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. HarryC
    Mar 16, 2009
    5
    Total War has recently adopted Steam, an unreliable sensitive piece of rubbish that safely removed any enjoyment of the game, I fervently hope that TW decide to remove it any future releases! Once I finally got it installed on Steam (an arduous task indeed) I was impressed by the fantastic graphics and new features. Unfortunately TW seems to have not committed to scenarios or single Total War has recently adopted Steam, an unreliable sensitive piece of rubbish that safely removed any enjoyment of the game, I fervently hope that TW decide to remove it any future releases! Once I finally got it installed on Steam (an arduous task indeed) I was impressed by the fantastic graphics and new features. Unfortunately TW seems to have not committed to scenarios or single player battles, the set ups both limited and unsatisfying, unlike in M2TW. The addition of technology is surprisingly good, this idea normally falls short, but it is developed and interesting. Turn-changing is still woefully slow, land battles seem to still rely on scrums and diplomacy remains edgy. Add that to crashes, jerkiness and steam and I'm one disappointed fan. The addition of Naval combat is great with wonderful detail and ships bristling with action, although large scale battles are absurdly hard with the micromanagement of broadsides verging on insane. The units are fantastic, the history is accurate and the extra platforms in America and India are superb if a little confusing when it comes to trade. All in all, although TW has retained much of its prestige on the battle map, it's let itself down with new features like Steam and an excess in micromanagement. A pity for us fans although still definitely worth playing if you can get past the wall of steam.… Expand
  2. DanL
    Mar 16, 2009
    2
    I was looking forward to this game. Just recieved it delivered to find i have to load STEAM in order to play it. I hate Steam, I hate it with a passion. And for it to be added into a single player game is pathetic. Poor show for the Total War team
  3. JonFusco
    Mar 15, 2009
    6
    With out the Modders to fix this game I will have to rate it a 6. I dont see this game having much of a future and in time I bet players will unistall this game and focus back on playing Rome and M2. To bad the nice graphics and naval battle option was fun.
  4. AnonymousMC
    Mar 15, 2009
    7
    -game is very demanding of sytem resources
    -many graphics glitches
    -painfully slow load times -battles: graphics on zoomed units are great, but realistically you will see most of the battle as blocks of ants with flags over their heads marching around. painfully slow at times -i thought this game would replace civ 4 for me. sadly, i still choose to fire up civ 4 instead. -i can see    -game is very demanding of sytem resources
    -many graphics glitches
    -painfully slow load times
    -battles: graphics on zoomed units are great, but realistically you will see most of the battle as blocks of ants with flags over their heads marching around. painfully slow at times
    -i thought this game would replace civ 4 for me. sadly, i still choose to fire up civ 4 instead.
    -i can see how this game would appeal to some people, but it is not for everyone, in spite of the very high praise it has received    … Expand
  5. JFYoung
    Mar 15, 2009
    5
    Very poor AI. AI embarks and transports no enemy troops on a ship. Many major bugs in the GC = Crash to Desktop. Then after you cant resume your game.

    I played Rome and Medieval II. These 2 games were almost a 10 score but Empire is almost unplayable might be because its unfinished.
  6. jan
    Mar 15, 2009
    9
    Wow!! trully i think this is the best from all strategy games and more. This games has everything, and atlast we can control navy battles. This is a huge improvement to total war games and sega. just to point out that i have found some mistakes in the game which are 1. In navy battles when you board ship the the sailors that jump across somehow jump huge distances like planet of the Wow!! trully i think this is the best from all strategy games and more. This games has everything, and atlast we can control navy battles. This is a huge improvement to total war games and sega. just to point out that i have found some mistakes in the game which are 1. In navy battles when you board ship the the sailors that jump across somehow jump huge distances like planet of the apes!! 2. Theres not alot of factions too choose from. 3. You need an excellent computer!!… Expand
  7. JimP.
    Mar 14, 2009
    9
    Empire: Total War is a mixture of the familiar and a little something new for Total War fans. The game has similar elements to the Total War series: the map, the movement, unit creation, battle system, etc. The developers also added in some extras: a more complex economic system, a tech tree, and more imperial micromanaging. It is highly recommended that you begin by playing the tutorial Empire: Total War is a mixture of the familiar and a little something new for Total War fans. The game has similar elements to the Total War series: the map, the movement, unit creation, battle system, etc. The developers also added in some extras: a more complex economic system, a tech tree, and more imperial micromanaging. It is highly recommended that you begin by playing the tutorial campaign, "The Road to Independence" before diving into the main game. It teaches you quite a bit about how the game handles. Although, if you don't mind going through a few play-throughs and completely messing things up, then dive right into the Grand Campaign. The turn-based Grand Campaign gives you a large litany of nations to choose from in the beginning, ranging from several "Major Nations" in Europe to the Maratha Confederacy in India. I've looked up some FAQs about unlocking other nations to play, and apparently the ones available at the start are all there are to play. I was slightly disappointed at this since I saw some very interesting groups I wanted to try out (the Mughal Empire, the Persians, the Native American nations...). The world map now contains 3 distinct areas: Europe, India, and the Americas with several minor areas you can use for overseas trading (and piracy). The map now has resources you can trade, from furs, to cotton, to tobacco, to sugar, and lumber. There is also industry that you can build up that generates income for maintaining a massive empire. However, you have to balance the industrialization of your empire with the happiness of two classes of citizens, the nobility and the lower classes (both the middle and the lower classes). You have to maintain ministers for various offices in your government and they impact how efficient your government is. If your people become too unhappy with how you're running things, they may overthrow your current government for a new one. More emphasis is put on management than in the previous titles. The real-time battles still share the same frustrating AI glitches as previous titles. If a regiment of troops are getting in position to fire and one guy is straggling behind, the entire regiment thinks it's a great idea to wait for the guy to catch up before they fire at the enemy. This usually results in a volley or two getting shot into your own ranks, depleting both numbers and morale. Sometimes when you ask a regiment to fire at an incoming set of troops, they stand there doing nothing, as if somehow your command to "shoot" got lost in translation somewhere. But thankfully, the opponent's AI gets stuck at the same time too. But now artillery, cavalry, and infantry all play their own special roles and with the use of more options when in combat, more variety exists for combat than before. Ordering and watching a bayonet charge is lots of fun and never gets old. The graphics certainly have improved, although since I have to run it in low resolution, some of the troops on the battlefield render fairly slowly and oftentimes look like something out of the 1980s for a few seconds before coming into their 3D glory. Overall, I like Empire more than Medieval or Rome in most respects. Although I miss the console to give myself extra money when I'm playing a harder civilization, if you are a good manager of money and military you can easily stay within your means, make an empire, and have quite a lot of fun doing it.… Expand
  8. BenBoeve
    Mar 14, 2009
    10
    Although the Steam aspect of the game is somewhat disappointing, the game itself is very good with a campaign map across three theaters. The battles play very much the same of Medieval Total War 2 which is fine because the battles were great. Naval battles are also very enjoyable with a good amount of attention paid to detail.
  9. ISocratatus
    Mar 14, 2009
    6
    A potentially great game, but misses because it`s UNFINISHED. The units, the fighting, even the AI is better, but once you`ve played for a few turns you realise that the CampaignAI NEVER attacks you. Ok, I`ll be more specific. Indians of the Americas may actually attack you (I had one case), but Europeans NEVER do. I play as Britain. I declare war on them, they declare war on me then.. A potentially great game, but misses because it`s UNFINISHED. The units, the fighting, even the AI is better, but once you`ve played for a few turns you realise that the CampaignAI NEVER attacks you. Ok, I`ll be more specific. Indians of the Americas may actually attack you (I had one case), but Europeans NEVER do. I play as Britain. I declare war on them, they declare war on me then.. nothing. I`ve even left my towns with a skeleton army while France builds hundreds of troops, yet in 20-30 turns they simply do not take the intiative. Now if you take their lands they`ll fight to take it back. If they get their land, they stop. They won`t go further and attack your original territory. I don`t get why they have made the AI like this, surely, testing should have revealed this. Interestingly this happened in RTW and MTW2 until patched about 3 months later. Their are two possible reasons: 1.CA are stupid and just can`t get it right first time or.. 2. they make the Campaign AI Passive on purpose to make new players feel like their getting somewhere. I think the latter, so when they Patch it in 3 months so the European AI actually attacks it will be worth 810. Of course, graphics are nice battles are nice and there`s quite a bit of depth, but it`s useless if the enemy AI NEVER takes the INITIATIVE. It`s no strategy at all. Why only 8? Well because of Steam. Without Steam and the need to Activate online it would`ve gotten 9.5 And that`s a fact.… Expand
  10. Riordan
    Mar 14, 2009
    10
    Brilliant game, got the total war feel while bringing it to the 17 hundreds! Brilliant units, and beautiful graphics. Naval battles while being widely appreciated by most were not high on the list for me but they are very good none the less. The only thing i wished for was the 'British Grenediers' song being played as the redcoats marched into battle! But alas it was not meant to be!
  11. JoonaH
    Mar 14, 2009
    10
    First off, I was very critic about the gunpowder age since the gunpowder weapons werent very special in earlier games, but the game suprised me very much with its excelency! The naval fights are great too! I always wanted to have naval fights and now I got it! Only thing bad I have to say about the naval fights is that they are always on the open seas and the lack of islands, reefs and First off, I was very critic about the gunpowder age since the gunpowder weapons werent very special in earlier games, but the game suprised me very much with its excelency! The naval fights are great too! I always wanted to have naval fights and now I got it! Only thing bad I have to say about the naval fights is that they are always on the open seas and the lack of islands, reefs and coastline. Otherwise, an excelent Total War game. PS. I'm a huge Total War fan :P… Expand
  12. DonnieDarko
    Mar 14, 2009
    4
    Well, I'm a big fan of the Total War series, I just see so much potential in this series. Sadly, that potential was to a great extent lost in this game. First of all it feels unfinished and unpolished. Seems like it was rushed out the door with a lot of bugs and performance issues. It doesn't even look all that great but it sure hogs a lot of performance. Other than that Well, I'm a big fan of the Total War series, I just see so much potential in this series. Sadly, that potential was to a great extent lost in this game. First of all it feels unfinished and unpolished. Seems like it was rushed out the door with a lot of bugs and performance issues. It doesn't even look all that great but it sure hogs a lot of performance. Other than that it's a rather bland experience. Sea battles look great but handle terribly bad, there's simply too much micro-management. The AI is horrible and acts just like what it is, an AI. When are developers going to start realizing that they're supposed to simulate human behaviour. They can start by limiting the AI-s ability to control all units at once. There's not a lot of diversity in the units and they act pretty much the same. So to sum things up I'd say... a dissapointment... and.... gets boring quickly.… Expand
  13. PhilB
    Mar 14, 2009
    8
    Anyone who has given this game 10 has not played it or just marked for aesthetically. I have played all the TW series and this is both the most exciting and dissapointing at the same time. Some of the land battles i have had are great with the varying terrain and buildings the tactics required have improved. Also the sea battles are tense long affairs that require skill and tactics. (If Anyone who has given this game 10 has not played it or just marked for aesthetically. I have played all the TW series and this is both the most exciting and dissapointing at the same time. Some of the land battles i have had are great with the varying terrain and buildings the tactics required have improved. Also the sea battles are tense long affairs that require skill and tactics. (If you get into a mess too often then your not playing them right) Quite often using superior maneuvering and angles to defeat bigger fleets.The research tree is also a welcome addition; as are developments outside the main towns and cities (adds more flexibility and tactical problems). I also love the trade part and again this adds more tactics and gameplay. The not so good is poor AI particularly the lack of aggression (except the cherokees who have drivenoff 2 invasions by me the British) Is the AI broke for the major nations? Land invasions are not coded in/broke? Pathfinding needs some work but is not that bad (seen a lot worse). I also think the diplomacy system needs tweaking. With a few patches the game can be up there with some of the best, I have enjoyed playing it. Phil… Expand
  14. RuudC
    Mar 14, 2009
    10
    I really like this game as a real totalwar fan. It's the best game ever played! Like everytime before I can't choose what nation because I all like them to much, especcialy in empire totalwar because whit all factions you need another stratagy. some require a lot of trade and some big powers. The only thing I hate is that people give bad ratings because of the bugs.. if they had I really like this game as a real totalwar fan. It's the best game ever played! Like everytime before I can't choose what nation because I all like them to much, especcialy in empire totalwar because whit all factions you need another stratagy. some require a lot of trade and some big powers. The only thing I hate is that people give bad ratings because of the bugs.. if they had readed the forums and blogs a little better they would know it contained those on the beginning of the game. but they will all update it!!… Expand
  15. SaitX
    Mar 13, 2009
    5
    Empire: Total War was one of the titles i have been waiting to get for some time. I got the game few days ago from steam and started playing it. The game offers better graphics and gameplay then before. However there is lots of errors due to steam . I got crit errors like 10 times in 48 hours. Pros: -Graphics are great -Movie like battles (as always) -Sea battes (worth trying) Cons: Empire: Total War was one of the titles i have been waiting to get for some time. I got the game few days ago from steam and started playing it. The game offers better graphics and gameplay then before. However there is lots of errors due to steam . I got crit errors like 10 times in 48 hours. Pros: -Graphics are great -Movie like battles (as always) -Sea battes (worth trying) Cons: -Steam sucks . Lots of errors crits eventhough they released an update few days after release. I hear pirated version is more stable :S -Diplomatic relations.( once they say no you never get to make them say yes) -Towns and fortresses are bugged, your forces may get stuck in a wall or a building. -Game ends in 200 turns and you wonder if you did everything possible.… Expand
  16. JamesD
    Mar 13, 2009
    9
    I broke out in cold sweats when I heard about this release. The TW series re-supplies it's position in the battle of the top PC strategy series of all time(CIV's got a blackeye from its PC3 release and close combat is obviously on R and R, sorry Sim fans but nup). I upgraded my computer to deal with this game so I'm a little dissappointed about the "fear of crash" that has I broke out in cold sweats when I heard about this release. The TW series re-supplies it's position in the battle of the top PC strategy series of all time(CIV's got a blackeye from its PC3 release and close combat is obviously on R and R, sorry Sim fans but nup). I upgraded my computer to deal with this game so I'm a little dissappointed about the "fear of crash" that has never been an issue for me. And what's all the fuss with steam anyway? I don't pretend to know anything about computers but that's why we have IT departments right? If your hobby is fixing programming then moan elsewhere because they've got the fundamentals right (although I haven't finished it and if the end sequence isn't a little rewarding criticism will be forthcoming). So pop quiz, can anyone develop realistic diplomacy for the inner Machavelli? Evidentally not. No Austria I'm not giving it back, get over it. I've never played multiplayer ever (as I said I'm no Einstein) but I think the programmers have tried to icrease the "fluidity" of the battle field. Bugs aside the march and counter march should play a greater role both in the strategic and tactical maps for humans. Maybe??? The kids got an 8.9 in my book, lets see how it develops.… Expand
  17. JohnM
    Mar 13, 2009
    5
    a big disappointment. I don't understand how critic reviews can be so high when the game is so strewn with bugs. Charitably this is a beta level release (loss of sound in battles, crashes to the desktop, corrupted save games), but there are critical AI level problems as well. Units which don't fire...units which don't die..naval battles look cool initially but then you get a big disappointment. I don't understand how critic reviews can be so high when the game is so strewn with bugs. Charitably this is a beta level release (loss of sound in battles, crashes to the desktop, corrupted save games), but there are critical AI level problems as well. Units which don't fire...units which don't die..naval battles look cool initially but then you get bogged down in micromanagement. In short -- released with a criminal amount of bugs and lacking in strategic depth.… Expand
  18. ML
    Mar 13, 2009
    8
    This is an amising game, but i expected more of it. I find he turns to be short, despite the large campain map. Naval battles get very chaotic very fast. Some people complain the AI will never transport troups over seas. I have founs this to be false as i was i got attacked by the french while playing the brittish. The AI pathfinding might seem terrible, but when u think about it, u see This is an amising game, but i expected more of it. I find he turns to be short, despite the large campain map. Naval battles get very chaotic very fast. Some people complain the AI will never transport troups over seas. I have founs this to be false as i was i got attacked by the french while playing the brittish. The AI pathfinding might seem terrible, but when u think about it, u see wat their trying to acomplish, wich is not much and could still use alot of improvements. The techtree, land battles in general the addition of sea battles and small towns are great. I have seen very litle bugs and crashes.The historaical acuracy could be beter. I find M2TW and Rome to be more "user friendly"(in lack of beter words). I realy liked the family tree in rome and medieval, wich has been remooved. I hope in the first expantion pact they will fix most of these problems and include the erly XIXth century and a seperate campain simular to the road to independance, but based on the napoleonic war.… Expand
  19. StewartHenderson
    Mar 13, 2009
    0
    So much potential. It should have been a great game. Especially when you consider that it is based on an existing engine that has been around for years now. It is simply too buggy and the AI is rubbish. It seems to me that many games not made by Valve get corrupted in some way when ported over to delivery by Steam. I think Steam is partially to blame for this game being so buggy. Creative So much potential. It should have been a great game. Especially when you consider that it is based on an existing engine that has been around for years now. It is simply too buggy and the AI is rubbish. It seems to me that many games not made by Valve get corrupted in some way when ported over to delivery by Steam. I think Steam is partially to blame for this game being so buggy. Creative Assembly are mostly to blame, however, for not sufficiently testing it and releasing it in this state. Also forcing people like myself, who bought the boxed version from a box, to use steam is wrong. I stopped buying from Steam a couple of years ago because the steam versions were buggy. Lo and behold I buy another game and am forced to use Steam and guess what? It's extremely buggy.… Expand
  20. SantiagoElizalde
    Mar 13, 2009
    8
    The game is almost perfect at its conception, game features are almost endless to describe and the graphics are truly breathtaking for the enormous scale of the game. Just like all the TW titles that came before this, this game is a black hole sucking all my free time. I think It should be a perfect 10. However, just like in previous installments of the series, this game is quirky and The game is almost perfect at its conception, game features are almost endless to describe and the graphics are truly breathtaking for the enormous scale of the game. Just like all the TW titles that came before this, this game is a black hole sucking all my free time. I think It should be a perfect 10. However, just like in previous installments of the series, this game is quirky and buggy. I have a very powerfull PC that can run this game at super high settings, then tell me why do I have to put up with all-low settings so the game wont crash on a video? what is happening here? If the game wasnt worth a dime, I wouldnt care about this and dump it in the trash, but its so frustrsting to be completely addicted to a game that wont stop crashing! the AI is also a bit frustrating, we [again] are facing AI opponents that dont know how to invade through sea and that think that militia scares the hell out of human players! w00t? Cmon Creative Assembly, I know you can do better!...for the time being, Ill give it an 8.… Expand
  21. DanA
    Mar 13, 2009
    10
    Empire is by far the best strategy game that i have ever played. Grpahics are breathtaking, runs on my xps 400 like silk(8800gts, 3 gigs of ram and intel core duo 3.2).
    @ RYAN S
    GET A BETTER COMPUTER.. its a mystery to me why people like you even exist, if you cant get a good computer dont buy the game!!!!! otherwise stop your whining becasue no one wants to hear it
  22. FredF
    Mar 13, 2009
    6
    It boggles the mind how anyone gives this game a 10 unless they are completely new to PC gaming. Lets ignore steam and the CTD style bugs. Lets just talk about gameplay. ETW seems awsome for the first few turns, and very pretty. Then you figure out the AI is NOT improved, Forts are amazingly bugged, the battlefield pathfinding is the worst in ANY TW game to date (and I've played them It boggles the mind how anyone gives this game a 10 unless they are completely new to PC gaming. Lets ignore steam and the CTD style bugs. Lets just talk about gameplay. ETW seems awsome for the first few turns, and very pretty. Then you figure out the AI is NOT improved, Forts are amazingly bugged, the battlefield pathfinding is the worst in ANY TW game to date (and I've played them all). There are just SO many bugs in the GC its really not worth my time to mention each one, the biggest one is that the AI doesn't move troops by ships, yet the game includes india and the americas, I hope you see the problem with that. If you want to play a TW game do yourself a favor. Get Rome or M2, download the patches, download the good mods like Rome Total Realism, for the Stainless Steel mod for M2TW, and enjoy the game. Wait a year at least for this one.… Expand
  23. Alex
    Mar 13, 2009
    10
    A simply incredible game! The best I have played in a long long time. If you love strategy games and/or TW games you will love this one! The campaign map is more complex than all of the other games combined, and turns can now take hours to complete. With the addition of new theaters of war and trading theaters every move has to be made so carefully! There are also the addition of naval A simply incredible game! The best I have played in a long long time. If you love strategy games and/or TW games you will love this one! The campaign map is more complex than all of the other games combined, and turns can now take hours to complete. With the addition of new theaters of war and trading theaters every move has to be made so carefully! There are also the addition of naval battles now - they look great and play really well. The land battles are out of this world (both in strategy and visuals). The AI is also much improved on previous games, although there could still be some improvements. Further, with the addition of Steam you can quickly join multiplayer battles...the game is also automatically updated! Worth every penny (especially for the replay value - every nation has a completely different strategy on the campaign map).… Expand
  24. MatthewW
    Mar 13, 2009
    0
    So far, I can't even get past the opening menu of the game, it keeps crashing when trying to download the campaign or scenarios. I have plenty of disk space, yet the game took over two hours to download. I liked the other TW series, but this has been the worst gaming experience thus far.
  25. TANAKATANAKA
    Mar 13, 2009
    1
    avete clonato imperial glory, il gioco non gira, continua a scattare anche con risoluzioni basse, pur avendo 4 gb di ram e 1 gb di ram video con un t9550 da 2,66 ghz,
    le vostre informazioni risultavano false avete fatto una pessima figura.
    possiedo tutta la serie total war, ma empire mi ha profondamente deluso, mi ritengo raggirato
  26. AP
    Mar 12, 2009
    9
    Excellent game. THe campaign is enormous, the graphics are excellent, and the gameplay is everything I could have expected. For me, there are some bugs, but not many and those that are there are minor. Almost everything I could have wanted. The almost keeps it from a 10. Some minor things like the entire regiment having to be still for anyone to fire, and some minor bugs keep it from a Excellent game. THe campaign is enormous, the graphics are excellent, and the gameplay is everything I could have expected. For me, there are some bugs, but not many and those that are there are minor. Almost everything I could have wanted. The almost keeps it from a 10. Some minor things like the entire regiment having to be still for anyone to fire, and some minor bugs keep it from a 10. Oh and Steam is the only good drm option out there, and to be honest, the companies need drm. Steam is awesome and I wish all my games were on steam.… Expand
  27. GordonM
    Mar 12, 2009
    7
    It's a Total War game, and has many of the things that I enjoyed in the previous games. It added sea battles, tech trees, and a map/settlement style that is arguably better than the old one. There are big problems, though. The AI is bad, the game is buggy, the units are too similar (a fault of the era, not the developers), and major factions can be wiped out in the first few turns It's a Total War game, and has many of the things that I enjoyed in the previous games. It added sea battles, tech trees, and a map/settlement style that is arguably better than the old one. There are big problems, though. The AI is bad, the game is buggy, the units are too similar (a fault of the era, not the developers), and major factions can be wiped out in the first few turns with incredible ease. Oh, and you don't need to worry about the AI landing a fleet behind your front lines and taking a settlement. They won't try, ever. No need to keep any troops on an island.… Expand
  28. AaronS
    Mar 12, 2009
    10
    The game is a phenomenal addition to the TW series. Definitely a choppy launch with a lot of memory leaks and bugs, but when you consider the epic scale of the game and the plethora of new features it's far beyond a fair trade. Unlike Medieval TW, this game doesn't have a bunch of pointless features and boring objectives. The battles are epic and the graphics are breathtaking. The game is a phenomenal addition to the TW series. Definitely a choppy launch with a lot of memory leaks and bugs, but when you consider the epic scale of the game and the plethora of new features it's far beyond a fair trade. Unlike Medieval TW, this game doesn't have a bunch of pointless features and boring objectives. The battles are epic and the graphics are breathtaking. Just finished my first campaign and it grows on me a little more every time I play.… Expand
  29. SBellows
    Mar 12, 2009
    4
    In my opinion the game in it's current state is barely acceptable for human consumption. The overboard copyright system is the first travesty (steam) followed up with random crashes, rediculious hardware demads and feeble pathfinding. With alot of patching it might be worth something by the time it becomes abandonware.
  30. AnonymousMC
    Mar 12, 2009
    0
    This game was obviously rushed to release and not thoroughly playtested. The fact that it shipped with a trade port bug, where you could not use trade ports while playing as certain factions, confirms the shoddy playtesting. They've fixed this particular problem, true, but it still is a smoking gun that signals time was not spent actually playing each faction to see if the gameThis game was obviously rushed to release and not thoroughly playtested. The fact that it shipped with a trade port bug, where you could not use trade ports while playing as certain factions, confirms the shoddy playtesting. They've fixed this particular problem, true, but it still is a smoking gun that signals time was not spent actually playing each faction to see if the game worked. There are many other bugs which remain to be fixed.

    I wish I could give a higher score, as it does have the promise to be an addictive game. However, seeing as it is not complete or working, it can only get a zero for now.

    Buy this immediately if you enjoy gambling. There's a great chance it will not work out well for you for quite some time.

    Otherwise, wait a few months for them to actually finish it.    … Expand
  31. SidM
    Mar 12, 2009
    3
    I have been a Total War fan since shogun and enjoyed every release of the series until this one, which is a shame as I was very ,very keen to play this era. I hate Steam. It is irritating to have to play through it. I hate it with a passion and it has ruined any positives the game held for me. Get rid of it. Then there's the game itself, which looks great but plays very clumsily, sea I have been a Total War fan since shogun and enjoyed every release of the series until this one, which is a shame as I was very ,very keen to play this era. I hate Steam. It is irritating to have to play through it. I hate it with a passion and it has ruined any positives the game held for me. Get rid of it. Then there's the game itself, which looks great but plays very clumsily, sea battles being a nice addition but with a tendency to get messy very quickly, with lots of micro management. Not to mention the bugs with certain ship types.... Land battles just lack excitement, particularly sieges. There's just no tension whatsoever. Then there's poor AI path finding, annoying formation movement, and a severe lack of diversity of land divisions. Also, is it just me or is shooting accuracy generally useless. And what happened to volley fire? Why don't those Cherokee's turn tail and flee when they get hit in the face with a wall of lead? It just gets boring after a while. You just don't get a sense of guns being decisive in battle. Oh but wait, then it just gets plain irritating - constant crashes, slow downs and infinitely long times waiting for turns to cylce through! Diplomatic relations are almost not worth pursuing, although at least allies don't tend to turn on you at the drop of a hat. Historical Accuracy is poor, but thats not that big a deal because we'll get some modders to create an empire total realism later on right? oh no wait !we can't anymore because of ... Steam. I really, really, hate steam. It just ruins the game for me. On the plus side, the research/tech tree idea is very positive, national politics are a little more developed which is a nice touch, and yes the feeling of ripping through an enemy ship with a broadside of a 1st rate is exhilarating... but its not enough to make me stay up all night playing as I used to with Rome or MTW. Really guys, there are so few great games out there and you managed to completely ruin what promised to be the best.… Expand
  32. DougO
    Mar 12, 2009
    9
    Despite some issues with the Steam release and some needed polishing, I have have had no major problems with the game (keep in mind I have to run it on min. specs due to the age of my computer). The A.I. has done fairly well, for me, as it has challenged me more than Rome Total War or Medieval II Total War. I think some serious patching is needed and CA and Sega needs to listen to its Despite some issues with the Steam release and some needed polishing, I have have had no major problems with the game (keep in mind I have to run it on min. specs due to the age of my computer). The A.I. has done fairly well, for me, as it has challenged me more than Rome Total War or Medieval II Total War. I think some serious patching is needed and CA and Sega needs to listen to its community of players, but the game is much better than I expected after the fall off in quality from Shogun and the original Medieval Total War.… Expand
  33. JohnnyT
    Mar 12, 2009
    10
    This is one of the best games i have ever played it runs through the period of 1700-1799 as far as i know and has brilliant gameplay features. You can go practically all over the world, and as a new feature Sea Naval battles that just practically pwn. for those who complete games fast there is online too and a second campaign for America. There are very little bugs i have seen so far and This is one of the best games i have ever played it runs through the period of 1700-1799 as far as i know and has brilliant gameplay features. You can go practically all over the world, and as a new feature Sea Naval battles that just practically pwn. for those who complete games fast there is online too and a second campaign for America. There are very little bugs i have seen so far and graphics are brilliant for a real time strategy game. The tactics are easy to follow and in game battle is much more realistic, the multiplayer is fantastic, and slow motion never gets old :D all in all i give this 10/10.… Expand
  34. BobO
    Mar 12, 2009
    5
    Empire: Total War. What potential, what enthusiasm I had when I popped in the discs and endured the wait for install. clicking the icon to start brought back memories of Rome: Total War and Medieval Total War, I couldn't wait. Well Ladies and Gentlemen, after 48 hours of play I can confirm that this game is far from user friendly, is missing many of the much promised features, is bug Empire: Total War. What potential, what enthusiasm I had when I popped in the discs and endured the wait for install. clicking the icon to start brought back memories of Rome: Total War and Medieval Total War, I couldn't wait. Well Ladies and Gentlemen, after 48 hours of play I can confirm that this game is far from user friendly, is missing many of the much promised features, is bug ridden which include a multitude of crashes to desktop for no apparent reason and many other quirks. I have to say I am disappointed especially after waiting so long for this game, two years to be precise. All I got was an unfinished product with enough flaws for me to put the game away for a long while until (I hope) gets sorted out with the multiple patches announced. Creative Assembly gave us a base which will require much attention to fix, but it can't be fixed with patches, it needs MODs or Modifications made by the community. I feel it is only a bad show of respect that Creative Assembly has not made any announcement of mod tools or community support. It seems that CA will be following the same road many game developers are now starting to take which is releasing an unfinished game lacking in features only to release an expansion pack months later to fix and add the stuff that should already be present. I believe it is only fair that we the consumer start to receive much more attention and better products from the companies we are buying from. Now the game is (was) fairly playable before the last patch which brought back many more problems than it fixed. The game allows you to play 11 factions, 12 if you beat the Road to Independence. That is not many factions to play as considering the former games CA has released have allowed you to play a multitude of factions with the vanilla game alone. Now with Empire, you can play with 12, but not with any of the other factions present in the game which number around 60+. Another unfortunate design decision or a financial incentive to withhold an official unlock for these factions which leads me to my next disappointment, unit variation and AI. CA PROMISED to fix the AI which controls armies on the battle map and campaign map which persisted in their former releases, but it would seem that this time they have regressed into coding a very pathetic AI. Now I am sorry if this offends you, but the AI has always been a PROMISE by CA to be improved, but they have not done anything substantial with it for many of there last releases. The battle map AI will still not utilize terrain, effectively use its numbers against you or perform simple functions like flanking properly. Same goes with the bug ridden campaign map which lags and crashes constantly keeping you frustrated and on the edge of whether or not your progress is all for nothing. AI will STILL not use there navies to properly invade coastal or island regions making the challenge seem somewhat nonexistent. If you see where I am going with this than you are right, CA promised a lot of NEW features, but delivered a an OLD and broken system to a game whose setting would require a new thought to the genre. If it wasn't for the many amazing Modders out there who spend there valuable time making the game better for us, CA's games would remain broken and half-baked. CA knows this and instead of encouraging Modders, they turn them away by refusing there insight. CA knows that Modders add features to the game which should had been there the whole time, so Modders are technically taking away the ability of CA and SEGA to make and publish expansions. It sounds crazy, but it is practical and makes sense. A company does not want to support its Modders unless they were not going to effect their bottom line. An unfortunate Business practice, but the video game industry is all about business and making big profits, not making noteworthy game anymore. With the score I am giving Empire Total War, I feel I am fair and in the correct. CA PROMISED so much, but delivered the same OLD formula. Goodbye Total War, I am going to miss you.… Expand
  35. Garysomeone
    Mar 12, 2009
    5
    This game is a peice of junk at the moment....i was, like many others, looking forward to playing, but after hours of playing i have come to the conclusion...... its, for want of a better worg crap........... the only thing i like are the landscapes but.... what!!!! here's one, a limbering and unlimbering of cannons... sometimes they wont and just sit there unliber and fire... no This game is a peice of junk at the moment....i was, like many others, looking forward to playing, but after hours of playing i have come to the conclusion...... its, for want of a better worg crap........... the only thing i like are the landscapes but.... what!!!! here's one, a limbering and unlimbering of cannons... sometimes they wont and just sit there unliber and fire... no they just move a little or do nothing or better still gallop towards the enemy and die. The AI is even worse than what it was in medievel.... i mean like they just bunch up and fire... No nice straight lines! The skins are crap...... CA what have you done? a boring experience, and i for one cannot wait untill the modders do their magic and lift this game out the gutter, as i for one, have thought about throwing it there. how on erath this got a 94 in pc magazines is beyond me totally, the guys who reviewed must of got "you know the funny handshake" cos really come on, it is not what we all hoped for is it, or expected! even our worsed preconceptions have been overshadowed by this sorry attempt for a next gen? WTF....... CA suck.… Expand
  36. RuudH
    Mar 12, 2009
    7
    In the broader picture this game reveals a gap between critics and the wider audience of "normal" people who play the game. The scores from the critics seem to be made on a future potential of the game, not the actually released product. And that is what we will be playing with absolute guarantee, not the possible (thus possibly never) version it could be. And about that. It's a very In the broader picture this game reveals a gap between critics and the wider audience of "normal" people who play the game. The scores from the critics seem to be made on a future potential of the game, not the actually released product. And that is what we will be playing with absolute guarantee, not the possible (thus possibly never) version it could be. And about that. It's a very frustrating game! You can taste the potential at every aspect, in every minute you're playing. But it never becomes what you expect it to be! The AI, pathfinding and loading times are the biggest drawbacks. You'll find yourself winning battles by exploitations you don't want to exploit, losing battles because your units take irrational never-ordered paths, the enemy being either overly passive or downright mental by walking straight into your cannon fire. And then i'm not even talking about the impatient frustration because of the time you'll be waiting whilst looking at the loading screen (even on my quadcore, 3GB RAM and Gforce 8800GTX). And those are just the flaws on the battle map. Mind you, the big flaws, followed by many minor ones (i.e. losing a few men because your cannon decides to unpack and shoot at the enemy in the middle of a infantry unit, even though you gave orders to do otherwise). The campaign section of the game isn't bothered by as many bugs as the battle section but there are a few very annoying ones nonetheless. First and foremost; the AI. There is no synergy between land and sea coördination at all, a fatal flaw for the time period portayed in the game. Secondly, the AI will wait for you to come to them most of the time, and shows no actual strategy (mind you, this is a STRATEGY game) when it is on the offense. The other major fault of the campaign is, also, the loading time between turns. A minute at best, several minutes most of the time. It can be truly frustrating to have to wait so long everytime to see your well laid plans come to fruition or you just want to see how a certain war between two AI's develops. It totally takes the pace out of the game. The campaign loading times might be okay if i could fill the turns with statisfying real-time battles but, as mentioned earlier, these are more frustrating. When you put it all together the main pro for this game is that you can taste what it could be, it makes you desire an awesome strategy game. But it just isn't. And that leaves more frustration then pleasure. Barely.… Expand
  37. AnonymousMC
    Mar 12, 2009
    0
    I have NOT internet connection and I cannot play it! Is that fair? no I don't think so... it may be the best game but it is unplayable for those who don't have internet connection and a good one because it must be downloaded by steam. also what if I don't know how to do it because I am only 14 and I don't know NOTHING about internet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I enjoyed Rome: TotalI have NOT internet connection and I cannot play it! Is that fair? no I don't think so... it may be the best game but it is unplayable for those who don't have internet connection and a good one because it must be downloaded by steam. also what if I don't know how to do it because I am only 14 and I don't know NOTHING about internet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I enjoyed Rome: Total War but I don't think that I will buy again any of the games which requires internet connection again… Expand
  38. PAC
    Mar 12, 2009
    8
    As a loyal fan of the Total War experience, I am both impressed and a little disappointed. Many of the things that should have been ironed out in earlier versions seem to have been over-stepped in favour of the new design, particularly in campaign mode, which seems to have taken a step backwards. Instead of the inviting 3D map with quality graphical icons, it has an almost cartoon As a loyal fan of the Total War experience, I am both impressed and a little disappointed. Many of the things that should have been ironed out in earlier versions seem to have been over-stepped in favour of the new design, particularly in campaign mode, which seems to have taken a step backwards. Instead of the inviting 3D map with quality graphical icons, it has an almost cartoon quality, the sea shines like plastic and figures, originally so elegantly mounted like playing pieces from a chess game, now look thin and sallow. There also seems to have been a move towards Imperial Glory style unit icons, although the economic and development system seems to have taken a turn for the worse. Somehow it just looks... well, basic. Then there are all the really annoying mouse-over tabs that flash before your eyes before you can finish reading them. REALLY annoying. Simple things, like unit description pop-ups can't be dragged out of the line of sight and the help advisor is fixed annoying in the corner so that when you use the nice touch of renaming your units, the advisor gets in the way. It doesn't always close down either. On the battlefield, there is no doubt that this game rules supreme. It offers the best yet in battlefield tactical feel and the graphics where treated right ARE amazing. However, there are still let downs. Collapsing Walls still look like the large chidish building blocks that breakup in Rome TW and you can see through the Ships in naval combat, which can spoil the effect somewhat. The biggest failure however is simply the failure to embrace Total War. Instead of focusing just on the battlefield level, this game has the potential to expand it's following by creating a multiplayer campaign function. Relatively easy to do compared with the graphic challenges of the battles themselves but endlessly rewarding if you consider that fighting other commanders is eminently more challenging than a computer AI. Campaigns are the future of where this format needs to go, and on this level Emprie TW failed.… Expand
  39. LinB
    Mar 12, 2009
    4
    If I could get this game actually installed on my computer it might be as good as the other Total War Games I have . I have been trying to install this through steam for the last 24 hours trying several times per hour to install it ,am extreemly let down having paid my hard earned money to purchase this game $110 AU and being excited by its release has now been replaced with disappointment.
  40. BillWolf
    Mar 11, 2009
    6
    Although the Graphics are spectacular and the Time period is very turbulant,I feel the creators left out some of the best aspects of the series.For example....where are the movies? Spys and Gentelmen are quite boring,and maybe I missed something but I really enjoyed marriage,heir choosing...like in ROME.Also going to a city in battle mode during peacetime was fun,I liked watching the Although the Graphics are spectacular and the Time period is very turbulant,I feel the creators left out some of the best aspects of the series.For example....where are the movies? Spys and Gentelmen are quite boring,and maybe I missed something but I really enjoyed marriage,heir choosing...like in ROME.Also going to a city in battle mode during peacetime was fun,I liked watching the citys grow.It gave a more realistic sence to the gam.I also had to spen a grand on a new PC that could run this LOOONG anticipated game,and its still choppy.I own every copy of the Total War series along with about 500 other games.I will say for now this is my favorite,but for how long....ps it would be nice to see a American Civil War add on for this.… Expand
  41. MarkW
    Mar 11, 2009
    5
    Fantastic game, great concept, graphics are great for a game of this scale. Only problem is that it's entirely in beta format still. It was released too early and has way too many bugs. With extensive patching this game will probably get better. But won't be sure until that time comes. I give it a crashtastic thumbs sideways.
  42. JonR
    Mar 11, 2009
    10
    Empire is truly an amazing game. Graphics are stunning, gameplay is awesome, naval battles are loads of fun, multiplayer is good and when the multiplayer campaign comes out it should be great. I don't know what people are talking about when they say the AI is horrible. I have a question for them, have you ever played on Expert level?? It is quite challenging. I have been playing Empire is truly an amazing game. Graphics are stunning, gameplay is awesome, naval battles are loads of fun, multiplayer is good and when the multiplayer campaign comes out it should be great. I don't know what people are talking about when they say the AI is horrible. I have a question for them, have you ever played on Expert level?? It is quite challenging. I have been playing Total War games since Rome and I have to say this is the best by far. I also have a question for those of you who don't like Steam. WHY??? Steam is great for online play and if Steam is giving you problems just turn of Steam's connection to the internet and then it's like playing any other game. The only alternative would be GameSpy and gamespy is truely horrible. For people who have been crashing to the desktop I can only say that has got to be bad luck, or your specs aren't good enough. I have only crashed to the desktop once and the problem was fixed in the patch. The only complaint I have for CA is the variety of music in the game. The are maybe 3 different sound tracks for the battles, and the campaign map music puts me to sleep. Hopefully though when they release an unpacker for the game files I'll be able to mod them. I'm thinking Pirates of the Caribbean music for the Naval Battles. Any way Empire is a great strategy game and if you are an immature child and only like fast paced FPS games then Empire is definitely not for you. Because in Empire you actually have to think. The game obviously has several bugs but CA seems very adamant in their promise to fix them soon so I have no worries. I give Empire a 10.… Expand
  43. AndresV
    Mar 11, 2009
    8
    Do I have to write a review? Well, let me say that I really enjoy this game. I bought it through steam but have had no problems due to that fact. The naval combat is a lot of fun. The battle music can get a little annoying after a while. Many of the other poor reviews I've read simply haven't applied to my experience though. All I can say is that you should buy it if you have Do I have to write a review? Well, let me say that I really enjoy this game. I bought it through steam but have had no problems due to that fact. The naval combat is a lot of fun. The battle music can get a little annoying after a while. Many of the other poor reviews I've read simply haven't applied to my experience though. All I can say is that you should buy it if you have enjoyed any of the other Total War series. If you havent tried any of the others, why even Rome is still fun. I play it modded still, you should try the previous ones first because they are cheaper. But otherwise it is alot of fun this new one.… Expand
  44. RyanS
    Mar 11, 2009
    7
    Empire is my very first Total War series purchase, and at the rate things are going it will be my last. While the scope and features of the game are nothing short of breathtaking, the implementation falls way below par in many respects. The most notable issue is the crash to desktop (CTD) that occurs at random points during the grand campaign. I've got a saved game that played as far Empire is my very first Total War series purchase, and at the rate things are going it will be my last. While the scope and features of the game are nothing short of breathtaking, the implementation falls way below par in many respects. The most notable issue is the crash to desktop (CTD) that occurs at random points during the grand campaign. I've got a saved game that played as far as turn 115 that now CTD's on the next turn, while processing the Iroquois Confederacy's AI movements. I'm hesitant to begin another game and run the risk of potentially hours of time being wasted. The first patch released by Creative Assembly (CA), the makers of the game, alleges fixes for several crashes and other bugs, however the official forums tell a different story. For some, the new patch release on Tuesday 10th March actually makes the game worse, with campaign turns taking minutes to process, and the game spending large amounts of time on the loading screens. On the whole the game has oodles of potential, and the graphics and scale of the game are very impressive, but all of that is let down by the release of an unfinished and (for some) unplayable game. Quite when customers will stop blindly accepting products of this quality is a mystery, and how the game managed 90%+ scores in it's current state is equally baffling... I'm wondering if the other reviewers out there who gave 9/10+ scores actually spent any significant amount of time playing the game, or just rushed the review out there after merely scratching the surface of the game. One final word goes to the horrendous decision to require the use of Steam to activate the game, even with boxed copies. It becomes an unacceptable situation when you spend nearly £50 on a physical boxed product, only to have to put up with the inadequacies of Steam in an effort to prove you are not a lowlife pirate. And the "Steam is currently busy and unable to process your request" message when all you are trying to do is launch the game you purchased is frankly disgusting. Treating your loyal paying customers as potential pirates by forcing this DRM rubbish down their throats is not the way to maintain that loyal customer base, especially as the pirates out there don't have to put up with any of it as they have cracked versions of the game without DRM. Fix the bugs and I'll happily update my score to 9 as I believe in the potential of the game, but in it's current state it doesn't deserve any more than 7.5.… Expand
  45. AnonymousMC
    Mar 11, 2009
    7
    It looks great but chugs a bit even though I can run FPSs at top spec. The experience is just that... an experience. There's no great pleasure to playing. Large scale troop movements are a headache if they involve anything other than walking straight forward. Also watching lines of men shoot at each other lacks the impact of a bloody melee. Compared to the rest in the series its aIt looks great but chugs a bit even though I can run FPSs at top spec. The experience is just that... an experience. There's no great pleasure to playing. Large scale troop movements are a headache if they involve anything other than walking straight forward. Also watching lines of men shoot at each other lacks the impact of a bloody melee. Compared to the rest in the series its a real disappointment. Shogun 2 would be nice next though.… Expand
  46. DanielBarnett
    Mar 11, 2009
    6
    A bit of a disapointment, lots of features mentioned seem to have been cut in the final release, and above all it looks terrible in the battles when zoomed out - I mean really bad, like a 10 year old game with 6 pixel soldiers with waggly legs. Granted it looks great close up, but the AI is poor and the features are alot more limited than we were led to belive.
  47. MaciejP
    Mar 11, 2009
    5
    The Game is great but because Steam it lost much of its magic. You can play only whe you are online, play only if you have updated version and even if the patch mess your game totally like it has happend with the first patch. I think that it was bad idea and because of that CA will loose their loyal players.
  48. AndrewS
    Mar 11, 2009
    10
    This is the best game, dont listen to people who are mad at steam, steam IS NOT EMPIRE: TOTAL WAR, IT IS STEAM!! I suggest buying it at a store, not on steam to avoid those issues. It is very fun, if you liked any total war game, you will love this one, and if you havent played one, you will be even more in love with it.
  49. SigurdB
    Mar 11, 2009
    10
    The diversity and depth of gameplay in Empire is one of the best i have seen so far. They have managed with perfection to implement things you did not even realise you missed before, but now flows natualy. The civ type gameplay has been improved imencely making it more realistic for players to contrl. On the battlefront not much has changed apart from a new era (and the tech that The diversity and depth of gameplay in Empire is one of the best i have seen so far. They have managed with perfection to implement things you did not even realise you missed before, but now flows natualy. The civ type gameplay has been improved imencely making it more realistic for players to contrl. On the battlefront not much has changed apart from a new era (and the tech that follows). Because it was not needed to change it to much.… Expand
  50. MarkT
    Mar 11, 2009
    10
    Initial experience of this game, the Road to Independence game, is truly magnificent. The gameplay is even better than the tremendous MTW2 and RTW. The setting - of which I was skeptical - is a great breath of fresh air. Muskets change things! Must have for gamers and students of the C18 alike.
  51. AlexanderR
    Mar 11, 2009
    0
    I started playing Total War with Shogun, and i missed no TW-Game or Addon. I love Empire. But STEAM sucks, the game is not more than a beta, and they apply more and more broken patches (to the german version) via Steam. If they get it fixed anyway, the game should have a 10. But actually its worth nothing...
  52. ArthurW
    Mar 11, 2009
    3
    A Fantastic White elephant, CA have done it again all right. A beautiful addictive game with serious, Major AI flaws. No AI seaborne invasions? In an empire game? Pathfinding Issues, Factions building entire Milita Armies. I don't know why I'm surprised exact same issues were had with every other of their releases. Once again it will be left to the mods to fix. and for ruining A Fantastic White elephant, CA have done it again all right. A beautiful addictive game with serious, Major AI flaws. No AI seaborne invasions? In an empire game? Pathfinding Issues, Factions building entire Milita Armies. I don't know why I'm surprised exact same issues were had with every other of their releases. Once again it will be left to the mods to fix. and for ruining the game with a Steam update I give 3/10 I'm off to play Catan again - forget this techology rubbish for a while.… Expand
  53. AndyTang
    Mar 11, 2009
    7
    Game wise, it is fantastic but CA has chosen a bad way of distributing their game, via STEAM. I have terrible experience with STEAM few years back and it fails me again similarly few years later. I wasted 3 hours (some folks on the net even days) without able to install the game, stuck at "Creating local game cache files" due to the large chunk of data required to be downloaded from theGame wise, it is fantastic but CA has chosen a bad way of distributing their game, via STEAM. I have terrible experience with STEAM few years back and it fails me again similarly few years later. I wasted 3 hours (some folks on the net even days) without able to install the game, stuck at "Creating local game cache files" due to the large chunk of data required to be downloaded from the internet before you can even install it. STEAM is a bad bad choice CA.… Expand
  54. PeterKang
    Mar 10, 2009
    10
    For all YOU STEAM HATERS. THIS IS TO RATE THE GAME NOT THE STEAM. THEY RELEASED A "PATCH" where you don't have to work with steam. ALSO, IF YOU DOWNLOADED FROM STEAM... DON"T COMPLAIN CUZ U WERE SIMPLY TOO LAZY TO GO TO THE STORE TO PICK IT UP instead YOU DECIDED TO DOWNLOAD. STFU AND SIT DOWN. So to all YOU HATERS FOR STEAM DON"T GIVE THIS GAME A BAD RATING JUST CUZ U HATE STEAM.For all YOU STEAM HATERS. THIS IS TO RATE THE GAME NOT THE STEAM. THEY RELEASED A "PATCH" where you don't have to work with steam. ALSO, IF YOU DOWNLOADED FROM STEAM... DON"T COMPLAIN CUZ U WERE SIMPLY TOO LAZY TO GO TO THE STORE TO PICK IT UP instead YOU DECIDED TO DOWNLOAD. STFU AND SIT DOWN. So to all YOU HATERS FOR STEAM DON"T GIVE THIS GAME A BAD RATING JUST CUZ U HATE STEAM. Anyways I believe this game was just amazing except the fact that they delayed this whole time to get the multiplayer campaign included and they still haven't included in yet. That's like the only disappointment but other than its fantastic. I showed it to my friends and they are all addicts of the game now.… Expand
  55. JoelS.
    Mar 10, 2009
    9
    I feel John R. was too harsh. The game is the best in the total war series so far! Yes, steam is a little annoying, and yes there are a few bugs and unfulfilled promises as far as multiplayer is concerned, but overall the game is incredible! Bugs will, I'm sure, be addressed by CA soon enough. Well worth the money and time!
  56. AlkarinV
    Mar 10, 2009
    9
    i give it a nine. it is a solid game. love the time period and the games historical accuracy. Its not the perfect game from the gods but it is indeed the best game out and if your a fan of strategy games or the time period this game is a MUST. ive even had some of my friends who don't play strategy games fall in love with this. there are a few bugs/crashes but they aren't that i give it a nine. it is a solid game. love the time period and the games historical accuracy. Its not the perfect game from the gods but it is indeed the best game out and if your a fan of strategy games or the time period this game is a MUST. ive even had some of my friends who don't play strategy games fall in love with this. there are a few bugs/crashes but they aren't that frequent nor serious. If you don't have the game yet get it! it is definitely worth it unless your a spoiled brat who expects everything to be perfect.… Expand
  57. TylerH
    Mar 10, 2009
    9
    I bought this game with a 50/50 chance of knowing that I may or may not have liked it. I installed it and immediately I loved it. The game play was a lot easier to learn than I thought it would be; very simplistic on how to manage your territory, armies, etc, etc. I guess I
  58. RolfK.
    Mar 10, 2009
    10
    After you gotten passed the crap application and the way it works called STEAM, (Steam is the worst thing there for game applications, yet they convince developers with fake truths). You get to enjoy a great game. In the beginning the it will be rough to get the going with the game, but this is a learning curve, the more you play it the more you get attuned. A big recommendation is stop After you gotten passed the crap application and the way it works called STEAM, (Steam is the worst thing there for game applications, yet they convince developers with fake truths). You get to enjoy a great game. In the beginning the it will be rough to get the going with the game, but this is a learning curve, the more you play it the more you get attuned. A big recommendation is stop playing easy after you gotten a few provinces and won a few 50-50 odds battles on land and then go towards normal. After you did the same there, but also with fleet battles, with some lesser odds for you go to a higher difficulty. That way you have learned enough for battles and can taste the strength. (The hardest I recommend after defeating a major power on hard due some lesser deaths they get in battles).… Expand
  59. RickLeee
    Mar 10, 2009
    7
    this game would be a 10 if the game would actually play battles but the grand campaign deserves a ten and it is not my computers fault either actually its a little ironic that a pamphlet in the empire box says runs great on alienware m17 because it doesn't most of the time and my m17 is the best you can get it
  60. H.L
    Mar 10, 2009
    8
    My initial nostalgia for this game has worn off now after 30hrs. The game is still rather buggy and had some kinks it needs to work out before it can even consider being great. The most frustrating bug is occasionally trade ships sitting in a trade port will essentially disappear. There are also a few game play issues that need to be sorted out as well. Like when a flag carrier is killed My initial nostalgia for this game has worn off now after 30hrs. The game is still rather buggy and had some kinks it needs to work out before it can even consider being great. The most frustrating bug is occasionally trade ships sitting in a trade port will essentially disappear. There are also a few game play issues that need to be sorted out as well. Like when a flag carrier is killed no one picks the flag up. Also England is disproportionately stacked (no suprise it was developed in England). The trade zones are a cool concept but it would be even better if these were actual zones you could settle. Also no Asia, WTF!?!? I played as the Dutch and one of the monopolies the Dutch had was Japan but its not in the game, neither is Hong Kong. Would also like the play as Portugal, but can't. Also complete lack of diversity among countries it all feels the same playing as a different country. Same units, minor exceptions, and same tech tree. Also same buildings, again a few minor exceptions. I might have been expecting more, and it still is a good game, but I was a little let down.… Expand
  61. NeilHart
    Mar 10, 2009
    3
    Great game, but if you cant play a campaign to conclusion due to the many bugs in the game, you have to wonder if perhaps a little more testing was in order before release. Will try and go back to it if and when they patch the errors, until then, unplayable
  62. StephenW
    Mar 9, 2009
    9
    This game is the very best Total War game yet - the interface is streamlined, the game engine itself has been updated to offer more eye popping detail and smooth game play, in fact this Total War runs better on my machine than the previous title [Medieval 2]. I like the new campaign mode, but it goes rather slow, only offering certain game functions such as in depth settlement management This game is the very best Total War game yet - the interface is streamlined, the game engine itself has been updated to offer more eye popping detail and smooth game play, in fact this Total War runs better on my machine than the previous title [Medieval 2]. I like the new campaign mode, but it goes rather slow, only offering certain game functions such as in depth settlement management [like taxation and government type] after you have played though chapters - but all in all, the game is a winner. 9.6/10… Expand
  63. Kyle
    Mar 9, 2009
    0
    Horrible unit variety, pay $20 more for more diversity, countless bugs, gameplay issues, Terrible AI & Historical accuracy. (Ever wanted to see Indians march like europeans? Then this is the game for you!) CTD'ing with Gentlemen, Steam issues, UNKEPT, shoddy promises towards the modding community are just a few of the reasons why you shouldn't buy this game. Only 12 nations Horrible unit variety, pay $20 more for more diversity, countless bugs, gameplay issues, Terrible AI & Historical accuracy. (Ever wanted to see Indians march like europeans? Then this is the game for you!) CTD'ing with Gentlemen, Steam issues, UNKEPT, shoddy promises towards the modding community are just a few of the reasons why you shouldn't buy this game. Only 12 nations chooseable, many nations contain files as if they are unlockable, discovered by modders, but they are not. STAY AWAY. You have been warned.… Expand
  64. KorbinN
    Mar 9, 2009
    4
    I have played alot of games and most of them i bought day of or a couple days after their launch, and i have to say THIS HAS BEEN THE WORST GAME LAUNCH I HAVE EVER SEEN. I have played many Total War games (including my personal favorite Rome: Total War) and was extatic to hear about ETW, but haven even played it now and had it for 48+ hours. The Tech Support forums are jam packed and it I have played alot of games and most of them i bought day of or a couple days after their launch, and i have to say THIS HAS BEEN THE WORST GAME LAUNCH I HAVE EVER SEEN. I have played many Total War games (including my personal favorite Rome: Total War) and was extatic to hear about ETW, but haven even played it now and had it for 48+ hours. The Tech Support forums are jam packed and it seems that hundreds are complaining about gliches, bugs, crashes, freezes, and more. there is a 7 page thread about the problem i am having and countess others. The developers claim to " Have a patch in the works that will be out by the end of the week", but they have not commented on a single beg for advice, help, anything that we could do to fix minor problems. Honestly i would have rather waited an extra week for the release than have the game sitting infront of me calling my name and rereading the manual over and over again. I think this whole thing is a combination of poor customer support and a lapse of judgement on the developers part for releasing it to early.… Expand
  65. CallumM
    Mar 9, 2009
    10
    Brilliant! The step up in the campaign map was a welcome change. The user seems to have more control over their settlements now and the diplomacy feels more in depth. I havn't noticed any assassin or sabotage videos yet (which is a bit of a shame) but apart from that I haven't really got a bad word to say the game. Worth every penny.
  66. BrianL
    Mar 9, 2009
    8
    This is a great game... when it works. It works long enough to get serveral hours into a campaign then the campaign gets buged and unless you have a recent save... you may as well start over. I don't know quite what else to say its very frustrating that game developers feel it more important to get the game to market than to have it actually work correctly.
  67. TS
    Mar 9, 2009
    10
    This game is nothing short of spectacular. Though some have questioned the download method (Steam! Oh Noes!) The game itself is solid, filling in every detail that makes this a 10. There are a few bugs, but they hardly effect gameplay at all, and the more you play the more you get sucked in. Its a good game, buy it.
  68. RandallS
    Mar 9, 2009
    7
    This is a good game, don't get me wrong, but it was a bit of a letdown from Medieval 2. The Good: The campaign map is huge, and although it's not as great looking as it could be, is the best campaign map yet in the TW series because of breadth and the huge number of 'minor nations' dotting it. The Bad: 1. There is really only one type of non-naval unit in the game, This is a good game, don't get me wrong, but it was a bit of a letdown from Medieval 2. The Good: The campaign map is huge, and although it's not as great looking as it could be, is the best campaign map yet in the TW series because of breadth and the huge number of 'minor nations' dotting it. The Bad: 1. There is really only one type of non-naval unit in the game, Line Infantry. 80% of your army will be made up of either them or militia, which are weaker versions of the same thing. There are some cavalry and some cannons, but really, Line Infantry is just about all there is. 2. They basically removed siege battles. You can besiege a city, but when you attack it, you fight in an open field. No epic wall-climbing (though there's some of that in fortress battles, which end up being just annoying though). 3. You can attack a city without cannons or siege equipment, and armies can move pretty quickly. So you can blitz across 800 miles in one turn and take a city. 4. Battles are boring. The infantry stand and shoot each other. They don't even kneel down to let the second line shoot, the first line just keeps shooting and shooting. 5. Units are still dumb. You can order them to move and often they just won't do anything. This most often happens after they are engaged in a melee battle. 6. Countries are still pretty dumb. In my first campaign, Poland kept declaring war on me, and then accepting a peace offer in the next turn that would have them pay me a bunch of money. So I just used them as a piggy bank for like 8 turns until they quit declaring war. 7. Diplomacy isn't that great. The options and strangely arranged and other countries still ignore great offers alot. On the bright side, other countries make interesting offers sometimes, unlike in Medieval 2. Overall: Good, but disappointing.… Expand
  69. ScottK
    Mar 9, 2009
    8
    While it's easy to immerse yourself in the game, it's not nice to have the game crash 36 rounds into a campaign. Just when I've got to grips with my expanding empire I can no longer continue. Many others have this problem and there seems to be no solution. I guess it's going to be a long wait for the first patch. However, the worst thing about Total War is the use of While it's easy to immerse yourself in the game, it's not nice to have the game crash 36 rounds into a campaign. Just when I've got to grips with my expanding empire I can no longer continue. Many others have this problem and there seems to be no solution. I guess it's going to be a long wait for the first patch. However, the worst thing about Total War is the use of Steam. Why? It puts people off!… Expand
  70. J.Morgan
    Mar 8, 2009
    6
    Very...very very buggy.

    Under all those bugs, and honestly there are too many to list (check out the official forums and TW forums) is a great game.

    I don't know if CA will be able to claw threw them all or not, its worse than any TW game on release to date I think.
  71. mikec
    Mar 8, 2009
    3
    All the great attrbutes are there sat on the screen, but constant crashes and a stupidly large amount of bugs have made the game unplayable until CA start pumping out some patches. The game looks amazing and the bits that work are great but, with all the problems id question whether CA were so rushed by sega to get the game out its not actually being finished. In short a major All the great attrbutes are there sat on the screen, but constant crashes and a stupidly large amount of bugs have made the game unplayable until CA start pumping out some patches. The game looks amazing and the bits that work are great but, with all the problems id question whether CA were so rushed by sega to get the game out its not actually being finished. In short a major disappointment and falls well short of the expectations after the classic and truely brilliant Rome TW.… Expand
  72. H.Schmoll
    Mar 8, 2009
    4
    Steam is awful. The game crashes all the time. I love the total war series, but I can barely get it to work under this horrible engine. When it does work the load times are too long. All the finesse that existed in the former series are now gone. Plus you get to witness the Steam advertisements every time you start...
  73. Czar
    Mar 8, 2009
    8
    Amazing depth of play - very exciting to watch the 3d RTS battles are just awesome. However, I am getting some weird graphical glitches glitches on a system that plays all games with very little problems. Also the whole steam set up was a pain as after installing from disk Steam decided it also need to be downloaded - luckily I am not the only one and some works-arounds can be found in Amazing depth of play - very exciting to watch the 3d RTS battles are just awesome. However, I am getting some weird graphical glitches glitches on a system that plays all games with very little problems. Also the whole steam set up was a pain as after installing from disk Steam decided it also need to be downloaded - luckily I am not the only one and some works-arounds can be found in forums - in short a brilliant game that just falls short due to some terrible polishing and distribution decisions. I have never been anti-steam but quickly heading that way.… Expand
  74. giorgio
    Mar 8, 2009
    1
    questo gioco sarà pure bello ma è una merda il fatto che bisogna collegarsi ad internet ed aspettare ogni volta l'aggiornamento.....a me ad esempio salta internet e a volte và molto lento...molto spesso ci vogliono anche due ore per fare l'aggiornamento su Steam e mi passa completamente la voglia d giocare......vi ho regalato 60 euro...
  75. CarloD
    Mar 8, 2009
    9
    I think this is is the best game I have ever played, honestly, it takes you back to my favourite time in history, 1700-1850 and immerses you in a true new world. You need some cunning and wits to outsmart your enemies, because the new AI is getting quite realistic now. There are minor bugs, but they will surely be patched by Creative Assembly, just like with the rest of their games.
  76. AlexV
    Mar 8, 2009
    5
    The game is obviously great but steam has destroyed any pleasure in gaming that could have existed.. takes 2 days to download and its so full of bugs and crashes that its not playable.. i hope they learn! game was great the 1 hour it worked before i used 6 hours trying to fix it. feels like i bought a beta at retail price
  77. ClintonLandry
    Mar 7, 2009
    9
    The game is fantastic in its campaign depth. The diplomacy, naval battles and fort system are much improved over previous total war games. The only draw back is the load time for battles and the lack of character depth regarding generals and leaders. There are some attributes but not the depth i would like.
  78. LewisH
    Mar 7, 2009
    8
    A very good game that is slightly let down by some AI issues and some annoying stability problems. I was hoping the AI would be hugely improved from MTW:2 but surprisingly enemy formations still occasionally wonder up to my formations and stand there being pounded by musket fire, making no attempt to attack (even cavalry) before wondering off. The CPU AI on the Strategic map also needs A very good game that is slightly let down by some AI issues and some annoying stability problems. I was hoping the AI would be hugely improved from MTW:2 but surprisingly enemy formations still occasionally wonder up to my formations and stand there being pounded by musket fire, making no attempt to attack (even cavalry) before wondering off. The CPU AI on the Strategic map also needs some work as for example Spain declared war on me while I held France. The AI marched 4 Spanish armies around the Spanish territory and made no attempt to attack me. The game also insists on crashing to desktop periodically. Flaw's aside, It *is* an excellent and absorbing game. I hope these minor flaws are addressed by a patch in the near future.… Expand
  79. SpencerH
    Mar 7, 2009
    10
    An amazing game! The enemy AI is ridiculously intelligent and the battles are breathtaking! Also Steam is awesome, John R. must have been paid by Microsoft. I don't see why he would rate the game down to a 2 simply because it has an awesome online service.
  80. StevenB
    Mar 7, 2009
    10
    As far as I am concerned, this is the best game I have played in many, many years and is the game that the PC gaming world has been waiting for. The navy battles may be a little messy at the moment but it still easily outclasses any real-time strategy on both land and water. A must buy.
  81. MichaelC
    Mar 7, 2009
    10
    Empire Total War is THE game for PC strategy games. Combining an epic (key word) grand strategy campaign game with challenging, tactical real-time battles, Empire Total War defines the PC gaming strategy genre. Indeed, it has set the bar so high I'm interested to see what Creative Assembly's competitors come up with! If you are new to the Total War series, ETW may at first seem Empire Total War is THE game for PC strategy games. Combining an epic (key word) grand strategy campaign game with challenging, tactical real-time battles, Empire Total War defines the PC gaming strategy genre. Indeed, it has set the bar so high I'm interested to see what Creative Assembly's competitors come up with! If you are new to the Total War series, ETW may at first seem over-whelming. I'm a veteran Total War fan and even I was, at first, taken aback at the sheer scale of Empire. The campaign map is HUGE, spanning nearly the entire world. Once you get the hang of balancing your armies, your development, diplomacy, trade, and so forth, you'll really begin to appreciate the depth and re-playability this game has to offer. The real-time battles, both on land and sea, are truly amazing to behold. Surprisingly, the game performs well even on medium level gaming PCs. Soldiers and ships are highly detailed, nearly life-like, and the smoke of musket and cannon, the clash of swords and pikes, and the vibrant realism of redcoats and hussars charging across 18th century battlefields is simply stunning. I've played the game exhaustively for the past couple days and, aside from a few minor issues that will soon be patched (some sound stuttering problems during video sequences, as reported by some gamers), Empire is technically flawless. CA spent years developing this game and it truly shows. Nearly all review sites have given Empire an average score of 9.5...which is superb and well deserved. I HIGHLY recommend Empire Total War!… Expand
  82. IanWilliams
    Mar 7, 2009
    10
    The people whining about Steam are just frustrated free-loaders, so let's just ignore them. In terms of atmosphere and gameplay, ETWis as good as it gets. This isn't just the best strategy game ever, it's quite probably the best video game ever. And to think we're here to witness it in person! Unbelievable.
  83. Yaz
    Mar 7, 2009
    7
    This is certainly a good game, and the level of little features and detail in are astonishing. Unfortunately for the time being it only deserves a 7 due to the large amount of bugs and problems in the game (crashes, graphic glitches, unit unresponsiveness, stupid ai actions etc...). Once it fixes up these things I would rate it solidely at a 9. However until that time it's just This is certainly a good game, and the level of little features and detail in are astonishing. Unfortunately for the time being it only deserves a 7 due to the large amount of bugs and problems in the game (crashes, graphic glitches, unit unresponsiveness, stupid ai actions etc...). Once it fixes up these things I would rate it solidely at a 9. However until that time it's just another case of what could have been a great game ruined by what was probably a slightly rushed dev time since it's not finished.… Expand
  84. GerryHughes
    Mar 7, 2009
    2
    Install instructions are non-existant. Steam is absolutely ********* Had to discover for myself that I needed to be connected to he nent just to install the game and that I had to create a steam account before the game would install. Once that had been done had to search the net to discover game could not be run offline until it had first been run once online which it would not do untillInstall instructions are non-existant. Steam is absolutely ********* Had to discover for myself that I needed to be connected to he nent just to install the game and that I had to create a steam account before the game would install. Once that had been done had to search the net to discover game could not be run offline until it had first been run once online which it would not do untill it had been updated. So far I have been unable to update and run the game because the steam servers are too busy. Need I say more ?… Expand
  85. DanielC
    Mar 7, 2009
    9
    'Tis a very polished game next to M2:TW. AI seems at least slightly more responsive. Runs buttery smooth on my computer (may not be the case for everyone). I had no problems with steam, except the long, LONG download. It is still possible others will. Bottom line, another great game by CA.
  86. [Anonymous]
    Mar 6, 2009
    10
    This is definitely the most immersive and realistic real-time strategy game that I have played to date. The graphics aren't anything groundbreaking, but for such a grand-scale RTS such as itself, I'd say they're outstanding. The sound is exceptional, and the gameplay itself is a bit of a learning curve, but very easy to master. The grand campaign is easier to play, with This is definitely the most immersive and realistic real-time strategy game that I have played to date. The graphics aren't anything groundbreaking, but for such a grand-scale RTS such as itself, I'd say they're outstanding. The sound is exceptional, and the gameplay itself is a bit of a learning curve, but very easy to master. The grand campaign is easier to play, with many things being scaled down in easy-to-use and easy to access format, with some new and fantastic features, like a government policy screen to control all taxes for various groups of people, as well as a diplomacy screen for easy trade and negotiations without having to send a diplomat clear to the other side of the world. Naval battles are also a visually stunning and awe-inspiring approach to a new system of combat for RTS'. However, every game has its flaws, and Empire is no exception. Don't make this ruin it though-because the flaws are few, and I foresee them being easily patched in the near future. I found the game's AI to be way too confused when playing in single player. In battles, the AI never rests defensive unless you're playing a siege map, and they always scatter around like headless chickens facing certain doom. Naval battles are extremely clunky, with it being difficult to individually manage more than 4 ships manually, and if you rely on the auto-fire, you'll be in a world of hurt, with ships sitting dormant whilst moving from side to side, trying to figure out the best direction to a target. There are graphical glitches at times, too, such as when I attempted boarding an enemy ship and the offending ship went clear into the defending ship's interior-but this only happened once. I've found the sound to fade out a few times and then return to normal, but I'm sure this will be fixed in a patch. Flaws notwithstanding, this game receives a perfect score. It's definitely not for people who are impatient and like to charge at everything in sight immediately. I'm actually finding books on battlefield tactics, such as Napoleon's Art of War (Yes, he wrote one too), to be extremely useful in conquering the enemy. I'm completely amazed that a game offers enough realism to be able to take references from history to use as tools for a video game. Speaking of history, the grand campaign offers amazing historical information, as well as occasional discoveries (or at least they were back in the day) corresponding with the appropriate year, such as the first effective smallpox treatment and the use of three basic colors to print the first color picture on a printing press. Empire: Total War is the game for any [military] history buff or for anyone who loves challenges. It offers rich backgrounds to everything, vivid visual detail, and unparalleled realism. You'll find yourself immersed just watching the crew diving off of the ship as it sinks from enemy cannon-fire, or staring at your line-men as they raise their muskets and disappear in a cloud of smoke as the approaching French troops' lines diminish. This game is a must-have, and I know I'll be playing it for years to come.… Expand
  87. CurtisO
    Mar 6, 2009
    10
    Dude, John, seriously? You just lowered the score of an AMAZING game because of steam. If you have that much of a problem with steam, just go out and buy a copy (at Best Buy in America you can get a free unit) like I did (For some reason i think it might run slower or worse because its downloaded....) Anyways, this is definitely a game worth its money and more. If you love RTS, Strategy, Dude, John, seriously? You just lowered the score of an AMAZING game because of steam. If you have that much of a problem with steam, just go out and buy a copy (at Best Buy in America you can get a free unit) like I did (For some reason i think it might run slower or worse because its downloaded....) Anyways, this is definitely a game worth its money and more. If you love RTS, Strategy, or are already a fan of the Total War series, this game is a MUST. New graphics engine makes the game that much cooler, and the water in the sea battles is amazingly real. I know the sea battles have been over discussed and shown, but it is definitely a great addition to the series. Watching the chunks of wood fly off your ship and land in the water, only to be discovered later when your panning over the area and are like "what is that" truly gives the game a more realistic feel. And the management for the Campaign Map or Grand Campaign/Road to Glory map is heaps easier. No more pesky Diplomats or Merchants, and the fact that cities form in the area instead of being all in one spot makes building buildings that much easier. If your considering buying this game, stop reading this and go buy it. But make sure your computer can run it, otherwise you well be up shit creek without a paddle.… Expand
  88. ronaldmcdonald
    Mar 6, 2009
    7
    would like to give it a 10 because it's a fantastic game from what I have seen so far except i can't play it because it crashes ALL the time and i mean that literally all the time.
    I am currently waiting and hoping on patches to fix this before I give it another go, I really is unplayable in it's current state.
  89. JimI
    Mar 6, 2009
    10
    This is a brilliant game. I can't help but get really annoyed with people sabotaging the score for others to read by moaning about Steam. I mean it's meant to be a review of the game. Fine if you have issues with the gameplay, but you wouldn't give a movie a bad review score if your dvd was scratched or if the cinema played it out of focus. It's meant for people to This is a brilliant game. I can't help but get really annoyed with people sabotaging the score for others to read by moaning about Steam. I mean it's meant to be a review of the game. Fine if you have issues with the gameplay, but you wouldn't give a movie a bad review score if your dvd was scratched or if the cinema played it out of focus. It's meant for people to read about the game! If I was metacritic I'd remove that 2/10 nonsense as abuse. It really misleads. I think the game itself is amazing. Completely absorbed in the campaign, and the battles look out of this world. 10/10.… Expand
  90. ChimpeeW
    Mar 6, 2009
    3
    Am I the only one who thinks this game feels completely unfinished. The AI is horrible, the path finding sucks. When I have units group and tell them to walk 100 yds straight ahead, why do they all decide to crisscross each other. Why does my cavalry chase the enemy cavalry then stop once they are within 10 feet of them? Why is it nearly impossible to form a straight line on anything but Am I the only one who thinks this game feels completely unfinished. The AI is horrible, the path finding sucks. When I have units group and tell them to walk 100 yds straight ahead, why do they all decide to crisscross each other. Why does my cavalry chase the enemy cavalry then stop once they are within 10 feet of them? Why is it nearly impossible to form a straight line on anything but an empty mile wide field? Why does my army constantly lift sieges on their own? If I'm besieging someone and they try to break the siege but fail, why does my army break off the siege? Also in the American campaign when I'm assaulting a fort, why is my advisor telling me how best to defend my fort? And yes the whole steam thing sucks. Guess what, people will still pirate this game, you're only hurting honest consumer. I guess if my internet goes down and I want to play I'm SOL. I haven't played around with the naval combat yet to know if it works or not, maybe that's where they put all their effort. We'll see. Where's the patch? I'm bleeding here.… Expand
  91. JohnW
    Mar 6, 2009
    7
    Empire: Total War is an engaging strategy game. It's just not as entertaining as it could be. Attention to detail is astounding and the depth of the grand campaign far exceeds past Total War games. But the scope of the game is so large that the gameplay ultimately suffers from lack of focus. Land battles look good, and the AI works better than past games in the series, but units Empire: Total War is an engaging strategy game. It's just not as entertaining as it could be. Attention to detail is astounding and the depth of the grand campaign far exceeds past Total War games. But the scope of the game is so large that the gameplay ultimately suffers from lack of focus. Land battles look good, and the AI works better than past games in the series, but units still behave erratically at times. Naval battles feel more ill-conceived mini-game than an RTS simulation, and this was the biggest disappointment for me.… Expand
  92. CraigA
    Mar 6, 2009
    10
    A magnificent game, truly amazing gameplay and something you'll play again and again. The graphical attention to detail is incredible and the sound effects stunning. The music really makes an ordinary battle, an epic battle. This is one PC game that should be in every gamers collection.
  93. RealProgrammer
    Mar 6, 2009
    9
    Terrific game, well integrated into Steam! As usual VALVe gets another winner on board their platform. Using their download servers, I was able to max out my 1.5 MB (not megabit) connection on the day of release and "quickly" download the 15 gigabyte game. It installed and played without a hitch, and has been doing well ever since! Gripes: as expected in a game of this size and Terrific game, well integrated into Steam! As usual VALVe gets another winner on board their platform. Using their download servers, I was able to max out my 1.5 MB (not megabit) connection on the day of release and "quickly" download the 15 gigabyte game. It installed and played without a hitch, and has been doing well ever since! Gripes: as expected in a game of this size and complexity, there are some issues with AI. Sometimes it will make goofy choices when attempting to assault a stronghold, but overall it's done a much better job at matching and attempting to counter my attacks. Also, SLI and Crossfire is not compatible as of 6 March 2009, so you'll have to wait for a patch from Creative Assembly, NVidia, and ATI before multi-card users like myself see a significant usage of their extra cards.… Expand
  94. JaredB
    Mar 6, 2009
    9
    An amazing experience. Great attention to detail, lush graphics, and most importantly fun. This is the future of pc gaming. I bought my copy through Steam and have had no problems running the game. My score reflects that I haven't had any tech. problems. The only gripe I have is that naval battles break down very quickly and pathfinding at sea is awful. I usually just auto determine An amazing experience. Great attention to detail, lush graphics, and most importantly fun. This is the future of pc gaming. I bought my copy through Steam and have had no problems running the game. My score reflects that I haven't had any tech. problems. The only gripe I have is that naval battles break down very quickly and pathfinding at sea is awful. I usually just auto determine the results at sea. Other than that, a great game.… Expand
  95. StevenM
    Mar 6, 2009
    10
    Definitely the best TW game I have ever played. Set the AI to Very Hard, and you'll certainly be in for a challenge. The Grand Campaign truly is grand this time around. You'll be watching over your troops in the old world, new world, and the east Indies. Not to mention all the naval forces you'll have to manage in order to secure trading at various ports around the world. Definitely the best TW game I have ever played. Set the AI to Very Hard, and you'll certainly be in for a challenge. The Grand Campaign truly is grand this time around. You'll be watching over your troops in the old world, new world, and the east Indies. Not to mention all the naval forces you'll have to manage in order to secure trading at various ports around the world. Truly an epic masterpiece.… Expand
  96. TimR
    Mar 6, 2009
    10
    This isn't a comment on the game, but the statement above about the user who gave the game 2 stars. First off, no game should be penalized because of Steam or any other distribution service. None of the comments in this "review" above have anything to do with the game. Editors, please make sure that the review comments actually have relevance to the game. In the case of the comment This isn't a comment on the game, but the statement above about the user who gave the game 2 stars. First off, no game should be penalized because of Steam or any other distribution service. None of the comments in this "review" above have anything to do with the game. Editors, please make sure that the review comments actually have relevance to the game. In the case of the comment above, the user is reviewing Steam, not Empire:Total war, which is available all over the place, not just on Steam.… Expand
  97. RussT
    Mar 6, 2009
    2
    I have not even been able to play the game yet. Steam is such a pile and keeps giving messages like, "game is not available at this time, please try again in a few minutes". I don't even want to use steam. I just want to play this game on my computer by myself. I'm sure the game is pretty awesome, but steam is just ruining it. Shame on total war for attaching this game to steam
  98. TomL
    Mar 6, 2009
    9
    Great Game, I'm New to the total war franchise and i was blown away with the graphics and sound. The Battle tutorial and Road to independence campaign are well designed so that 'noobs' like me can pick up up the game in a few hours.. Yeah it does use steam to activate it, but it is the way forward, your game gets patched automatically, you can backup your purchased to Great Game, I'm New to the total war franchise and i was blown away with the graphics and sound. The Battle tutorial and Road to independence campaign are well designed so that 'noobs' like me can pick up up the game in a few hours.. Yeah it does use steam to activate it, but it is the way forward, your game gets patched automatically, you can backup your purchased to dvd-r's and the community around the game is good as well. Most modern gamers use steam and dont have problems with it, you can play the game 'offline' using steams offline game mode, once its been activated.… Expand
  99. StuartHayes
    Mar 6, 2009
    2
    Buggy, Buggy, Buggy, has crashed 20-30 times in my first 8 hours of playing. Now stuck at one point in the game, crashing after each battle before I can save. Game should never have been released with such stability issues. When it was working it seemed like a great game. Don't waste your time starting it until the patches have been rolled out
  100. robertalderman
    Mar 6, 2009
    10
    All ten stars for me, this game is truly remarkable through out the whole thing game play is great , replay is great, and overall game smoothness is great, i have no problem running this game on ultra and it being very smooth. -AMD dragon spec pc.

    very well done creative, im usually a tough customer but you have really done great work and it is available steam!! yay
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 62 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 61 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 62
  3. Negative: 0 out of 62
  1. PC Gamer UK
    94
    Astonishing...Immense... A strategy masterwork. [Mar 2009, p.54]
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  2. Eurogamer
    90
    In some ways, it's the closest we've come to the enormous social novel from the period after that which Empire chronicles: it's a Tolstoy-esque War and Peace of a game. Its problems may be the inevitable problems of trying something with such sheer scope. As such, if you want the breathtaking vision of the game, you have to accept the flaws in the details - for now, at least.
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  3. InsideGamer.nl
    93
    This is the best Total War game thanks to all the little tweaks. Sometimes little differences make a good game great. The battles ask of you that you think more about your actions and managing your empire never was easier. The sea battles are fun to watch, but are a little hard to control. Nevertheless, Empire: Total War is a game that can make you forget about the time.
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