• Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Mar 3, 2009
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 3194 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. 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 There is NO bugs, some of these reviews are absolutely outdated and unreliable.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 There is NO bugs, some of these reviews are absolutely outdated and unreliable.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
  2. May 8, 2011
    7
    I was certainly not dissapointed with this Total War title. Although I found the attention to unit detail rather dissapointing that does not hinder the gameplay in any way. The only thing stopping me from giving this game a 10 is the fact that I found the AI a little bit too glitchy and slow.
  3. Jan 21, 2013
    7
    at first the game looked terrible to me, there is no proper welcome, if you don't go throught at least the first 2 chapters of the "road to independece" you wont know how to play, but after you play that campaign, the game opens the amazing and large options it has, because of the use of gun powder you have to use completly diffrent tactics. the economy in this game plays a huge role,at first the game looked terrible to me, there is no proper welcome, if you don't go throught at least the first 2 chapters of the "road to independece" you wont know how to play, but after you play that campaign, the game opens the amazing and large options it has, because of the use of gun powder you have to use completly diffrent tactics. the economy in this game plays a huge role, it's very fragile and alliances have diffrent meaning. its very diffrent from the old total war games but it was gonna have a change at some point, all of the people that say they are fans of the total war franchise and say this game is bad, aren't real fans, just because of the change in the game, they were forced to make a diffrent change, in total this is a great and amazing game, shame how people threated it Expand
  4. Jun 3, 2012
    8
    An original franchise, a fine game, but dumbed down from Medieval 2 Total War. More realism is better, not less. Multiplayer campaign mode would be nice.
  5. Jun 27, 2013
    7
    Empire total war has received an unjust amount of criticism allot of which was due to bugs and initial issues with steam. Now the game has been patched its a far better gaming experience but doesn't live up to M2:TW and Rome:TW, battles just aren't as fun or engaging and sieges in particular are a mess.No longer do you attack castles/towns with the buildings from the campaign map insteadEmpire total war has received an unjust amount of criticism allot of which was due to bugs and initial issues with steam. Now the game has been patched its a far better gaming experience but doesn't live up to M2:TW and Rome:TW, battles just aren't as fun or engaging and sieges in particular are a mess.No longer do you attack castles/towns with the buildings from the campaign map instead you attack different forts which are pretty much the same every-time and offer little variety of strategy required to capture them. Naval combat which looked brilliant is just a pain and even after 250 hours i have no clue how it works resulting in the imperfect auto resolve option being used the majority of the time.

    That said the campaign map has been extended dramatically with America, India and trade routes added giving the game a much grander feel. The graphics are also fantastic really stepped up from M2:TW, giving battles a realistic and epic feel. Technology trees also allow you to research advance technology which you can see take effect on the battlefield in the form of new moves or new units, you can use technology to improve the economy or the enlightenment of your people. This adds new complexity to the game and allowing different styles of play to be used.
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  6. Apr 12, 2014
    0
    I reviewed this game when it first came out, but the review has mysteriously disappeared, so here is a new review! :)

    Ignore the reviews by professional critics, they are paid to give positive reviews. Have a look at the difference between the critic score and the user score. The people who bought this game know what's up. This game is garbage. Where to start? Tons of bugs.
    I reviewed this game when it first came out, but the review has mysteriously disappeared, so here is a new review! :)

    Ignore the reviews by professional critics, they are paid to give positive reviews. Have a look at the difference between the critic score and the user score. The people who bought this game know what's up.

    This game is garbage. Where to start?

    Tons of bugs. Constant crashes. The AI has trouble moving troops around the battlefields and forts. Natives did not use cannons. etc. etc. I could go on and on, but I will spare you.

    Yes, I am aware some of these issues have been resolved. That does not change the fact that this game was unfinished software when released and remains a bug-infested crapfest to this day. When I purchased this game I felt I had been cheated by Creative Assembly and I am still bitter about it even now, years later.

    Creative Assembly really hit rock-bottom with this title. If you buy this game, you are only encouraging CA to produce more garbage games. Save your money.
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  7. 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.
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  8. 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.
  9. JoshL
    Apr 3, 2009
    9
    MY SHORT REVIEW: First of all, for all those complaining of glitches and crashes, don't be so ungrateful and impatient. The game has crashed 3 times for me in 1 month of hardcore gameplay. If you can't cope with expected issues, don't buy the game. Nevertheless, Empire: Total War is one of the most enjoyable experiences in gaming you will ever come across. Yes, there are a MY SHORT REVIEW: First of all, for all those complaining of glitches and crashes, don't be so ungrateful and impatient. The game has crashed 3 times for me in 1 month of hardcore gameplay. If you can't cope with expected issues, don't buy the game. Nevertheless, Empire: Total War is one of the most enjoyable experiences in gaming you will ever come across. Yes, there are a few bugs in it (no not many), and for a title with such massive scope, that should be expected. But these problems are minor and simply annoyances, they can only detract a small amount from an overall pleasant presentation. The naval and land battles are fantastic, incorporating a mix of cannons, cavalry, infantry and battleships. The graphics are amazing on high or ultra, and it certainly lives up to it's reputation in turn based mode. Camera options are redefined, mini-maps are more detailed than before, AI has been improved - what else can you ask for? There is excessive demand on developers to produce a perfect game to the modern market. In my opinion, there are limited flaws in the game itself, and perhaps more with installation. I found Steam to be a terrible hassle, and quite unecessary. Suppose someone didn't have access to the internet but liked playing video games. "The creative assembly" is losing a lot of business by using this idiotic method of signing up. However, Steam can have some advantages, giving users regular updates for patches and new features. The historical accuracy of the game is something many people forget, or take for granted. This a key focus of the Total War series, making education fun. It opens our minds to the realms of 18th century mentality and the progress of the industrial revolution. It broadens our intelligence and understanding of contemporary society in relation to our past. This is what sums it up as a classic. In the end, much enhancement has been added since Medieval: II Total War, and this is, at least by me, appreciated. Expand
  10. MJ
    Jan 5, 2010
    7
    Al in all a good game, unlike most people i had no problems at release. The land battles are fun as always in the Total War series, but the great campaign is so boring and the ai too easy. For a decent campaing i suggest Rome: Total War or the very unappreciated Imperial Glory, which had many features of Empire years before.
  11. ?
    Jan 5, 2010
    7
    I give 7 why? I think, that Medieval: Total War is better. There is more option in quick battle. Graphics is good, but it can be better and threre are to more errors.
  12. ZuherG
    Jan 30, 2010
    7
    Ive been a player of Total war games since Shogun 10 long years ago, and was sooooo excited by the prospect of guns playing a major role, as well as the naval warfare aspect... neither of these were as grand as I envisaged .... maybe even disappointing.... I dearly hope Napoleon will be better.....
  13. Harle
    Mar 20, 2009
    10
    Brilliant game, the depth exceeds the previous Total War titles by leaps abound. The somewhat cartoony approach to history that the older games featured has been done away with for a much more serious feel, and it's pulled off very well; even if it isn't perfectly historically accurate, compared to previous games it is apples and oranges. This is not only by far the best Total Brilliant game, the depth exceeds the previous Total War titles by leaps abound. The somewhat cartoony approach to history that the older games featured has been done away with for a much more serious feel, and it's pulled off very well; even if it isn't perfectly historically accurate, compared to previous games it is apples and oranges. This is not only by far the best Total War game to date, it may very well be the best strategy game in recent years. Yes, the game was released with bugs, but I don't feel that the game itself can be rated based on bug issues. Some people are giving it low scores because they are frustrated with bugs, but I prefer to rate based on content. It might be worth waiting a month or two past release, but the fact is that it runs more than playably for most people, and the bugs will get ironed out. Also, for other people, please stop rating games based on their performance. It's like saying that Disneyland sucks because your plane was delayed. Rate on content. Expand
  14. NathanH
    May 27, 2009
    9
    Great addition to the series, if your computer is reasonably up to date that is. My computer is a good distance below the recommended requirements, yet I can still play relatively well on all Medium settings with a reasonably good resolution. However, just being on medium still presents a rather fantastic experience. Steam is rather annoying but it works well enough with the game. Most of Great addition to the series, if your computer is reasonably up to date that is. My computer is a good distance below the recommended requirements, yet I can still play relatively well on all Medium settings with a reasonably good resolution. However, just being on medium still presents a rather fantastic experience. Steam is rather annoying but it works well enough with the game. Most of the AI and major gameplay issues seem to be shriveling up as Steam does it's consistent small updates that CA seems willing to pump out. An altogether fantastic game if your computer has the sacs to take it on, however, it would make sense if you decided to wait a month or so for more of the updates to stream through. I didn't wait, however I'm still perfectly happy with what I've got. Right now I say a 9, but give it a while and that may go up even further. Expand
  15. MattE
    Sep 19, 2009
    4
    Game was fun for about a week until its several glaring defects caused me to stop playing. I have been one of the lucky few who actually never has the game CTD; however this does not make up for an inept AI and total lack of support from CA who has since moved on to work on Napolean Total War . Patches have been sporadic at best and I am still waiting on the multiplayer campaign which is Game was fun for about a week until its several glaring defects caused me to stop playing. I have been one of the lucky few who actually never has the game CTD; however this does not make up for an inept AI and total lack of support from CA who has since moved on to work on Napolean Total War . Patches have been sporadic at best and I am still waiting on the multiplayer campaign which is why CA delayed the release and over 6 months after te release there has been no feedback. Don't buy from CA again or at least until 3 months after a release and read the reviews then. Expand
  16. randallp
    Jan 18, 2010
    7
    love this game. but ive had nothing but bad luck with steam. nothing works as it says after a purchase at steam store. support never accepts my support login or passwords. i am very disappointed with steam.
  17. Mar 10, 2012
    9
    I just finished playing another long campaign in this game after having reinstalled it again some weeks ago and so I thought I should do a review of this game, having played it for over 350 hours in all.
    This is one epic game overall. The move to the age of muskets, rifles and cannons is a very welcome addition to the Total War franchise. The real time battles are stunningly awesome. Both
    I just finished playing another long campaign in this game after having reinstalled it again some weeks ago and so I thought I should do a review of this game, having played it for over 350 hours in all.
    This is one epic game overall. The move to the age of muskets, rifles and cannons is a very welcome addition to the Total War franchise. The real time battles are stunningly awesome. Both land and sea battles are fun to play. They have really great graphics and seeing your units and ships fire off volleys of death never gets old. The campaign map is also nice and works smoothly most of the time. Sound is great throughout the whole game from the soundtrack to the sound of cannon fire to the command acknowledgements of your units. UI looks great and is very friendly.
    I would say Empire is definitely on par with Rome and Medieval2 when it comes to Total War games and epicness and awesomeness. There are a few annoyances with the game though of course. The well documented initial legion of bugs that the game was released with are now mostly gone but you can still get some CTDs occasionally. Diplomacy and AI leave a lot to be desired but what else is new about Total War games? Rakes are almost useless, small ships fire longer than bigger ships, some factions have too few unique units, France is represented by a single region etc etc. There are a lot of minor stuff that you can complain about but with a game this big in scope it is only natural.
    Empire: Total War is one of my favorite games from recent years and I probably won't stop playing it until I have played all the major factions in it.
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  18. Jun 8, 2012
    7
    [First impressions] Steam and I have a complicated relationship: sometimes I see it as a smooth and intuitive way to manage games, whilst other times I curse it for my slow Internet and strange glitches. Anyway, back in 2009, I was causing Steam after I lost my first account and the ability to play Empire Total War. Recently, I managed to find my account and activate ETW; so here's a first[First impressions] Steam and I have a complicated relationship: sometimes I see it as a smooth and intuitive way to manage games, whilst other times I curse it for my slow Internet and strange glitches. Anyway, back in 2009, I was causing Steam after I lost my first account and the ability to play Empire Total War. Recently, I managed to find my account and activate ETW; so here's a first impression review. Empire is certainly quite spectacular with a heavier emphasis on gunpowder weapons and yet the stragegy has been lost somewhat now that your units use guns rather than physical weapons, making them less significant and somehow more dull than Medieval 2. The interface has been redesigned, and by that I mean it's completely incomprehensible thanks to the confusing styling and randomly rearranged functions. One of the most significant additions to the game is naval combat; so now you can actually fight the battle rather than clicking "auto-resolve" with every battle, followed by "clear defeat". The naval combat is spectacular, more so than land battles, but is virtually impossible to control. If you select a ship and right click on an enemy, they flat out don't attack; they just dither in circles while the enemy picks away at your hull. The world map isn't much better thanks to a confusing HUD and apparent lack of the flag colouring from Medieval 2 which made it much easier to tell which cities were weak and which we're overflowing. So, after first impressions; Empire Total War is spectacular and mind bending, but suffers from an unintuative interface and confusing AI. Expand
  19. Nov 4, 2013
    8
    While I own most of the total war games they tend to not do much for me. This one was the exception really. Superb engine, great tech tree and atmosphere. Good stuff
  20. Sep 3, 2012
    7
    As its own game, Empire is flawed and confusing. Add some Mods to it and you will get the true Total War experience. Empire is a daunting change from previous Total War installments but you will eventually get used to it. It is much more difficult to manage and empire and secure your borders due to settlements being spread out. Siege battles, which used to by my favorite part of a totalAs its own game, Empire is flawed and confusing. Add some Mods to it and you will get the true Total War experience. Empire is a daunting change from previous Total War installments but you will eventually get used to it. It is much more difficult to manage and empire and secure your borders due to settlements being spread out. Siege battles, which used to by my favorite part of a total war game, are boring and repetitive. It's still a fun game, but nowhere near as good as previous installments in the series. Expand
  21. Feb 12, 2012
    8
    This was my first Total War game and one of my very first pc games. Overall this is a fun game that includes much planning and strategy in order to succeed in. There are many different nation to choose and campaigns to play which adds a lot of variety to the overall gameplay. The multiplayer is fun but a bit glitchy like failing to join a game or random freezes and disconnections. YourThis was my first Total War game and one of my very first pc games. Overall this is a fun game that includes much planning and strategy in order to succeed in. There are many different nation to choose and campaigns to play which adds a lot of variety to the overall gameplay. The multiplayer is fun but a bit glitchy like failing to join a game or random freezes and disconnections. Your units in battle will sometimes not respond to commands. Although this is annoying this is still a great game and worth your 20 bucks on steam. Expand
  22. 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
  23. Mar 9, 2012
    7
    At the first months after release the ammount of bugs really ruined the game, but now after 4 years, the game does give justice to the Total War series. The only issue is lack of mod tools, being the reason that i took one point of its score (was going to give it a 8) but even without mod tools DarthMod does a great job at making a total overhaul of the game gameplay, graphics, scale andAt the first months after release the ammount of bugs really ruined the game, but now after 4 years, the game does give justice to the Total War series. The only issue is lack of mod tools, being the reason that i took one point of its score (was going to give it a 8) but even without mod tools DarthMod does a great job at making a total overhaul of the game gameplay, graphics, scale and other elements! Expand
  24. Aug 13, 2012
    7
    By time I played this game, they seemed to have sorted out most of the major bugs, for I didn't have much trouble at all playing Empire. I found it to be a good game overall, with a mix of great improvements and disappointing letdowns. The available world is at least twice as large as that of previous titles, as this game introduces North and Central America and the Indian subcontinent toBy time I played this game, they seemed to have sorted out most of the major bugs, for I didn't have much trouble at all playing Empire. I found it to be a good game overall, with a mix of great improvements and disappointing letdowns. The available world is at least twice as large as that of previous titles, as this game introduces North and Central America and the Indian subcontinent to the playable map (as well as a few more distant trade destinations). This gives much more potential territory to conquer and enemies to face, though it has the downside of requiring you to spread further and quicker than in previous games in order to win the campaign. Diplomacy is further developed from earlier games, and there is now much more incentive to be a faithful ally or honest enemy--although countries tend to have the annoying habit of hating you forever once you go to war with them. The introduction of the research system is nice, since it gives you another way to gain (or lose!) the edge against your rivals, and the ability to buy, sell, trade, or steal research can be handy. The battles are somewhat different in this game, since many units now use guns of various sorts, but Empire follows the same basic style as previous titles. I loved the addition of defensive works for besieging armies (mines, trenches, stakes, etc.), which allow one to prepare for counterattacks, as well as the ability of most infantry to use stone walls as cover. There is a pretty good diversity of unit times in this game (especially if you have the DLC unit packs), and this is keenly seen in the vastly improved array of ship types, which make the naval theater much more exciting. For the first time, players can choose to control their fleets directly during naval battles, allowing for strategy to play into the outcome instead of just numbers. Personally I gave up on figuring out the relatively complex controls for naval battles and just used the auto-decide, but I'm sure next time I play I'll find them easier. There are too many other aspects of this game which I'd like to mention, but I'll leave those to others and just say that this game is definitely worth playing if you are a fan of the Total War franchise, and even if not, I'd recommend giving it a shot. Expand
  25. Aug 15, 2012
    7
    Beta game is what popped to mind when I first installed and played this game when it came out. How the #$@%! did this pass QA? Even to this day, after several patches, I can
  26. Sep 1, 2013
    10
    It's an amazing game that paved the way for later Total War games like Napolean and Shogun. It's glitchy but that can be overlooked most of the time. It could be said that Empire Total War is as revolutionary for the franchise as Rome Total War was. It brought new gameplay elements to the campaign and is overall an epic and enjoyable game.
  27. Sep 2, 2013
    10
    I understand how extreme it is to give a game a 0 or 10 but in this case, I honestly feel it deserves it. A game that provided me with over 1200 hours of gameplay (and still counting) for me, ranks right up there with such legendary games as Master of Orion 2, Sid's Civilization and XCom.

    When the game was first released there were plenty of bugs but the patches long ago have squashed
    I understand how extreme it is to give a game a 0 or 10 but in this case, I honestly feel it deserves it. A game that provided me with over 1200 hours of gameplay (and still counting) for me, ranks right up there with such legendary games as Master of Orion 2, Sid's Civilization and XCom.

    When the game was first released there were plenty of bugs but the patches long ago have squashed them all for me. Never before has a game pushed the boundaries so much and seemed so grand in scale, I was in strategy heaven! Introducing interactive naval combat for the first time in the Total War series, 3 different theaters, a technology tree, a completely new era, and the list goes on. To me, Empire Total War is the time when Creative Assembly really dug down in their creative spirits, took risks by breaking away from the safety of their melee heavy games (which are great by the way) and delivered a unique experience that every strategy gamer should experience.

    If you like strategy games, this is a must have for your collection in my honest opinion. If you can appreciate the risk the developers took with the introduction of so many new mechanics and a scale unmatched by any Total War game before or since; I think some of you may find a game taking its place among a short list of all time favorites.
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  28. Sep 3, 2013
    9
    I love Empire total war. For me this is the best total war after Medieval 2. Having 3 continents and a bit of North Africa is awesome. And i love the 18th sentury a lot.
  29. Sep 22, 2013
    8
    I totally shocked at the user reviews! This is as good as rome total war (the 1st of course). Its a great game. the european and american map feel like two different games which is awesome. The units are very cool and many countries have their own unique units.

    Some of the problems that hold it back is that the AI still has problems that were in rome total war and have never been
    I totally shocked at the user reviews! This is as good as rome total war (the 1st of course). Its a great game. the european and american map feel like two different games which is awesome. The units are very cool and many countries have their own unique units.

    Some of the problems that hold it back is that the AI still has problems that were in rome total war and have never been patched, such as the cavalry charge the enemy does on your units. They sometimes throw a quarter of their army doing this. The AI in siege battles are pretty bad too. It is also a bad idea to auto resolve battles (trust me). The game also doesnt have just simple open fields to fight in. There is always trees and hills which is fine but i would have liked a completely open map with nothing but flat land. beside these its the total war and its amazingly fun. Making armies with wacky strategies and tactics is priceless. I recommend going long range light units and musket cavalry only.
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  30. Sep 17, 2013
    10
    This is simply the greatest total war of all time. It has the best map, in the best age, with the best darthmod. This game is absolutely excellent. Excuse me, I must stretch my empire around the globe.
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 62 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 61 out of 62
  2. Negative: 0 out of 62
  1. Astonishing...Immense... A strategy masterwork. [Mar 2009, p.54]
  2. 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.
  3. 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.