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. stephen
    Mar 17, 2009
    10
    this game is now one of my favourites, the graphics are good, gameplay with the formations and all , just like a real battle in the 17th hundreds, i am a real fan for RTS games and this is my first total war game, and i hav to say , not much can beat this this.
  2. JohnS
    Mar 24, 2009
    10
    I'm a Total War fan from way back, and I really enjoyed this iteration of the series. The campaign map is much improved, with the decentralized provinces making for a high level of strategy and thought needed for every move and troop placement. Although many users complain about bugs and crashes, I have experienced none of this in over 50 hours of gameplay so far. This is ironic,I'm a Total War fan from way back, and I really enjoyed this iteration of the series. The campaign map is much improved, with the decentralized provinces making for a high level of strategy and thought needed for every move and troop placement. Although many users complain about bugs and crashes, I have experienced none of this in over 50 hours of gameplay so far. This is ironic, considering most games crash and lock up all the time on my machine.… Expand
  3. BryanD
    May 11, 2009
    10
    I dont know what your all crying about. if your crappy comp cant run the game dont give it a low score. Works fine for me and i have a 2 year old vista so stop ur wining. great battles fun gameplay its hard at first but overall a great game. cant see how you dont like it unless you can run it... and thats y it has such a low score.
  4. AndrewD
    May 14, 2009
    10
    This game rocks!!! Plan and simple. Sure some bugs are their but if you save often, which the game does for you, then just go back and dont repeat the move go on one turn and NO PROBLEM. The battles are fun, the campaign challenging, and the new streamlined diplomacy helps tremendously. Way to go Total War!!!!
  5. KurtL
    May 14, 2009
    10
    Like Bryan said, I don't know why all of you are whining. Get new computers. I have a 2 1/2 year old computer with an 8600gt, 1gig of ram, and a 3.2ghz singlecore. The game runs flawlessly on medium settings. Ive only crashed twice. Sure, when the game came out it was really glitchy, but there has been patches and its really improved.
  6. RustyR
    May 18, 2009
    10
    This is possibly one of the best ballanced and presented games I have played and it compares favorably with its previous versions (Rome and Medieval). The combination of grand-strategy and empire managment in a tun-based model with real-time tactical battles is probably the best way to present total global or theatre warfare and makes other so-called real-time strategy (no such thing) This is possibly one of the best ballanced and presented games I have played and it compares favorably with its previous versions (Rome and Medieval). The combination of grand-strategy and empire managment in a tun-based model with real-time tactical battles is probably the best way to present total global or theatre warfare and makes other so-called real-time strategy (no such thing) games look rediculous.… Expand
  7. KevinR
    Jun 21, 2009
    10
    I think that this is a modern classic of gaming. I do not agree with all of the people that say it requires much tweaking. Yes some tweaking would be nice but as a basic game it did everything that it said it would do and could do. Naval Battles:Check Land Battles:Check Historical Accuracy: Check Graphics:Check I have never spent a better $50 in my life. Another great Total War game. I think that this is a modern classic of gaming. I do not agree with all of the people that say it requires much tweaking. Yes some tweaking would be nice but as a basic game it did everything that it said it would do and could do. Naval Battles:Check Land Battles:Check Historical Accuracy: Check Graphics:Check I have never spent a better $50 in my life. Another great Total War game. 10/10 all of the way.… Expand
  8. DaveB
    Dec 22, 2009
    10
    As usual,CA turns out yet another masterful product. As for the people complaining about poor performance, I suggest they try playing on something more advanced than a Commodore 64. It's not the developer's fault if your welfare computer sucks balls.
  9. TemplarGR
    Sep 9, 2016
    10
    The best Total war, the pinnacle of the series. One of the rare occasions where official reviewers scored it right.

    Don't get me wrong, the launch was attrocious, i remember it clearly, i had pre-ordered it. And CA should pay for this blatant disregard for the customer. But as a game, this was a masterpiece. And today, after the patches it received, it is perfectly playable and fun.    The best Total war, the pinnacle of the series. One of the rare occasions where official reviewers scored it right.

    Don't get me wrong, the launch was attrocious, i remember it clearly, i had pre-ordered it. And CA should pay for this blatant disregard for the customer. But as a game, this was a masterpiece. And today, after the patches it received, it is perfectly playable and fun.

    Many people don't seem to appreciate this game, because they were used to the more arcade-y battles of previous installments. You know, just click on units and charge!. Well, Empire Total War does a really good job with its battle system, portraing the battles of its era. You need proper tactics, and positioning is key. Morale is everything.

    The battles are more chess-like, like in real life Napoleonic-era battles. You need to take care of not breaking your battlelines, while breaking the opponents, causing morale shocks, and eventually routing him. This takes knowledge of how the units work, and how to position your units properly.

    I write these things because many people think this game had bad battles, because they tried to play those battles like Medieval II and Rome. I did at first too, i know.

    In the end, this is the best gunpowder era game we have. If you love maskets and cannons, and want a really great empire management game with cool tactical battles, this game is for you.

    This was much better than Rome and Medieval II, Napoleon and Shogun II began the downward spiral of casualisation. This spiral began because people complained about Empire. Careful what you wish for people, you didn't like the realism of Empire, Rome II is what you eventually got.    … Expand
  10. socokid
    Aug 14, 2010
    10
    An absolutely incredible game.

    I still find it strange how a few off the wall Critic Reviews, and a slew of asinine 0 scores from users for computer/Steam issues, can keep the true greatness of this game from being fully revealed to casual searchers. A user score of 6.7 is shameful for this masterpiece.
  11. jamesdules50
    Aug 26, 2010
    10
    This game is awesome!! i am a video game enthusiast and i work at a video game store and i have to say this game is amazing! it's is by far one of the best games in the world and knocks other games of this category like sid meyers games out of the water. if you are a true fan of history and military strategy or just games in general you have to play this game! the user score it got isThis game is awesome!! i am a video game enthusiast and i work at a video game store and i have to say this game is amazing! it's is by far one of the best games in the world and knocks other games of this category like sid meyers games out of the water. if you are a true fan of history and military strategy or just games in general you have to play this game! the user score it got is definitely not what it deserves and it may have a couple of things wrong with it but it is easy to look over with a game this spectacular! I would recommend this game to anyone who wants to sit down and play a nice addicting game.… Expand
  12. jAVA
    Sep 5, 2010
    10
    I play this game and I think its great. I have all these games and they are great. I am waiting for Shogun2 to come out soon! I have the first one and that is cool but the new Shogun 2 will rock your socks off.
  13. CPTblackadder
    Oct 27, 2010
    10
    this review is written after all the patches and with all the dlc, apart from east units thing, i like it i play as the dutch. the blue guard is THE BEST UNIT. however i find the game crashes often(may be my pc). graphics: speechless. sound: awesome. i would like a mix of napoleon total war and empire. if they made that then total war would rule over everything.
  14. SnowShred
    Nov 14, 2010
    10
    Great game. Good graphics, and very playable. All in all a very amazing game. It is a must have for any strategy enthusiast out there. The graphics are amazing and the battles are intense
  15. TestAce
    Dec 4, 2010
    10
    Since there hasn't been a review since 2009, I thought I should write one. Steam recently released a bunch of updates that fixed the problems that other buyers/users/players were complaining about.

    On to the new stuff. The game play and storyline are amazing. I'm into the second part of the game and I've already played 50 hours (maybe more or less while enjoying the game and battles and    Since there hasn't been a review since 2009, I thought I should write one. Steam recently released a bunch of updates that fixed the problems that other buyers/users/players were complaining about.

    On to the new stuff. The game play and storyline are amazing. I'm into the second part of the game and I've already played 50 hours (maybe more or less while enjoying the game and battles and not rushing). The graphics are amazing and very realistic, you can see the soldiers reloading the runs/cannons, etc. The naval battles are interesting but I wish it would be more user friendly since its easier and better to have the ships just auto attack and doing some minor controlling, unlike the land battles where you need to control everything.

    Realism is a problem in the game...well to me but thats because I find it annoying. Explanation: If you have cannons overlapping and they fire they will hit, and destroy, the cannon in front of them. Same with ships..if they are set on auto attack and are side to side they will fire their cannons and hit each other. So not really a problem but just annoying that its so realistic.    … Expand
  16. Uncle2fire
    Dec 24, 2010
    10
    This is by far the most amazing game ever created, much better than the previous Medieval 2 and Rome, and in my opinion, better than Napoleon.
    The scope of this game is fantastic, it includes 3 land theatres: Americas (from the Hudson Bay to Guyana), Europe (Iceland to Mesopotamia, Sweden to North Africa) and India (Mesopotamia to Calcutta); and four trade theatres: East Indies, Strait of    This is by far the most amazing game ever created, much better than the previous Medieval 2 and Rome, and in my opinion, better than Napoleon.
    The scope of this game is fantastic, it includes 3 land theatres: Americas (from the Hudson Bay to Guyana), Europe (Iceland to Mesopotamia, Sweden to North Africa) and India (Mesopotamia to Calcutta); and four trade theatres: East Indies, Strait of Madagascar, Ivory Coast, and coast of Brazil. Together, all these spaces combine to give the player a game that truly spreads across the world.
    In this game, there are 12 major factions, 11 of which are playable. They include Great Britain, France, Spain, Austria, Prussia, Poland-Lithuania, Russia, United Provinces, Ottoman Empire, Sweden and the Maratha Confederacy. The United States is also playable in a separate campaign. These factions all have different starting positions, victory conditions, economic and military strengths and diplomatic relations. Even with these factions and the more than 50 others, the game still runs smoothly and naturally through history.
    The graphics are great, especially with the new sea battles, they really help bring the action to life.
    Most of the other reviews complain about Steam. STEAM IS NOT THE GAME! Steam can be a little annoying at times, especially the fact that you cannot play the game without Steam, however, once the game is installed and updated, Steam will hardly ever bother you again.
    To those who gave the game bad reviews because of crashes, it's not the game's fault that you have a faulty computer, if your computer were up to the task, the game would run fine.
    This is my favorite game, and I have played many games. It will be hard to top it, so Creative Assembly should keep up the good work!    … Expand
  17. Se7en
    Mar 15, 2011
    10
    This game was another perfect, eye-popping experience from the genius minds of Creative Assembly. Featuring all the features of past Total War games (minus family trees) and more (research trees), outstanding graphics, and wonderful, strategic large-scale combat. My only complaint is that you can't play as America in the multiplayer coop campaign beta. Otherwise, a must have for any TotalThis game was another perfect, eye-popping experience from the genius minds of Creative Assembly. Featuring all the features of past Total War games (minus family trees) and more (research trees), outstanding graphics, and wonderful, strategic large-scale combat. My only complaint is that you can't play as America in the multiplayer coop campaign beta. Otherwise, a must have for any Total War and history enthusiast.

    Keep in mind that this game has next to no similarities to games such as Command and Conquer and Starcraft 2. If you like fast-paced zerg spam and a quick 30 minute game fix, this game is NOT for you.    … Expand
  18. bud389
    Jul 24, 2012
    10
    Fans don't give this game the due credit it deserves. Not only did it save CA from bankruptcy, but it also revitalized the Total War series by offering a new, original take on 18th Century warfare. It's Naval combat is unprecedented in and almost bar none compared to any and all other naval combat games taking place in the 18th century and it's new diplomacy and tech tree mechanics workFans don't give this game the due credit it deserves. Not only did it save CA from bankruptcy, but it also revitalized the Total War series by offering a new, original take on 18th Century warfare. It's Naval combat is unprecedented in and almost bar none compared to any and all other naval combat games taking place in the 18th century and it's new diplomacy and tech tree mechanics work nearly flawlessly in their functionality.

    The gameplay, oh the gameplay, theres a vast amount of tactics and strategies you can devise against opponents, some nations requiring a different approach because of their methods of warfare and tech. It offers more interactive and varied approach to the campaign, offering a wide amount of variation from not only nation to nation, but region to region as to what you use each one for, be it for military, economic, or even technological advances to your country, or perhaps enhancing its national prestige.    … Expand
  19. Bekenel
    Oct 28, 2011
    10
    Truly an exceptional game. This is one of the very best in the series, alongside Medieval 2 and Napoleon.
    The campaign has been expanded by a massive amount, becoming perhaps two-thirds again the size of that in Medieval 2, which means that the capacity for re-playability has become huge. granted, in the main campaign, the number of playable factions has been reduced from 17 to 11, however    Truly an exceptional game. This is one of the very best in the series, alongside Medieval 2 and Napoleon.
    The campaign has been expanded by a massive amount, becoming perhaps two-thirds again the size of that in Medieval 2, which means that the capacity for re-playability has become huge. granted, in the main campaign, the number of playable factions has been reduced from 17 to 11, however there are now a large number of minor factions, those that are unplayable, very accurately reflecting the various nations around at the time., and these can be exploited both for profit and for territorial expansion.
    Trade has become a huge aspect of the game, encompassing up to perhaps 45% of all income, and the aspects of it, including establishing trade lanes to particular trading resources such as ivory or coffee through your faction's navy, exploitation of regional resources in the Americas and India, and of course raiding other nations' trade lanes, pirating them in an attempt to ruin their economy.
    Technology research has become a hugely important aspect of the game, vital to improvement of your economy, army, navy, and political systems.
    Micromanagement has been more-or-less downgraded, with a single page to control tax rates for a whole theatre rather than individual regions. However unrest and rebellion are still a very prominent threat, and if not managed well, can turn to revolution, that can be turned one way or another, with your choice of preserving your political system, or you can engineer a revolution to change to another.
    The vast scope of the campaign makes the game thoroughly enjoyable, which is also reflected in the other major aspect of the game - your military.
    As with every Total War game, your Army is the most important feature of the entire game. However there are obvious changes to it, reflecting of course the new 18th-century setting. Guns - encompassing muskets, and artillery, are now the weapon of choice for the vast majority of factions, meaning largely different tactics are required to achieve victory - simply charging headlong into combat will get your soldiers shot and likely lose you the battle, unlike with the other games in the series. This does however mean that the factions with still prominent melee-based armies: the native americans and Indian factions, will have to utilise their armies cleverly if they want to defeat their superior european opponents The Navy also now has a massively improved role, since naval combat has become real-time. Combat by sea is a very new addition and is hard to master thanks to the very different tactics needed to succeed than with land battles. The graphics are excellent, however it can lag when settings are too high, but even on low settings, the visuals are rewarding.
    However, as with most games, it does have its weak points. The AI in battle is still not up to scratch, although it has been improved, and in several cases i have found it executes the odd suicidal charge, stupid manoeuvre or sometimes does not move at all. At least twice I have not lost a single soldier thanks to the AI force simply running in front of my gun line, being shot to pieces and retreating, not bothering to engage in combat even once - although amusing, clearly not how it should fight.
    All in all, Empire is one of the best strategy games there has ever been thanks to its immense depth, re-playablity, how well it has been built and though it does have its downfalls, it is well worth playing.    … Expand
  20. Kdall
    Jun 30, 2011
    10
    A monumental strategy game with only a few flaws. The single player campaign is fun and really helps you get a grasp on the game especially if you are unfamiliar with the Total War series. The campaign mode is extremely fun and ripe with re playability, with the short/long campaigns and the multiple nations you can play as. The combat is very fun and requires a great strategic mind,A monumental strategy game with only a few flaws. The single player campaign is fun and really helps you get a grasp on the game especially if you are unfamiliar with the Total War series. The campaign mode is extremely fun and ripe with re playability, with the short/long campaigns and the multiple nations you can play as. The combat is very fun and requires a great strategic mind, even in the single player modes, and with the changing battle terrain depending on your location of the map, you can get some very unique battlefield situations in or against your favor. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a deep strategy game experience.… Expand
  21. jetSetWilly
    Jul 23, 2012
    10
    Pretty much the best RTS available to date. Easy to pick up, fun to experiment with. Great battles both land and see. Great to play skirmish with a friend. Heaps of different ways to play the game. A great way to learn the general geography and the way things were back in the 1700's. All in all a masterpiece when compared to the lame sci-fi style rts crap being pumped out these days. AndPretty much the best RTS available to date. Easy to pick up, fun to experiment with. Great battles both land and see. Great to play skirmish with a friend. Heaps of different ways to play the game. A great way to learn the general geography and the way things were back in the 1700's. All in all a masterpiece when compared to the lame sci-fi style rts crap being pumped out these days. And the graphics, especially for the boats are just inspirational. Its a beautiful enjoyable game! Fact.… Expand
  22. AlexanderVascus
    Jan 30, 2012
    10
    Many of the reviews here are either graphics bugs based on ones system or lag. This game uses shader models that impact animations and almost the game's entire system. For those who's graphics cards can run SM3, but seem to have graphical issues or lag. Change it to SM3 Low, or SM2 on which I play it on.
    Performance is now perfect for me and my frames hardly fall with battles unit sizes on    Many of the reviews here are either graphics bugs based on ones system or lag. This game uses shader models that impact animations and almost the game's entire system. For those who's graphics cards can run SM3, but seem to have graphical issues or lag. Change it to SM3 Low, or SM2 on which I play it on.
    Performance is now perfect for me and my frames hardly fall with battles unit sizes on Ultra and everything except grass turned in basic settings.

    Gameplay- If your a die hard veteran of the Total War franchise, you may find yourself a tad disappointing based on your preferences. The previous games have all been either Medieval or Ancient warfare from Thermopylae or the Fields of Agincourt. This game is the Imperialistic expansion of Europe to the new world and setting a foot hold in India. This game takes some serious strategy both on the game map in turn based strategy to the real-time battles of heated combat the series is so known for. Muskets, cannons, and cavalry, placing is key and making units work together well is required for a less costly victory or victory at all. The Naval combat which was unheard from the previous titles is now in real time rather then CPU calculated and auto-resolved. Whilst you can still do this, I find some of the most fun is the naval combat, that hair raising moment of pulling off a well timed broadside strike can seriously cause some eye satisfying carnage. This game holds up to the franchise. I have had absolutely count it ZERO crashes, and minimal graphic issues, with some common sense and tweaking this game runs like a dream. The modding community has also made the improvements to the game that it should have had at launch, including better fire and smoke textures, and improved naval combat. One such mod is the well known DARTHMOD, playing this game turns the already wonderful vanilla game into a perfect RTS with even more satisfying combat, fixing the inconsistencies the game suffered from beforehand. This game is a gem, and to anyone suffering issues with the game, I don't know what to say to you, complaining about it won't help, consulting these issues on forums like Total War center is highly advised. This game is to good to miss out on because of some graphical issues or bugs, the community is there to help.    … Expand
  23. scottish1900
    Jan 15, 2012
    10
    This game is immensely fun. I have played this game in total for 144 hours so I think I have played this long enough to rate it. I enjoy the units it has, It adds a new difficulty to assaulting forts. It adds a new dimension, Sea warfare, and that is probably the highlight for me. I have had ZERO issues with the game crashing and lagging. I love this game, and i still play it. It may notThis game is immensely fun. I have played this game in total for 144 hours so I think I have played this long enough to rate it. I enjoy the units it has, It adds a new difficulty to assaulting forts. It adds a new dimension, Sea warfare, and that is probably the highlight for me. I have had ZERO issues with the game crashing and lagging. I love this game, and i still play it. It may not be the most realistic in terms of warfare, diplomacy etc, but I still like it.… Expand
  24. Jarec
    Mar 6, 2012
    10
    Fantastic game, seriously. I have spent approximately 600 hours on and off playing this game since release and I still keep coming back to it. I only had a couple of issues with it, both of which were easily fixed by modding. The amount of turns in any given game is woefully low (only 200 turns, this is true for all Total War games and is really not enough). The other issue for me wasFantastic game, seriously. I have spent approximately 600 hours on and off playing this game since release and I still keep coming back to it. I only had a couple of issues with it, both of which were easily fixed by modding. The amount of turns in any given game is woefully low (only 200 turns, this is true for all Total War games and is really not enough). The other issue for me was the unit sizes, the battles felt more like skirmishes as opposed proper epic battles. I would still recommend it to any fans of the Total War series. It's probably my favorite after Medieval II.… Expand
  25. grandusalenius
    Mar 19, 2012
    10
    This is a strategy game. You will have to defend and expand your empire to get a victory. But this is not easy, you will have to manage city tax policies, deal with revolts, use religion to convert population to the one of you're empire, deal with happiness of cities, train land and naval units, use research to develop technology (by constructing science buildings in cities) and otherThis is a strategy game. You will have to defend and expand your empire to get a victory. But this is not easy, you will have to manage city tax policies, deal with revolts, use religion to convert population to the one of you're empire, deal with happiness of cities, train land and naval units, use research to develop technology (by constructing science buildings in cities) and other complex things typical of strategy games. This series of Total War games is special because in here you can manually fight your battles. What i mean is that if you choose to fight an army with your army (or whatever) you have 2 choices: 1) Auto resolve: based on your unit strength stats against the enemy unit strength stats (and other factor like terrain) one will automatically emerge victorious. And 2) you will fight the war yourself. You will direct your units in real time in the battlefield.

    You have several Empires to select from. Just to name a few: Spain, England, Russia...etc. But you are not in a modern era setting. The game starts somewhere (i don't exactly remember) in the 1750's. So you have to make use of archers, catapults and swordsmen (althought in time you will be able to use cannons and some rifle units) to fight your way to victory. This game is almost as good as Rome: Total War.

    Enjoy!    … Expand
  26. TomPD
    May 6, 2012
    10
    When this game first came out, I could understand the negative reviews, this was an unfinished game with too many bugs. But here we are 3 years later and the game has reached its full potential. Go download DarthMod or one of the many other great mods for this game and you have a masterpiece that, if reviewed again today, would receive many more 10 out of 10s. I have played all of theWhen this game first came out, I could understand the negative reviews, this was an unfinished game with too many bugs. But here we are 3 years later and the game has reached its full potential. Go download DarthMod or one of the many other great mods for this game and you have a masterpiece that, if reviewed again today, would receive many more 10 out of 10s. I have played all of the TW games and ETW is my favorite by measure of hours played (over 500). If you like the blend of risk, civilization, and great battles, then this game is a must have.… Expand
  27. Casual_gamer
    Mar 31, 2014
    10
    I truly like this game very much! Its a pitty there are so few players anymore, its difficult to get a hold on a multiplayer battle nowadays. Huge replayablity value.
  28. Ajdino
    Sep 28, 2012
    10
    Hey, how about a 2012 update, huh? I'm shocked at coming on Metacritic to see such low scores for a game I've owned for a long time now, that I adore. There is NO bugs, some of these reviews are absolutely outdated and unreliable. In my opinion, this is the most playable of all the Total War games. The tech branches are much more expansive and really do progress as time goes on and theHey, how about a 2012 update, huh? I'm shocked at coming on Metacritic to see such low scores for a game I've owned for a long time now, that I adore. There is NO bugs, some of these reviews are absolutely outdated and unreliable. In my opinion, this is the most playable of all the Total War games. The tech branches are much more expansive and really do progress as time goes on and the campaign was fantastic. I felt like I was rewriting my text books. It's also one of the more colorful TW games, because it covers such an active century of domination and war. Napoleon felt sort of like a plus 20 year map pack to this gem. This game is just as good as any other TW game, it really is a shame that people wrote hundreds and hundreds of reviews within the first couple of months of the games release, yet when the game is "Fixed" (Because I never played it when it was supposedly bugged) everyone just lose interest in lifting a finger for a new review. I'll simply put it this way, this game is worth every dollar, pound, or euro it costs.… Expand
  29. Muan142
    Mar 14, 2013
    10
    The only thing that might have made this game better is a map of the whole world to conquer. I've logged 201 hours on this in steam. I can't seem to get into the other Total War games that revolve around melee combat. I love my musket men and their formations and maneuvers. I love playing as Russia and spreading Orthodoxy all over the world until there is only one religion destroyingThe only thing that might have made this game better is a map of the whole world to conquer. I've logged 201 hours on this in steam. I can't seem to get into the other Total War games that revolve around melee combat. I love my musket men and their formations and maneuvers. I love playing as Russia and spreading Orthodoxy all over the world until there is only one religion destroying schools and erecting churches in their place. Slowly bombarding a fort to pieces the constricting my forces about it and attacking in waves. Or holding back and assuming a defensive position letting the enemy scater his forces against my line like wind before a stone wall. I simply love this game.… Expand
  30. Benfoster
    Nov 27, 2012
    10
    |It's taken a while and after many patches the game is now the best in the series overall. most of the negative votes are from earlier versions of the game so don't be put of by them not updating their review. perhaps only 2 points of problem. You have to be online and have the patches to get the good experience, it's setting may not rock people boats. otherwise this is the best the series|It's taken a while and after many patches the game is now the best in the series overall. most of the negative votes are from earlier versions of the game so don't be put of by them not updating their review. perhaps only 2 points of problem. You have to be online and have the patches to get the good experience, it's setting may not rock people boats. otherwise this is the best the series has to offer at least until rome 2!… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 62 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 61 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 62
  3. Negative: 0 out of 62
  1. PC Gamer UK
    94
    Astonishing...Immense... A strategy masterwork. [Mar 2009, p.54]
    Read full review
  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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