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. nevrock7
    Oct 17, 2010
    2
    I feel as if I am being nice to give this game a 2. The installation alone took WAY longer than it should have, and I wasn't even able to play the game. The fact that I payed $20 for a game that wouldn't work on my computer, take up memory space, add stress to my already horrible day, and waste hours trying to find an answer. Anyone looking into this game is much better off taking theI feel as if I am being nice to give this game a 2. The installation alone took WAY longer than it should have, and I wasn't even able to play the game. The fact that I payed $20 for a game that wouldn't work on my computer, take up memory space, add stress to my already horrible day, and waste hours trying to find an answer. Anyone looking into this game is much better off taking the simpler installation that comes with Medieval 2: Total War.… Expand
  2. CivforBrains
    Jun 4, 2011
    2
    Incredibly bad, nearly non existent AI ensures this game will get a very low score from me.
    The "professional" reviewers should truly be ashamed of themselves. Likely, they are $miling all the way to the bank though.
  3. BadIdeas
    May 23, 2016
    2
    I am writing this to alert people once again at how bad this game is. Never mind how bad it was at launch, I will tell you my experience as of the last CA patch, when they announced they would no longer be patching this game.

    I played the campaign long enough to play a single battle. I was defending a fort from an enemy assault. Mere seconds after the battle started the opposing AI ran    I am writing this to alert people once again at how bad this game is. Never mind how bad it was at launch, I will tell you my experience as of the last CA patch, when they announced they would no longer be patching this game.

    I played the campaign long enough to play a single battle. I was defending a fort from an enemy assault. Mere seconds after the battle started the opposing AI ran his general out, sweeping across his front lines, and opened fire on my fort with his cannons....directly through his general's unit, thereby killing his own general within about 15 seconds from the battle start. Probably trying to cut around my fort at my reinforcements behind and to the left of the fort.

    That was the start, then about a minute later I had moved my two reinforcing units up to flank the attacking force, when the AI decided it would meet my reinforcements head on with a cavalry charge. I had elephant cavalry and some sort of hybrid ranged/melee unit, so I switched my ranged unit into melee mode, and counter charged, relying on the elephant cavalry to break the enemy charge and my other unit to overwhelm them. Then I switched back to manage the assault on my fort, which was going well for me, only to switch back to the conflict outside my fort to find that while my elephant cavalry had charged, my other unit had not. At first I thought I had misclicked, but come to find out, when I had put the unit in melee mode, it froze in place. I couldn't move it. I had to toggle it back in forth multiple times before it "fixed itself" and I could move it again, but only in ranged mode.

    As my general was part of the now gutted elephant cavalry, I was actually at risk of being routed. I held the fort, but the AI was reforming for another attack, and all I had to stop his cavalry outside the fort was a unit that I couldn't switch from ranged mode or it would stop moving. Meanwhile his cannon had done serious damage to my wall. Reviewing the damage I realized his cannon were no longer firing, why not? Well, that is because the AI decided to abandon his cannons, which still had plenty of ammo, and charge the fort with his cannoneers, while his other units stood and watched. The marched right up to the walls, where I had local number superiority, then broke and ran, as did the rest of the forces. Giving me the victory.

    Realizing battles where not a test of skill, but a test of whether the gameplay crippling bugs the player experiences are worse than the horrible, suicidal. AI, I stopped playing then and there and have not touched the game since. i honestly think anyone who rates this game a 10/10 is either being paid, is not a gamer at all, or is playing on such easy difficulties they don't really notice how terrible things are. keep in mind, my experience, was post the last CA update, after they had "fixed" the game.

    TLDR: As of final patch, game was still broken with massive bugs and a non functional AI. Not worth playing, not to mention paying for.    … Expand
  4. SWiToNeZz
    Oct 23, 2012
    2
    It didn't starts anyway i try to. When it starts then it crashes many times. So i give two points for at least the graphic and those few minutes i could play it .
  5. pig_lickin_bob
    Sep 22, 2013
    2
    I love Total war games, Rome and Medieval 2 have never left my hard drive since i installed them, but I have to say that empire total war is an abomination of Total war games First of it takes way to long to load, the grand campaign is more of a course in micro management then an actual game, and the campaign AI do F-all in the way of attacking me. The sea battles do redeem the game aI love Total war games, Rome and Medieval 2 have never left my hard drive since i installed them, but I have to say that empire total war is an abomination of Total war games First of it takes way to long to load, the grand campaign is more of a course in micro management then an actual game, and the campaign AI do F-all in the way of attacking me. The sea battles do redeem the game a bit, but as the only highlight this is very poor. The Battle AI is more likely to glitch and send a single file of men against you then have tactics, and the hanging point of battle is supposed to be the musketeers, but it takes a couple of volleys from your WHOLE ARMY to destroy one unit. The garrison able buildings and forts are a poor replacement for the cities and castles of earlier games and provide the enemy with an easy target more then give you any defensive value. Cannons would be helpful in battles if they killed more then 3 enemy units a shot. Overall a sad disappointment after the previous games, this game has a boring grand campaign, HORRIBLE AI, ineffective units and repetitive battles. ALSO ALL THE UNITS LOOK THE REALLY SIMILAR! WTFs UP WITH THAT?!… Expand
  6. Elizondo
    May 19, 2018
    2
    This game is broken. Not only because the bugs, but also user interface, game dynamics, artificial intelligence... nothing works properly.
    Total war games have become one of the worst strategy series for the PC. It is unbelievable that after so many years and so many games, total war games are still without a proper AI. It is like a platform game without a working collision detection.    This game is broken. Not only because the bugs, but also user interface, game dynamics, artificial intelligence... nothing works properly.
    Total war games have become one of the worst strategy series for the PC. It is unbelievable that after so many years and so many games, total war games are still without a proper AI. It is like a platform game without a working collision detection.
    Programmers should be ashamed of this game. It is needed just 5 minutes of play to start finding bugs. This means that either Creative Assembly don´t have a QA department or they are aware of the bugs but they don´t give a shxx.
    Regarding the AI, they rely just on giving cheats to the computer. The computer wil know the position of all your armies, all your fleets, it will know what you can see and what you can´t, in battles it will know exactly the range and the arc of fire of your troops to put their troops in the safe edge, it will know things like when you order to your artillery to fire on the enemy general, and it will move the general away in the precise moment you make click on it.
    Diplomacy is not working because of the nonexistent AI. The rest of the nations are not trying to win, they are programmed to just go against you. So diplomacy is totally broken.
    There game does not have difficulty levels. It just have levels of cheat. The AI plays equally bad in very hard as easy.

    Why creative assembly do not program a proper AI for their games? Because they know that they will sell total war games just improving the graphics.    … Expand
  7. chingchangwalla
    Jan 5, 2019
    2
    This game has been out for ten years and Creative Assembly still hasn't fixed the bug that stops you from repairing forts. Pathetic.
  8. shadow2000m
    Aug 14, 2020
    2
    This game is initially an ambitious and innovative game ... On arrival, however, it is a nameless cloth. Bugged as it is not allowed, we play more to suffer and rage than to have fun.
    The premise is good but nothing is right .. Messed up diplomacy, i messed up, messed up morale, town and strong messed up balancing between messed up faction and little that catches up with the title.
  9. JohnW.
    Oct 6, 2009
    1
    This game was released with so many false promises and the dev team more interested on implementing new content rather than fixing existing bugs. still waiting on the co-op campaign that will probably never come out.
  10. johnm
    Jun 5, 2009
    1
    Played campaign through once.Total. Waiting for patches to make this worth playing. (fixes to the ai) This has to be the most crashiest and buggy game i have played since 1997 with an absolutely atrocious opponent AI. Its a disgrace that this gets the ridiculous review scores it gets in magazines. I use an up to date system fully updated with no problems with any new game that come out. Played campaign through once.Total. Waiting for patches to make this worth playing. (fixes to the ai) This has to be the most crashiest and buggy game i have played since 1997 with an absolutely atrocious opponent AI. Its a disgrace that this gets the ridiculous review scores it gets in magazines. I use an up to date system fully updated with no problems with any new game that come out. Gaming is my passion and I make sure that I can play anything. For an idea about the constant fixes that their doing to this game type in "daily update empire" into google to see the daily updated forum on the work their doing to make this game playable. For example making the ai actually invade, its just ridiculous seeing the fixes there making now that should have been done before release. Their obvious campaign to rubbish the public complaints about this game in various forums has also sullied their reputation massively in the eyes of the gaming public. It boggles my mind.… Expand
  11. AnonymousMC
    Aug 30, 2009
    1
    Yeah just another Total War waste of time. Every Total War Game except Shogun has crashed on me, leaving me with no possibility of moving further on in my campaign. Here I have invested who knows how many hours on my campaign and the game refuses to let me attack anyone or anything without crashing. 159 Turns in the game and now it decides to totally shut down. Total War is a Total WasteYeah just another Total War waste of time. Every Total War Game except Shogun has crashed on me, leaving me with no possibility of moving further on in my campaign. Here I have invested who knows how many hours on my campaign and the game refuses to let me attack anyone or anything without crashing. 159 Turns in the game and now it decides to totally shut down. Total War is a Total Waste as usual. I won't hold my breat for Napoleom Total War.… Expand
  12. Alexandr
    Oct 3, 2009
    1
    Absolutely awful state at release. It was almost unplayable gameplay wise. And then with a patch they made the game technically unplayable until the following patch. Absolutely disgusting work from CA.
  13. JamesF.
    Mar 20, 2009
    1
    Dissapointing! Unfinished! Broken! Steam! They (CA) have been making Total War games for ages now, you would expect them to get it right at this point, not worse. Steam is a pain, my problem isnt DRM as it doesnt work anyway. My problem is the whole steam program and its irritating function/ lack of function, its adverts and forced updates (it says it has an option to prevent auto updates Dissapointing! Unfinished! Broken! Steam! They (CA) have been making Total War games for ages now, you would expect them to get it right at this point, not worse. Steam is a pain, my problem isnt DRM as it doesnt work anyway. My problem is the whole steam program and its irritating function/ lack of function, its adverts and forced updates (it says it has an option to prevent auto updates but it doesnt work) although this game needs enough patches to make a whole new game! Won't be buying anymore steam or creative assembly games and the totalwar series is finished for me! If this game is patched it may be playable without headaches but for me wouldnt be overly special, the improvements are minor from previous editions and are only to be expected, professional reviews are clearly hype. I would also like to make clear I am a fan of this era for strategy and strategy games and was very interested in this games progress. I guess I shall return to other more worthy efforts, not least the mod community and rome tw. By the way I have a top spec PC, stable overclocked quadcore, duel GPU and enough ram memory to hold all of history for processing.… Expand
  14. NemY
    Mar 6, 2009
    1
    This game shoud never have been released as is, steam is a load of crap. Games like this should have the option of playing online is the user wishes to do so. It took me forever to get the game loaded up and updated through steam. I have been a strong supporter of the Total War series from the very first Shogun Total War, but if Creative Assembly and SEGA insist on using steam for other This game shoud never have been released as is, steam is a load of crap. Games like this should have the option of playing online is the user wishes to do so. It took me forever to get the game loaded up and updated through steam. I have been a strong supporter of the Total War series from the very first Shogun Total War, but if Creative Assembly and SEGA insist on using steam for other releases, I'm staying away from your prducts, and from what I've read and heard, alot of people will aswell.… Expand
  15. AndreasC
    Mar 6, 2009
    1
    As long it comes along "steam"... steam gonna come out your head. It makes it terrible... ,crushes, "staying in line" waiting long before playin'... awful. Slows down and diminishing every concept to enjoy the game! Otherwise the game is nicer than earlier versions... seabattles, getting into some of the buildings in the rts, better graphics, bigger maps and more interestingAs long it comes along "steam"... steam gonna come out your head. It makes it terrible... ,crushes, "staying in line" waiting long before playin'... awful. Slows down and diminishing every concept to enjoy the game! Otherwise the game is nicer than earlier versions... seabattles, getting into some of the buildings in the rts, better graphics, bigger maps and more interesting possibilites with trade routes on the map. Steam -7 Total War Empire 8 and more...… Expand
  16. LeeM
    Oct 9, 2009
    1
    The multiplayer side of Total War has gone backwards with Empire total war. - No Lobby -Servers are decentralised -Maps are seen as mod and change the version of your game -Every update brakes mods - Always desynchs -Easy modifiying stats to cheat In conclusion dont bother with this game or the new one they are planing to release as its just a clone with new units.
  17. harmbrands
    Mar 5, 2009
    1
    I can't play the game because steam is messing things up . as they most of the time do.
    i bought the original special forces edition. but it is a waste of money next time i will get an cracked version from th internet. quess then i will have a much better chance the works fine.
  18. 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...
  19. ChrisN
    Apr 19, 2009
    1
    I never did this before but I've had such a horrible experience with this game that I could not help myself. All the "critics" must be playing a different game than the one I bought. First and the most infuriating of all is the AI. Out of all the total war games I have played in the past I can never remember it being so bad. The units are often unresponsive to your commands and when I never did this before but I've had such a horrible experience with this game that I could not help myself. All the "critics" must be playing a different game than the one I bought. First and the most infuriating of all is the AI. Out of all the total war games I have played in the past I can never remember it being so bad. The units are often unresponsive to your commands and when you do manage go get them to do what you want they usually have terrible pathing. Try taking a enemy fort without any cannons to see what I mean. Tell your units to grapple the wall and what usually happens is a few of them bounce up and down the rope while the rest of them sit at the base of the wall doing nothing. It's an exercise in frustration. Next is the load times. I don't know if it's just my computer or what but it takes upwards of 2 mins sometimes for a battle to load. Add it to the fact that after your AI does another idiotic thing and costs you a battle that you want to reload it. You spend more time at loading screens than actually playing the game. I don't know if this game was rushed out or something but it feels unfinished and it is almost unplayable in it's current state. And this is even after the patches downloaded from steam. In closing, I just want to give a big F.U. to all the people who had anything to do with this terrible, half-assed, pile of garbage. I used to like this series very much but after wasting 50$ on this embarrassment I will not be buying any more total war games in the future.… Expand
  20. richardmorgan
    Apr 29, 2009
    1
    What can I say about this buggy piece of sh*t! Believe the negativity because its all true and more. Heck, go to the forums and you will notice 75%(being generous) of customers are having MAJOR problems with it. The main reason I give it a 1 is because all the PAID reviews giving it a 90%. You gotta be fukin kiddin me. Stick with the older TW games this one is ass.
  21. andrewL
    May 4, 2009
    1
    Problems Problems Play and wait for the crashes. My personal favourate is when you finish your turn, play though an hour of computer games turn to crash at the end of the last battle. wonderful....not.
  22. MumarO
    May 8, 2009
    1
    This game is potentially incredible, the battles are excellent, but the campaign game is (even after the May 1 upgrades) filled with CTD points that make the game impossible to play. My machine is beyond perfect for this game, state of the art and up to date, its the campaign game and the coding, its just unbelievably bad. How did anyone ever sign this off in the condition it went out on This game is potentially incredible, the battles are excellent, but the campaign game is (even after the May 1 upgrades) filled with CTD points that make the game impossible to play. My machine is beyond perfect for this game, state of the art and up to date, its the campaign game and the coding, its just unbelievably bad. How did anyone ever sign this off in the condition it went out on DVD boxed or download and how can the upgrades have made things worse for CTD's than they already were? Poor testing, poor judgement and poor purchasers! Sega/creative get our money and we are left high and dry with a near useless game that may take months of work to put right. Not Good enough. I'd never buy a CA/Sega game again.… Expand
  23. JezL
    Jun 18, 2009
    1
    Anyone that has rated ETW "great" deserves to be retarded. The AI is dumber than ever; your own men make your own generals cannon fodder while the enemy tends to do dumb things as well; send their own generals to the front line in a suicidal charge or never invade you by sea. The pathfinding is horrible; your ships tangle into each other no matter what formation you give them. The same Anyone that has rated ETW "great" deserves to be retarded. The AI is dumber than ever; your own men make your own generals cannon fodder while the enemy tends to do dumb things as well; send their own generals to the front line in a suicidal charge or never invade you by sea. The pathfinding is horrible; your ships tangle into each other no matter what formation you give them. The same applies with your own land troops; they will just stand there to be shot at if no orders are given instead of defending themselves by turning their attention on the closest enemy. All in all, a game that fails blatantly short like previous titles from the TW series. To do some justice. the only obvious effort given to this latest installment is the graphics and very minor adjustments. CA team is not the original team and it shows. A pity.… Expand
  24. JeremyH
    Jul 3, 2009
    1
    Once again I trust the community and I know RTW enough to understand the glitches people talk about and I absolutely hate the fact that you have to have internet access plus Steam to get it working. It's understandable that the customer is guided away from the glitches because steam automatically gives updates, but why not finish the dang game, give it another freakin year and maybe Once again I trust the community and I know RTW enough to understand the glitches people talk about and I absolutely hate the fact that you have to have internet access plus Steam to get it working. It's understandable that the customer is guided away from the glitches because steam automatically gives updates, but why not finish the dang game, give it another freakin year and maybe Steam wouldn't be necessary. I love how my updates been starting for the past 10 minutes and a most likely 60$ game tricks it's customer due to the internet access being vital. I love how I go out and get ripped off by the once great Creative Assembly. I'm sure many people will agree with me that the next Total War isn't going to be a must. I can't wait until I finally get ETW working and realize it's horrible because of crashes and crappy AI. A lot of the gaming community is most definitely poor or cant afford a bunch of different computers to see whats compatible with the game.… Expand
  25. sweenyt
    Sep 13, 2009
    1
    Dull, a great idea very poorly delivered. the inclusion of Stream is annoying in the extreme. The game crashed frequently. Too many things to list without blood pressure rising. Terrible. Stick to the old versions of total war and enjoy the more addictive and more playable older versions. Nice promotional screen shots though.
  26. chrise
    Jan 4, 2010
    1
    horrible, cant read the words on screen, transparent, very slow, and very long to load, and I have a new computer.
  27. JeremyJ.
    Oct 5, 2009
    1
    Promised multiplayer campaign, but never delivered. Crashes consistently under certain conditions, even with high-end hardware and up-to-date drivers. Forces me to update even when I have the auto-update setting disabled.
  28. 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
  29. JohnK
    Mar 16, 2009
    1
    Game isn't finished, too many memory leaks, fatal crashes in an extended campaign games, stupid Campaign AI, anyone know how to delete a saved game yet? odd events-ex- you have to research the steam engine in order to build a 1st rate SOL, which would be ok if you could mod it; but with steam, that is out. If you like beautiful figures and neat looking ships with great special Game isn't finished, too many memory leaks, fatal crashes in an extended campaign games, stupid Campaign AI, anyone know how to delete a saved game yet? odd events-ex- you have to research the steam engine in order to build a 1st rate SOL, which would be ok if you could mod it; but with steam, that is out. If you like beautiful figures and neat looking ships with great special effects , this is the game for you; if you actually want to play a strategy game with tactical battles,find something else to buy.… Expand
  30. BradLittle
    Mar 22, 2009
    1
    Regardless of how good it might be, you can't play it if it won't run. Like many others, the game refuses to load for me from Steam DESPITE following all instructions twice. All latest video drivers and XP updates, Steam re-installed, game re-installed, etc. I advise avoiding this game unless you are an expert with configuring your computer, or if you can afford to waste the Regardless of how good it might be, you can't play it if it won't run. Like many others, the game refuses to load for me from Steam DESPITE following all instructions twice. All latest video drivers and XP updates, Steam re-installed, game re-installed, etc. I advise avoiding this game unless you are an expert with configuring your computer, or if you can afford to waste the purchase price.… Expand
  31. MalcolmA.
    Mar 23, 2009
    1
    The vote of one is for the packaging. Have yet to be able to even play this game. Steam advice in the forums hasn't helped at all. Liked all the previous Total War games. Thoroughly dissappointed with this thing. Online help is very poor. Can't even play it solo offline. One word opinion? Rubbish!
  32. MichaelthePole
    Mar 25, 2009
    1
    This has to be the worst public relations disaster since the Titanic. I pre ordered this pos in January, and ALL I got for that was "well, it's not our fault that you got taken like a 6 year old at his first carnival." I have the same failure to load problem described on the Forum by aprox 15,000 ex-CA fans. I posted a ticket with SEGA on March 5, and the response I got was "While This has to be the worst public relations disaster since the Titanic. I pre ordered this pos in January, and ALL I got for that was "well, it's not our fault that you got taken like a 6 year old at his first carnival." I have the same failure to load problem described on the Forum by aprox 15,000 ex-CA fans. I posted a ticket with SEGA on March 5, and the response I got was "While your computer meets the spec requirements published when you bought the game, your computer does not meet the specs actually necessary to RUN the game. We'll let you know if we ever figure out a way to convert your $60.00 investment from an attractive desk top icon into the item you thought you purchased. By the way, don't let your desktop cleaner hide your unusable Empire: Total War icon in your Unused Icon folder - we're sure that you'll want to be reminded every day that you've been screwed to the wall by CA and SEGA as well as Steam." If this isn't fixed by April 1st (Isnt THAT a real funny?!) I'm going to dust off my old retired lawyer hat and see what we need to do about interstate mail fraud. I want my money back. If you can't load this turkey, please post a little love note to SEGA/CA at http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/topic/50484 If you have the "dreaded white screen of death" (I'm not joking!) or one of a hundred other crash to desktop issues, or if the AI is hopelessly retarded or you cant load any of your saved games, you have the comfort of knowing that your friends in the STEAM community share your pain and you can always amuse yourself by watching the endless advertisements that STEAM provides as "updates." If you haven't bought this, listen to these voices of dearly purchased experience and avoid any CA products like something you found on the bottom of your shoe after using a public restroom in a San Francisco City Park.… Expand
  33. EtienneT
    Mar 27, 2009
    1
    This was the first TW game I had bought. Man I was disappointed. From constant CTD, to freezing my PC, out of video memory (1GB GTX 285 sli), Out of system memory (4 GB/2.8GB x86), Laggy campaign map (q9300 @3.0Ghz), graphic errors that cause crashes (after third patch 3/26/09). Slow battle load times (RAID 0+1 4x500GB SATA). I want my money back! Bioshock, COD4 & 5, CSS. CNC3, CIV4, FEAR This was the first TW game I had bought. Man I was disappointed. From constant CTD, to freezing my PC, out of video memory (1GB GTX 285 sli), Out of system memory (4 GB/2.8GB x86), Laggy campaign map (q9300 @3.0Ghz), graphic errors that cause crashes (after third patch 3/26/09). Slow battle load times (RAID 0+1 4x500GB SATA). I want my money back! Bioshock, COD4 & 5, CSS. CNC3, CIV4, FEAR & XP & fear2, and UT3 all play on my system w/out any problems at all! Why would a game pushed back on a release date still not be ready when released? 3 patches in 22 days of released and the community still complaining about not being able to play! I had no problems with sound and the upgrade sound and now I have new crashes! YAY... Wasted 30 hours trying to play this game (late at night after work) and cannot play 5 turns without a CTD! YET I install far cry 2 put on max settings and played 2 hours straight without a problem on the first go! I think CA just needed operating money and released this too early. Far as I am concerned I will never buy a CA game again.… Expand
  34. johnl
    Mar 29, 2009
    1
    This game so, far is a disaster at best. With specs that are questionable and a load of bugs that seem to plague all computers great and small. What happened to the days when you purchased a game and you didn't need to connect to the internet. As a long time fan of the total war series I have come to see the fall (or beginning stages of) a great game franchise. Next time take an This game so, far is a disaster at best. With specs that are questionable and a load of bugs that seem to plague all computers great and small. What happened to the days when you purchased a game and you didn't need to connect to the internet. As a long time fan of the total war series I have come to see the fall (or beginning stages of) a great game franchise. Next time take an extra 6 months to finish the product.… Expand
  35. SlobodanR
    Mar 4, 2009
    1
    There is something almost CRIMINAL about the price tag on this game. For USD 49.99 I purchased two PC-DVDs that installed Steam on my computer. Oh, I got the game too but by virtue of the fact that it is completely dependent on Steam I have a huge amount of trouble playing it since I have a slow internet connection. The game itself is absolutely phenomenal but in being so inseparable from There is something almost CRIMINAL about the price tag on this game. For USD 49.99 I purchased two PC-DVDs that installed Steam on my computer. Oh, I got the game too but by virtue of the fact that it is completely dependent on Steam I have a huge amount of trouble playing it since I have a slow internet connection. The game itself is absolutely phenomenal but in being so inseparable from this aberration called "Steam" its playability drops sharply. I can't, in all good conscience, recommend this game to anyone in its current form. If The Creative Assembly ever releases a version of the game that will actually run off the PC-DVD, install to your computer, and play without being completely dependent on a third party program then by all means, buy it. For the time being though I suggest you stay away from Empire Total War; a complete waste of fifty dollars.… Expand
  36. SteveW
    Apr 14, 2009
    1
    I have been a loyal Total War player since Shogun... paying full retail price for each game & expansion. Total War has been, hands down, my favorite video game series franchise of all time. Therefore, it pains me to say that I am extremely disappointed with Empire: Total War on so many levels! I feel like a complete fool for taking all of those "official" reviews seriously & paying full I have been a loyal Total War player since Shogun... paying full retail price for each game & expansion. Total War has been, hands down, my favorite video game series franchise of all time. Therefore, it pains me to say that I am extremely disappointed with Empire: Total War on so many levels! I feel like a complete fool for taking all of those "official" reviews seriously & paying full price for this disaster. Most of my complaints have been summed up already, so here are my top 3 issues with ETW... CA/SEGA are you listening???!!! 1) AI - Why can't the AI in vade the British Isles???!!! This was not a problem for the Romans to do when I played as the Britons (RTW)! The fact that the AI refuses to conduct naval troop transports/assaults is inexcusable & kills game play!!!! This is my biggest AI complaint, but there are other issues as well (which have already been well documented). 2) Campaign Map - Rome & Medieval II have such straight-forward, yet still "living", Campaign Maps that were very easy to navigate. ETW has a cluttered, cartoonish map that is difficult to navigate & not enjoyable to look at. 3) Steam - I you are going to include DRM software on a game, please put something like a "Surgeon Genral's Warning" on the side of the box. I will not even consider purchasing a STEAM/DRM game again until consumers clearly receive this information on the packaging... Honestly, even if it IS made clear, I probably won't buy another "STEAM-game". I had so much faith in CA/SEGA, that I went out and bought a new computer primarily so I could play this game. Even if most of the well documented bugs are fixed, the incompetent AI, the horrible campaign map & STEAM make this game more of a headache than a fun-filled, strategic experience. After several weeks of trying to like this game, I put it on a shelf & have rekindled my love for Rome: Total War. Even with the "clone armies" and some faults of its own (nothing's perfect), I find RTW (as well as M2TW) to be highly replayable. Rome: Total War currently costs $14.49 New on Amazon. Unfortunately, I can't even recommend Empire: Total War (in its current condition) at that price. This isn't just about STEAM... CA/SEGA has "jumped the shark" with this one.… Expand
  37. JamesH
    Apr 22, 2009
    1
    This game still isn't complete. It will cause a game crash on the 15th turn on the grand campaign every time during the AI turn. There's something that the AI is doing that will constantly cause an error. Add to that the fact that the AI is about as dumb as can be, that the number of unit differences is minimal, the loading times are very high, and it lacks anything fun.
  38. RyanR
    Apr 23, 2009
    1
    Unplayable, buggy, crashes, blue screen wtf!, AI is retarded, Sea battles more frustrations then your own mother in law. Shall I go on? This game if I can call it so is garbage that needs lot of chlorine to wash away to even not be as good as the buggiest game out there. Do not support the makers of this "game". Instead, go spend 70 bucks on stuff you truly enjoy, this isn't it.
  39. HenryL
    Apr 23, 2009
    1
    I have to agree with Steve W; specifically because of the Steam software installation process and the fact that nowhere on the external box does it state that you will be required to use this s/ware to install, let alone play the game. This goes beyond sad, it's an infringement on the basic human rights of gamers to be able to play standalone games without having Steram inflicted I have to agree with Steve W; specifically because of the Steam software installation process and the fact that nowhere on the external box does it state that you will be required to use this s/ware to install, let alone play the game. This goes beyond sad, it's an infringement on the basic human rights of gamers to be able to play standalone games without having Steram inflicted thereupon. A class action ought to be brought against The Creative Assembly and Sega for this puerility! Further, the fact atht you need to be connected to the net to download the Special Forces, only when you reach a certain level, who the hell do you think you are? Particularly, in light of the fact that the back of the box clearly states that you only need a net connection to activate. Nothing there about the crapola you find out whilst installing. Oh, and the System Requirements, well they're not only a load of crap but barely visible. All this Before you even get to play the game. The front of the box has an M rating, stating Battle & Violence, in my opinion, this is exactly what should be perpetrated upon tCA/Sega, Steam and Valve.… Expand
  40. TimothyW
    Apr 28, 2009
    1
    This is a really bad game. I bought it, and I was all excited, but there are so many bugs and the gameplay is boring and tedious to the point that I haven't touched it in about a month. I was waiting for them to patch it, but so far they still haven't fixed all the issues as of 04 - 28 - 09 - Over a month after they released it. I'm particularly annoyed by their new This is a really bad game. I bought it, and I was all excited, but there are so many bugs and the gameplay is boring and tedious to the point that I haven't touched it in about a month. I was waiting for them to patch it, but so far they still haven't fixed all the issues as of 04 - 28 - 09 - Over a month after they released it. I'm particularly annoyed by their new building setup where you basically have no choice but to build what they tell you to build, and some towns and villages only let you build one thing. It makes no sense! I'm the King and if I want a stable in the middle of the frozen tundra, then I'm going to build it there! Damn you, SEGA, for ruining the Total War Series, I truly think you have sunk your own ship. (The addition of naval battles is the best thing about this game and that's why it earns 1 point.)… Expand
  41. KeithRogers
    Apr 8, 2009
    1
    Im sure I would love the game, if only I could get it to work. It crashes before I even get passed the loading screen. I have a computer with some of the latest hardware that is more than capable of runnin this game. I have been trying to get tech support and they dont respond to any of my emails.
  42. MattM
    May 10, 2009
    1
    I HATE STEAM!!!! I am very generous giving the game a one because it runs like a half retarded monkey was a developer. Almost nothing works on the campaign map. I have had this game and not once have been able to finish it due to the developers being half retarded monkeys. they could not stick with what worked on the other total wars.... I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!!
  43. joe
    Jul 3, 2009
    1
    Way to buggy to play for more then a few mins. This game had great possibility but came up lacking. I kept holding my breath that the "next patch release" would fix everything. It hasn't. This game is garbage. But don't take my word for it go sink $50 on this train wreck and find out for yourself.
  44. JessieT
    Jul 3, 2009
    1
    The zooming into the battle from the campaign map, governors, creating spies and diplomats (for god's sake I wait interminably for gentlemen to spawn when I have full blown modern universities and then they are greats like Daniel Defoe and Adam Smith and are given 3-star ratings). In sum, the ability of the player to have a hand in developing different aspects of the game is missing.The zooming into the battle from the campaign map, governors, creating spies and diplomats (for god's sake I wait interminably for gentlemen to spawn when I have full blown modern universities and then they are greats like Daniel Defoe and Adam Smith and are given 3-star ratings). In sum, the ability of the player to have a hand in developing different aspects of the game is missing. Re-equipping soldiers with the latest armour/sword upgrades meant you had to care a little more about your soldiers before they went into battle. Having very experienced soldiers meant they were more effective in battle and you could take them from battle to battle with pride knowing they were your soldiers and could win despite being outnumbered. The idea that you can regenerate soldiers without affecting the population or the experience level of the soldiers just contributes to the sense that soldiers are 'cannon fodder'. An accurate reflection of the times?… Expand
  45. MarcoT
    Mar 16, 2009
    1
    It's not enough that this game isn't much more than a beta (some would even go as far as rating it as an alpha), no, what puts insult next to injury is that the publisher adopted Steam for this release - a system technologically as reliable as a badly maintained 70s mainframe, hungry to gather all the data on you it can and effectively prohibiting you from ever reselling the It's not enough that this game isn't much more than a beta (some would even go as far as rating it as an alpha), no, what puts insult next to injury is that the publisher adopted Steam for this release - a system technologically as reliable as a badly maintained 70s mainframe, hungry to gather all the data on you it can and effectively prohibiting you from ever reselling the game. Which in my opinion is the number 1 reason why Sega adopted Steam: It's not the pirates they are after, but killing off the second hand gaming market, which most publishers these days see as a much bigger or at least as big threat to their revenues. Sorry Sega and CA. If you keep up with these politics then I bought the last of your games.… Expand
  46. JohnH.
    Mar 22, 2009
    1
    After playing Medieval II: Total War and seeing the promo videos of Empire, I purchased the game on the day of release. What a disappointment! The game is unfinished and requires a huge amount of work to become playable, let alone enjoyable. It is very buggy and will crash to desktop several times per turn. The AI is crude at best and it's almost impossible to lose the game. TheAfter playing Medieval II: Total War and seeing the promo videos of Empire, I purchased the game on the day of release. What a disappointment! The game is unfinished and requires a huge amount of work to become playable, let alone enjoyable. It is very buggy and will crash to desktop several times per turn. The AI is crude at best and it's almost impossible to lose the game. The developer, The Creative Assembly, has been slow to patch and if you read the gaming forums, has created a huge backlash through the gaming community with this release. My recommendation for anyone considering purchasing this game is to delay that purchase until it has become evident that the game has been fixed with appropriate patches and updates. At this time, the game is broken and unplayable.… Expand
  47. derikr
    Mar 27, 2009
    1
    I own all Total war games, adding to my library for years now, one by one.First and foremost, I purchased Empire, and for my money, was given Steam. Having to use Steam irritates me to no end. I cannot defrag my hard drive because of Steam. Ca has been gracious enough to respond to support questions in a timely fashion. however Steam, and Sega have not responded in a week. Now to the I own all Total war games, adding to my library for years now, one by one.First and foremost, I purchased Empire, and for my money, was given Steam. Having to use Steam irritates me to no end. I cannot defrag my hard drive because of Steam. Ca has been gracious enough to respond to support questions in a timely fashion. however Steam, and Sega have not responded in a week. Now to the game, At first it was so buggy, I couldnt run it. After fooloing around with the graphics settings, I finally got it to work, For me it runs pretty well. Again, only pretty well. The AI is dumb as a box of rocks, There are in my mind, too few playable factions, and most are so similar, why bother giving them a name, just call it me - vs - them, and pick a spot to start. I do like many aspects of the game, such as tech tree, diplomacy, easy income, However Steam is so bad, you will wish you spent your money on used clothes instead. Your files are locked away, and in some cases hidden. If you try to defrag your hard drive, you cant, If you delete the files causing the problem, you have to reload the game, which takes several hours. Auto saved games can become unplayable, resulting in CTD over and over again. I make this promise to Ca, and Sega. If I ever have to buy Steam, to get thier game, I will not buy it. I'm giving you my very best advice....dont do it. You will feel better giving your money to a paper shredder. For Steam, and poor AI, my review is a big fat 1.… Expand
  48. PeteB
    Apr 18, 2009
    1
    This game doesent play properly and it crashes continually- I cant understand how anyone can say it is good!! You are lucky to finish a couple of campaign moves before a crash. Avoid at all costs.
  49. ChrisS
    Apr 28, 2009
    1
    I bought this game and was genuinely excited as a seasoned TW player and multiplayer online enthusiast. How I was dissapointed. The support for online players on MTWII was frankly dreadfull and basically led to me putting the game back on the shelf once the campaigns and 6 months of online playing was up. I played RTW BI online for years! Now this, I havent had much trouble with the bugs I bought this game and was genuinely excited as a seasoned TW player and multiplayer online enthusiast. How I was dissapointed. The support for online players on MTWII was frankly dreadfull and basically led to me putting the game back on the shelf once the campaigns and 6 months of online playing was up. I played RTW BI online for years! Now this, I havent had much trouble with the bugs or steam I just find the game play boring. Running musket men into range and then doing the slow reload and fire routine before the bayonet charge is fun for the 1st half dozen battles and then you start auto resolving. The battles are what TW games are about IMO you can get similar campaign experiences but nobody else has ever acheived the unit balance and the real time battle engine that prevoius TW games had. This is woefull. I have played it for around 6 hours and have no appetite for more it bores me senseless and to cap it all I'm stuck with it, no trade in's or returns for me thanks to the registering. The last time I'll ever buy a game on release day, although i've had no problemms technically other than long load times I would have never gone near this having read the comments lamenting the now sadly horrific support provided for this series. They would do well to rehire the guys that were involved with RTW and BI for the next in the series, they've got our money now for this shocker so should be able to afford it!… Expand
  50. BillF
    May 22, 2009
    1
    Games constantly crashes - unable to play complete campaign - totally disappointed with this total war game (previous games were excellant) and it seems that updates just make it worse.
  51. PeteS
    Sep 12, 2009
    1
    Truly a good looking pc game turning ugly. We all know that in every game there are bugs, but ETW tops the cake. It is virtually unplayable without the few patches that have been available. But even with them, there are so many still! CA promised us naval battles, but the ship battles act up more like bumping karts with cannons. The formations are virtually useless. In addition, the Truly a good looking pc game turning ugly. We all know that in every game there are bugs, but ETW tops the cake. It is virtually unplayable without the few patches that have been available. But even with them, there are so many still! CA promised us naval battles, but the ship battles act up more like bumping karts with cannons. The formations are virtually useless. In addition, the diplomacy is so broken. The AI seems to think it's a fair trade exchanging your ferrari for say a lemon car; makes me look like total idiot trying to trade at all. Adding insult to injury, I have to have internet and something called Steam to register in order to play ETW??! What if I don't have internet access? I give this "game" a solid 1 and I'm being fair. ETW ought to be renamed Bugs Empire Total Disaster.… Expand
  52. crage
    Nov 8, 2011
    1
    Two years after release and it's still buggy. Constant crashes and I get maybe 20-30 turns before saved games become corrupt. If it wasn't so frustrating to play because of the glitches it might be a good game.
  53. Psychopski
    Mar 29, 2012
    1
    I played every Total War release up till Empire. Rome was amazing, and had a Mod community in the hundreds of thousands. Empire, while visually stunning, was a heap of garbage once you get into the nuts and bolts of the game. While graphics have made vast improvements since Rome, Empire TW's diplomacy, combat mechanics, AI, reinforcement system, "ease of access" for modding, and siegeI played every Total War release up till Empire. Rome was amazing, and had a Mod community in the hundreds of thousands. Empire, while visually stunning, was a heap of garbage once you get into the nuts and bolts of the game. While graphics have made vast improvements since Rome, Empire TW's diplomacy, combat mechanics, AI, reinforcement system, "ease of access" for modding, and siege mechanics were a step backwards 10 years from Rome. I cannot for the life of me see how this game has a 90 rating. It's a candy coated lump of garbage. I have to laugh at all the PC gamer magazines that gave this game a 90+ or 100 rating. If you played any of the amazing Rome TW mods, you have to wonder why Creative Assembly decided to snub their noses at their modding community by making Empire so incredibly difficult to mod. In addition, Creative Assembly pretty much abandoned ship on fixing the infinite number of bugs and gave up on improvements for Empire, moving on to release an entirely new title Napoleon TW. As much as I loved the TW series, Empire was my last purchase from Creative Assembly.… Expand
  54. Cioby
    Nov 28, 2014
    1
    Someone complained about a lack of updates on reviews?
    Ok, here it is.
    This is the worst game of the series Total War. I found the gameplay and the strategy of the entire system to be flawed and annoying. On easier difficulties the enemy would just enter your line of sight, get shot at, flee as they were being butchered, 10 seconds later they decide to make another attempt because well    Someone complained about a lack of updates on reviews?
    Ok, here it is.

    This is the worst game of the series Total War. I found the gameplay and the strategy of the entire system to be flawed and annoying. On easier difficulties the enemy would just enter your line of sight, get shot at, flee as they were being butchered, 10 seconds later they decide to make another attempt because well - nothing changed. Again they enter the line of fire, take a few losses and run.

    How is this better than Rome 2? A Total war game in which the AI ran through my volley of catapults (barely on Hard difficulty) to reach my few melee units, circled my general with pikes and closed in for the kill, that I barely escaped from. I don't get how some people's brain works, when games like Empire total war is considered to be awesome and Rome 2, is crap. Rome 2 has it's flaws still, but years later, Empire total war is still a piece of crap.    … Expand
  55. RichardMartin
    Apr 5, 2009
    0
    I would love to have a rave review or statement about this game, but no matter what i try and whatever computer i try to install this game onto, it just will not work. And further more steam, which you have to sign upto and get downloads to patch the game just do not even attempt to download as the server is always too busy. So in summary, don't buy this game.
  56. TomaszP
    Mar 5, 2009
    0
    Steam did not allow me to even start this game. I bought it in retail still when trying to run it the only result is "This game is unavailable". I've tried everyting, used almost 10 hours of my priceless life to make it work and got nothing. Most fortunately I was able to get my money back from retailer... I think it's time to swim to infamous bay of pirates and try my luck Steam did not allow me to even start this game. I bought it in retail still when trying to run it the only result is "This game is unavailable". I've tried everyting, used almost 10 hours of my priceless life to make it work and got nothing. Most fortunately I was able to get my money back from retailer... I think it's time to swim to infamous bay of pirates and try my luck there. It's rather sad outcome.… Expand
  57. AlexanderMcswiggan
    Mar 5, 2009
    0
    What the F***, steam is the worst thing to hit the internet. What were you thinking the total war team? send out a mod now to remove steam from the start up, they have under invested and almost no one can play your game, i have been waiting for this game for months, this is the last time i buy anything from creative assembly, due to your the fact you have tongue so far up steams arse
  58. RD
    Oct 10, 2009
    0
    This idiotic STEAM REQUIREMENT makes this thing a pain. I want to play the game. Not be forced into downloads which wont stop even when you tell them to do so. You're locked out of playing until it's finished doing whatever it wants to do. I'll never purchase any game again from these people.
  59. JohnSmith
    Oct 15, 2009
    0
    The game was unplayable at release, now it is just playable but still it have many flaws. All the faction are the same but with different colours, and if you want some variation you have to pay for it on top of what you already paid in the fisrt place. The game could have been great but it seems to have been rushed too quickly and have left many features out, leaving things done in a rush,The game was unplayable at release, now it is just playable but still it have many flaws. All the faction are the same but with different colours, and if you want some variation you have to pay for it on top of what you already paid in the fisrt place. The game could have been great but it seems to have been rushed too quickly and have left many features out, leaving things done in a rush, like sieges, which are the worse in all the total war series.… Expand
  60. StevenS.
    Oct 6, 2009
    0
    Buggy game that went from broken AI, missing features (naval invaision AI) to a game that has saved games that corrupt, or won't start up now in the latest patch. Good for maybe 3 hours before you realize how horribly broken the game is, or if the game "helps" you to that realization by crashing.
  61. AdamWilson
    Oct 8, 2009
    0
    I cant play the single player because it CTDs after every handful of turns.

    The multiplayer is in the stone age is well behind the standard of other multiplayer games.

    The way the battles play out are very unrealistic and riflemen fire like modern day snipers.

    Avoid this game and future ones released by CA/ Total War.
  62. HansPeter
    Mar 20, 2009
    0
    Das Spiel wäre sicher eines der besten, jedoch kann ich es nicht spielen, da meine Internetverbindung zu langsam ist, um die Updates oder das Spiel herunterzuladen. Des Weiteren habe ich unter der Woche keine Internetanbindung. Was soll ich mit einem Einzelspieler-Spiel am Wochende? Was soll ich mit einem Einzelspiele-Spiel, das eine Internetverbindung braucht, unter der Woche, in derDas Spiel wäre sicher eines der besten, jedoch kann ich es nicht spielen, da meine Internetverbindung zu langsam ist, um die Updates oder das Spiel herunterzuladen. Des Weiteren habe ich unter der Woche keine Internetanbindung. Was soll ich mit einem Einzelspieler-Spiel am Wochende? Was soll ich mit einem Einzelspiele-Spiel, das eine Internetverbindung braucht, unter der Woche, in der ich kein Internet habe!!??… Expand
  63. Darrenf
    Mar 4, 2009
    0
    I agree with John R. 4 hours later the game still hasn't installed thanks to Steam what a joke on the support forum they slate every antivirus program and recommend you uninstall it. DONT! its the software that is the problem. I would love to see how good the game is but so frustrated by now I think a trip back to Game looms.
  64. YvesV
    Mar 5, 2009
    0
    I took a lot of my sparse free time to get my steam account going again, to get the game installed, only to find out it doesn't run. "Not available at this time, try again later". I paid for this game! I should not have to try again later.

    I will NEVER EVER by a steam game again.

    And as it is, I spent 50 Euro's on something that is currently not working at all.
  65. AustriaFrance
    Apr 3, 2009
    0
    What a Steaming pile! I cannot even get the demo to load (through Steam) without crashing. $50 for what? So Steam can regulate what I do? No thanks. Good luck to everyone who chooses to support such pile of waste (Steam that is). I agree with the afforementioned boycott strategy! DO NOT BUY THIS GAME UNTIL STEAM GOES AWAY!!!
  66. RodneyG
    May 10, 2009
    0
    Steam is no good at all I can never load the game without error messages such as steam is to busy to load now ? try later.
  67. RyanH
    May 7, 2009
    0
    Voting a 0 because I feel that several who scored it a 9 or above either work for STEAM, Sega, CA and its affiliates or don't have any idea what a POS this "game" if I can call it so, is. AVOID AT ALL COST. Look for another game for fun. This is frustration in the making and I call it BUGS EMPIRE TOTAL SHIT and steaming horribly.
  68. FredL
    Jun 6, 2009
    0
    CA must have given lots of thoughts into the graphics of this game to give it first appeal. Sadly, everything else sink like the titanic did. From the disappointing AI for land/sea battles to the flawed pathfinding and then the horrible crashes you experience, it just makes you want to toss the game into the dumpster and be done with it. The game is rampant of bugs and bad coding. I CA must have given lots of thoughts into the graphics of this game to give it first appeal. Sadly, everything else sink like the titanic did. From the disappointing AI for land/sea battles to the flawed pathfinding and then the horrible crashes you experience, it just makes you want to toss the game into the dumpster and be done with it. The game is rampant of bugs and bad coding. I justify this with a zero because it fails as a game tha is supposed to satisfy your craving for entertainment, but instead you get only frustration.… Expand
  69. TheJG
    Jan 23, 2010
    0
    Why would someone release a game that is not finished? i don't know the simple thought of publishers selling games knowing that they fix it isn't right. so i bought the game and had all the requirements an kept on crashing for no reason. I've been playing since the original medieval TW and this is a big disappointment and now they are coming out with Napoleon TW? no thank you.
  70. SteveM
    Oct 15, 2009
    0
    It looks pretty enough at first. But, despite the fact that my PC significantly exceeds the minimum required spec it crashes constantly making it unplayable. Steam don't care. Their support just fob you off once they have your money and refuse to help after informing you that their subscriber agreement gives them the right to sell you crap and keep your cash.
  71. adamk
    Dec 20, 2009
    0
    Trash, avoid this buggy waste of space for a game. Not to mention the multiplayer side of the game is even worse
  72. GregM.
    Oct 6, 2009
    0
    Horrible bugs, laggy and slow, no ai. They keep trying to sell everything as DLC, where are the patches!!!. Now they trying to sell the exclusive peroder content again. Hello what does exlusive mean you cant sell it again.
  73. gollum
    Oct 7, 2009
    0
    ETW has been hyped to the stars and one more time it all turned out to be white lies. Not only the game is unstable, buggy and incomplete, but it is simplistic and boring as hell. The only aspect of the game that is good is the visuals, but they can't save the gameplay or alleviate the frustration. CA has become overambitious and probably quite a bit greedy. Patches admittedly fix ETW has been hyped to the stars and one more time it all turned out to be white lies. Not only the game is unstable, buggy and incomplete, but it is simplistic and boring as hell. The only aspect of the game that is good is the visuals, but they can't save the gameplay or alleviate the frustration. CA has become overambitious and probably quite a bit greedy. Patches admittedly fix things, but it is clear that the core gameplay and AI of the game wont change, and they are really really bad both on the campaign and the battles.… Expand
  74. UngoK
    Oct 9, 2009
    0
    The worst game I've played. Horrible AI, bugs, crashes, CTD, blue screen. The magazines' reviewers have obviously decided it best to give this "game" a 10 despite the fact that they never even played it when released. They were obviously bought for this dubious "stellar" rating. This proves there is greed and corruption even in the video game industry. You'd be a fool to The worst game I've played. Horrible AI, bugs, crashes, CTD, blue screen. The magazines' reviewers have obviously decided it best to give this "game" a 10 despite the fact that they never even played it when released. They were obviously bought for this dubious "stellar" rating. This proves there is greed and corruption even in the video game industry. You'd be a fool to rush and buy whatever CA has in store next for you; Napoleon's campaign. The mag reviews forgot to take out the 1 in front of that 0 in exchange for money period. Run for the hills on this one and any future CA releases and give yourself ample time and space whenever you decide what to play next especially coming from CA.… Expand
  75. 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...
  76. AaronL
    Mar 26, 2009
    0
    A game can have the best graphics, and the best gameplay in the world, and it wouldn't matter one bit if it was too buggy to play. Zero is what I give this game because it's just not a finished product and the grand campaign (single player side of the game) isn't playable. I waited for a patch to clear it up, and it actually made it worse. Boooooooooooo!
  77. HughE.
    Apr 10, 2009
    0
    This is the worst game I have ever bought, and I love the total war franchise. The game is full of bugs, it constantly crashes and despite my pc being top specs and able to run Crysis on full settings it strugles on medium on this game. The real annoyance though is that I paid £40 on steam and I steam don't do refunds. Well done Creative Assembly you've just made sure I This is the worst game I have ever bought, and I love the total war franchise. The game is full of bugs, it constantly crashes and despite my pc being top specs and able to run Crysis on full settings it strugles on medium on this game. The real annoyance though is that I paid £40 on steam and I steam don't do refunds. Well done Creative Assembly you've just made sure I never buy a product off of you again. What a steaming pile of **** this game is. Every copy of it should be burnt. Rant over… Expand
  78. richardm
    Apr 29, 2009
    0
    Buggy piece of crap is all this is. And no i dont hate Steam. I just hate buying a game that gets ratings of 10's from major magazines and sites only to find out the game is less fun than checkers. AI is HORRIBLE and too many bugs for me. anyone that says different is a fanboy because ETW is BUGGY as heck for EVERYONE. AVOID!!
  79. NickMartin
    Apr 7, 2009
    0
    this game is unplayable. Repeated crashes to desktop from a multitude of reasons and corrupted save files which prevent you from reloading games. Just go here: http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/forums/126 and you can see all the issues with the game and the lack of support from Creative Assembly. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME.
  80. MikeA
    May 10, 2009
    0
    I have played all the total war games and have been impressed. When I heard they were going to release empire I was very excited. That was until I purchased the game and it flat out just doesnt work on my computer. The game itself looks really cool, but I'm just going to have to return it....shit is just to much of a hastle and I feel like CA could have done a better job in creating I have played all the total war games and have been impressed. When I heard they were going to release empire I was very excited. That was until I purchased the game and it flat out just doesnt work on my computer. The game itself looks really cool, but I'm just going to have to return it....shit is just to much of a hastle and I feel like CA could have done a better job in creating a game that would work for everyone. VERY DISAPPOINTED.… Expand
  81. TroyG
    May 13, 2009
    0
    Any game that after being released for over 2 months still has CTD issues it has failed to deliver in my opinion. Hands down the worst MADE total war released by a long margin.
  82. CharlieL
    May 15, 2009
    0
    What a pathetic attempt at copy protection once again. This is the whole reason I quit HL2. Do not force me to have internet to play a game offline. If I wanted to play an online game then I would have bought WOW. I am on dialup becuase the pwers that be think its fun to keep the rest of us in the 20th century so this update nonsense takes me hours and hours. This POS is going back to What a pathetic attempt at copy protection once again. This is the whole reason I quit HL2. Do not force me to have internet to play a game offline. If I wanted to play an online game then I would have bought WOW. I am on dialup becuase the pwers that be think its fun to keep the rest of us in the 20th century so this update nonsense takes me hours and hours. This POS is going back to where it came.… Expand
  83. carlbob
    May 29, 2009
    0
    I bought this game on the day of release and I'm still waiting for the bugs to be fixed. I wouldn't mind if they were only little bugs, but they are actually gamebreaking. It crashes ALL the time. It isn't just my PC, loads of people are having trouble playing this unfinished game. So, I don't care how good the game is if you can somehow can get it to work; its still I bought this game on the day of release and I'm still waiting for the bugs to be fixed. I wouldn't mind if they were only little bugs, but they are actually gamebreaking. It crashes ALL the time. It isn't just my PC, loads of people are having trouble playing this unfinished game. So, I don't care how good the game is if you can somehow can get it to work; its still unplayable after 3 months. It doesn't even deserve a rating - it isn't a game, its a beta which needs 8 months more testing. The worst part about this is the 'offical' reviewers don't even mention the bugs. Are they playing the same game? Don't buy this POS.… Expand
  84. marsu237T
    May 6, 2009
    0
    Just ridiculous... Spending 60USD on a game that bugs and crash constantly.... Actually this is the only certainty when you start playing... You now that whatever is to happen you will not FINISH the game...
    Used to be a TOTAL fan of total war series... Just not anymore this is MY LAST PURCHASE from this editor!!!!
  85. pauljohnson
    Jun 2, 2009
    0
    bought it 5 hrs ago and still have not been able to play it. You have to DL it off steam, it got to 50 % and my connection died and i have to start over. Couldnt tell ya about gameplay, but my score still stands as you HAVE to use steam and as I have stated I cant play this game because it takes too long to DL whatever I am DL'ing off of steam, Even though I bought the game atbought it 5 hrs ago and still have not been able to play it. You have to DL it off steam, it got to 50 % and my connection died and i have to start over. Couldnt tell ya about gameplay, but my score still stands as you HAVE to use steam and as I have stated I cant play this game because it takes too long to DL whatever I am DL'ing off of steam, Even though I bought the game at walmart. I would have gotten more enjoyment from burning 2 20's and a ten than what I got for 2 20's and a ten............… Expand
  86. DaveK
    Jun 27, 2009
    0
    My PC is only 1 year old, has quad core and a Geforce 8800 card with 4G Ram so it easily meets the specs. I have updated all drivers, have installed Xp as it is more stable and I have used Steam to update my game to the max. I have been gaming for 30 years and I have played all of the TW games. Guess what? crash crash crash crash crash. The graphics might look nice but what's the My PC is only 1 year old, has quad core and a Geforce 8800 card with 4G Ram so it easily meets the specs. I have updated all drivers, have installed Xp as it is more stable and I have used Steam to update my game to the max. I have been gaming for 30 years and I have played all of the TW games. Guess what? crash crash crash crash crash. The graphics might look nice but what's the point if you can't play it? It's like having a shiny sexy new car with no engine. Pointless! I'm not happy with Steam as a marketing tactic. I'm not happy with Sega and CA as they have obviously released this too soon. I am not happy with these bitty little increments when everything should be stable to start with. And I'm not happy with the magazines that have given this a good rating and have obviously not tried it. Sega, CA, Steam and various magazines. You have shot yourself in the foot with this one. I will never buy Sega/CA again (which is a shame). I also have no trust in gaming magazines and will now wait for real reviews from forums before buying any more games like this. I will be returning this game back to the shop and I will demand a refund. In the UK a game should be "fit for purpose" - this game obviously is not.… Expand
  87. TomH
    Jun 9, 2009
    0
    Until now. Big problems just to install the game. Stem connection lost. Install interrupted. Starting the game. Not available. I Have pay'd for a finish product. To get a steam connection...Why steam connection ? I want to play of fline.
  88. FredP
    Jul 20, 2009
    0
    Unplayable. The overall look and feel of the interface has been changed to something under-developed which frankly doesn't make sense. There are too many bugs, such as your infantry units taking cover on the opposite side of the wall, arse toward enemy musket. The naval battle system doesn't accomplish anything to really convince you you're battling at sea.
  89. GreogryV.
    Jul 9, 2009
    0
    Very bad game in my opinion, if I would throw my 50 euro's out the window i'd feel much much better than owning this piece of dung. I expected that you could custom create a country with a custom leader building an army and the land from scratch. Not in this game, just scenario's with countries I'm not interested to play with.
  90. GregC
    Aug 3, 2009
    0
    The most bug ridden POS I have ever played. The latest patches have gone some way to fixing this, but not far enough - I am unable to continue playing the game because teh game repeatedly crashes to desktop at the end of this turn. Stuck in a loop, unable to progress. At
  91. HippolyteA
    Aug 4, 2009
    0
    The game seems good but Steam's update is a worst shit that i never seen before. I would never again buy any game where Steam has in charge his maintain.
  92. ZEEH
    Sep 1, 2009
    0
    After testing out this title we come to the conclusion and sadly must say it is without a doubt the most interesting yet failure of the total war series. It falls short on numerous ways. The most obvious one is the AI; something that failed during the transition to QC. Coding is simply amiss. The poor execution and performance on several systems indicate this; glitches abound, twitches After testing out this title we come to the conclusion and sadly must say it is without a doubt the most interesting yet failure of the total war series. It falls short on numerous ways. The most obvious one is the AI; something that failed during the transition to QC. Coding is simply amiss. The poor execution and performance on several systems indicate this; glitches abound, twitches frequently. Orders are delayed while others are ignored. Steam may be a convenience for SEGA's pockets, but surely not for the customers. After testing out the patches that were supposedly to fix the numerous problems, we found even more of them. Quite simply an unfinished and rushed product to the consumer served cold. A game that "will" eventually be fixed and playable for everyone if supported until then. Good luck with that.… Expand
  93. JimM
    Sep 10, 2009
    0
    I have one of the latest pc system that easily handles the latest most demanding game titles and curiously not this one. Now, I wish I read the user comments instead of the shit mag reviews before heading out for it. It's disgusting to see 10's ratings on here when the truth is this game is rampant of bad coding and mistakes. Amazing stuff happens in this game. Gunfires are I have one of the latest pc system that easily handles the latest most demanding game titles and curiously not this one. Now, I wish I read the user comments instead of the shit mag reviews before heading out for it. It's disgusting to see 10's ratings on here when the truth is this game is rampant of bad coding and mistakes. Amazing stuff happens in this game. Gunfires are silent, boats ram each other no matter the formation, orders given are inverted; soldiers will go left if you tell them to go right, they will even expose their butts to the enemy fire if you tell them to take cover behind a wall ! Incredibly, this game made it to the consumer. Time to hit the beach to steer clear from this insanity.… Expand
  94. KS
    Jan 12, 2010
    0
    One of the all time biggest disappointments I've ever had. I hate Steam, the game and graphics are laughably pathetic. Released WAY before it was ready. I didn't expect this from a Total War game, because I loved Rome Total War and MTW 1 and 2. I doubt I'll ever buy another Total War game again - certainly not Napoleon.
  95. JamesM.
    Oct 1, 2009
    0
    A piss poor game sums up my feelings for this game. Dumb AI, Bugs after all their patches, No MP Campaign (which they said we would get (lairs), a lot of point less game play. And it does seem that France loves the white flag, since there is only one city in all of France. The be time reviewers where bought off and no way is this one of the best games ever made. More or less how not to A piss poor game sums up my feelings for this game. Dumb AI, Bugs after all their patches, No MP Campaign (which they said we would get (lairs), a lot of point less game play. And it does seem that France loves the white flag, since there is only one city in all of France. The be time reviewers where bought off and no way is this one of the best games ever made. More or less how not to make a game.… Expand
  96. gameratheartIllustrious
    Oct 14, 2009
    0
    I dub this game bugs empire total malware because this is what it is. Equipped with steam, it supposedly makes things much easier for you to dl and play it, but it's more like an inconvenience. I played it via a friend's own copy on his pc. And I'm glad I did that because I wouldn't even buy it. Will I be purchasing it future wise and Napoleon the sequel? Definite no. I dub this game bugs empire total malware because this is what it is. Equipped with steam, it supposedly makes things much easier for you to dl and play it, but it's more like an inconvenience. I played it via a friend's own copy on his pc. And I'm glad I did that because I wouldn't even buy it. Will I be purchasing it future wise and Napoleon the sequel? Definite no. WIll I be making a purchase via Steam with CA future titles? Indefinitely NO.… Expand
  97. 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
  98. 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
  99. 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.
  100. RobNadr
    Mar 18, 2009
    0
    Sounds like a great game if you could install it from the CD. Went to website to see how to do it and tried it and it did not work. Sent an email and have not heard back from Sega. Best advice... don't buy, stay with Medival War II.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 62 Critic Reviews

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