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. nakedsun
    Jul 10, 2009
    4
    I've been playing total war games since shogun and this is the first time iv been disappointed. this game countless problems glitches and obvious short comings. I feel ripped off this game was not worth £35. all the professional reviews skate over the problems with this game, seriously did anybody ACTUALLY PLAY THIS CRAP BEFORE THEY RELEASED IT!?!?!?
  2. JanetteC.
    Jul 11, 2009
    0
    The graphics might look nice but what's the point if you can't play it? It's like having a shiny sexy new car with no engine. Pointless! I'm not happy with Steam as a marketing tactic. I'm not happy with Sega and CA as they have obviously released this too soon. I am not happy with these bitty little increments when everything should be stable to start with. And The graphics might look nice but what's the point if you can't play it? It's like having a shiny sexy new car with no engine. Pointless! I'm not happy with Steam as a marketing tactic. I'm not happy with Sega and CA as they have obviously released this too soon. I am not happy with these bitty little increments when everything should be stable to start with. And I'm not happy with the magazines that have given this a good rating and have obviously not tried it.… Expand
  3. Serj
    Jul 15, 2009
    4
    I had great hopes for this game, bought it on the 1st day and i didn't like it. My problem is that its simply not fun to look at the units whily they reload theyr weapons and shoot, i never used gun based units in MTW2 because its not fun. I mean of course the game looks good but its a bit buggy, and many players will like it but at the end of the day all that matters its the fun and I had great hopes for this game, bought it on the 1st day and i didn't like it. My problem is that its simply not fun to look at the units whily they reload theyr weapons and shoot, i never used gun based units in MTW2 because its not fun. I mean of course the game looks good but its a bit buggy, and many players will like it but at the end of the day all that matters its the fun and this is more boring then anything.… Expand
  4. Duff
    Jul 21, 2009
    3
    Between all the problems such as the crashes, the glitches, and just the gameplay in general, it deserves no better than a 4 if that. besides that theres basically no objectives besides the new world owning european powers and when will this game ever be taken to having the map play on multi player?! i thought that was part of the game when i bought it =/ major step down from rome and medi II.
  5. MikeWW
    Jul 22, 2009
    2
    I actually kind of liked the game at first but I just decided after not playing for a few months to start a new game and I keep getting a message that the servers are busy!?!? I HAVE the DVDs - I PAID for the DVDs! This company owes money back to customers if this is not resolved!
  6. SheldonW
    Jul 24, 2009
    2
    Steam slows installation. Support for installation is patchy, but the game wouldn't install without it. This is not a game you can just go , out buy and play. Nine hour install on a quad-core. I missed the steam sticker on the back. Never again. The last SEGA game I'll buy.
  7. nevillem
    Jul 26, 2009
    0
    Unplayable. Simple waste of time and money.it just won't start! i still can't get over how useless 35 euros worth was and that i waited 28 hours download and 35 euro for an error bar saying ''empire:total war has stopped working'' when all that came up was a white screen.i have a vista a decent one too,expensive very new and the menu wouldn't even come Unplayable. Simple waste of time and money.it just won't start! i still can't get over how useless 35 euros worth was and that i waited 28 hours download and 35 euro for an error bar saying ''empire:total war has stopped working'' when all that came up was a white screen.i have a vista a decent one too,expensive very new and the menu wouldn't even come up!!!colossal disappointment topped off with numerous guarantees off crashes and crappy gameplay.HUGE disappointment,and i want a refund or some sort of version that WORKS.… Expand
  8. MatsB
    Jul 29, 2009
    2
    Here comes a low vote from me, because i think this is a scam! Paying about 50$ for a game, that i cant play b/c of all the bugs. Some proper patches, that makes the game DON'T crash when i try to start it, and so on.. It worked for a few hours and now i cant even start it.. I´ve read a lot on the web about this, and it aint just me who´s having these issues.
  9. TravisB
    Jul 3, 2009
    0
    Waiting for patches to make this worth playing. (fixes to the ai) This has to be the most crashiest and buggy game i have played since 1997 with an absolutely atrocious opponent AI. Its a disgrace that this gets the ridiculous review scores it gets in magazines. I use an up to date system fully updated with no problems with any new game that come out. Gaming is my passion and I make sure Waiting for patches to make this worth playing. (fixes to the ai) This has to be the most crashiest and buggy game i have played since 1997 with an absolutely atrocious opponent AI. Its a disgrace that this gets the ridiculous review scores it gets in magazines. I use an up to date system fully updated with no problems with any new game that come out. Gaming is my passion and I make sure that I can play anything. For an idea about the constant fixes that their doing to this game type in "daily update empire" into google to see the daily updated forum on the work their doing to make this game playable. For example making the ai actually invade, its just ridiculous seeing the fixes there making now that should have been done before release. Their obvious campaign to rubbish the public complaints about this game in various forums has also sullied their reputation massively in the eyes of the gaming public. It boggles my mind.… Expand
  10. DamienC
    Jul 3, 2009
    0
    no animations for agents, the characters barely evolve over time whatever you do, can't change the gouvernment type for all you want unless you make a unrest on purpose, you don't need to play the battles because your economy will end up to be unlimited so fast that it's a joke, ai is the worse yet, the generals don't do any speeches, the diplomacy is pointless because no animations for agents, the characters barely evolve over time whatever you do, can't change the gouvernment type for all you want unless you make a unrest on purpose, you don't need to play the battles because your economy will end up to be unlimited so fast that it's a joke, ai is the worse yet, the generals don't do any speeches, the diplomacy is pointless because unless you give everything to the ai he will refuse offers - technology and alliances-) There's probably other things to come to mind for bad points, but at least there is still support for patches and they usually listen to the community. The expansion might end up being better. For now the only thing to come up with something good to improve the game is the modding community. Summary : too easy, buggy, lacks the feeling of previous titles and repetitve on so many things it's a joke at the times. = boring (at least the historical facts are good but i didn't buy a book...).… Expand
  11. StevenP
    Jul 3, 2009
    0
    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 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
  12. FrankE
    Jul 3, 2009
    0
    From the disappointing AI for land/sea battles to the flawed pathfinding and then the horrible crashes you experience, it just makes you want to toss the game into the dumpster and be done with it. The game is rampant of bugs and bad coding. I justify this with a zero
  13. DanN
    Jul 3, 2009
    0
    It takes so long to finally get a unique unit that it's not worth teching for it since you'll then waste your economy... even if you get them, they're not that much of a boost on the battlefield. it lacks the feel of all the previous titles (no animations for agents, the characters barely evolve over time whatever you do, can't change the government type for all you It takes so long to finally get a unique unit that it's not worth teching for it since you'll then waste your economy... even if you get them, they're not that much of a boost on the battlefield. it lacks the feel of all the previous titles (no animations for agents, the characters barely evolve over time whatever you do, can't change the government type for all you want unless you make a unrest on purpose.… Expand
  14. JessieT
    Jul 3, 2009
    1
    The zooming into the battle from the campaign map, governors, creating spies and diplomats (for god's sake I wait interminably for gentlemen to spawn when I have full blown modern universities and then they are greats like Daniel Defoe and Adam Smith and are given 3-star ratings). In sum, the ability of the player to have a hand in developing different aspects of the game is missing.The zooming into the battle from the campaign map, governors, creating spies and diplomats (for god's sake I wait interminably for gentlemen to spawn when I have full blown modern universities and then they are greats like Daniel Defoe and Adam Smith and are given 3-star ratings). In sum, the ability of the player to have a hand in developing different aspects of the game is missing. Re-equipping soldiers with the latest armour/sword upgrades meant you had to care a little more about your soldiers before they went into battle. Having very experienced soldiers meant they were more effective in battle and you could take them from battle to battle with pride knowing they were your soldiers and could win despite being outnumbered. The idea that you can regenerate soldiers without affecting the population or the experience level of the soldiers just contributes to the sense that soldiers are 'cannon fodder'. An accurate reflection of the times?… Expand
  15. HB
    Aug 18, 2009
    2
    A real step backwards in gameplay compared to Medieval II. The new features do not compensate for what was lost from the old game. However, most annoying is that you have to play from Internet/Steam especially when messages appear when you want to play "our servers are too busy". Bought the disk and still have to be connected and play (if their servers are not too busy) via Steam. I will A real step backwards in gameplay compared to Medieval II. The new features do not compensate for what was lost from the old game. However, most annoying is that you have to play from Internet/Steam especially when messages appear when you want to play "our servers are too busy". Bought the disk and still have to be connected and play (if their servers are not too busy) via Steam. I will never buy again a game from Sega if it only can be played via a server. Probably the sad end of the Total War series which used to be a delight.… Expand
  16. calbotten
    Aug 2, 2009
    0
    Whats with all the bugs? i loaded everything, downloaded the steam account like it said, downloaded all of the necessary updates. I have all of the system requirements, but when i got done installing everything, restarted the computer and tried to play total war, but all i got was a message saying "empire.exe has encountered a problem and had to close sorry for the inconvenience." I neverWhats with all the bugs? i loaded everything, downloaded the steam account like it said, downloaded all of the necessary updates. I have all of the system requirements, but when i got done installing everything, restarted the computer and tried to play total war, but all i got was a message saying "empire.exe has encountered a problem and had to close sorry for the inconvenience." I never even got to play the friggan game. I can't figure out how to fix this problem. is this problem fixable, and how? please help.… Expand
  17. JesseS.
    Aug 27, 2009
    3
    This game makes me furious. I've been waiting for a good 4 hours for it to install and it still says it will take another 5 hours. The most retarded thing i have seen out of any computer game !!! Just installing the game is a huge piss off ! I'm already disappointed with it, and I haven't even started playing it yet !
  18. JasonS
    Aug 28, 2009
    2
    If it is not broke, then don't fix it. I have been a fan of Total War since the Shogun days. I eagerly awaited the arrival of each new series, with great anticipation and for the most part receiving great satisfaction with each game. Now the arrival of Empire Total War. My anticipation has been satisfied but I am not satisfied with this game at all. 1. I do not expect to have to If it is not broke, then don't fix it. I have been a fan of Total War since the Shogun days. I eagerly awaited the arrival of each new series, with great anticipation and for the most part receiving great satisfaction with each game. Now the arrival of Empire Total War. My anticipation has been satisfied but I am not satisfied with this game at all. 1. I do not expect to have to purchase an entirely new computer to run a new game 2. I do not expect to have to deal with some on line server to make the game I purchased with two discs in my possession each time I want to play. 3. I do not want a server automatically updating my machine with a game patch without having the ability to inspect all the updates first before installing them on my computer. 4.I do not expect a game that as Medieval Total War II which runs exceptionally well to be destroyed by a new game which does not play well does not load well and does not represent the quality of game that I have come to expect from The Creative Assembly. Finally. In the old Medieval Total War days a group calling themselves the Lordz mad a mod for the old game which was called Napoleonic Total War. This game functions way better than the brand new and improved Empire Total War. To the members of the Creative Assembly. Please forget about meeting deadlines and the bottom line of how much more money you are going to make by delivering a game by the deadline. Give the gamers the kind of game they have come to expect from you in the past. A game that delivers everything and stands for quality in gaming. It is what we expect from you and what your honor and integrity demands.… Expand
  19. tsv
    Aug 3, 2009
    0
    As of right now this game sucks! it is unplayable! all i see when i try and open it is a big white screen! then after about 5 minutes a report comes up and says please tell microsoft about this problem! unlike some other people that actually can play it before it crashes. they can experiance it i CANT!there goes 50 bucks. i really did love all the other total war games except this 1. And As of right now this game sucks! it is unplayable! all i see when i try and open it is a big white screen! then after about 5 minutes a report comes up and says please tell microsoft about this problem! unlike some other people that actually can play it before it crashes. they can experiance it i CANT!there goes 50 bucks. i really did love all the other total war games except this 1. And im not sure if im gna buy another tw game when it comes out.… Expand
  20. dubidudubi
    Aug 5, 2009
    0
    DON'T BUY THIS GAME. It is FULL of bugs; some of them appear at the end of great campaign making you lose all the time you wasted on it. Absolutely disappointing that a so good game have so many unplayable bugs... I'm sure that all the development team have been fired after this.
  21. VonT
    Sep 10, 2009
    0
    Heaps of problems, fustrations, and no fun game if you can call it a game. Nul is what one french would say about this game. "I can fix it later, I have a deadline to meet" philosophy ends here. The time for irresponsibility is over. A game should be as entertaining as it can be. Something of historical value should not be devalued like this, even for a game of this level. A waste of my Heaps of problems, fustrations, and no fun game if you can call it a game. Nul is what one french would say about this game. "I can fix it later, I have a deadline to meet" philosophy ends here. The time for irresponsibility is over. A game should be as entertaining as it can be. Something of historical value should not be devalued like this, even for a game of this level. A waste of my time and yours as well as your money. Good day.… Expand
  22. WimpieM
    Sep 13, 2009
    3
    Empires unfortunately falls short of a complete product as too many bugs plague this once amazing title. However, without all the bugs, graphical glitches, AI problems and incessant crash to desktop issues this could have been the best strategy game to date. There might be too many issues to sort out with patch releases so let's hope Napoleon Totalwar can deliver what Empires should have.
  23. cl
    Jan 19, 2010
    0
    This game is not ready for public distribution. I am using a system that is far above the requirements for this game and it still will not work. I have reinstalled, upgraded, etc. and still nothing. This has been a waist of time and money on my part and has completely ruined my experience with Total War. I seriously doubt I will ever have thought of purchasing another. Laughably insulting This game is not ready for public distribution. I am using a system that is far above the requirements for this game and it still will not work. I have reinstalled, upgraded, etc. and still nothing. This has been a waist of time and money on my part and has completely ruined my experience with Total War. I seriously doubt I will ever have thought of purchasing another. Laughably insulting to the public is the best way to put it.… Expand
  24. S'JetK.
    Jan 28, 2010
    0
    One heap of filth coming from gamespy reviewer for that 100. This game ought to be scrapped and redone from scratch. This game was so badly coded it irks sickness all over. Why would you ask why does the dev selling you a game in such broken state? Ask instead why you omitted to check out the "Users ratings" and the forums before spending your hard earned C Bill. Here's a wise step One heap of filth coming from gamespy reviewer for that 100. This game ought to be scrapped and redone from scratch. This game was so badly coded it irks sickness all over. Why would you ask why does the dev selling you a game in such broken state? Ask instead why you omitted to check out the "Users ratings" and the forums before spending your hard earned C Bill. Here's a wise step for you. Support developers that sell high "users ratings" and you'll kill the bad competion ie. Creative Assembly and their partner in crime ie. Steam. Do we want to spend on broken games? Do we want to bail out failure? You decide.… Expand
  25. AlexanderM
    Nov 20, 2009
    0
    I feel slightly sad about this game it is like the childhood sweet heart you have not seen in years, only to find out she is 300lbs plus and just retird from a career in head butting walls. What happened to TW , All the main review sites and mags should hold their heads in total shame, at release ETW was ...wel broken and AI is still out to lunch after many patches for the over 500 bugs I feel slightly sad about this game it is like the childhood sweet heart you have not seen in years, only to find out she is 300lbs plus and just retird from a career in head butting walls. What happened to TW , All the main review sites and mags should hold their heads in total shame, at release ETW was ...wel broken and AI is still out to lunch after many patches for the over 500 bugs most blatantly game breaking. How could reviewers miss the massive amounts of CTD'S or the fact the AI would not do naval invasions or the weak battle AI all game breakers. This for me is my last CA game, such a shame but i suppose all things come to an end even old lost loves. I could breakdown a review about the many many incomplete or shockingly bad aspects of this game, but hey why break the trend i will do as the so called proffesional reviewers did only in a diametrical fashion..this game is one to aviod with a passion.… Expand
  26. MichaelR
    Dec 1, 2009
    0
    Spent days trying to install it and then it didn't work properly. Little to no support and married to Steam with no prospects for improvement. Don't buy it, don't buy from CA or SEGA and don't ever have anything to do with Steam. It's just another form of robbery.
  27. peterf
    Dec 22, 2009
    2
    Disappointing land battles no tactics needed whatsoever and if you crash one ship into another nothing really happened the AI tries to slow your ships down when it thinks your going to crash as well so where is the control !!!
  28. DominikE.
    Dec 24, 2009
    2
    It's the best game, I've ever played!
  29. JoeB
    Dec 3, 2009
    4
    This was an incredibly disappointing game. I'm a huge total war fan - loved Rome, Medieval 2, and was eagerly looking forward to this. The game is OKAY, but not great. WAY too many bugs, even after patches. The game runs choppy on a decked out computer. Naval battles are kinda neat, but tiresome after a while. All in all, it's okay, but to be honest I'd rather play Rome or This was an incredibly disappointing game. I'm a huge total war fan - loved Rome, Medieval 2, and was eagerly looking forward to this. The game is OKAY, but not great. WAY too many bugs, even after patches. The game runs choppy on a decked out computer. Naval battles are kinda neat, but tiresome after a while. All in all, it's okay, but to be honest I'd rather play Rome or M2. What I don't understand is why they continue to push the expansion pack for this game before fixing all the problems with it???? How does that make sense? No expansion for me, please.… Expand
  30. danh
    Dec 8, 2009
    3
    Purchased ETW special forces on release for £50 retail. Over 12months since release or so, the game still has epic gameplay issues and have not been fixed. Graphical glitches and crashes naming a few. I rate my personal computer as a high spec with upto date drivers. CA is also adding new content to the game which you have to purchase to play. Issues should be dealt with before Purchased ETW special forces on release for £50 retail. Over 12months since release or so, the game still has epic gameplay issues and have not been fixed. Graphical glitches and crashes naming a few. I rate my personal computer as a high spec with upto date drivers. CA is also adding new content to the game which you have to purchase to play. Issues should be dealt with before expansions get released. Support is also disapointing. 90 Meta score is majorly overrated. ETW is the worst total war franchise ever played dispite the fantastic concept, set within 17th and 18th century.… Expand
  31. DanA
    Mar 13, 2009
    10
    Empire is by far the best strategy game that i have ever played. Grpahics are breathtaking, runs on my xps 400 like silk(8800gts, 3 gigs of ram and intel core duo 3.2).
    @ RYAN S
    GET A BETTER COMPUTER.. its a mystery to me why people like you even exist, if you cant get a good computer dont buy the game!!!!! otherwise stop your whining becasue no one wants to hear it
  32. BenBoeve
    Mar 14, 2009
    10
    Although the Steam aspect of the game is somewhat disappointing, the game itself is very good with a campaign map across three theaters. The battles play very much the same of Medieval Total War 2 which is fine because the battles were great. Naval battles are also very enjoyable with a good amount of attention paid to detail.
  33. 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.
  34. 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
  35. leejackson
    Jun 25, 2009
    4
    Havering played all the other total war games and owning them i was disappointed by this title, compared to the other titles the game was over simplified for i guess people who don't like learning curve, the ai is terrible at empire management and in battles and will refuse almost all your diplomacy requests
  36. MikeD.
    Jul 11, 2009
    0
    Well I see the problem right now simply as I bought my game and i cannot play it. I don't like the fact that I HAVE TO play online. Medieval Total War was not like that. I just want to play a campaign and the servers are too busy. What a buy. I think that MAKING me play online is lame. I'm an older gamer and I like the good new strategy games but I don't play online. I paid Well I see the problem right now simply as I bought my game and i cannot play it. I don't like the fact that I HAVE TO play online. Medieval Total War was not like that. I just want to play a campaign and the servers are too busy. What a buy. I think that MAKING me play online is lame. I'm an older gamer and I like the good new strategy games but I don't play online. I paid $60.00 for this game and it's too busy for me...amazing.… Expand
  37. SteveL.
    Jul 19, 2009
    0
    The AI in this game is horrible. Even after several patches, the AI cannot execute basic functions like launch an assault from sea. If you play as England, you don't need to defend your island nation, because the AI will NEVER attack you. This was never a problem in Rome Total War or M2TW. This is pathetic & makes the game extremely boring and dumbed down. I don't understand why The AI in this game is horrible. Even after several patches, the AI cannot execute basic functions like launch an assault from sea. If you play as England, you don't need to defend your island nation, because the AI will NEVER attack you. This was never a problem in Rome Total War or M2TW. This is pathetic & makes the game extremely boring and dumbed down. I don't understand why the AI is so horrible. I also don't understand why this games received such high "proffesional" review scores. I will not buy another TW game unless they do a 180, and I will NEVER let "professional" reviews influence my decision to purchase a game again.… Expand
  38. BOBB
    Jul 19, 2009
    0
    I may change this review later, but for now, it deserves a solid 0, for being literally unplayable. First off, since you need steam to play the game, you get all of the inconvienence of steam and virtually no benefits, especially if you want to play the campaign, which is the mainstay of all total war games. Because of steam, it cannot run on my computer due to an error opening the game, I may change this review later, but for now, it deserves a solid 0, for being literally unplayable. First off, since you need steam to play the game, you get all of the inconvienence of steam and virtually no benefits, especially if you want to play the campaign, which is the mainstay of all total war games. Because of steam, it cannot run on my computer due to an error opening the game, and it cannot be installed on another computer because of steam too. $50 down the drain.… Expand
  39. Aurelio
    Jul 23, 2009
    4
    The game isn't a significant improvement over its predecessors, but what really brings the score down is the unacceptable number of bugs present even after the third patch. Some of these glitches actually crash the game at the worst possible moment (for example at the end of a long victorious battle). This would be unexcusable in any game, but the more so in the fifth instalment of a The game isn't a significant improvement over its predecessors, but what really brings the score down is the unacceptable number of bugs present even after the third patch. Some of these glitches actually crash the game at the worst possible moment (for example at the end of a long victorious battle). This would be unexcusable in any game, but the more so in the fifth instalment of a long-running high-quality series. In fact Creative Assembly managed to kil the hen with the Golden Eggs because of a hasty release that should never have happened. Even when the game manages to run (or to be precise crawl, even on a high-spec Quad-Core PC like the one I use) the gameplay fails to impress as there is little new aside the naval battles. AI is worse than ever and this is another major disappointment. How did the critics in the mags dare awarding this game such high marks? Have they ever played it? I used to love this series. The key word is USED TO. 4/10 and only out of nostalgy for the good times.… Expand
  40. SteveC
    Aug 11, 2009
    4
    I would be happy to give this game an 8 or 9 if it wasn't so buggy. I have never had issues like I do with this game. I will say I have been using Steam for quite a while and have been satisfied with it. The problems with this bug filled piece of software belong to Creative Arts and SEGA. Fix this darn game and make it a good edition to a great family of games.
  41. Jeff
    Aug 29, 2009
    3
    Almost the perfect total war game. The size of the map, the naval battles, the new tech tree and the detail are superb. Just watching bayonet duals can be very engrossing. But there is a is a VERY big downside to this game. The fact that you have to load and run STEAM, a 3rd party software is a bit of a nuisance, but even worse is the client stability, or rather lack there of. Even with a Almost the perfect total war game. The size of the map, the naval battles, the new tech tree and the detail are superb. Just watching bayonet duals can be very engrossing. But there is a is a VERY big downside to this game. The fact that you have to load and run STEAM, a 3rd party software is a bit of a nuisance, but even worse is the client stability, or rather lack there of. Even with a computer twice as powerful as the box says is required the game still crashes constantly. In my current campaign I have had to repeat the same year over and over for the last two days because of client crashes. These problems are expected in a beta, but not half a year after release. for this reason alone I am dropping the rating from a 9 to a 3.… Expand
  42. PeteS
    Sep 12, 2009
    1
    Truly a good looking pc game turning ugly. We all know that in every game there are bugs, but ETW tops the cake. It is virtually unplayable without the few patches that have been available. But even with them, there are so many still! CA promised us naval battles, but the ship battles act up more like bumping karts with cannons. The formations are virtually useless. In addition, the Truly a good looking pc game turning ugly. We all know that in every game there are bugs, but ETW tops the cake. It is virtually unplayable without the few patches that have been available. But even with them, there are so many still! CA promised us naval battles, but the ship battles act up more like bumping karts with cannons. The formations are virtually useless. In addition, the diplomacy is so broken. The AI seems to think it's a fair trade exchanging your ferrari for say a lemon car; makes me look like total idiot trying to trade at all. Adding insult to injury, I have to have internet and something called Steam to register in order to play ETW??! What if I don't have internet access? I give this "game" a solid 1 and I'm being fair. ETW ought to be renamed Bugs Empire Total Disaster.… Expand
  43. 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
  44. smijatov
    Aug 21, 2011
    6
    Empire Total War definitely had big shoes to fill after Rome, which was one of the best games I've ever played, and most certainly the best Total War game (which are all excellent).
    It surely was entertaining, but the whole concept was a bit off, partially at least, with the fact that it's set in the modern age. The thrill of the 1-on-1 battle that the previous games had is lost to a high    Empire Total War definitely had big shoes to fill after Rome, which was one of the best games I've ever played, and most certainly the best Total War game (which are all excellent).
    It surely was entertaining, but the whole concept was a bit off, partially at least, with the fact that it's set in the modern age. The thrill of the 1-on-1 battle that the previous games had is lost to a high extent due to the time period the game is set in.
    That being said, the graphics are amazing and the sea battles are rather entertaining, though they have a steep learning curve, imo. Usually would just go on the automatic one for that.
    Overall, nice visually but nowhere as exciting as the other Total War games.    … Expand
  45. apaeth
    Apr 4, 2011
    6
    Total waste of time. Admittedly I am new to total war games and the learning curve was quite large for me. So large that what is supposed to be fun simply wasn't. The campaigns are hard, the battles difficult to grasp and the complexity of the whole enchilada made it hard to swallow.

    I started with the Road to Independence campaign and by the start of the 3rd chapter I was overwhelmed. I    Total waste of time. Admittedly I am new to total war games and the learning curve was quite large for me. So large that what is supposed to be fun simply wasn't. The campaigns are hard, the battles difficult to grasp and the complexity of the whole enchilada made it hard to swallow.

    I started with the Road to Independence campaign and by the start of the 3rd chapter I was overwhelmed. I had one army and one city and was surrounded by 5-6 armies - all the neutral factions declared war on me as well the British and after 5-6 failed attempts to get established I just deleted the whole thing from my computer - sigh...    … Expand
  46. Mango_Fandango
    Dec 19, 2010
    4
    After playing 300 odd hours I can honestly say that this is by far the weakest title in the Total War series.

    Pros: - multiplayer campaign (it's a beta and unsupported) - the period - the naval battles (not perfect but manageable) - diplomacy is reminiscent of Europa Universalis III - CIv IV influences are present making the campaign less cluttered Cons: - multiplayer campaign (it's a    After playing 300 odd hours I can honestly say that this is by far the weakest title in the Total War series.

    Pros:
    - multiplayer campaign (it's a beta and unsupported)
    - the period
    - the naval battles (not perfect but manageable)
    - diplomacy is reminiscent of Europa Universalis III
    - CIv IV influences are present making the campaign less cluttered

    Cons:
    - multiplayer campaign (it's a beta and unsupported)
    - bugfest
    - random crashes
    - random freezes
    - totally unstable
    - steam achievements are either broken or they don't follow the description
    - piss easy AI even on Very Hard/VH. - DLC heavily favour western factions whilst Russia, Poland and Sweden are practically abandoned
    - Maratha are ridiculously overpowered. they have line-infantry on par with western European powers and they possess the best artillery (on par with Ottomans but also possess the puckle gun)    … Expand
  47. gandalfthegray
    Dec 26, 2010
    0
    Absolute piece of junk. Total waste of money. Took 4 hours to install and update. Graphics come up incorrectly so you cannot make any adjustments to the game to even get it started. Takes over 10 minutes to actually load and start. Total waste, don't buy this game, it sucks.
  48. stoneysilence
    Mar 27, 2012
    3
    The graphics are beautiful, there is no doubting that. However everything else was a huge step backwards from TW:M2.

    Rather than going to one place in every region now you have to click on a bunch of different areas. Haven't been able to figure out how to speed up the enemy or my own troop movement on the world map. In general I just can't stand this new version.
  49. wellington
    Jan 21, 2011
    4
    Positive features: definitely a good concept, excellent graphics. I would say the graphics are (almost) good enough for movie producers to use for computer-generated battle animations. I have in fact seen amateur productions on YouTube in which people use Empire Total War to re-create or reenact historical battles.

    The game actually seems to combine some of the better ideas from the    Positive features: definitely a good concept, excellent graphics. I would say the graphics are (almost) good enough for movie producers to use for computer-generated battle animations. I have in fact seen amateur productions on YouTube in which people use Empire Total War to re-create or reenact historical battles.

    The game actually seems to combine some of the better ideas from the Europa Universalis historical simulation game (diplomacy, missionaries, advisors/ministers) and the Cossacks series from Strategy First. The sea combats involve realistic considerations such as wind direction.

    Negative features:
    (1) Neither I nor any other user is interested in connecting to the Steam network (a security issue because I have to lower my hardware firewall security to "low" to do this) every time we want to play the game, logging on, or waiting for Steam to update. I understand that an offline mode is available but it does not work reliably. This by itself means I am unlikely to buy any other game in this series, or any other game that involves Steam.

    (2) The "path blocked" alert that comes up whenever two armies or characters tries to use the same route is a game ruiner. There is no reason why the software should not be able to auto-manage non-hostile units that are on the same road or sea route. E.g. two Rakes or Gentlemen should simply be able to pass or sidestep each other instead of requiring the player to act to resolve the traffic jam. This annoyance comes up all the time but, even worse, it is sometimes impossible to play a game to completion because (apparently) a large number computer-managed armies get into traffic jams and the game simply freezes up as if it is in an endless loop. The only way to get out of it is in fact to shut it down in Task Manager ==> not quite ready for prime time.

    (3) In battles that involve rain, the rain is often so realistic that you cannot see your units or those of the enemy. This makes it very difficult to manage the battles. It should be adequate to indicate that rain is present and will make misfires and so on more likely. This by itself is however a minor issue.    … Expand
  50. islesofurth
    Mar 9, 2011
    5
    while i enjoyed ships battles atlast "finaly can win every fight", the historics within the game were fasinating and playing with guns is always fun, however i greatly disliked the extra turn time that it brought and the lack of fighting capability of garasind units, its like lets go in that house and have tea party we dont need to shoot the oncoming hordes we will just invite them in forwhile i enjoyed ships battles atlast "finaly can win every fight", the historics within the game were fasinating and playing with guns is always fun, however i greatly disliked the extra turn time that it brought and the lack of fighting capability of garasind units, its like lets go in that house and have tea party we dont need to shoot the oncoming hordes we will just invite them in for some supper

    Rome Total War, still the best of the all    … Expand
  51. lostintime
    Dec 17, 2011
    0
    I would have given this game a 10, but when I play a grand campaign it will after a period of time crash to desktop. I could handle this, unfortunately it gets worse. When I load the game back up and try to load my last saved game, it crashes again! I can't continue my game from the initial crash. Every saved game crashes. I have tried every fix I could find on internet forums to no avail.I would have given this game a 10, but when I play a grand campaign it will after a period of time crash to desktop. I could handle this, unfortunately it gets worse. When I load the game back up and try to load my last saved game, it crashes again! I can't continue my game from the initial crash. Every saved game crashes. I have tried every fix I could find on internet forums to no avail.

    Really, what a pile of crap game. I am glad I only grabbed it from steam really cheap because if I paid a fair sum I would be really pissed off. Still what a rip off! Years after its release and it still doesn't work.    … Expand
  52. CivforBrains
    Jun 4, 2011
    2
    Incredibly bad, nearly non existent AI ensures this game will get a very low score from me.
    The "professional" reviewers should truly be ashamed of themselves. Likely, they are $miling all the way to the bank though.
  53. Interloper
    Dec 30, 2011
    9
    The Total War series have always impressed me, mainly due to their vast size, complexity and attention to detail. Empire Total War raises the bar even higher with its absolutely HUGE map size, its meaningful strategy and addictive gameplay. Truly one of the most immersive and engrossing strategy games ever made.
  54. namDa65
    Jan 6, 2012
    9
    I am very surprised at the user score for this game. This is a step up in graphics, and the game involves a different kind of strategy this time around. My pc died and choked to death on the campaign map at 1080p max settings. Endless replayability, great animations, top notch gameplay. Haters get out!
  55. p360assassin
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    Now before i write this review, i must say that i, like many pc users, pirated this game so i could try it before i buy, so i have no bias from steam, even tho i have heard u need ot download the game off steam just to play, using steam isent bad, and the servers are almost always up, the **** about them constantly down is ****.

    Anyways... this game is horrible. The idea of guns sounds    Now before i write this review, i must say that i, like many pc users, pirated this game so i could try it before i buy, so i have no bias from steam, even tho i have heard u need ot download the game off steam just to play, using steam isent bad, and the servers are almost always up, the **** about them constantly down is ****.

    Anyways... this game is horrible. The idea of guns sounds good, but the realistic shooting is INCREDIBLY annoying, the soldiers have to line up just to shoot and then take 1 million years to miss and reload, AND THATS THE BEST SOLDIERS.
    You can no longer edit map in custom battles (choose settlement size and other things).
    The soldiers are useless, the first battle in road to independence was horrible since it shows that the guys using swords and arrows are more powerful then the guys using guns.

    The game doesent crash NEARLY as much as people say, if the game isent starting, its because ur computer cant handle the graphics which btw is way higher then specified. Graphics look great even tho my pc lags if i zoom in.

    AI is the worst in the series, soldiers dont do a dam thing i say.

    Dont buy this game, thank god i pirated before i bought or id of been scamed by ****. Also people insulting game, dont say its bad just because it needs steam to play, steam aint that bad and ive never had a game that i couldent install from disk that required steam, it just still needs to patchs, although i dont know if ur arguement on that is valid.    … Expand
  56. Ragegoat
    May 9, 2012
    5
    Empire: Total War is a grand scale strategy game in which you play a major power approximately form 1700 to 1800. The game, like other total war games, switches between a turn based mode where you administrate your cities, move armies, do research and so on and a battle mode, where you take real time command of the troops fighting the battles of the turn based mode. The game is very prettyEmpire: Total War is a grand scale strategy game in which you play a major power approximately form 1700 to 1800. The game, like other total war games, switches between a turn based mode where you administrate your cities, move armies, do research and so on and a battle mode, where you take real time command of the troops fighting the battles of the turn based mode. The game is very pretty on a system that can run it, but has unreasonable resource demands. On a low-spec system the usage of sprites is very obvious and pretty horrible to look at. Much older games of the series (Rome, Medieval 2) looked better on such a system as they employed less sprites, and if your PC can run Empire to look good it can also run Shogun 2 to look better. Granted, it is awesome to watch a cannon ball plow through an infantry regiment. The muzzle loader infantry combat also looks very cool, but unfortunately the AI is very unimaginative with regards to using the armies, and what it does usually only amounts to a mass suicide. In older or newer Total War games the AI does much better. The AI also suffers from bugs - for instance when you shoot a hole in a fortress wall the AI might place a unit there and re-evaluate this unit's plans so often that it pushes a good (and way above recommended specs) CPU to the limit. Only way to get the game responsive again is to charge said unit - as soon as it is engaged in close combat the game will start flowing again. While the system for tech, buildings and such is way better than the older installments, Empire also lacks something the older games have: the ability to play as defeated minors. This limits the play time of the game very much, since you'll have access to the same majors beating up the same minors. The diplomatic AI also does a lot for making the game repetitive. Once you end up in war with some country you'll probably be at war till either is destroyed. Peace agreements last few turns since the AI feels very sore about having just lost a war against you decides to go lose another. On the other hand naval combat is very good with historically accurate ships, beautiful graphics and such. Best (and first) total war game for a naval battle in my experience. While Empire: Total War provides a good many hours of entertainment there are better Total War titles out there. I'd recommend playing them first.… Expand
  57. CrackaCrunch
    Aug 13, 2012
    6
    Let me start on the positive side. This game is an absolute MUST for strategy gamers. Excellent total war combination of great battles with turn based strategy inbetween. The main reason I gave the game a 6 though, is that it is very unpolished. From poor AI to awful diplomacy, the game needs a little help. The only reason I'm writing this review is to inform people that with DarthVader'sLet me start on the positive side. This game is an absolute MUST for strategy gamers. Excellent total war combination of great battles with turn based strategy inbetween. The main reason I gave the game a 6 though, is that it is very unpolished. From poor AI to awful diplomacy, the game needs a little help. The only reason I'm writing this review is to inform people that with DarthVader's mod (called DarthMod) this game is an absolute 10. Look up his mod, it is by far and away the most popular, and it sets out to fix all of the things that keep this game from being scored higher. You will NOT be disappointed.… Expand
  58. Hudson633
    Aug 15, 2012
    6
    Fantastic infantry/cavalry/artillery/naval programming, I thoroughly enjoyed the grand campaign multiple times, and playing custom battles on both land and sea. Sadly the enemy AI appears quite basic, either you can run rings round them, or they relentlessly attack. The game is plagued by small bugs and glitches left in, since they weren't completely gamebreaking. But it's heartbreakingFantastic infantry/cavalry/artillery/naval programming, I thoroughly enjoyed the grand campaign multiple times, and playing custom battles on both land and sea. Sadly the enemy AI appears quite basic, either you can run rings round them, or they relentlessly attack. The game is plagued by small bugs and glitches left in, since they weren't completely gamebreaking. But it's heartbreaking that so many weren't fixed, making this a flawed experience. The worst one is a memory leak, reducing frame rates massively, very frustrating. Sometimes I'd rather play Imperial War instead.… Expand
  59. Orctownorc
    Aug 24, 2013
    7
    A game with pros and cons. Sure buy for CA fans and strategy nuts. The game is pretty, with a nice range of factions, a huge map to mess around in and fun tactical battles. Beyond that the game is pretty shoddy, and is so incredibly easy, that it really needs the player to handicap themselves. The craziest feature is political control. Once you conquer an area, the player has to wait aboutA game with pros and cons. Sure buy for CA fans and strategy nuts. The game is pretty, with a nice range of factions, a huge map to mess around in and fun tactical battles. Beyond that the game is pretty shoddy, and is so incredibly easy, that it really needs the player to handicap themselves. The craziest feature is political control. Once you conquer an area, the player has to wait about 12 months before it fully assimilates into your country. Thus you can conquer and hold ALL of Europe, the middle east and the Americas without needing to worry about rebellions, or financial costs that might threaten your complete control of the world. This is of course, ridiculous. Compared to Europa Universalis games it is also POOR game design. CA games look prettier, and it is probably more fun to feel tough and kick everyone in the arse. However as a simulation or 'historic game' it's a complete joke. Also, its no small matter that the loading screens in this game run for ages. Over time there is a lot of time lost waiting for the computer to stuff your screen with mindless prettiness.

    THE GROT REVIEW CRITERIA: After a long time writing reviews like an anus, think its time to set a few bad habits straight: Stop insulting designers. Show some respect for the design process and getting games in circulation. Hence (1) No Red scores. (2) Game scores as follows: Bad Game 5/10. Poor Game 6/10. Mediocre Game: 7/10. Good Game 8/10. Great game 9/10. Stella Game 10/10. To get 10/10 it must be a game that can be (theoretically) play-able for 1000+ hours. Not only great but near endless fun. Games may be bad or poor but making them should earn respect. Thus even the worst POS will still be a 5/10. 0/10 no longer exists in my vocabulary. Yellow is the new red. For the sake of accountability: you can reply if needed: Orctowngrot: Tim Rawlins: timtimjp@yahoo.com    … Expand
  60. SWiToNeZz
    Oct 23, 2012
    2
    It didn't starts anyway i try to. When it starts then it crashes many times. So i give two points for at least the graphic and those few minutes i could play it .
  61. Cidmusky
    Dec 30, 2012
    10
    The Total war series has had me hooked since medieval:total war. The games are just so epic, especially some of the battles provided your pc is fast enough. I can literally spend all day playing this game its so awesome. An example of how games should be made - it requires a brain!
  62. AlexWizz
    Sep 5, 2013
    10
    Empire is not the best in the series; neither the worst. It fails in some points, but is really fortunate in other, like the sea battles. The historical period is very interesting, with so many different stuff happening at the same time. You should buy this one, the battles are very fun to play and the generals are very charismatic. The campaign is formidable, to conquer the entire world,Empire is not the best in the series; neither the worst. It fails in some points, but is really fortunate in other, like the sea battles. The historical period is very interesting, with so many different stuff happening at the same time. You should buy this one, the battles are very fun to play and the generals are very charismatic. The campaign is formidable, to conquer the entire world, even in videogames, is always very nice!… Expand
  63. orctown-troll
    Oct 20, 2013
    7
    A game with pros and cons. Sure buy for CA fans and strategy nuts. The game is pretty, with a nice range of factions, a huge map to mess around in and fun tactical battles. Beyond that the game is pretty shoddy, and is so incredibly easy, that it really needs the player to handicap themselves. The craziest feature is political control. Once you conquer an area, the player has to wait aboutA game with pros and cons. Sure buy for CA fans and strategy nuts. The game is pretty, with a nice range of factions, a huge map to mess around in and fun tactical battles. Beyond that the game is pretty shoddy, and is so incredibly easy, that it really needs the player to handicap themselves. The craziest feature is political control. Once you conquer an area, the player has to wait about 12 months before it fully assimilates into your country. Thus you can conquer and hold ALL of Europe, the middle east and the Americas without needing to worry about rebellions, or financial costs that might threaten your complete control of the world. This is of course, ridiculous. Compared to Europa Universalis games it is also POOR game design. CA games look prettier, and it is probably more fun to feel tough and kick everyone in the arse. However as a simulation or 'historic game' it's a complete joke. Also, its no small matter that the loading screens in this game run for ages. Over time there is a lot of time lost waiting for the computer to stuff your screen with mindless prettiness.

    Orctowngrot    … Expand
  64. shadow2000m
    Aug 14, 2020
    2
    This game is initially an ambitious and innovative game ... On arrival, however, it is a nameless cloth. Bugged as it is not allowed, we play more to suffer and rage than to have fun.
    The premise is good but nothing is right .. Messed up diplomacy, i messed up, messed up morale, town and strong messed up balancing between messed up faction and little that catches up with the title.
  65. TomL.
    Mar 23, 2009
    3
    At this time the game is generally unplayable because of a memory leak that causes the game to crash randomly. Many people have experianced this so far. Check the community forums for more details. If the game didn't crash it would be around the 9/10 mark.
  66. SungaL
    Oct 14, 2009
    6
    GAme has a huge problem: IT IS POLITICALLY CORRECT !! two big flaws: NO slaves merchants (and thus slavery system), and NO ethnic minorities, like the Jewish (so important they provided most of the loaned money to governments open their imperial companies and establish central banks). Could say also theres a lack of River Plate and South America realismus, but then you would say Im a bit GAme has a huge problem: IT IS POLITICALLY CORRECT !! two big flaws: NO slaves merchants (and thus slavery system), and NO ethnic minorities, like the Jewish (so important they provided most of the loaned money to governments open their imperial companies and establish central banks). Could say also theres a lack of River Plate and South America realismus, but then you would say Im a bit regionalist.… Expand
  67. BrianJ
    Oct 8, 2009
    9
    In my opinion this is the best RTS at the moment. - Great game play( As usual for the series) - Great graphics - Lots of new stuff compared to the previous games. There are still bugs, and at release I would have given it 6 or 7, but seeing that they have removed many of the bugs it deserves a 9!
  68. AndrewB
    Mar 30, 2009
    3
    As per everyone else here, the game looks great, but its six months too early (Campaign AI & Bugs), DONT buy this game yet, wait for a sale in around six months and you will hopefully love every minute of it.
  69. daveh
    Mar 6, 2009
    4
    Great game,Steam is a load of poo.For this reason,I would recommend not buying it for that reason,had crashes like John R.Plus other games on steam simply dont work,such as MLB Manager,called steam and got no help.I assume no help will be forth comming on Empire's crashing.I am so disappointed,I got the special forces version,and assumed I can build my HMS victory,and of course I Great game,Steam is a load of poo.For this reason,I would recommend not buying it for that reason,had crashes like John R.Plus other games on steam simply dont work,such as MLB Manager,called steam and got no help.I assume no help will be forth comming on Empire's crashing.I am so disappointed,I got the special forces version,and assumed I can build my HMS victory,and of course I cant because steam messed up the download.Interface is nice but it is harder to switch citys and harder to click and build stuff.I am going back to Medieval 2 and the kingdoms expansion for my nation building playing time.… Expand
  70. CarloD
    Mar 8, 2009
    9
    I think this is is the best game I have ever played, honestly, it takes you back to my favourite time in history, 1700-1850 and immerses you in a true new world. You need some cunning and wits to outsmart your enemies, because the new AI is getting quite realistic now. There are minor bugs, but they will surely be patched by Creative Assembly, just like with the rest of their games.
  71. PB
    Apr 1, 2009
    3
    CTD every time a seige of a regional capital ends with change of ruling nation or faction. EVERY time. I win the battle, manual or auto, victory screen pops up then game will CTD black screen then white screen then to ' MS windows report an error' dialogue box. Port take overs seem fine, as do other towns and facilities. AI changes regional ruling power fine. Didn't happen CTD every time a seige of a regional capital ends with change of ruling nation or faction. EVERY time. I win the battle, manual or auto, victory screen pops up then game will CTD black screen then white screen then to ' MS windows report an error' dialogue box. Port take overs seem fine, as do other towns and facilities. AI changes regional ruling power fine. Didn't happen before the large recent patches 25th/26th, last patch dated 30th MARCH hasn't fixed the problem. However, a new twist is that the campaign map moves at warp speed now, the ships zip from one location to another and the year end AI ground forces moves are also super fast. looks very odd. Note that this is with all sound turned off as recommended a while back. Other battles are fine, sound on or not, defeated seige attempts are fine too. Since taking over regions is THE major game mechanic towards victory and growth the game isnt playable now. All was fine out out of the box in this regional take-over area anyway, although I still have cannon stuck in Cartegena that any attempt to move will crash the system as above, patches did fix that for other units since. Sometimes merging fleets in or near docks causes a crash, I just quick save before doing anything with merge or embark in a dock location and I get by. NEVER had any real issues with TW games before, nothing like this anyway!… Expand
  72. BoK
    Apr 1, 2009
    7
    High potential, limited by the moderate execution. As from start the game is lacking a lot of details to add that little extra that makes a great game. With a couple patches and updates it is destined to be a truly awesome game, but it's definitely not the game the commercial critics make it out to be, yet.
  73. MarcM
    Apr 7, 2009
    6
    Empire has numerous bugs and glitches in the retail release. Two glaring examples are splitting trade fleets while on a trade point causing the trading fleet to be useless and sailors committing suicide by jumping during boarding actions. There are also issues with the design of the game itself. In diplomacy, for instance, you could present a gift and sign a trade agreement to a neutral Empire has numerous bugs and glitches in the retail release. Two glaring examples are splitting trade fleets while on a trade point causing the trading fleet to be useless and sailors committing suicide by jumping during boarding actions. There are also issues with the design of the game itself. In diplomacy, for instance, you could present a gift and sign a trade agreement to a neutral minor faction resulting in a large reputation boost only to have that same nation declare war on you the very next turn. Unfortunately, this is business as usual for the designers at Creative Assembly and Total War franchise. I would advise dissappointed owners to shelve the title and prospective buyers to wait for a year. CA will likely release patches and hopefully user created mods will take care of the rest. On a side note, I feel the online reviewers largely dropped the ball on this title. I would have trouble assigning such high scores to Empire given the aformentioned problems.… Expand
  74. robosoftrob
    Apr 7, 2009
    2
    I rate this good game so low because i always get stuck in the middle of a campaign when the game crashes at a certain point. i can´t continue and would have to start a new campaign - this does not make sense. i will return the game to the shop, where i bought it. sorry, could be a good game.
  75. stevenl
    May 16, 2009
    9
    Steam is crap. I am in Iraq and internet comes in at about 3kbs so having to do anything online is a pain. The game is good though and that is what this rating is for. For people dropping the low scores cause of steam, steam is not the game.
  76. johnm
    Jun 5, 2009
    1
    Played campaign through once.Total. Waiting for patches to make this worth playing. (fixes to the ai) This has to be the most crashiest and buggy game i have played since 1997 with an absolutely atrocious opponent AI. Its a disgrace that this gets the ridiculous review scores it gets in magazines. I use an up to date system fully updated with no problems with any new game that come out. Played campaign through once.Total. Waiting for patches to make this worth playing. (fixes to the ai) This has to be the most crashiest and buggy game i have played since 1997 with an absolutely atrocious opponent AI. Its a disgrace that this gets the ridiculous review scores it gets in magazines. I use an up to date system fully updated with no problems with any new game that come out. Gaming is my passion and I make sure that I can play anything. For an idea about the constant fixes that their doing to this game type in "daily update empire" into google to see the daily updated forum on the work their doing to make this game playable. For example making the ai actually invade, its just ridiculous seeing the fixes there making now that should have been done before release. Their obvious campaign to rubbish the public complaints about this game in various forums has also sullied their reputation massively in the eyes of the gaming public. It boggles my mind.… Expand
  77. Mac
    Jun 6, 2009
    5
    Great graphics! But boy oh boy the game is filled with bugs, It crashes, freezes and bunch of graphic glitches! AI is poor, The game is simply not finished, And in facts its on Steam. Oh well, This is the first time CA has done a mistake like this. So shameful. But Ill let it side this one time. But overall, games is "OK".
  78. Dan
    Aug 10, 2009
    9
    Excellent game, a few bugs. Gameplay is amazing, whether managing your cities during the campaign or taking charge of your men during battle. There are a few bugs that need to be fixed soon. There are times when the pathing gets screwed up and your men will end up facing the wrong direction. Sometimes the artillery won't unlimber/limber making it impossible to move it. Besides those Excellent game, a few bugs. Gameplay is amazing, whether managing your cities during the campaign or taking charge of your men during battle. There are a few bugs that need to be fixed soon. There are times when the pathing gets screwed up and your men will end up facing the wrong direction. Sometimes the artillery won't unlimber/limber making it impossible to move it. Besides those 2 gameplay issues there is some trouble with online play on rare occasions. Overall, this game is well worth the purchase, I have played this more than most games that I purchase. On another note, I don't know why people are giving this game a bad review when they are upset about downloading it through steam- that is your choice. It will take time to download and install as it is a very large file.… Expand
  79. AnonymousMC
    Aug 30, 2009
    1
    Yeah just another Total War waste of time. Every Total War Game except Shogun has crashed on me, leaving me with no possibility of moving further on in my campaign. Here I have invested who knows how many hours on my campaign and the game refuses to let me attack anyone or anything without crashing. 159 Turns in the game and now it decides to totally shut down. Total War is a Total WasteYeah just another Total War waste of time. Every Total War Game except Shogun has crashed on me, leaving me with no possibility of moving further on in my campaign. Here I have invested who knows how many hours on my campaign and the game refuses to let me attack anyone or anything without crashing. 159 Turns in the game and now it decides to totally shut down. Total War is a Total Waste as usual. I won't hold my breat for Napoleom Total War.… Expand
  80. RD
    Oct 10, 2009
    0
    This idiotic STEAM REQUIREMENT makes this thing a pain. I want to play the game. Not be forced into downloads which wont stop even when you tell them to do so. You're locked out of playing until it's finished doing whatever it wants to do. I'll never purchase any game again from these people.
  81. JohnSmith
    Oct 15, 2009
    0
    The game was unplayable at release, now it is just playable but still it have many flaws. All the faction are the same but with different colours, and if you want some variation you have to pay for it on top of what you already paid in the fisrt place. The game could have been great but it seems to have been rushed too quickly and have left many features out, leaving things done in a rush,The game was unplayable at release, now it is just playable but still it have many flaws. All the faction are the same but with different colours, and if you want some variation you have to pay for it on top of what you already paid in the fisrt place. The game could have been great but it seems to have been rushed too quickly and have left many features out, leaving things done in a rush, like sieges, which are the worse in all the total war series.… Expand
  82. StevenR
    Oct 16, 2009
    5
    All the way back to Shogun again. This could have been the chance to step up to the next level, but the game has been released too early and just leaves the player open mouthed and screaming WHY? at the terrible AI, especially in the campaign mode.
  83. Eamon
    Oct 1, 2009
    10
    As of patch 1.4 this game is completely different to how it was at launch. Almost no bugs, better AI across campaign and battle and new units all add up to an ambitious and awesome piece of interactive entertainment. looking forward to campaign multiplayer.
  84. RenéH.
    Oct 2, 2009
    10
    The game was already excellently designed on release but had too many serious technical and gameplay bugs. All serious issues have been fixed by now (current patch: 1.4). The game has improved vastly in the last months.
  85. Alexandr
    Oct 3, 2009
    1
    Absolutely awful state at release. It was almost unplayable gameplay wise. And then with a patch they made the game technically unplayable until the following patch. Absolutely disgusting work from CA.
  86. AshParadox
    Oct 4, 2009
    8
    Bug fixes should've been done at the start. FINALLY the game is half-decent, but still not quite right in many areas. Rush-released and incomplete/broken. Had I reviewed on release, it'd have gotten a 5 at best.
  87. HeinerG.
    Oct 6, 2009
    5
    Very nice Game but although Patch 1.5 is released, the Game still crahes to Desktop nearly every turn, in Battles or on Campaign Map. This is very frustrating and sometimes i think its waste of time to play the great Campaign, because its nearly unplayable in the last 40 Turns because of CTD! Too bad.
  88. StevenS.
    Oct 6, 2009
    0
    Buggy game that went from broken AI, missing features (naval invaision AI) to a game that has saved games that corrupt, or won't start up now in the latest patch. Good for maybe 3 hours before you realize how horribly broken the game is, or if the game "helps" you to that realization by crashing.
  89. MortisN.
    Oct 7, 2009
    3
    Empire is like a Ferrari without an engine, beautiful, sleek, a marvel of design in every other regard... yet it's still not going anywhere. I have the feeling most of the critics were attempting to future proof their reviews for the eventuality when Creative Assembly would fix the glaring bugs. In which case E:TW would be an amazing game, but unfortunately CA decided to pull a Empire is like a Ferrari without an engine, beautiful, sleek, a marvel of design in every other regard... yet it's still not going anywhere. I have the feeling most of the critics were attempting to future proof their reviews for the eventuality when Creative Assembly would fix the glaring bugs. In which case E:TW would be an amazing game, but unfortunately CA decided to pull a Valve, why fix bugs when you people will pay you $50 for this game, and another $50 for a sequil of the exact same engine, with all the bug fixes! Creative Assembly lost my respect with this title.… Expand
  90. AdamWilson
    Oct 8, 2009
    0
    I cant play the single player because it CTDs after every handful of turns.

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

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

    Avoid this game and future ones released by CA/ Total War.
  91. CJK
    Oct 9, 2009
    10
    Easily the best game that I have downloaded. I have no idea why people would give this game bad reviews, people claim it doesnt run well. Mine has never crashed and I dont have a souped up computer. In fact I've logged over 70 hours already and never once had more than the slight lag when I owned most of the territories on the planet. This is absolute best strategy game for any Easily the best game that I have downloaded. I have no idea why people would give this game bad reviews, people claim it doesnt run well. Mine has never crashed and I dont have a souped up computer. In fact I've logged over 70 hours already and never once had more than the slight lag when I owned most of the territories on the planet. This is absolute best strategy game for any console. Period. If you say otherwise then you probably think Halo is a strategy game. It doesnt matter if you like underhanded tactics or holy crusading, this game has a way for whatever motivation you care to have. If you see red on the reviews, its either becuase of stone-age computers attempting to run it. Or because of a lack of forward planning and strategy (without that, the AI will anhillate you).… Expand
  92. DirkB
    Oct 9, 2009
    10
    I consider medieval 2 total war to be the best experience I had in any total war game. However this game is a less popular genre then the mid ages but is still very good, the maps are gigantic and very detailed and there is so much added to the game. I think the main reason why users rate it this low is because the battles are harder to win than in medieval 2. its a very good game .
  93. MaxH
    Oct 9, 2009
    10
    I have been playing this game for 6 months now and I'm not a bit tired of it. There are so many possibilities and ways to play this game that you never make the same game twice. And the developers are just amazing, they have a forum were you can post suggestions and complaints, and these guy accually read them and try to improve the game as much as possible. The reason I think that I have been playing this game for 6 months now and I'm not a bit tired of it. There are so many possibilities and ways to play this game that you never make the same game twice. And the developers are just amazing, they have a forum were you can post suggestions and complaints, and these guy accually read them and try to improve the game as much as possible. The reason I think that this game haven't got higher votes from users is that their expectations on this game has been way to high. I don't know if that's because of bad marceting, but I think that everyone needs to realise that a game of this magnitude can't be made without a single bug.… Expand
  94. JohnS
    Mar 17, 2009
    7
    Game is buggy. I have run into crash bugs on occasion myself, which can be very frustrating. I have not yet hit the corrupted save game bug, which I'm sure would bring me to tears to lose a 40+ turn game (all of the saves get corrupted). Very long load scenes and somewhat long AI turns. Lots of different places the graphical performance / interactivity is sluggish (e.g. - strategic Game is buggy. I have run into crash bugs on occasion myself, which can be very frustrating. I have not yet hit the corrupted save game bug, which I'm sure would bring me to tears to lose a 40+ turn game (all of the saves get corrupted). Very long load scenes and somewhat long AI turns. Lots of different places the graphical performance / interactivity is sluggish (e.g. - strategic map). There basically is no coherent strategic enemy AI at this point. Almost any decent user will have no problem steamrolling their competition. In land battle there are lots of bugs like not being able to use doors / walls / bridges / cover / etc. properly. As always in most TW games, the offensive battle AI is really, really dumb and can be easily defeated by camping on a good defensive position. In short, no way in heck should this title have been released as it is. The only reason it gets a 7 and not a lower score is that I can see what the game could eventually become after 6 months or more of polishing and/or the mod community gets their hands on it.… Expand
  95. MAXIMUS
    Mar 20, 2009
    5
    3/20/09 Having only played TW Rome I was very impressed initially with the graphics and high level of strategic control over ones nation. However, the constant crashing has soured me on this product. How much fun can you have when every turn might be your last. I am playing on a 3000 Ghz intel duo and 4 GB of Ram and an Invidia 9800. I would think the system is up to the task. So the 3/20/09 Having only played TW Rome I was very impressed initially with the graphics and high level of strategic control over ones nation. However, the constant crashing has soured me on this product. How much fun can you have when every turn might be your last. I am playing on a 3000 Ghz intel duo and 4 GB of Ram and an Invidia 9800. I would think the system is up to the task. So the problems must be the result of programing. Also, the AI shows no agression. Being used to Guals, Greeks, Masadonians, ect breathing down my neck it was dissappointing to realize that you can leave your territory virtually undefended. A 10 for graphics and inovative elements and a zero for a game I can not finish due to system failures. Seems as if some of the crew at CA are working very hard and others are not up to the task. If I failed my employer as often as this potentially great game has failed me I would expect to be fired. Fix these problems now !… Expand
  96. KlausM.
    Mar 20, 2009
    7
    A great game with a bigger potential- when it is finished. Finished it clearly would be 9-10, the best strategy game for the computer. In this sad state, it is a promising beta/demo with which you also can play multiplayer battles. I would advise everyone to buy it- in half a year, when it is finished. Maybe it is even cheaper then!
  97. PaulC
    Mar 27, 2009
    5
    This game SHOULD be great. It should be a 9 or 10. But it is full of bugs, so I can only give it 5. I can rarely go more than a couple of turns without a bug or crash. I have ports with ships I can no longer get at. I have ships at sea that if I click on will crash the game. If I win a battle, I sometimes watch my army disappear afterwards. I've played all the total war games, and This game SHOULD be great. It should be a 9 or 10. But it is full of bugs, so I can only give it 5. I can rarely go more than a couple of turns without a bug or crash. I have ports with ships I can no longer get at. I have ships at sea that if I click on will crash the game. If I win a battle, I sometimes watch my army disappear afterwards. I've played all the total war games, and they were much more stable than this. Come on guys, get your act together. Make the bug fixes, and this will be a great game.… Expand
  98. JohnB
    Mar 27, 2009
    7
    Being deployed allot he need for internet to play the game is horrible. Having towns etc. away from the cities I like there should be a way to destroy them not just damage them. The minor CAV raids by the AI are its only real offensive. AI needs to be supped up. The IA system for diplomacy also needs some work. You can offer outrageously favorable terms and the IA would rather die than Being deployed allot he need for internet to play the game is horrible. Having towns etc. away from the cities I like there should be a way to destroy them not just damage them. The minor CAV raids by the AI are its only real offensive. AI needs to be supped up. The IA system for diplomacy also needs some work. You can offer outrageously favorable terms and the IA would rather die than give you a trade deal. Crashes allot. Save game often and be prepared to disband fleets to prevent crashes. The good thing is there is no transport requirements so 1 sloop can transport a whole army. Good start but needs allot of patching. Should be cleaned up by the time the expansion is released. With any luck Steam will go bye bye.… Expand
  99. SpencerD.
    Mar 20, 2009
    5
    I know this probably sounds insulting to many of you out there, but, really, give the producers a break. If you knew how much goes on inside a computer you would. On all games there are lots of problems that simply won't be known until the general public uses the game, and, especially with a game of this magnitude and power, it will probably take a while for them to fix. My game I know this probably sounds insulting to many of you out there, but, really, give the producers a break. If you knew how much goes on inside a computer you would. On all games there are lots of problems that simply won't be known until the general public uses the game, and, especially with a game of this magnitude and power, it will probably take a while for them to fix. My game doesn't work properly either. In fact, my game will only start about one third of the time, and when it does, it rarely works right. So even though I give this game a relatively low score now, I'm almost completely sure there will be a patch for MOST problems ( that does not include computers that simply do not reach system requirements) so just wait and be patient until your patch(es) become available. I am.… Expand
  100. JamesF.
    Mar 20, 2009
    1
    Dissapointing! Unfinished! Broken! Steam! They (CA) have been making Total War games for ages now, you would expect them to get it right at this point, not worse. Steam is a pain, my problem isnt DRM as it doesnt work anyway. My problem is the whole steam program and its irritating function/ lack of function, its adverts and forced updates (it says it has an option to prevent auto updates Dissapointing! Unfinished! Broken! Steam! They (CA) have been making Total War games for ages now, you would expect them to get it right at this point, not worse. Steam is a pain, my problem isnt DRM as it doesnt work anyway. My problem is the whole steam program and its irritating function/ lack of function, its adverts and forced updates (it says it has an option to prevent auto updates but it doesnt work) although this game needs enough patches to make a whole new game! Won't be buying anymore steam or creative assembly games and the totalwar series is finished for me! If this game is patched it may be playable without headaches but for me wouldnt be overly special, the improvements are minor from previous editions and are only to be expected, professional reviews are clearly hype. I would also like to make clear I am a fan of this era for strategy and strategy games and was very interested in this games progress. I guess I shall return to other more worthy efforts, not least the mod community and rome tw. By the way I have a top spec PC, stable overclocked quadcore, duel GPU and enough ram memory to hold all of history for processing.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 62 Critic Reviews

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