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. BryanK
    May 5, 2009
    3
    Since my one month old rig (with latest drivers etc) can't run this game without frequent random crashes I will have to give this game a very low score. The game is good when it works (7+) but when you can't play it due to massive instability issues, then there is no point in even having purchased it. I still have a little hope that CA will eventually make the game stable, but I Since my one month old rig (with latest drivers etc) can't run this game without frequent random crashes I will have to give this game a very low score. The game is good when it works (7+) but when you can't play it due to massive instability issues, then there is no point in even having purchased it. I still have a little hope that CA will eventually make the game stable, but I think it will be several months before that happens.… Expand
  2. JonC
    May 7, 2009
    3
    I waited for nearly 2 months before buying my once per year game. Paying £35 for the deluxe edition. The huge number of updates ruined the first game, the last one has left the game despite re-installations and technical support, literally unplayable after 10 turns, the beautifully presented and deeply playable game (when it works) just crashes and dies. When it worked, it was I waited for nearly 2 months before buying my once per year game. Paying £35 for the deluxe edition. The huge number of updates ruined the first game, the last one has left the game despite re-installations and technical support, literally unplayable after 10 turns, the beautifully presented and deeply playable game (when it works) just crashes and dies. When it worked, it was fabulous, the battles are fantastic, truly like nothing I have ever seen, but the campaign strategy game is simply awful. The look and feel is great but the AI is mad and inconsistent, utterly random and the economics seem to change unpredictably, you never know what's going on. Just as it all starts to get really involving the troops enter a city (not all cities, just regional capitals, the key to ownership) and bang, down it goes, goodbye game. I really do think Creative Assembly and Sega were insane to ruin this brand with a totally commercially unviable product that is leaving thousands seething. They simply cannot work hard or fast enough to put it right, if it ever can be.… Expand
  3. DylanJ
    Dec 8, 2009
    3
    Poorly scripted, poorly thought out, poor to play. Its a wretched game.
  4. Bob
    Oct 9, 2009
    3
    Would have been a wonderful game if it wasn't for the bugs. Even the new patch 1.4 doesn't resolve the glaring bugs and massive unresolved instabilities that still are very much present in the game. The game would be worthwhile if the only issue was AI. After all, all the Total War games have AI issues and Empire is no different in this respect. The AI seriously counters my Would have been a wonderful game if it wasn't for the bugs. Even the new patch 1.4 doesn't resolve the glaring bugs and massive unresolved instabilities that still are very much present in the game. The game would be worthwhile if the only issue was AI. After all, all the Total War games have AI issues and Empire is no different in this respect. The AI seriously counters my moves on the battlefield like a massive retard- allowing itself to get flanked and then letting it's melee units sit there for target practice. But the main issue is that it CTDs constantly. I can play about 5-10 moves before the computer simply freezes and program becomes unresponsive. Granted, this is on a monster rig with a GTX 275.… Expand
  5. ArthurW
    Mar 11, 2009
    3
    A Fantastic White elephant, CA have done it again all right. A beautiful addictive game with serious, Major AI flaws. No AI seaborne invasions? In an empire game? Pathfinding Issues, Factions building entire Milita Armies. I don't know why I'm surprised exact same issues were had with every other of their releases. Once again it will be left to the mods to fix. and for ruining A Fantastic White elephant, CA have done it again all right. A beautiful addictive game with serious, Major AI flaws. No AI seaborne invasions? In an empire game? Pathfinding Issues, Factions building entire Milita Armies. I don't know why I'm surprised exact same issues were had with every other of their releases. Once again it will be left to the mods to fix. and for ruining the game with a Steam update I give 3/10 I'm off to play Catan again - forget this techology rubbish for a while.… Expand
  6. SidM
    Mar 12, 2009
    3
    I have been a Total War fan since shogun and enjoyed every release of the series until this one, which is a shame as I was very ,very keen to play this era. I hate Steam. It is irritating to have to play through it. I hate it with a passion and it has ruined any positives the game held for me. Get rid of it. Then there's the game itself, which looks great but plays very clumsily, sea I have been a Total War fan since shogun and enjoyed every release of the series until this one, which is a shame as I was very ,very keen to play this era. I hate Steam. It is irritating to have to play through it. I hate it with a passion and it has ruined any positives the game held for me. Get rid of it. Then there's the game itself, which looks great but plays very clumsily, sea battles being a nice addition but with a tendency to get messy very quickly, with lots of micro management. Not to mention the bugs with certain ship types.... Land battles just lack excitement, particularly sieges. There's just no tension whatsoever. Then there's poor AI path finding, annoying formation movement, and a severe lack of diversity of land divisions. Also, is it just me or is shooting accuracy generally useless. And what happened to volley fire? Why don't those Cherokee's turn tail and flee when they get hit in the face with a wall of lead? It just gets boring after a while. You just don't get a sense of guns being decisive in battle. Oh but wait, then it just gets plain irritating - constant crashes, slow downs and infinitely long times waiting for turns to cylce through! Diplomatic relations are almost not worth pursuing, although at least allies don't tend to turn on you at the drop of a hat. Historical Accuracy is poor, but thats not that big a deal because we'll get some modders to create an empire total realism later on right? oh no wait !we can't anymore because of ... Steam. I really, really, hate steam. It just ruins the game for me. On the plus side, the research/tech tree idea is very positive, national politics are a little more developed which is a nice touch, and yes the feeling of ripping through an enemy ship with a broadside of a 1st rate is exhilarating... but its not enough to make me stay up all night playing as I used to with Rome or MTW. Really guys, there are so few great games out there and you managed to completely ruin what promised to be the best.… Expand
  7. NeilHart
    Mar 10, 2009
    3
    Great game, but if you cant play a campaign to conclusion due to the many bugs in the game, you have to wonder if perhaps a little more testing was in order before release. Will try and go back to it if and when they patch the errors, until then, unplayable
  8. dirk0815
    Mar 28, 2009
    3
    Sorry for my poor English first (I come from Germany): After installation (almost 30 minutes), I've waited again about 40 minutes (because of the steam updates and fixes) until to start the game first. After 1-2 minutes it crashed. It is stressful to play it and my computer is not the oldest one. So I think this game is released to the market although the producer knows the gaps and Sorry for my poor English first (I come from Germany): After installation (almost 30 minutes), I've waited again about 40 minutes (because of the steam updates and fixes) until to start the game first. After 1-2 minutes it crashed. It is stressful to play it and my computer is not the oldest one. So I think this game is released to the market although the producer knows the gaps and errors. On the other hand I don't know what datasets of me and my computer are sent throught the internet with this steam account. I'll never accept in future this kind of software installation again. Sorry, but I can't comprehend this business model.… Expand
  9. OliverV.
    Mar 4, 2009
    3
    I CAN'T BELIF' THAT SWEDEN IS A PLAYABLE COUNTRY .... Sweden was a Major power in Scandinavia... But Denmark had atleast the same power and ideas of making Colonies around the world... Sweden did not they just ... did Swedish things... they should have picked Denmark and not Sweden i am realy ... i cannot belif' it
  10. JenLovering
    Mar 5, 2009
    3
    You would think this is a multi-platform console release judging by all the dumbing down they did across the board. Also, loading times are way too long. If you're not obsessed with graphics, stick with Medieval: Total War (yes the first one). It's still the best and most fun of the TW games.
  11. mikec
    Mar 8, 2009
    3
    All the great attrbutes are there sat on the screen, but constant crashes and a stupidly large amount of bugs have made the game unplayable until CA start pumping out some patches. The game looks amazing and the bits that work are great but, with all the problems id question whether CA were so rushed by sega to get the game out its not actually being finished. In short a major All the great attrbutes are there sat on the screen, but constant crashes and a stupidly large amount of bugs have made the game unplayable until CA start pumping out some patches. The game looks amazing and the bits that work are great but, with all the problems id question whether CA were so rushed by sega to get the game out its not actually being finished. In short a major disappointment and falls well short of the expectations after the classic and truely brilliant Rome TW.… Expand
  12. LarsE
    Apr 1, 2009
    3
    Complicated installation Steam-sh... Wonder why is it necessary to provide Steam with user id - password an email just to install a purchased game. Could not start after closing. Graphics ok 10000 units is fine. Waiting time between losing or winning battles are killingly long... Camera is difficult to control and mini map are useless. Have been playing better turn-real time games before. Complicated installation Steam-sh... Wonder why is it necessary to provide Steam with user id - password an email just to install a purchased game. Could not start after closing. Graphics ok 10000 units is fine. Waiting time between losing or winning battles are killingly long... Camera is difficult to control and mini map are useless. Have been playing better turn-real time games before. Sorry nothing new under the sun.… Expand
  13. AMC
    Apr 29, 2009
    3
    2 months in this game is as unstable as it was at launch. It has the potential to be the game of the year, if not the decade. Essentially it is a bug ridden mess that should ahve been tested for another 6 months. Looks like SEGA stuffed up the TW series by shoving this down our throats. Also...WHY DOES IT NEED STEAM? 90% of customers will buy this for the single player Grand Campaign.
  14. Revived
    May 14, 2009
    3
    I want to say that the developer is seriously lost its credibility is releasing crude product. I think that if it will continue to pursue a bold company can change the course of action is to think about the shareholders of the company.
  15. AnonymousMC
    Jun 23, 2009
    3
    The Naval battles are good, land battles less so. I enjoyed Rome Total War land battles more. The major problem that I have is that it crashes in campaign mode, otherwise I would give it 8 - good but could do better. Was enjoyig it, but now moving on because of the crashes.
  16. ChristopheF.
    Jul 6, 2009
    3
    Though the game has a tremendous scope, its strategical value is quite limited by its whole gameplay value. Game will be slow even with high end computers, but this would not be the main problem if it were not for : - Units pathfinding is buggy, and units are almost always messing up when it comes to being in formation. This creates unpleasant situations where it is impossible to set up Though the game has a tremendous scope, its strategical value is quite limited by its whole gameplay value. Game will be slow even with high end computers, but this would not be the main problem if it were not for : - Units pathfinding is buggy, and units are almost always messing up when it comes to being in formation. This creates unpleasant situations where it is impossible to set up your units as they would be in real battles. - Naval battles are, quite unfortunately, not as interesting to play, as they need constant micromanagement for little gameplay effect. - Strategic map is almost impossible to use. Rome Total War 3D map was fine because it was new, but you see what I mean when speaking about Medieval Total War 2 using same technology. Medeival Total War 1 used a 2D map, and it was great, accessible, fast and strategic. - Hard to see game pieces on strategic map - And of course, so many bugs and slow-things (I am talking with a last generation ultra-expensive card and 4GB RAM) you would ask whether reviewing online magazines get paid by the game company itself, to give ultimate scores to something this buggy.… Expand
  17. PeterS
    Aug 5, 2009
    3
    A good idee and great graphics, but it is not playable do to ever occuring crashes in various places. Wait at least a year to purchase this game.
  18. MikeR.
    Oct 19, 2009
    3
    Don't believe the Hype! ETW is the worst Total War game. It was released in an unfinished state, loaded with bugs and glitches. As of October 2009, most of these issues have not been resolved. Also, CA has announced that patch 1.5 will be the last major patch for this game, despite the fact that many bugs are unfixed and the AI is horrible. CA has stopped supporting this game, a Don't believe the Hype! ETW is the worst Total War game. It was released in an unfinished state, loaded with bugs and glitches. As of October 2009, most of these issues have not been resolved. Also, CA has announced that patch 1.5 will be the last major patch for this game, despite the fact that many bugs are unfixed and the AI is horrible. CA has stopped supporting this game, a clear admission that ETW is a failed product. If you buy ETW you are paying your money to CA for the dubious "privilege" of acting as a beta tester for garbage quality software. This game is an unplayable mess, and should never have been released. Don't reward CA for producing junk. Do not buy this game, or it's related expantion packs or DLC, including Napoleon Total War. Do not get ripped off as I was. Consider yourself warned!… Expand
  19. brad
    Dec 1, 2009
    3
    ca you should be fighting lawsuits right now! you sold a game that was not finished?! further more the bugs have not been fixed at all and if you happen to pick up the wrong unit at the wrong time the game crashes! although i like many of the new features of this gamelike the naval battles and new countries around the world it would help if i could play them. smooth move you retards every ca you should be fighting lawsuits right now! you sold a game that was not finished?! further more the bugs have not been fixed at all and if you happen to pick up the wrong unit at the wrong time the game crashes! although i like many of the new features of this gamelike the naval battles and new countries around the world it would help if i could play them. smooth move you retards every one of you should be taken out behind your ofice building and shot! you obviously did not learn work ethics when you went to college.… Expand
  20. ArthurNeddyS
    Dec 22, 2009
    3
    If I was just rating the gameplay and concept (of a fully working game), then this would have scored much higher. As it is though, with a high-spec system, this game is very hard to enjoy due to the constant crashes. Even after finally setting it up at much lower than required settings and getting it working, the developers brought out another patch to introduce some new units and ... If I was just rating the gameplay and concept (of a fully working game), then this would have scored much higher. As it is though, with a high-spec system, this game is very hard to enjoy due to the constant crashes. Even after finally setting it up at much lower than required settings and getting it working, the developers brought out another patch to introduce some new units and ... that required a whole lot more adjustments and fixes before I could play the game again. That said, it's still not smooth sailing here. Even with a powerful PC, this game cannot be played smoothly. Anyone attesting otherwise is simply not being honest. It's a real pity to come across Empire after enjoying other games in the Total War series. It's also a pity that after the poor level of committment to making this game playable by Sega and Co, I will not be trusting them with any future purchases. Adios, Total War. It was fun while it lasted.… Expand
  21. stavrosa
    Dec 3, 2009
    3
    very difficult game for someone who want to learn the game!!i buy it but i play only for one hour!!sorry...
  22. MatthewG.
    Oct 6, 2009
    3
    A flash in the pan. Looks nice. But the competition provided by the AI makes me feel like I'm playing my 6 month old nephew in Chess.
  23. RandallSimpson
    Mar 17, 2009
    3
    Laggy, buggy, crash-prone ... don't take my word for it: Look at the developer's own tech support forum. Minimum system specs are a joke.
    Sadly, the little bits that do run on my (well over minimum spec) system look great. Wait until it's patched at least twice before you buy. Not a retail-ready product at release.
  24. Arnold
    Mar 24, 2009
    3
    Empire Total DISAPOINTMENT....the King IS dead, long live the King! A very buggy and poorly finished release. Very, VERY buggy, slow and .....STEAM....CA must have expected the backlash and were obviously willing to risk it....shame on you guys and the poor excuses you give to justify STEAM.....give me DRM any day, YES STEAM is that bad. It's going to take something pretty special to Empire Total DISAPOINTMENT....the King IS dead, long live the King! A very buggy and poorly finished release. Very, VERY buggy, slow and .....STEAM....CA must have expected the backlash and were obviously willing to risk it....shame on you guys and the poor excuses you give to justify STEAM.....give me DRM any day, YES STEAM is that bad. It's going to take something pretty special to get me back into the TW series.....and I won't be buying a TW game until it's been out and seriously reviewed for some time (ignoring those reviewers who are obviously kidding themselves, 8's, 9's and 10's.....you know who you are....or you simply do not know what makes a good game (and ETW aint it!). Oh, did I mention how buggy it is...it makes Windows Vista look GOOD!!!… Expand
  25. AaronJ
    Mar 29, 2009
    3
    I have bought every previous TW game since Shogun came out. One of the reasons why I'm such a loyal TW fan is because I knew my money was buying a game ready to play and that the guys at TW didn't realease games early and unready like the other chumps. I bought my computer for 2k last year and belive me when I say it's well past min requirements. Still this is the laggiest I have bought every previous TW game since Shogun came out. One of the reasons why I'm such a loyal TW fan is because I knew my money was buying a game ready to play and that the guys at TW didn't realease games early and unready like the other chumps. I bought my computer for 2k last year and belive me when I say it's well past min requirements. Still this is the laggiest game ever.. Unplayable!!! And I haven't even run into the crashing bugs that everyone is talking about. Why would someone want to buy anything thats not ready? It's like buying a car with no wheels yet. I'm not old but I do remember days when you bought a game it was playable and finished when you spent your $70!!!!! I'm taking this back to EB games today and getting back my money one way or the other... Then I'll buy the game when these bastards decide to finish it. Unbelievable.… Expand
  26. ChimpeeW
    Mar 6, 2009
    3
    Am I the only one who thinks this game feels completely unfinished. The AI is horrible, the path finding sucks. When I have units group and tell them to walk 100 yds straight ahead, why do they all decide to crisscross each other. Why does my cavalry chase the enemy cavalry then stop once they are within 10 feet of them? Why is it nearly impossible to form a straight line on anything but Am I the only one who thinks this game feels completely unfinished. The AI is horrible, the path finding sucks. When I have units group and tell them to walk 100 yds straight ahead, why do they all decide to crisscross each other. Why does my cavalry chase the enemy cavalry then stop once they are within 10 feet of them? Why is it nearly impossible to form a straight line on anything but an empty mile wide field? Why does my army constantly lift sieges on their own? If I'm besieging someone and they try to break the siege but fail, why does my army break off the siege? Also in the American campaign when I'm assaulting a fort, why is my advisor telling me how best to defend my fort? And yes the whole steam thing sucks. Guess what, people will still pirate this game, you're only hurting honest consumer. I guess if my internet goes down and I want to play I'm SOL. I haven't played around with the naval combat yet to know if it works or not, maybe that's where they put all their effort. We'll see. Where's the patch? I'm bleeding here.… Expand
  27. ManuelH
    Apr 11, 2009
    3
    In spite of the serious AI related flaws (which ho-pefully will be addressed in future official patches and/or mods) ETW could have had been a strong candidate for becoming a landmark in the genre had a later-dated version been released allowing for more time to fix all the technical problems, bugs and glitches that plague the game. The visuals are great ; the tactical land & sea battles In spite of the serious AI related flaws (which ho-pefully will be addressed in future official patches and/or mods) ETW could have had been a strong candidate for becoming a landmark in the genre had a later-dated version been released allowing for more time to fix all the technical problems, bugs and glitches that plague the game. The visuals are great ; the tactical land & sea battles are jaw-dropping and punche a high re-playability value ; the move to the 18th century warfare enhances both the strategic and tactical portions of the game with the failful introduction of the epoch weaponry and tactics. I give youl that. But then again, what good would that dov those problems render it almost unplayable. (Completely unplayable in my case: after 2 weeks of intermittent - though frecuent - crashes the game just dedided to "Totally" crashed even b4 getting to the main menu screen. I reported this today and I'm hoping to hear from CA some time soon) Being a long-standing fan of the TW series and the high expectations I had about this particular game it is sad for me to say that all in all Empire Total War feels more like a rushed-out Beta than a well polished and finished product. (Also the hight retail price effectively adds to my sadness!) Perhaps it is hight time for SEGA/CA to be reminded of this simple formula: A Happy Gamer Is A Dumb Buyer, regardless of any marketing and sale strategy. So I think I'm going to unhook my bayonet and unsaddle my horse and wait for the game to live up to its name because right now I can't say I owe "Empire Total War" but "Empire Total CRASH"! ---- A Very Unhappy Gamer… Expand
  28. BryanS
    Apr 10, 2009
    3
    Great game... except the crash to desktop bugs. And the lock up just before you finish the grand campaign bugs... And the units getting stuck on the edge of towns and/or islands bugs... And the 10 to 30 seconds of lag each time you select a naval unit bug.. Oh, and the AI is incapable of actually loading ground units onto ships, so you cannot lose if you are an island nation bug Great game... except the crash to desktop bugs. And the lock up just before you finish the grand campaign bugs... And the units getting stuck on the edge of towns and/or islands bugs... And the 10 to 30 seconds of lag each time you select a naval unit bug.. Oh, and the AI is incapable of actually loading ground units onto ships, so you cannot lose if you are an island nation bug (excepting you cannot actually finish to win, perhaps this is the developer's idea of game balance?)... Plus you get the joy of installing Steam, and the darn "achievements" are even bugged!!! Otherwise, lots of fun. As far as I can tell, this game was shipped unfinished and the game review sites that give this dog high ratings are most likely getting kick backs from the developer!… Expand
  29. JohnT.
    Apr 12, 2009
    3
    The developer Creative Assembly should try to actually test their software before releasing it. This game has a great concept, but the limited and buggy implementation really ruins it once you play for more than an hour. The computer AI on the campaign is really horrible (no naval invasions? are you serious?), and for a game campaign conquests I am shocked this did not come up earlier in The developer Creative Assembly should try to actually test their software before releasing it. This game has a great concept, but the limited and buggy implementation really ruins it once you play for more than an hour. The computer AI on the campaign is really horrible (no naval invasions? are you serious?), and for a game campaign conquests I am shocked this did not come up earlier in their development process.… Expand
  30. AnonymousMC
    Apr 18, 2009
    3
    AI is awful. Units tend to get stuck and not move. Units have to actually rotate formation to fire another direction. Did I say AI is awful. The game is slow and turn based (not mentioned in the description). I spent 50 and 5 hours downloading this pile of code. Thanks for all the faulty payed off reviews to whom ever is responsible. No way it deserves these scores. To all you that seeAI is awful. Units tend to get stuck and not move. Units have to actually rotate formation to fire another direction. Did I say AI is awful. The game is slow and turn based (not mentioned in the description). I spent 50 and 5 hours downloading this pile of code. Thanks for all the faulty payed off reviews to whom ever is responsible. No way it deserves these scores. To all you that see after you purchase it and click the metascore like I did. Sorry. In a time like this we really don't need the, what we assume is a, honest industry to start acting corporate and providing bias reviews.… Expand
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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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