played RTW BI online for years! Now this, I havent had much trouble with the bugs or steam I just find the game play boring. Running musket men into range and then doing the slow reload and fire routine before the bayonet charge is fun for the 1st half dozen battles and then you start auto resolving. The battles are what TW games are about IMO you can get similar campaign experiences but nobody else has ever acheived the unit balance and the real time battle engine that prevoius TW games had. This is woefull. I have played it for around 6 hours and have no appetite for more it bores me senseless and to cap it all I'm stuck with it, no trade in's or returns for me thanks to the registering. The last time I'll ever buy a game on release day, although i've had no problemms technically other than long load times I would have never gone near this having read the comments lamenting the now sadly horrific support provided for this series. They would do well to rehire the guys that were involved with RTW and BI for the next in the series, they've got our money now for this shocker so should be able to afford it!… Expand
  20. JC
    Apr 28, 2009
    10
    Great game exactly what i was expecting not sure what everyone is moaning about have played alot and haven't noticed any major bugs or had any other problems. Steam isn't too bad, a lot of people should have this already not half as annoying as installing gta4. If you liked previous total war titles you will like this, units do get a bit samey after a while but there are also a Great game exactly what i was expecting not sure what everyone is moaning about have played alot and haven't noticed any major bugs or had any other problems. Steam isn't too bad, a lot of people should have this already not half as annoying as installing gta4. If you liked previous total war titles you will like this, units do get a bit samey after a while but there are also a lot of naval units. The campaign mode will entertain you for hours have been playing a long campaign and after several weeks of playing haven't quite reached the half way mark, hoping lots of other nations will be unlocked once completed as before. A great way to kill the time.… Expand
  21. MauroB
    Apr 27, 2009
    4
    Unfortunately there are a lot of bugs that need to be fixed. AI is not as good as expected. The software is demanding too many hardware resources, even if I have 3 Gb Ram, ATI 4870 and a good dual core processor, the Game is not running smoothly. It is really a pity, due to the Game is really good, maybe we have to wait for a couple of patches, anyhow my advice is to wait for a few months Unfortunately there are a lot of bugs that need to be fixed. AI is not as good as expected. The software is demanding too many hardware resources, even if I have 3 Gb Ram, ATI 4870 and a good dual core processor, the Game is not running smoothly. It is really a pity, due to the Game is really good, maybe we have to wait for a couple of patches, anyhow my advice is to wait for a few months before buying Empire Total War (when it will cost 15 euro), and in general I raccomend to avoid Steam-like games (due to I would like to avoid to connect to Steam every time I want to play .. I don't have an internet flat contract).… Expand
  22. Karolis
    Apr 27, 2009
    8
    A great game, lacks some sound maybe. Because they weren't only playing drums while marching, there were flutes and all kinds of stuff. A bunch of bugs, and some balance issues. Overall a freakin awesome game! i bought it, and i suggest others to do it
  23. EamonA
    Apr 27, 2009
    3
    Very disappointing game to actually play. Crashes all the time for me as I get into the middle stages of the campaign game and I have the most expensive notebook Gateway makes. The AI is silly. Why would very weak countries attack very strong countries? If the AI never puts troops on ships, does that not mean that playing England is rather safe? But, in the end, the crashes just drove me Very disappointing game to actually play. Crashes all the time for me as I get into the middle stages of the campaign game and I have the most expensive notebook Gateway makes. The AI is silly. Why would very weak countries attack very strong countries? If the AI never puts troops on ships, does that not mean that playing England is rather safe? But, in the end, the crashes just drove me out of every game.… Expand
  24. IanB
    Apr 27, 2009
    9
    Not quite perfection but very close. The Naval element, although a bit basic, is the bit that takes it up a level against other Total War games. It's tie-in with Steam seems unnecessary and causes difficulties if there is a problem with the internet. It would be interesting to include a squad-level element (land) or individual Captain in a fleet (sea).
  25. ChrisC
    Apr 27, 2009
    4
    For the glut of people voting 10 on the game down at the bottom of this list, and then complaining about people 'ruining the games user rating' with low scores, shame on you. You obviously either a) haven't played the game for any length of time to see what all the bug fuss is about or b) happen to have the one working game platform I'll guess the game was initially For the glut of people voting 10 on the game down at the bottom of this list, and then complaining about people 'ruining the games user rating' with low scores, shame on you. You obviously either a) haven't played the game for any length of time to see what all the bug fuss is about or b) happen to have the one working game platform I'll guess the game was initially designed around or c) you're employed by SEGA or STEAM and they are urging you to put these two sentence, 10-score ratings in here to try to pull a fast one on the public. And here, I thought SONY was the only gaming company content to shove unfinished games onto the market and then laugh at all the unknowing, paying public BETA testers, but apparently not. CTD issues abound, and saving the game before an anticipated CTD won't save you, either, as the game won't show that save on the load game screen afterwards. I wouldn't even begrudge them the use of the STEAM thing to try to keep their product their own, I suppose, but to release a game that so obviously needs at least 6 more months if not a year of solid playtesting is almost unforgiveable, particularly when you take a title that has been known for quality in the past and drag its good name into the dirt like this. I give this game a 4 instead of a 0 b/c, as other people have pointed out, it has the POTENTIAL to be up there with the greatest of TW games. However, it is nowhere near that point in its present state. If you have been a serious TW fan (like so many here who have already posted), my advice is to wait a good 6 months for the smoke and the bs to clear - then check the forums to see if this is finally a worthwhile purchase.… Expand
  26. keithc
    Apr 25, 2009
    0
    1.) problems with the ships getting stuck or "disappearing from the game" even thou' you can see it on screen many a problem when in trading mode. 2.) slightly disappointed that you can only uses a single army to face each other unlike Med' War 2 with multi armies facing each other. In this game the "extra" army come in as replacement which make game play difficult and weird 1.) problems with the ships getting stuck or "disappearing from the game" even thou' you can see it on screen many a problem when in trading mode. 2.) slightly disappointed that you can only uses a single army to face each other unlike Med' War 2 with multi armies facing each other. In this game the "extra" army come in as replacement which make game play difficult and weird 3.)Another area which is a difficult is trying to place your troops behind a wall crouching. Then to crouch with their back against the enemy! 4.)The worse bit in the game is you own artillery they have a very bad tendencies of regularly killing your own side more than they do to the enemy. 5.)disappointed by the "towns" compared to Med War 2 these "cites" look more like hamlets. Took a while to get uses to it. 6.)Problem with troops getting stuck coming out of the fort, many artillery troops and sometime when that happens the troops go haywire and have a mind of their own. 7.)Problems with the game crushing after you finish a long battles and you get really pissed off after routing the enemy and having to play the same battle again only for it to crash again. 8.)No option in deleting game saved on "stream" so you end up with loads of game that you can't get rid off. 9.)Good point are the sea battles but the game tend to crash after capturing the enemy ships. 10.)like the idea of getting troops inside buildings but not all buildings on the map which is a disappointment. 11.)Not sure about the "none" mobile artillery guns and unlimited artillery supply. 12.)In all it's good game, the only real plus is the Ship battles which is outstanding if the game didn't crash so often. So I'm giving it a "0" to off set those "10" given by some people.… Expand
  27. LukeM.
    Apr 25, 2009
    10
    Best Game Ever!!!!
  28. BarneyW
    Apr 25, 2009
    9
    A fantastic entry to the series raising the bar in terms of visuals and scale. Those complaining about steam or it needing a powerful computer shouldent lower their review scores based on that as it isnt anything to do with how the game actually plays. A few technical issues mar the game though (crashes and a few graphical bugs) and the siege battles are less than impressive. This is made A fantastic entry to the series raising the bar in terms of visuals and scale. Those complaining about steam or it needing a powerful computer shouldent lower their review scores based on that as it isnt anything to do with how the game actually plays. A few technical issues mar the game though (crashes and a few graphical bugs) and the siege battles are less than impressive. This is made up for in every other field though such as the brutal (and stunning) naval battles and the fantastic implementation of the artillery. AI has been massivly improved as well although there are some instances where the pathfinding might break down and the diplomacy AI isnt all that better. Overall it is a game that deserves they title, "Masterpiece" but falls just short due to some technical errors and a few pathfinding glitches.… Expand
  29. KimSandberg
    Apr 25, 2009
    3
    This would be a great game, but eventhough it is on its 3rd or 4th patch it still is unplayable. It crashes to desktop all the time, nomatter if i play it on vista, or my 2 other XP installations.

    This is definately the last time i buy a game from this company
  30. MiaE
    Apr 23, 2009
    0
    I will no longer pre-order games. A lesson learned with this POS. It's time to play with piracy copies maybe the makers will take notice and mend their ways. 0 for a terrible experience with ETW. I have returned it to the store.
  31. HenryL
    Apr 23, 2009
    1
    I have to agree with Steve W; specifically because of the Steam software installation process and the fact that nowhere on the external box does it state that you will be required to use this s/ware to install, let alone play the game. This goes beyond sad, it's an infringement on the basic human rights of gamers to be able to play standalone games without having Steram inflicted I have to agree with Steve W; specifically because of the Steam software installation process and the fact that nowhere on the external box does it state that you will be required to use this s/ware to install, let alone play the game. This goes beyond sad, it's an infringement on the basic human rights of gamers to be able to play standalone games without having Steram inflicted thereupon. A class action ought to be brought against The Creative Assembly and Sega for this puerility! Further, the fact atht you need to be connected to the net to download the Special Forces, only when you reach a certain level, who the hell do you think you are? Particularly, in light of the fact that the back of the box clearly states that you only need a net connection to activate. Nothing there about the crapola you find out whilst installing. Oh, and the System Requirements, well they're not only a load of crap but barely visible. All this Before you even get to play the game. The front of the box has an M rating, stating Battle & Violence, in my opinion, this is exactly what should be perpetrated upon tCA/Sega, Steam and Valve.… Expand
  32. RyanR
    Apr 23, 2009
    1
    Unplayable, buggy, crashes, blue screen wtf!, AI is retarded, Sea battles more frustrations then your own mother in law. Shall I go on? This game if I can call it so is garbage that needs lot of chlorine to wash away to even not be as good as the buggiest game out there. Do not support the makers of this "game". Instead, go spend 70 bucks on stuff you truly enjoy, this isn't it.
  33. AnonymousMC
    Apr 22, 2009
    2
    Bugs, bugs, bugs; bugs everywhere. How sad is it that you actually hope that the game will just crash quickly, instead of hanging your system, before you can try again.
    Please give me a copy of the game the official reviewers had, so I can also wax lyrical about it.
  34. JamesH
    Apr 22, 2009
    1
    This game still isn't complete. It will cause a game crash on the 15th turn on the grand campaign every time during the AI turn. There's something that the AI is doing that will constantly cause an error. Add to that the fact that the AI is about as dumb as can be, that the number of unit differences is minimal, the loading times are very high, and it lacks anything fun.
  35. FletcherS
    Apr 21, 2009
    0
    This game was broke from day 1 and after numerous patches it is still broke. I have a good rig, all the other 'new' games run just fine, but ETW crashes consistently during campaigns: Attack specific town= crash. Enter specific territory= crash. I just uninstalled the game, as it is a waste of my hard drive space. This is false advertising at its worst. But I guess the company This game was broke from day 1 and after numerous patches it is still broke. I have a good rig, all the other 'new' games run just fine, but ETW crashes consistently during campaigns: Attack specific town= crash. Enter specific territory= crash. I just uninstalled the game, as it is a waste of my hard drive space. This is false advertising at its worst. But I guess the company is happy because they receive no reprisal and make tons of money on an unfinished game.… Expand
  36. DerrickS
    Apr 21, 2009
    4
    It looks great on paper. It looks absolutely amazing on paper. Unfortunately this is a PC game, not one played on paper. There is an absolute deluge of bugs which range from rending the game unplayable to making it just not fun. Examples include save files becoming corrupted, the AI not having the ability to attack over the ocean, units gladly firing into their own lines, cannons going It looks great on paper. It looks absolutely amazing on paper. Unfortunately this is a PC game, not one played on paper. There is an absolute deluge of bugs which range from rending the game unplayable to making it just not fun. Examples include save files becoming corrupted, the AI not having the ability to attack over the ocean, units gladly firing into their own lines, cannons going off whether you tell them to or not, numerous sound bugs, the list goes on. To top it off most of the countries play just about the same, with the same units (different names) and not-unlockable minor nations. They also took out things like family trees. Aside from the terrible AI battles are pretty fun. The graphics are good and the underlying mechanics are good. I like how cities develop more in this one than in MW. Overall I'd wait a while before buying this. It's at least one major patch away from being any real fun at all, and likely an expansion away from realizing it's potential.… Expand
  37. VladM
    Apr 21, 2009
    2
    I have been a fan of the series since Shogun. So far the each new release was a triumph. While being rather sceptic towards changes introduced in "Rome", I had finally started liking the new campaign map. Unfortunatelly the newest game is not what I expected to get for my 30 quid. AI sucks big time. I have single handedly kicked around all the countries in Europe on the highest level I have been a fan of the series since Shogun. So far the each new release was a triumph. While being rather sceptic towards changes introduced in "Rome", I had finally started liking the new campaign map. Unfortunatelly the newest game is not what I expected to get for my 30 quid. AI sucks big time. I have single handedly kicked around all the countries in Europe on the highest level without even ONE putting up a decent fight. Campaign map is very difficult to read. And the "steam"... well I was not impressed by the instalation process. I am depressed now. I was SO looking forward to this game... Luckily I still have MTW2 installed. Back to the real game.… Expand
  38. cedrickF
    Apr 21, 2009
    6
    I'm a Totalwar games fan. Let's says an addict as I spent more than 1000 hours on the first games (from shogun to Mtw2). For now I'm very disapointed with Empire . This could be a great game but as the things are for now, we have a "Colonial empire building game" where the AI DON'T NO HOW TO embarq and disembarq troops !!! Let's say the game is less challenging I'm a Totalwar games fan. Let's says an addict as I spent more than 1000 hours on the first games (from shogun to Mtw2). For now I'm very disapointed with Empire . This could be a great game but as the things are for now, we have a "Colonial empire building game" where the AI DON'T NO HOW TO embarq and disembarq troops !!! Let's say the game is less challenging with this bug. And it's really not the only one.… Expand
  39. JeromeS
    Apr 21, 2009
    10
    All people who gave this game below ~5 are complete retards. Any who criticised Steam are complete retards. Shut your whore mouth and quit complaining about DRM that isn't there. Steam is the saviour of PC gaming, not DRM you retard.
  40. andyc
    Apr 20, 2009
    7
    It looks great no denying that but the it just doesnt provide the emersion of the previous incarnations. The land based warfare is adequate but awkward and the sea based combat is clunky and slow. The main map screen has a lot more going on which works to some degree, forcing you to take a more proactive approach to playing the game but at the same time somehow the added complexities It looks great no denying that but the it just doesnt provide the emersion of the previous incarnations. The land based warfare is adequate but awkward and the sea based combat is clunky and slow. The main map screen has a lot more going on which works to some degree, forcing you to take a more proactive approach to playing the game but at the same time somehow the added complexities detract from the enjoyment usually garned from the riskesque portions. In all this game is impressive and a technical achievement but also a disappointment.… Expand
  41. NicM
    Apr 19, 2009
    10
    First..... Steve W....... 1) im playing france and the spanish have no qualms with sending invasion force after invasion force into the west coast on ships.... even if they didn't include enough men to do anything other than run around torching villages. 2) So what if they changed the layout of the campaign map? You get used to it. 3) yea i guess.... although if you have issues withFirst..... Steve W....... 1) im playing france and the spanish have no qualms with sending invasion force after invasion force into the west coast on ships.... even if they didn't include enough men to do anything other than run around torching villages. 2) So what if they changed the layout of the campaign map? You get used to it. 3) yea i guess.... although if you have issues with the packaging of a game.....
    My only real problem with this game is that the seiges are a dissapointment... what happened to cities being in the CENTER of the battle map eh? and why does the capital of Austria look like a fort when attacked?

    Im giving this a ten to try and lift it up from all these unwarranted ones and twos    … Expand
  42. DougH
    Apr 19, 2009
    5
    Boring. Not bad, but boring. That about sums it up. Ignore the reviewers, the player base knows what it is talking about. Yes, it features the American War of Independence. If that is enough of a reason to buy a game go and watch ID4 - it's cheaper and requires less mental work or frustration. This era of combat highlights the weakest points of an engine that was design for the Boring. Not bad, but boring. That about sums it up. Ignore the reviewers, the player base knows what it is talking about. Yes, it features the American War of Independence. If that is enough of a reason to buy a game go and watch ID4 - it's cheaper and requires less mental work or frustration. This era of combat highlights the weakest points of an engine that was design for the fast-paced, fluid and, above all, clever nature of warfare in feudal Japan. It's MTW with only archers and catapults. Cavalry have a huge sign over their heads saying "Kill me". So you line up your archers, they line up theirs and it's attrition time. Like WWI without the machine guns. Boring and depressing. Don't even get me started on the AI tactical behaviour in seiges or when they're under enfilade fire or when deploying to remote corners of the map, cunningly avoiding any concentration of force. It is impossible to move units through towns or along the seige walls - the game will just ignore you half of the time. I see this as a direct result of what the game engine was meant to do, and this is not it.… Expand
  43. ChrisN
    Apr 19, 2009
    1
    I never did this before but I've had such a horrible experience with this game that I could not help myself. All the "critics" must be playing a different game than the one I bought. First and the most infuriating of all is the AI. Out of all the total war games I have played in the past I can never remember it being so bad. The units are often unresponsive to your commands and when I never did this before but I've had such a horrible experience with this game that I could not help myself. All the "critics" must be playing a different game than the one I bought. First and the most infuriating of all is the AI. Out of all the total war games I have played in the past I can never remember it being so bad. The units are often unresponsive to your commands and when you do manage go get them to do what you want they usually have terrible pathing. Try taking a enemy fort without any cannons to see what I mean. Tell your units to grapple the wall and what usually happens is a few of them bounce up and down the rope while the rest of them sit at the base of the wall doing nothing. It's an exercise in frustration. Next is the load times. I don't know if it's just my computer or what but it takes upwards of 2 mins sometimes for a battle to load. Add it to the fact that after your AI does another idiotic thing and costs you a battle that you want to reload it. You spend more time at loading screens than actually playing the game. I don't know if this game was rushed out or something but it feels unfinished and it is almost unplayable in it's current state. And this is even after the patches downloaded from steam. In closing, I just want to give a big F.U. to all the people who had anything to do with this terrible, half-assed, pile of garbage. I used to like this series very much but after wasting 50$ on this embarrassment I will not be buying any more total war games in the future.… Expand
  44. PeteB
    Apr 18, 2009
    1
    This game doesent play properly and it crashes continually- I cant understand how anyone can say it is good!! You are lucky to finish a couple of campaign moves before a crash. Avoid at all costs.
  45. AnonymousMC
    Apr 18, 2009
    3
    AI is awful. Units tend to get stuck and not move. Units have to actually rotate formation to fire another direction. Did I say AI is awful. The game is slow and turn based (not mentioned in the description). I spent 50 and 5 hours downloading this pile of code. Thanks for all the faulty payed off reviews to whom ever is responsible. No way it deserves these scores. To all you that seeAI is awful. Units tend to get stuck and not move. Units have to actually rotate formation to fire another direction. Did I say AI is awful. The game is slow and turn based (not mentioned in the description). I spent 50 and 5 hours downloading this pile of code. Thanks for all the faulty payed off reviews to whom ever is responsible. No way it deserves these scores. To all you that see after you purchase it and click the metascore like I did. Sorry. In a time like this we really don't need the, what we assume is a, honest industry to start acting corporate and providing bias reviews.… Expand
  46. VeryAngry
    Apr 18, 2009
    0
    Hey guys, lets release an unfinished product! Sounds good to me! Well to the consumer it sounds horrible... i cant even LAUNCH the thing without it crashing. what they did is THEFT and because of them i shall no longer be buying ANY games from steam
  47. ChristianB
    Apr 17, 2009
    7
    Great game in the tradition of Total War. We can regret the absence of Hot-Seat option that made Miedieval II such a great success.
  48. williamc
    Apr 17, 2009
    2
    To many crashes when playing long campaign games,especially if you're will far along in developing technology. Also a downer is if steam decides to update you while playing your game will crash. Way to many crash bugs for the money they're asking. Compare to other Total War games this is a joke cause of the crashes.
  49. MashnaT
    Apr 17, 2009
    6
    total war means total war: Total war with your system for example (100 systemfailures in one games gives you a lot of hours extra playtime..) I really loved the whoe series but I think this game was not ready at all to be launched. Mystical indian powers cause one of my armies to stay on the same location for about 50 turns now. This army is probably bewitched by some evil force because total war means total war: Total war with your system for example (100 systemfailures in one games gives you a lot of hours extra playtime..) I really loved the whoe series but I think this game was not ready at all to be launched. Mystical indian powers cause one of my armies to stay on the same location for about 50 turns now. This army is probably bewitched by some evil force because whenever I dare to even point my cursor in the near direction the games will crash... I have fleets everywhere but I cant fight battles whit them because whenever I am winning the sea battle the game will crash.. I just cant wait for Total War - WWI. People will probably beat me up in the streets , or strange virusses will efect my computer... Why couldnt you just wait guys... A little bit more time for development would have serioiusly increased the quality of this - now very annoying - game.… Expand
  50. lordx
    Apr 17, 2009
    4
    Close but no cigar. To many bugs and crashes. And no unlockable factions. I always play very hard and i love to start with only 1 area. Not with this game. Let me conquer america as iroquois vs the europeans or let me make an alliance with russia and the ottoman as bavaria and let me be the new austria.
  51. PerryR
    Apr 17, 2009
    2
    Unbelievable....and totally unacceptable. I have been an avid Total War fan since its inception and been looking forward to playing Empire for many a long month. I am fed up with the game crashing and am totally bemused with the link up with Steam, what an awful partner to share such a great title product. I have shelved the game on a number of occasions but my love of its predecessors Unbelievable....and totally unacceptable. I have been an avid Total War fan since its inception and been looking forward to playing Empire for many a long month. I am fed up with the game crashing and am totally bemused with the link up with Steam, what an awful partner to share such a great title product. I have shelved the game on a number of occasions but my love of its predecessors has always brought me back but only to disappoint time after time. The final product is not fit for purpose, the two is given out of loyalty, my advice, BEWARE this product is below the quality of its fore fathers. My message to the magazine critics, 'shame on you', rate the gameplay, not the concept. To CA/SEGA - give me back my money, and I went for the Special Forces Edition.… Expand
  52. RaiC
    Apr 17, 2009
    5
    As a big fan of TW series, playing since Shogun I was a bit prepared for some nasty surprises, and ETW has plenty! Probably, one day, it will be a nice game, fun to be played in multiplayer and enjoyable in campaign mode. But right now, the game sits on my shelf piled with other rubbish, since it's a ctd every time I play a campaign. Several patches did not solve the issue yet As a big fan of TW series, playing since Shogun I was a bit prepared for some nasty surprises, and ETW has plenty! Probably, one day, it will be a nice game, fun to be played in multiplayer and enjoyable in campaign mode. But right now, the game sits on my shelf piled with other rubbish, since it's a ctd every time I play a campaign. Several patches did not solve the issue yet (despite improving other ones') and right I'm just waiting. Since it's not nice to give away presents I will keep it, but I cannot deny the disappointment.… Expand
  53. BlakeM
    Apr 14, 2009
    2
    I think it is funny because every where else people only complain how bad this game is The magazines are just promotional tools those reveiws are a little more than just biased. This is a sorry incomplete product and has no right to be out on the market yet, it's hardly playable. Steam could not even provide a manual when I bought the game through them. Shame on all the gaming I think it is funny because every where else people only complain how bad this game is The magazines are just promotional tools those reveiws are a little more than just biased. This is a sorry incomplete product and has no right to be out on the market yet, it's hardly playable. Steam could not even provide a manual when I bought the game through them. Shame on all the gaming magazine shills, I knew there was a good reason I don't read that garbage.… Expand
  54. SteveW
    Apr 14, 2009
    1
    I have been a loyal Total War player since Shogun... paying full retail price for each game & expansion. Total War has been, hands down, my favorite video game series franchise of all time. Therefore, it pains me to say that I am extremely disappointed with Empire: Total War on so many levels! I feel like a complete fool for taking all of those "official" reviews seriously & paying full I have been a loyal Total War player since Shogun... paying full retail price for each game & expansion. Total War has been, hands down, my favorite video game series franchise of all time. Therefore, it pains me to say that I am extremely disappointed with Empire: Total War on so many levels! I feel like a complete fool for taking all of those "official" reviews seriously & paying full price for this disaster. Most of my complaints have been summed up already, so here are my top 3 issues with ETW... CA/SEGA are you listening???!!! 1) AI - Why can't the AI in vade the British Isles???!!! This was not a problem for the Romans to do when I played as the Britons (RTW)! The fact that the AI refuses to conduct naval troop transports/assaults is inexcusable & kills game play!!!! This is my biggest AI complaint, but there are other issues as well (which have already been well documented). 2) Campaign Map - Rome & Medieval II have such straight-forward, yet still "living", Campaign Maps that were very easy to navigate. ETW has a cluttered, cartoonish map that is difficult to navigate & not enjoyable to look at. 3) Steam - I you are going to include DRM software on a game, please put something like a "Surgeon Genral's Warning" on the side of the box. I will not even consider purchasing a STEAM/DRM game again until consumers clearly receive this information on the packaging... Honestly, even if it IS made clear, I probably won't buy another "STEAM-game". I had so much faith in CA/SEGA, that I went out and bought a new computer primarily so I could play this game. Even if most of the well documented bugs are fixed, the incompetent AI, the horrible campaign map & STEAM make this game more of a headache than a fun-filled, strategic experience. After several weeks of trying to like this game, I put it on a shelf & have rekindled my love for Rome: Total War. Even with the "clone armies" and some faults of its own (nothing's perfect), I find RTW (as well as M2TW) to be highly replayable. Rome: Total War currently costs $14.49 New on Amazon. Unfortunately, I can't even recommend Empire: Total War (in its current condition) at that price. This isn't just about STEAM... CA/SEGA has "jumped the shark" with this one.… Expand
  55. DanB
    Apr 13, 2009
    4
    I was really looking forward to this game. I've played all of the total war titles from Rome upwards. I saw the trailer for this on the total war site and was really excited. But this game is **** compared to M2 and Rome They should have waited a year to release it. This steam **** meant i spend hours working out how to even install the game. Which had bad graphics anyway. Do they I was really looking forward to this game. I've played all of the total war titles from Rome upwards. I saw the trailer for this on the total war site and was really excited. But this game is **** compared to M2 and Rome They should have waited a year to release it. This steam **** meant i spend hours working out how to even install the game. Which had bad graphics anyway. Do they expect us to have supercomputers??? People need to buy stuff like food!!!!!!! And the reviewers were no help.… Expand
  56. zhokar
    Apr 12, 2009
    5
    Not much has been added to the gameplay of Medieval. I prefer the old units over Empire's units. There is no diversity yet no good enough for mp. It took me weeks do get this game running smoothly (only through 3rd party tools) on an i7 965 XE with a GTX 295. Many textures still look like 1995, especially the buildings. Overall the graphic effects are great, the campaign is still fun Not much has been added to the gameplay of Medieval. I prefer the old units over Empire's units. There is no diversity yet no good enough for mp. It took me weeks do get this game running smoothly (only through 3rd party tools) on an i7 965 XE with a GTX 295. Many textures still look like 1995, especially the buildings. Overall the graphic effects are great, the campaign is still fun to play but there is simply not a big enough improvement over or addition to the franchise's gameplay to make up for the HUGE technical issues that still cause random crashes, lockups and an army of bugs that outnumbers that of any player.… Expand
  57. XenophonXenophon
    Apr 12, 2009
    2
    I could live with the bugs--knowing that someday they'll probably get fixed--but the bottom line is that the AI sucks badly--especially the campaign AI. Why can't CA just take some hints from Civilization or Europa Universalis? Even the battle AI still pales when compared to Sid Meier's Gettysburg--and that was over 10 years ago. Not to mention the sheer idiocy of seeing I could live with the bugs--knowing that someday they'll probably get fixed--but the bottom line is that the AI sucks badly--especially the campaign AI. Why can't CA just take some hints from Civilization or Europa Universalis? Even the battle AI still pales when compared to Sid Meier's Gettysburg--and that was over 10 years ago. Not to mention the sheer idiocy of seeing troops attack massive forts with grappling hooks without any casulties!! ---just a huge step backwards from the enjoyable castle battles in MTW. Rakes, gentlemen, and clergy are unbelievably boring and a pain to deal with--nowhere near the fun of spys and assasins. The graphics are better and naval battles are fun but predictable, but basically this is the proverbial lipstick on the pig. Unless the AI is fixed this series is doomed.… Expand
  58. AJ
    Apr 12, 2009
    2
    The 2 is for creating the greatest strategy game ever made. Then knowing its incompleat and unfinished selling it to thousands of people expecting a finished game. Why would anyone ever assume that someone would want a game that isn't ready? As far as I'm concerned these pricks stole from me. The Total War games was something that if you liked strategy games you knew your 60 The 2 is for creating the greatest strategy game ever made. Then knowing its incompleat and unfinished selling it to thousands of people expecting a finished game. Why would anyone ever assume that someone would want a game that isn't ready? As far as I'm concerned these pricks stole from me. The Total War games was something that if you liked strategy games you knew your 60 bucks were well spent. Now their name means nothing. Imagine if you bought a 2000 computer, brought it home and it worked for 2 days then wouldn't start again... Then they told you that it's buggy and there is a patch that will come out in 6 months so you can use your new $2000 computer. That computer store would be sued and bombed. This is what Creative Assembly has done. Sold a product that wasn't finished and after you have spent your hard earned money then you have to wait till they get around to compleating it over the next while(if they do). It's a slap in the face. If I spend 70 bucks on an x box or playstaion game at least I know it will work. If they sold games that didn't work they would go out of business. I hope everyone that bought this game holds the creative assembly responisble for there theft of our money and never buys another product from them again... Theres a big market out there for good strategy games and someone will take there place once there banko. We have to show these guys and other game makers this is unacceptable!!!!!!!!!!!… Expand
  59. JohnT.
    Apr 12, 2009
    3
    The developer Creative Assembly should try to actually test their software before releasing it. This game has a great concept, but the limited and buggy implementation really ruins it once you play for more than an hour. The computer AI on the campaign is really horrible (no naval invasions? are you serious?), and for a game campaign conquests I am shocked this did not come up earlier in The developer Creative Assembly should try to actually test their software before releasing it. This game has a great concept, but the limited and buggy implementation really ruins it once you play for more than an hour. The computer AI on the campaign is really horrible (no naval invasions? are you serious?), and for a game campaign conquests I am shocked this did not come up earlier in their development process.… Expand
  60. Anon
    Apr 12, 2009
    8
    This game diverges slightly from the usual formula of Total War games, which is a welcome change. I'd give the game a 9 or 10, but the massive amount of bugs is inexcusable. I'm hoping they get all that ironed out eventually. Also, the battles tend to get kind of samey after a while. Still, it's certianly worth the money, though I'd wait for a patch.
  61. RLT
    Apr 12, 2009
    4
    Money is a bit too tight. Units a bit AI dumb. Ships difficult to control. Too few countries to play. The nation building process is kinda... bland? Too difficult to get nations to trade with you, let alone be allies. There could have / should have been alot more to this game.
  62. WilliamA
    Apr 12, 2009
    6
    To begin with I have always been a huge fan of the Total War series and have been playing Rome and Medieval 2 and now Empire. When i started the game I thought it looked good, but after playing a while in campaign mode as Sweden and Great Britain I was deeply dissapointed. My first issue has got to be the campaign map. I just don't understand why how anyone can call this the biggest To begin with I have always been a huge fan of the Total War series and have been playing Rome and Medieval 2 and now Empire. When i started the game I thought it looked good, but after playing a while in campaign mode as Sweden and Great Britain I was deeply dissapointed. My first issue has got to be the campaign map. I just don't understand why how anyone can call this the biggest campaign map ever in a total war game. Even though the map spans two continents and a subcontinent it still seems smaller since CA have decided to merge all the provinces of France into one big province for example. This directly destroys the feelig of the game since if you invade Paris then all of France falls with it after ONE battle... CA seems to have modeled the game on the borders of that time and not taken border changes inte consideration. Moving on the AI is awful and acts in the weirdest possible ways and never ever invade overseas territory like Britain. In battles the AI is often undertaking weird tactics like trying to flank you with their entire army which for the record never works if you're not completely braindead. also you're own units never maintain the formation they were deployed in if you want to advance or intercept the enemy. Now i think I have been negative enough and as my rating shows I still appreciate the game and the implemention of naval battles are a real plus to the game although it sometimes feels like the Naval battles are not affecting the enemy at all as they do not accept peace offers even if all of their trade routes are raided and all their ports are blockaded. I have myself not experienced the same problems with bugs and crashes as previous comments indicate, it might have crashed about ten times or so but it has not interfered with the game too much. So overall this game has huge potential but does not live up to my (and many others) high expectations on a game in the Total War series! And yeah Steam does'nt exactly improve the rating.… Expand
  63. MacM
    Apr 12, 2009
    4
    I bought this game on release day. To date (12th Apr 09) I think I have accrued something like 3-4 hours of play. Potentially, the game is astounding and complex, but in reality it is so bugged that it is unplayable at most times. I cannot give an in depth review of the game as every time I play it, it crashes randomly in all types of different areas of the game. The developers keep I bought this game on release day. To date (12th Apr 09) I think I have accrued something like 3-4 hours of play. Potentially, the game is astounding and complex, but in reality it is so bugged that it is unplayable at most times. I cannot give an in depth review of the game as every time I play it, it crashes randomly in all types of different areas of the game. The developers keep informing us in the official forums that they are working on fixes and they also claim that recent patches via steam have fixed some of the crash issues. I disagree, it still crashes when it feels like it. I have a decent gaming rig, and for the past 12 months or so I have bought lots of games. ETW is just another game in the string of failures that is plaguing PC gaming of late. This being that we are suffering from releases that are either just not ready, or are console ports that are badly optimized. Occasionally, there are games that suprise me and require little or no searching of website and forums in the hope of finding user created fixes, but ETW is not one of them. The steam forums, and elsewhere are full of people who still cannot play this game without it failing, and for me, CA and Sega need to address the issue with this game.… Expand
  64. ManuelH
    Apr 11, 2009
    3
    In spite of the serious AI related flaws (which ho-pefully will be addressed in future official patches and/or mods) ETW could have had been a strong candidate for becoming a landmark in the genre had a later-dated version been released allowing for more time to fix all the technical problems, bugs and glitches that plague the game. The visuals are great ; the tactical land & sea battles In spite of the serious AI related flaws (which ho-pefully will be addressed in future official patches and/or mods) ETW could have had been a strong candidate for becoming a landmark in the genre had a later-dated version been released allowing for more time to fix all the technical problems, bugs and glitches that plague the game. The visuals are great ; the tactical land & sea battles are jaw-dropping and punche a high re-playability value ; the move to the 18th century warfare enhances both the strategic and tactical portions of the game with the failful introduction of the epoch weaponry and tactics. I give youl that. But then again, what good would that dov those problems render it almost unplayable. (Completely unplayable in my case: after 2 weeks of intermittent - though frecuent - crashes the game just dedided to "Totally" crashed even b4 getting to the main menu screen. I reported this today and I'm hoping to hear from CA some time soon) Being a long-standing fan of the TW series and the high expectations I had about this particular game it is sad for me to say that all in all Empire Total War feels more like a rushed-out Beta than a well polished and finished product. (Also the hight retail price effectively adds to my sadness!) Perhaps it is hight time for SEGA/CA to be reminded of this simple formula: A Happy Gamer Is A Dumb Buyer, regardless of any marketing and sale strategy. So I think I'm going to unhook my bayonet and unsaddle my horse and wait for the game to live up to its name because right now I can't say I owe "Empire Total War" but "Empire Total CRASH"! ---- A Very Unhappy Gamer… Expand
  65. StephenH
    Apr 10, 2009
    7
    Fixing the bugs would have me raise the rating to an 7.5 and then an 8 and 9 respectively if the A.I. attacked across the seas and weren't as stupid as a lemming/dodo cross breed. As things go though it's not too bad but as stated it is the same thing as always. Power through region to region in an attempt to be the biggest country around only now you have the lands across the Fixing the bugs would have me raise the rating to an 7.5 and then an 8 and 9 respectively if the A.I. attacked across the seas and weren't as stupid as a lemming/dodo cross breed. As things go though it's not too bad but as stated it is the same thing as always. Power through region to region in an attempt to be the biggest country around only now you have the lands across the ocean and India too. People will slate the new but you have to find out yourself really.… Expand
  66. RobertG
    Apr 10, 2009
    0
    This game has been hopelessly reviewed by many of the above game critics. Calling this load of rubbish the "greatest strategy game of all time" (Total PC Gaming) does great disservice to those who actually do create decent, stimulating strategy games. This game barely passes for a strategy game. The campaign is comically simple, the multi player a joke and the supposed historical accuracy This game has been hopelessly reviewed by many of the above game critics. Calling this load of rubbish the "greatest strategy game of all time" (Total PC Gaming) does great disservice to those who actually do create decent, stimulating strategy games. This game barely passes for a strategy game. The campaign is comically simple, the multi player a joke and the supposed historical accuracy essentially nonexistent. Not to mention the bugs.… Expand
  67. BryanS
    Apr 10, 2009
    3
    Great game... except the crash to desktop bugs. And the lock up just before you finish the grand campaign bugs... And the units getting stuck on the edge of towns and/or islands bugs... And the 10 to 30 seconds of lag each time you select a naval unit bug.. Oh, and the AI is incapable of actually loading ground units onto ships, so you cannot lose if you are an island nation bug Great game... except the crash to desktop bugs. And the lock up just before you finish the grand campaign bugs... And the units getting stuck on the edge of towns and/or islands bugs... And the 10 to 30 seconds of lag each time you select a naval unit bug.. Oh, and the AI is incapable of actually loading ground units onto ships, so you cannot lose if you are an island nation bug (excepting you cannot actually finish to win, perhaps this is the developer's idea of game balance?)... Plus you get the joy of installing Steam, and the darn "achievements" are even bugged!!! Otherwise, lots of fun. As far as I can tell, this game was shipped unfinished and the game review sites that give this dog high ratings are most likely getting kick backs from the developer!… Expand
  68. HughE.
    Apr 10, 2009
    0
    This is the worst game I have ever bought, and I love the total war franchise. The game is full of bugs, it constantly crashes and despite my pc being top specs and able to run Crysis on full settings it strugles on medium on this game. The real annoyance though is that I paid £40 on steam and I steam don't do refunds. Well done Creative Assembly you've just made sure I This is the worst game I have ever bought, and I love the total war franchise. The game is full of bugs, it constantly crashes and despite my pc being top specs and able to run Crysis on full settings it strugles on medium on this game. The real annoyance though is that I paid £40 on steam and I steam don't do refunds. Well done Creative Assembly you've just made sure I never buy a product off of you again. What a steaming pile of **** this game is. Every copy of it should be burnt. Rant over… Expand
  69. RandalO.
    Apr 10, 2009
    6
    I used to develop software. We'd have been horsewhipped if we'd tried to release software this loaded with bugs and poorly designed. Memory leaks everywhere! I don't mind alpha testing but fix the bugs!!! The game itself looks to be fun, and good, if we can ever spend more time playing than waiting for it to load, move, respond, etc. I thought that whole unpacking idea was I used to develop software. We'd have been horsewhipped if we'd tried to release software this loaded with bugs and poorly designed. Memory leaks everywhere! I don't mind alpha testing but fix the bugs!!! The game itself looks to be fun, and good, if we can ever spend more time playing than waiting for it to load, move, respond, etc. I thought that whole unpacking idea was rejected back in the '90s. Please fix the damn thing!… Expand
  70. DanW.
    Apr 9, 2009
    4
    Lots of potential here. Much more so than any other Total War title. But... Call me crazy, but all Total War titles seem the same to me. Basically, you play an alternate-history pseudo-Hitler in whatever time period the game is set in. Even on the hardest difficulty, you are given all the resources you need to conquer everyone and everything in your path until your empire is so large and Lots of potential here. Much more so than any other Total War title. But... Call me crazy, but all Total War titles seem the same to me. Basically, you play an alternate-history pseudo-Hitler in whatever time period the game is set in. Even on the hardest difficulty, you are given all the resources you need to conquer everyone and everything in your path until your empire is so large and the turns take so long to finish that you quit playing out of boredom with the terrible AI (in campaigns and battles) and you never touch the game again. At least that's been my experience with Rome, M2, and now Empire. Don't get me wrong, I had some great moments in the game. When you first start playing it's amazing because the game looks and feels so vast. Empire and particular has a dozen factions to choose from, so it initially seems as if the game will have excellent replayability. After one campaign though, a few things become clear. The first is that the AI will not conduct an oversea invasion. Ever. It is incapable of it. Have fun playing Britain in a game that is based on NAVAL WARFARE for Gods sake. The second is that any invasion you conduct will be met with minimal force, and the AI doesn't really understand sieges enough to counter-attack. Two allied nations will never coordinate their forces. Again, the AI is incapable. The third is that the AI simply doesn't behave like a human player should in countless circumstances. They don't make obvious improvements to their land, they send agents running around the world with no goal in mind, their navies sit next to your trade ships without ever attacking, and that's just on the campaign map. On the battle map, the AI sits idly in buildings that you're about to tear to the ground, crushing the entire unit. They NEVER withdraw, so you can lure an entire city garrison out of its fort if you attack a single unit outside the city. They almost never fight offensive battles (I swear i defended all of 3 cities in 2 full campagins) and when they do they seem to sometimes forget they're attacking and just sit there. Some other things- The way diplomacy works is ridiculously inefficient, aside from the ridiculous deals the AI asks for. It took me ages to figure out that I had to give everyone "gifts" in order to get them to like me. Trade is well done- a hell of a lot better than the half-finished merchant concept from Medieval 2. So there. I've just spent an entire review complaining about the faults of E:TW without even touching on the countless technical issues that plague the initial release. I have faith that those will be fixed- it will not save the game unless the AI is improved DRASTICALLY. Here is an idea I want to put forward to the folks at CA and Sega: a game with 12 playable factions is not a single-player game. Face it. No one has the time to play a campaign as even 3 of the factions available, especially when the game starts crashing left and right once you conquer x amount of territory. This game looks and feels like a game that should be played online like some sort of uber-risk. I will note that the ranked multiplayer matches in the game are great fun, but TW has always been about more than just the battles. If the AI really cannot be improved (yeah right) then move the Total War series to the next level and give us a multiplayer campaign mode. tl;dr- HUGE potential, but terrible AI in a single-player game just doesn't work. Also crashes.… Expand
  71. RobK.
    Apr 9, 2009
    2
    Tragically, this is an outstanding game plagued by a 1st rate battleship full of bugs, CTD errors and in my opinion unforgiveable game playweaknesses which could all have been ironed out with a proper Beta. The game frequently (every hour or so) crashes to desktop during naval or land battles, and after about 20-30 turns the game will reach a point where it crashes during the AI turn on Tragically, this is an outstanding game plagued by a 1st rate battleship full of bugs, CTD errors and in my opinion unforgiveable game playweaknesses which could all have been ironed out with a proper Beta. The game frequently (every hour or so) crashes to desktop during naval or land battles, and after about 20-30 turns the game will reach a point where it crashes during the AI turn on the campaign map, and when you reload the saved game it crashes in the same place...with no work around. This leaves your campaign dead in the water, and you have the choice of starting a fresh campaign or just not playing it any more. Really dissappointing, as I've been playing this series since Shogun and bought a new PC just to enjoy this game - wish now I'd spent a week on a beach instead!… Expand
  72. AurelioM.
    Apr 9, 2009
    3
    I have been a fan of the Total War series since the first title and I believe each new game did manage to improve on the previous one ... until now. I am deeply disappointed by "Empire" and I find unacceptable that the game isn't currently playable as it crashes after every single battle without possiblility to save. Load times are also dreadful. This smells of hastily released code. I have been a fan of the Total War series since the first title and I believe each new game did manage to improve on the previous one ... until now. I am deeply disappointed by "Empire" and I find unacceptable that the game isn't currently playable as it crashes after every single battle without possiblility to save. Load times are also dreadful. This smells of hastily released code. Shame on you Creative Assembly for such a mess after all the good work done so far! I also wonder how the game was awarded raving reviews in the press when it simply doesn't work (and it's not an isolated problem, the forums seem to be teeming with grieving players).… Expand
  73. Hale
    Apr 8, 2009
    3
    This game is way too buggy to be good. Constant crashing, bugs all over the place on the campaign map and in the battles. Patches have just made it worse. I still play Rome:Total War and bought this game with high expectations and am profoundly disappointed. Do I need to put Sega on my publishers to avoid list?
  74. KeithRogers
    Apr 8, 2009
    1
    Im sure I would love the game, if only I could get it to work. It crashes before I even get passed the loading screen. I have a computer with some of the latest hardware that is more than capable of runnin this game. I have been trying to get tech support and they dont respond to any of my emails.
  75. JonathonM
    Apr 7, 2009
    9
    This game is extre,memly good and worth the rating i give it. THere are a few bugs such as i cant select Gilbratar's port without it crashing from overloading it with ships but then again this game's graphics are great and the campaign map is way better. The ship battle's are fun and i love seeing other peoples ships just explode into a bagillion little peices. People have This game is extre,memly good and worth the rating i give it. THere are a few bugs such as i cant select Gilbratar's port without it crashing from overloading it with ships but then again this game's graphics are great and the campaign map is way better. The ship battle's are fun and i love seeing other peoples ships just explode into a bagillion little peices. People have toremember trhis though this is an RTS that is trying to run on FPS graphics and that takes a toll on someone's computer even on medium. The AI is a bit buggy and i wish they could make it so the AI can put troops on ships otherwise britain is invincible against the computer in campaign. Overall it is a very good game that people should be a bit more patient with and hopefully very soon these bugs will become less common.… Expand
  76. bobsizemore
    Apr 7, 2009
    5
    even when this game is working, the AI is worthlessly retarded. any land battle can be won if you've got 25% odds, sometimes less. naval battles are like watching retards dogfight, as boats go in endless circles and do nothing productive (of course, since it's hard to make your boats not do the same, you still usually lose). AI can't invade via navy, has no pathfinding, and even when this game is working, the AI is worthlessly retarded. any land battle can be won if you've got 25% odds, sometimes less. naval battles are like watching retards dogfight, as boats go in endless circles and do nothing productive (of course, since it's hard to make your boats not do the same, you still usually lose). AI can't invade via navy, has no pathfinding, and other things. these gripes are all minimal if you can't even get the game to run without crashing, though (broken AI routines cause crashes that the development team still claims are hardware related). this could have been a great game- with another year of development.… Expand
  77. NickMartin
    Apr 7, 2009
    0
    this game is unplayable. Repeated crashes to desktop from a multitude of reasons and corrupted save files which prevent you from reloading games. Just go here: http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/forums/126 and you can see all the issues with the game and the lack of support from Creative Assembly. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME.
  78. robosoftrob
    Apr 7, 2009
    2
    I rate this good game so low because i always get stuck in the middle of a campaign when the game crashes at a certain point. i can´t continue and would have to start a new campaign - this does not make sense. i will return the game to the shop, where i bought it. sorry, could be a good game.
  79. LiamD
    Apr 7, 2009
    8
    Great gameplay on both land and sea. but the game needs some extreame updates. theres so many bugs that i cant believe that they released the game without noticing all of this. campaign map lag, random dead spots were the sound will go dead on land or sea battles. random crashes. and so much more that i cant remember! i would recommend that anyone looking to get this game to wait a few Great gameplay on both land and sea. but the game needs some extreame updates. theres so many bugs that i cant believe that they released the game without noticing all of this. campaign map lag, random dead spots were the sound will go dead on land or sea battles. random crashes. and so much more that i cant remember! i would recommend that anyone looking to get this game to wait a few months for a tonne of updates to come out so there not disapointed to find a bug fest of a game.… Expand
  80. MarcM
    Apr 7, 2009
    6
    Empire has numerous bugs and glitches in the retail release. Two glaring examples are splitting trade fleets while on a trade point causing the trading fleet to be useless and sailors committing suicide by jumping during boarding actions. There are also issues with the design of the game itself. In diplomacy, for instance, you could present a gift and sign a trade agreement to a neutral Empire has numerous bugs and glitches in the retail release. Two glaring examples are splitting trade fleets while on a trade point causing the trading fleet to be useless and sailors committing suicide by jumping during boarding actions. There are also issues with the design of the game itself. In diplomacy, for instance, you could present a gift and sign a trade agreement to a neutral minor faction resulting in a large reputation boost only to have that same nation declare war on you the very next turn. Unfortunately, this is business as usual for the designers at Creative Assembly and Total War franchise. I would advise dissappointed owners to shelve the title and prospective buyers to wait for a year. CA will likely release patches and hopefully user created mods will take care of the rest. On a side note, I feel the online reviewers largely dropped the ball on this title. I would have trouble assigning such high scores to Empire given the aformentioned problems.… Expand
  81. PierreN
    Apr 7, 2009
    5
    ETW is a disaster. Who would have thought a game of this scope and magnitude would fail this horribly. Surely a step back from previous titles as previous features were simply nerfed. Sinking your teeth into ETW for a week worth of gameplay and you get the impression that ETW has been poorly executed and feels rushed. Call it poor coding and a host of bugs slowing down everytime you try ETW is a disaster. Who would have thought a game of this scope and magnitude would fail this horribly. Surely a step back from previous titles as previous features were simply nerfed. Sinking your teeth into ETW for a week worth of gameplay and you get the impression that ETW has been poorly executed and feels rushed. Call it poor coding and a host of bugs slowing down everytime you try to dock a fleet to a port and noticeable jerky animations on a high end pc tells a different story to the rating it's getting (90? jesting I'm sure). Adding insult to injury, CA delivers us a couple of paches that were supposed to fix the problematic issues but instead add even more bugs making it unplayable. Constant crashes just isn't worth your $70 I'm sure. A piece of advice to sensible gamers out there; say NO to pre-order your games in the future. Instead, allow the dumb and dumber gamers buy it and watch em scream in your place. Grab the gold version is the wisest thing to do;cheaper and more joy on your first take.… Expand
  82. DisAllusioned
    Apr 5, 2009
    2
    Ok who lets this game out of beta? Seriously this thing crashes more that a blindfolded drunk driver! The graphics on low and medium settings are horrible I keep seeing units made of stick figures. Note to CA some of us need to buy food and housing we don't have a pile of cash to blow on hi-end graphics cards. And linking this to steam wtf now I can't even try to sell this Ok who lets this game out of beta? Seriously this thing crashes more that a blindfolded drunk driver! The graphics on low and medium settings are horrible I keep seeing units made of stick figures. Note to CA some of us need to buy food and housing we don't have a pile of cash to blow on hi-end graphics cards. And linking this to steam wtf now I can't even try to sell this disaster and recoup some of my money!! And I'm not even going to start with the game play issues I just don't have that kind of time. Good job CA you managed to kill the total war franchise and make sure I never buy another product of yours again.… Expand
  83. AlexanderW
    Apr 5, 2009
    10
    Absolutely stunning. This game is incredibly detailed, both historically and visually, and epically enjoyable. No crashes for me so far, so one does wonder how much of this is undeserved critique is down to the failings of clueless players.
    Steam is about the only thing that I wasn't keen with this, but thanks to shameless pirates we're going to have to accept it's the only    Absolutely stunning. This game is incredibly detailed, both historically and visually, and epically enjoyable. No crashes for me so far, so one does wonder how much of this is undeserved critique is down to the failings of clueless players.
    Steam is about the only thing that I wasn't keen with this, but thanks to shameless pirates we're going to have to accept it's the only way the PC game industry is going to survive. So man up and install Steam, it doesn't hurt that much.    … Expand
  84. RichardMartin
    Apr 5, 2009
    0
    I would love to have a rave review or statement about this game, but no matter what i try and whatever computer i try to install this game onto, it just will not work. And further more steam, which you have to sign upto and get downloads to patch the game just do not even attempt to download as the server is always too busy. So in summary, don't buy this game.
  85. travisp
    Apr 4, 2009
    5
    ok,first off,steam is the worst piece off junk ever and i think it is totally WORTHLESS! ive used steam before for other games and i couldnt even start the game i was playing,steam should have nothing to do with this game,secondly,empire itself is an amazing game.but it has so many bugs and problems that right now,in my opinion,this game would be a waste of $50,but if they would reviseok,first off,steam is the worst piece off junk ever and i think it is totally WORTHLESS! ive used steam before for other games and i couldnt even start the game i was playing,steam should have nothing to do with this game,secondly,empire itself is an amazing game.but it has so many bugs and problems that right now,in my opinion,this game would be a waste of $50,but if they would revise it,best game ever.… Expand
  86. AustriaFrance
    Apr 3, 2009
    0
    What a Steaming pile! I cannot even get the demo to load (through Steam) without crashing. $50 for what? So Steam can regulate what I do? No thanks. Good luck to everyone who chooses to support such pile of waste (Steam that is). I agree with the afforementioned boycott strategy! DO NOT BUY THIS GAME UNTIL STEAM GOES AWAY!!!
  87. TChips
    Apr 3, 2009
    2
    Waited a few months to buy the game as suggested by other users, but its been a huge dissapointment, I installed the game and tried to load it but the annoyin windows messag came up saying that the game had stopped working. Ive been a huge fan since shogun came out and i feel let down so far by empire. im gonna write another review when the game decides it wants to work and then ill see ifWaited a few months to buy the game as suggested by other users, but its been a huge dissapointment, I installed the game and tried to load it but the annoyin windows messag came up saying that the game had stopped working. Ive been a huge fan since shogun came out and i feel let down so far by empire. im gonna write another review when the game decides it wants to work and then ill see if it lives up to game spys reivew… Expand
  88. JoshL
    Apr 3, 2009
    9
    MY SHORT REVIEW: First of all, for all those complaining of glitches and crashes, don't be so ungrateful and impatient. The game has crashed 3 times for me in 1 month of hardcore gameplay. If you can't cope with expected issues, don't buy the game. Nevertheless, Empire: Total War is one of the most enjoyable experiences in gaming you will ever come across. Yes, there are a MY SHORT REVIEW: First of all, for all those complaining of glitches and crashes, don't be so ungrateful and impatient. The game has crashed 3 times for me in 1 month of hardcore gameplay. If you can't cope with expected issues, don't buy the game. Nevertheless, Empire: Total War is one of the most enjoyable experiences in gaming you will ever come across. Yes, there are a few bugs in it (no not many), and for a title with such massive scope, that should be expected. But these problems are minor and simply annoyances, they can only detract a small amount from an overall pleasant presentation. The naval and land battles are fantastic, incorporating a mix of cannons, cavalry, infantry and battleships. The graphics are amazing on high or ultra, and it certainly lives up to it's reputation in turn based mode. Camera options are redefined, mini-maps are more detailed than before, AI has been improved - what else can you ask for? There is excessive demand on developers to produce a perfect game to the modern market. In my opinion, there are limited flaws in the game itself, and perhaps more with installation. I found Steam to be a terrible hassle, and quite unecessary. Suppose someone didn't have access to the internet but liked playing video games. "The creative assembly" is losing a lot of business by using this idiotic method of signing up. However, Steam can have some advantages, giving users regular updates for patches and new features. The historical accuracy of the game is something many people forget, or take for granted. This a key focus of the Total War series, making education fun. It opens our minds to the realms of 18th century mentality and the progress of the industrial revolution. It broadens our intelligence and understanding of contemporary society in relation to our past. This is what sums it up as a classic. In the end, much enhancement has been added since Medieval: II Total War, and this is, at least by me, appreciated.… Expand
  89. JamesonClark
    Apr 2, 2009
    9
    great game great addition to my total war lineup i will be playing this for a long time to come. I have not had any of the problems that everyone else seems to be complaining about though... it did once crash when i first got it but thats the only issue so far. My opinion is this game is great.
  90. RussellLamb
    Apr 2, 2009
    4
    Excellent series but the latest is chock full of bugs. This game and Fable 2 just goes to show what rushing an unfinished game to the retail shelf looks like. All the game critics who gave this game higher than 70 should be beat down like the financial anlysts that said the economy was going to be just fine in 2008.
  91. MatthewMoore
    Apr 1, 2009
    0
    Well I wish I could complain about the crashing in this game but I still have not been able to play it. I knew i would have to register is with steam before I was able to play... was not aware that it needed to download from them. I move around the country alot and don't always have a great internet signal. I love my other Total War games but wouldn't reccomend this one to myWell I wish I could complain about the crashing in this game but I still have not been able to play it. I knew i would have to register is with steam before I was able to play... was not aware that it needed to download from them. I move around the country alot and don't always have a great internet signal. I love my other Total War games but wouldn't reccomend this one to my worst enemy.… Expand
  92. AndrewHaeberlin
    Apr 1, 2009
    4
    This would have been a great game . . . if they'd finished developing it. Buggy, crash prone, and utterly unplayable. Don't buy it for at least a few months - the fact that they're apparently using fans of the series to do play testing rather than doing it themselves is frustrating, to say the least.
  93. AlV
    Apr 1, 2009
    2
    I am truly sorry I have to rate the game so low; I wore out my Rome-TW and Medieval-TW CD
  94. LarsE
    Apr 1, 2009
    3
    Complicated installation Steam-sh... Wonder why is it necessary to provide Steam with user id - password an email just to install a purchased game. Could not start after closing. Graphics ok 10000 units is fine. Waiting time between losing or winning battles are killingly long... Camera is difficult to control and mini map are useless. Have been playing better turn-real time games before. Complicated installation Steam-sh... Wonder why is it necessary to provide Steam with user id - password an email just to install a purchased game. Could not start after closing. Graphics ok 10000 units is fine. Waiting time between losing or winning battles are killingly long... Camera is difficult to control and mini map are useless. Have been playing better turn-real time games before. Sorry nothing new under the sun.… Expand
  95. ryans
    Apr 1, 2009
    6
    The epic scale of the land battles and the immersive campaign should have made this game one of the best, but problems like stupid AI and bugs bring it down a notch. I have had problems when selecting a fleet or dock and then having the game crash and having terrible lag during battles, but when the game does work it is very enjoyable and a good installment to the series. I only have to The epic scale of the land battles and the immersive campaign should have made this game one of the best, but problems like stupid AI and bugs bring it down a notch. I have had problems when selecting a fleet or dock and then having the game crash and having terrible lag during battles, but when the game does work it is very enjoyable and a good installment to the series. I only have to wonder what they were doing with all the time they delayed putting the game out. I waited for a year only to hear about more delays and they didn't fix the problems in it? I'd rather have a smooth-playing game than an extra nation or two. This game is good and worth the money, but until more patches come out it will cease to be great.… Expand
  96. FlorianB
    Apr 1, 2009
    6
    The game proved to be not as great as everyone had announced... eventually, it is a real TW-game, but with much more need for further tweaking and patching than previous TW-titles. CA did implement interesting new features, but in the end they turned out to be callow... The two most important points which weaken the game-experience drastically, are first of all the bad performance The game proved to be not as great as everyone had announced... eventually, it is a real TW-game, but with much more need for further tweaking and patching than previous TW-titles. CA did implement interesting new features, but in the end they turned out to be callow... The two most important points which weaken the game-experience drastically, are first of all the bad performance (numerous bugs, long loading times, CTDs etc due to whatever, bad programming, insufficient testing, dont know) and the really dumb AI which was promised to be improved heavily but in fact still does the same stupid manoevers like in Medieval 2 or Rome (e.g. peace-negotiations, province-trading, protectorates etc) All in all E:TW is worth improving but worth waiting for some problem-fixing, too. Therefore, i rate it with a 6, wich results from 9 points for the concept, 8 points for the graphics and interface but just 5 points for improvements of existing features and adding new ones and 3 for the engine / technical aspects… Expand
  97. PetriJ
    Apr 1, 2009
    6
    The game would be perfect, if it wouldnt have so many bugs and crashes. Please make the games ready before the beginning of the sale. If the game dosn´t be soon playable its going to be the last Sega game that I buy.
  98. BoK
    Apr 1, 2009
    7
    High potential, limited by the moderate execution. As from start the game is lacking a lot of details to add that little extra that makes a great game. With a couple patches and updates it is destined to be a truly awesome game, but it's definitely not the game the commercial critics make it out to be, yet.
  99. MarkW
    Apr 1, 2009
    2
    Well it seems the customers and the 'game' reviewers have a big difference of opinion about this game. As a customer from day 1 that is still unable to play this game without CTD or white screen crash I can honestly say that this game is nothing more than a Beta. Dont beleive me? On C.A's official forum http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/topic/52508 they are asking theWell it seems the customers and the 'game' reviewers have a big difference of opinion about this game. As a customer from day 1 that is still unable to play this game without CTD or white screen crash I can honestly say that this game is nothing more than a Beta. Dont beleive me? On C.A's official forum http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/topic/52508 they are asking the customers if they want to become part of a Beta Group to help get their game properly tested. Never thought I would see the mighty C.A fall from grace like this.… Expand
  100. PB
    Apr 1, 2009
    3
    CTD every time a seige of a regional capital ends with change of ruling nation or faction. EVERY time. I win the battle, manual or auto, victory screen pops up then game will CTD black screen then white screen then to ' MS windows report an error' dialogue box. Port take overs seem fine, as do other towns and facilities. AI changes regional ruling power fine. Didn't happen CTD every time a seige of a regional capital ends with change of ruling nation or faction. EVERY time. I win the battle, manual or auto, victory screen pops up then game will CTD black screen then white screen then to ' MS windows report an error' dialogue box. Port take overs seem fine, as do other towns and facilities. AI changes regional ruling power fine. Didn't happen before the large recent patches 25th/26th, last patch dated 30th MARCH hasn't fixed the problem. However, a new twist is that the campaign map moves at warp speed now, the ships zip from one location to another and the year end AI ground forces moves are also super fast. looks very odd. Note that this is with all sound turned off as recommended a while back. Other battles are fine, sound on or not, defeated seige attempts are fine too. Since taking over regions is THE major game mechanic towards victory and growth the game isnt playable now. All was fine out out of the box in this regional take-over area anyway, although I still have cannon stuck in Cartegena that any attempt to move will crash the system as above, patches did fix that for other units since. Sometimes merging fleets in or near docks causes a crash, I just quick save before doing anything with merge or embark in a dock location and I get by. NEVER had any real issues with TW games before, nothing like this anyway!… 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.
    Read full review
  3. InsideGamer.nl
    93
    This is the best Total War game thanks to all the little tweaks. Sometimes little differences make a good game great. The battles ask of you that you think more about your actions and managing your empire never was easier. The sea battles are fun to watch, but are a little hard to control. Nevertheless, Empire: Total War is a game that can make you forget about the time.
    Read full review
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