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. RobM
    Mar 30, 2009
    6
    Empire: Total War follows The Creative Assembly's MO as seen in previous Total War titles as far back as Rome of being a promising game full of good ideas and features obscured by a ridiculous amount of bugs and glitches. The positive aspects of this game include the new, deeper campaign map interface that allows more thorough control of your faction than in previous titles. Empire: Total War follows The Creative Assembly's MO as seen in previous Total War titles as far back as Rome of being a promising game full of good ideas and features obscured by a ridiculous amount of bugs and glitches. The positive aspects of this game include the new, deeper campaign map interface that allows more thorough control of your faction than in previous titles. Diplomacy, a longtime failure of the Total War series, is at least brought up to the basic standard of today's strategy games, though it can still be obtuse and useless at times. The different campaign theaters (Europe, America and India) are represented in a way that allows for great detail in all of them. Battles are at least as well-done as in previous titles and the battle maps themselves are far larger than before, which allows for more tactical maneuvering. The bad is, as usual, mostly bug related. Total War games since at least as early as Rome have been almost more trouble than they're worth until a series of patches is released due to obstructive bugs and crashes littering the game at release. Most of these are fixed after two or three patches, but there are always some that are never fixed. Pathfinding is absolutely pathetic and I am unable to trust units to find their way around anything bigger than a hay bale. The failure of pathfinding makes sieges more or less unplayable. The inclusion of Steam has itself led to a slew of problems visible on The Creative Assembly's official tech support forums and I don't see one convincing redeeming quality in it's involvement. I am generally very impressed with this game in theory, but the bugs strain my patience when attempting to play it. It should be made clear that in the past the bugs have always eventually been fixed, bringing the game to a reasonable level of playability which then allows it to shine. However, Steam may throw off the balance after all and make this game more trouble than it's worth. I certainly don't recommend this game yet; I suggest waiting several months for the patches to be released, and only then if Steam doesn't bother you.… Expand
  2. Joel
    Mar 4, 2009
    10
    Ever Wondered what it would be like to eat the worlds best ice cream and orgasm at the same time well the answer is simple EMPIRE TOTAL WAR. I am going to keep this short but just make your troops charge a enemy position watch as the tumble over from incoming fire and numerous cannon balls hitting so close it makes the ground vibrate (it really does) and say that it inst awesome. Bottom Ever Wondered what it would be like to eat the worlds best ice cream and orgasm at the same time well the answer is simple EMPIRE TOTAL WAR. I am going to keep this short but just make your troops charge a enemy position watch as the tumble over from incoming fire and numerous cannon balls hitting so close it makes the ground vibrate (it really does) and say that it inst awesome. Bottom Line buy it buy it now and no steam isnt all bad only for those that cant use it.… Expand
  3. DanielC
    Mar 5, 2009
    8
    This is a great game, but it currently has a few drawbacks. I have played Total War games since Shogun and this I think is by far the best. The Campaign is much more dynamic and interesting and battles have more of the tactical element. Furthermore, AI is vastly improved! On the down side, it currently crashes a lot, save every turn till this is taken care of. Also I have at lest the This is a great game, but it currently has a few drawbacks. I have played Total War games since Shogun and this I think is by far the best. The Campaign is much more dynamic and interesting and battles have more of the tactical element. Furthermore, AI is vastly improved! On the down side, it currently crashes a lot, save every turn till this is taken care of. Also I have at lest the recommended specs and the battles, even small ones, lag horribly when you get near any troops. I have to run it on medium-low settings and it still lags. Also Load times are drawn-out. But I think all of the problems can able addressed in a patch or three, and despite these problems it is still a good game.… Expand
  4. TimR
    Mar 6, 2009
    10
    This isn't a comment on the game, but the statement above about the user who gave the game 2 stars. First off, no game should be penalized because of Steam or any other distribution service. None of the comments in this "review" above have anything to do with the game. Editors, please make sure that the review comments actually have relevance to the game. In the case of the comment This isn't a comment on the game, but the statement above about the user who gave the game 2 stars. First off, no game should be penalized because of Steam or any other distribution service. None of the comments in this "review" above have anything to do with the game. Editors, please make sure that the review comments actually have relevance to the game. In the case of the comment above, the user is reviewing Steam, not Empire:Total war, which is available all over the place, not just on Steam.… Expand
  5. NemY
    Mar 6, 2009
    1
    This game shoud never have been released as is, steam is a load of crap. Games like this should have the option of playing online is the user wishes to do so. It took me forever to get the game loaded up and updated through steam. I have been a strong supporter of the Total War series from the very first Shogun Total War, but if Creative Assembly and SEGA insist on using steam for other This game shoud never have been released as is, steam is a load of crap. Games like this should have the option of playing online is the user wishes to do so. It took me forever to get the game loaded up and updated through steam. I have been a strong supporter of the Total War series from the very first Shogun Total War, but if Creative Assembly and SEGA insist on using steam for other releases, I'm staying away from your prducts, and from what I've read and heard, alot of people will aswell.… Expand
  6. MartijnS
    Mar 6, 2009
    4
    Being a very big fan of the TW serie this one is a TOTAL dissapointment. The sea battles are 1 big chaos, the campaign map(s) and interface are totally redone and not for the better.(Have been playing for 4 hours) There are only 3! scenario battles, which is just cheap compared to RTW and M2TW. The only thing that makes me not give this game a 1 or a 2 is that the land battles are Being a very big fan of the TW serie this one is a TOTAL dissapointment. The sea battles are 1 big chaos, the campaign map(s) and interface are totally redone and not for the better.(Have been playing for 4 hours) There are only 3! scenario battles, which is just cheap compared to RTW and M2TW. The only thing that makes me not give this game a 1 or a 2 is that the land battles are so-so(Most of the tactic is GONE when you play PvP) and the hope that will make DLC with extra scenario's. Next time I'll wont be buying the Total War games WITHOUT trying it for myself at a friends. Creative Assembly, this time you failed.....epic.… Expand
  7. NathanM
    Mar 6, 2009
    9
    The AI still makes occasionally strange decisions on the battlefield, but is more flexible. Strategically, it demonstrates competency at normal difficulties, have yet to determine its abilities on hard. Graphically, it looks wonderful, and the gameplay is deep (perhaps a little too deep on first glance) if you can overcome the initial shock of seeing so much going down on the campaign The AI still makes occasionally strange decisions on the battlefield, but is more flexible. Strategically, it demonstrates competency at normal difficulties, have yet to determine its abilities on hard. Graphically, it looks wonderful, and the gameplay is deep (perhaps a little too deep on first glance) if you can overcome the initial shock of seeing so much going down on the campaign map. An excellent game, relatively bug-free so far for me. The one thing people seem to hate the most is the inclusion of STEAM, but to be honest I've never had a problem with the program, and I've been using it since 2005. It has yet to crash on me once. Ignore the ranting and raving about how obnoxious STEAM is, and get this game.… Expand
  8. RandallS
    Mar 9, 2009
    7
    This is a good game, don't get me wrong, but it was a bit of a letdown from Medieval 2. The Good: The campaign map is huge, and although it's not as great looking as it could be, is the best campaign map yet in the TW series because of breadth and the huge number of 'minor nations' dotting it. The Bad: 1. There is really only one type of non-naval unit in the game, This is a good game, don't get me wrong, but it was a bit of a letdown from Medieval 2. The Good: The campaign map is huge, and although it's not as great looking as it could be, is the best campaign map yet in the TW series because of breadth and the huge number of 'minor nations' dotting it. The Bad: 1. There is really only one type of non-naval unit in the game, Line Infantry. 80% of your army will be made up of either them or militia, which are weaker versions of the same thing. There are some cavalry and some cannons, but really, Line Infantry is just about all there is. 2. They basically removed siege battles. You can besiege a city, but when you attack it, you fight in an open field. No epic wall-climbing (though there's some of that in fortress battles, which end up being just annoying though). 3. You can attack a city without cannons or siege equipment, and armies can move pretty quickly. So you can blitz across 800 miles in one turn and take a city. 4. Battles are boring. The infantry stand and shoot each other. They don't even kneel down to let the second line shoot, the first line just keeps shooting and shooting. 5. Units are still dumb. You can order them to move and often they just won't do anything. This most often happens after they are engaged in a melee battle. 6. Countries are still pretty dumb. In my first campaign, Poland kept declaring war on me, and then accepting a peace offer in the next turn that would have them pay me a bunch of money. So I just used them as a piggy bank for like 8 turns until they quit declaring war. 7. Diplomacy isn't that great. The options and strangely arranged and other countries still ignore great offers alot. On the bright side, other countries make interesting offers sometimes, unlike in Medieval 2. Overall: Good, but disappointing.… Expand
  9. CallumM
    Mar 9, 2009
    10
    Brilliant! The step up in the campaign map was a welcome change. The user seems to have more control over their settlements now and the diplomacy feels more in depth. I havn't noticed any assassin or sabotage videos yet (which is a bit of a shame) but apart from that I haven't really got a bad word to say the game. Worth every penny.
  10. AJ
    Apr 12, 2009
    2
    The 2 is for creating the greatest strategy game ever made. Then knowing its incompleat and unfinished selling it to thousands of people expecting a finished game. Why would anyone ever assume that someone would want a game that isn't ready? As far as I'm concerned these pricks stole from me. The Total War games was something that if you liked strategy games you knew your 60 The 2 is for creating the greatest strategy game ever made. Then knowing its incompleat and unfinished selling it to thousands of people expecting a finished game. Why would anyone ever assume that someone would want a game that isn't ready? As far as I'm concerned these pricks stole from me. The Total War games was something that if you liked strategy games you knew your 60 bucks were well spent. Now their name means nothing. Imagine if you bought a 2000 computer, brought it home and it worked for 2 days then wouldn't start again... Then they told you that it's buggy and there is a patch that will come out in 6 months so you can use your new $2000 computer. That computer store would be sued and bombed. This is what Creative Assembly has done. Sold a product that wasn't finished and after you have spent your hard earned money then you have to wait till they get around to compleating it over the next while(if they do). It's a slap in the face. If I spend 70 bucks on an x box or playstaion game at least I know it will work. If they sold games that didn't work they would go out of business. I hope everyone that bought this game holds the creative assembly responisble for there theft of our money and never buys another product from them again... Theres a big market out there for good strategy games and someone will take there place once there banko. We have to show these guys and other game makers this is unacceptable!!!!!!!!!!!… Expand
  11. StephenH
    Apr 10, 2009
    7
    Fixing the bugs would have me raise the rating to an 7.5 and then an 8 and 9 respectively if the A.I. attacked across the seas and weren't as stupid as a lemming/dodo cross breed. As things go though it's not too bad but as stated it is the same thing as always. Power through region to region in an attempt to be the biggest country around only now you have the lands across the Fixing the bugs would have me raise the rating to an 7.5 and then an 8 and 9 respectively if the A.I. attacked across the seas and weren't as stupid as a lemming/dodo cross breed. As things go though it's not too bad but as stated it is the same thing as always. Power through region to region in an attempt to be the biggest country around only now you have the lands across the ocean and India too. People will slate the new but you have to find out yourself really.… Expand
  12. RandalO.
    Apr 10, 2009
    6
    I used to develop software. We'd have been horsewhipped if we'd tried to release software this loaded with bugs and poorly designed. Memory leaks everywhere! I don't mind alpha testing but fix the bugs!!! The game itself looks to be fun, and good, if we can ever spend more time playing than waiting for it to load, move, respond, etc. I thought that whole unpacking idea was I used to develop software. We'd have been horsewhipped if we'd tried to release software this loaded with bugs and poorly designed. Memory leaks everywhere! I don't mind alpha testing but fix the bugs!!! The game itself looks to be fun, and good, if we can ever spend more time playing than waiting for it to load, move, respond, etc. I thought that whole unpacking idea was rejected back in the '90s. Please fix the damn thing!… Expand
  13. PerryR
    Apr 17, 2009
    2
    Unbelievable....and totally unacceptable. I have been an avid Total War fan since its inception and been looking forward to playing Empire for many a long month. I am fed up with the game crashing and am totally bemused with the link up with Steam, what an awful partner to share such a great title product. I have shelved the game on a number of occasions but my love of its predecessors Unbelievable....and totally unacceptable. I have been an avid Total War fan since its inception and been looking forward to playing Empire for many a long month. I am fed up with the game crashing and am totally bemused with the link up with Steam, what an awful partner to share such a great title product. I have shelved the game on a number of occasions but my love of its predecessors has always brought me back but only to disappoint time after time. The final product is not fit for purpose, the two is given out of loyalty, my advice, BEWARE this product is below the quality of its fore fathers. My message to the magazine critics, 'shame on you', rate the gameplay, not the concept. To CA/SEGA - give me back my money, and I went for the Special Forces Edition.… Expand
  14. FlorianB
    Apr 1, 2009
    6
    The game proved to be not as great as everyone had announced... eventually, it is a real TW-game, but with much more need for further tweaking and patching than previous TW-titles. CA did implement interesting new features, but in the end they turned out to be callow... The two most important points which weaken the game-experience drastically, are first of all the bad performance The game proved to be not as great as everyone had announced... eventually, it is a real TW-game, but with much more need for further tweaking and patching than previous TW-titles. CA did implement interesting new features, but in the end they turned out to be callow... The two most important points which weaken the game-experience drastically, are first of all the bad performance (numerous bugs, long loading times, CTDs etc due to whatever, bad programming, insufficient testing, dont know) and the really dumb AI which was promised to be improved heavily but in fact still does the same stupid manoevers like in Medieval 2 or Rome (e.g. peace-negotiations, province-trading, protectorates etc) All in all E:TW is worth improving but worth waiting for some problem-fixing, too. Therefore, i rate it with a 6, wich results from 9 points for the concept, 8 points for the graphics and interface but just 5 points for improvements of existing features and adding new ones and 3 for the engine / technical aspects… Expand
  15. PierreN
    Apr 7, 2009
    5
    ETW is a disaster. Who would have thought a game of this scope and magnitude would fail this horribly. Surely a step back from previous titles as previous features were simply nerfed. Sinking your teeth into ETW for a week worth of gameplay and you get the impression that ETW has been poorly executed and feels rushed. Call it poor coding and a host of bugs slowing down everytime you try ETW is a disaster. Who would have thought a game of this scope and magnitude would fail this horribly. Surely a step back from previous titles as previous features were simply nerfed. Sinking your teeth into ETW for a week worth of gameplay and you get the impression that ETW has been poorly executed and feels rushed. Call it poor coding and a host of bugs slowing down everytime you try to dock a fleet to a port and noticeable jerky animations on a high end pc tells a different story to the rating it's getting (90? jesting I'm sure). Adding insult to injury, CA delivers us a couple of paches that were supposed to fix the problematic issues but instead add even more bugs making it unplayable. Constant crashes just isn't worth your $70 I'm sure. A piece of advice to sensible gamers out there; say NO to pre-order your games in the future. Instead, allow the dumb and dumber gamers buy it and watch em scream in your place. Grab the gold version is the wisest thing to do;cheaper and more joy on your first take.… Expand
  16. LiamD
    Apr 7, 2009
    8
    Great gameplay on both land and sea. but the game needs some extreame updates. theres so many bugs that i cant believe that they released the game without noticing all of this. campaign map lag, random dead spots were the sound will go dead on land or sea battles. random crashes. and so much more that i cant remember! i would recommend that anyone looking to get this game to wait a few Great gameplay on both land and sea. but the game needs some extreame updates. theres so many bugs that i cant believe that they released the game without noticing all of this. campaign map lag, random dead spots were the sound will go dead on land or sea battles. random crashes. and so much more that i cant remember! i would recommend that anyone looking to get this game to wait a few months for a tonne of updates to come out so there not disapointed to find a bug fest of a game.… Expand
  17. DanW.
    Apr 9, 2009
    4
    Lots of potential here. Much more so than any other Total War title. But... Call me crazy, but all Total War titles seem the same to me. Basically, you play an alternate-history pseudo-Hitler in whatever time period the game is set in. Even on the hardest difficulty, you are given all the resources you need to conquer everyone and everything in your path until your empire is so large and Lots of potential here. Much more so than any other Total War title. But... Call me crazy, but all Total War titles seem the same to me. Basically, you play an alternate-history pseudo-Hitler in whatever time period the game is set in. Even on the hardest difficulty, you are given all the resources you need to conquer everyone and everything in your path until your empire is so large and the turns take so long to finish that you quit playing out of boredom with the terrible AI (in campaigns and battles) and you never touch the game again. At least that's been my experience with Rome, M2, and now Empire. Don't get me wrong, I had some great moments in the game. When you first start playing it's amazing because the game looks and feels so vast. Empire and particular has a dozen factions to choose from, so it initially seems as if the game will have excellent replayability. After one campaign though, a few things become clear. The first is that the AI will not conduct an oversea invasion. Ever. It is incapable of it. Have fun playing Britain in a game that is based on NAVAL WARFARE for Gods sake. The second is that any invasion you conduct will be met with minimal force, and the AI doesn't really understand sieges enough to counter-attack. Two allied nations will never coordinate their forces. Again, the AI is incapable. The third is that the AI simply doesn't behave like a human player should in countless circumstances. They don't make obvious improvements to their land, they send agents running around the world with no goal in mind, their navies sit next to your trade ships without ever attacking, and that's just on the campaign map. On the battle map, the AI sits idly in buildings that you're about to tear to the ground, crushing the entire unit. They NEVER withdraw, so you can lure an entire city garrison out of its fort if you attack a single unit outside the city. They almost never fight offensive battles (I swear i defended all of 3 cities in 2 full campagins) and when they do they seem to sometimes forget they're attacking and just sit there. Some other things- The way diplomacy works is ridiculously inefficient, aside from the ridiculous deals the AI asks for. It took me ages to figure out that I had to give everyone "gifts" in order to get them to like me. Trade is well done- a hell of a lot better than the half-finished merchant concept from Medieval 2. So there. I've just spent an entire review complaining about the faults of E:TW without even touching on the countless technical issues that plague the initial release. I have faith that those will be fixed- it will not save the game unless the AI is improved DRASTICALLY. Here is an idea I want to put forward to the folks at CA and Sega: a game with 12 playable factions is not a single-player game. Face it. No one has the time to play a campaign as even 3 of the factions available, especially when the game starts crashing left and right once you conquer x amount of territory. This game looks and feels like a game that should be played online like some sort of uber-risk. I will note that the ranked multiplayer matches in the game are great fun, but TW has always been about more than just the battles. If the AI really cannot be improved (yeah right) then move the Total War series to the next level and give us a multiplayer campaign mode. tl;dr- HUGE potential, but terrible AI in a single-player game just doesn't work. Also crashes.… Expand
  18. AurelioM.
    Apr 9, 2009
    3
    I have been a fan of the Total War series since the first title and I believe each new game did manage to improve on the previous one ... until now. I am deeply disappointed by "Empire" and I find unacceptable that the game isn't currently playable as it crashes after every single battle without possiblility to save. Load times are also dreadful. This smells of hastily released code. I have been a fan of the Total War series since the first title and I believe each new game did manage to improve on the previous one ... until now. I am deeply disappointed by "Empire" and I find unacceptable that the game isn't currently playable as it crashes after every single battle without possiblility to save. Load times are also dreadful. This smells of hastily released code. Shame on you Creative Assembly for such a mess after all the good work done so far! I also wonder how the game was awarded raving reviews in the press when it simply doesn't work (and it's not an isolated problem, the forums seem to be teeming with grieving players).… Expand
  19. RodneyG
    May 10, 2009
    0
    Steam is no good at all I can never load the game without error messages such as steam is to busy to load now ? try later.
  20. DanS
    May 30, 2009
    4
    This game is very poor stability-wise. If you can handle the (overlong) loading times, and random decisions to crash, go for it. Hope you have a beefy computer because once again, the poor coding has resulted in a power hungry game.
  21. BryanK
    May 5, 2009
    3
    Since my one month old rig (with latest drivers etc) can't run this game without frequent random crashes I will have to give this game a very low score. The game is good when it works (7+) but when you can't play it due to massive instability issues, then there is no point in even having purchased it. I still have a little hope that CA will eventually make the game stable, but I Since my one month old rig (with latest drivers etc) can't run this game without frequent random crashes I will have to give this game a very low score. The game is good when it works (7+) but when you can't play it due to massive instability issues, then there is no point in even having purchased it. I still have a little hope that CA will eventually make the game stable, but I think it will be several months before that happens.… Expand
  22. JonC
    May 7, 2009
    3
    I waited for nearly 2 months before buying my once per year game. Paying £35 for the deluxe edition. The huge number of updates ruined the first game, the last one has left the game despite re-installations and technical support, literally unplayable after 10 turns, the beautifully presented and deeply playable game (when it works) just crashes and dies. When it worked, it was I waited for nearly 2 months before buying my once per year game. Paying £35 for the deluxe edition. The huge number of updates ruined the first game, the last one has left the game despite re-installations and technical support, literally unplayable after 10 turns, the beautifully presented and deeply playable game (when it works) just crashes and dies. When it worked, it was fabulous, the battles are fantastic, truly like nothing I have ever seen, but the campaign strategy game is simply awful. The look and feel is great but the AI is mad and inconsistent, utterly random and the economics seem to change unpredictably, you never know what's going on. Just as it all starts to get really involving the troops enter a city (not all cities, just regional capitals, the key to ownership) and bang, down it goes, goodbye game. I really do think Creative Assembly and Sega were insane to ruin this brand with a totally commercially unviable product that is leaving thousands seething. They simply cannot work hard or fast enough to put it right, if it ever can be.… Expand
  23. RyanH
    May 7, 2009
    0
    Voting a 0 because I feel that several who scored it a 9 or above either work for STEAM, Sega, CA and its affiliates or don't have any idea what a POS this "game" if I can call it so, is. AVOID AT ALL COST. Look for another game for fun. This is frustration in the making and I call it BUGS EMPIRE TOTAL SHIT and steaming horribly.
  24. Tom
    Jun 10, 2009
    9
    This is another brilliant release in the TW series the only fault is the slowness of the loading and that is considerabaly small down fall when taking the rest of the games features into account
    This game keeps getting more efficient everytime it is updated by steam.
    And if your particular probelm hasnt been solved in a few months then you might have a reason to complain
  25. ChongL
    Jun 20, 2009
    4
    Game is unplayable at later stage. Your navy becomes useless since tring to use them will crash the game.
  26. RobT
    Jun 27, 2009
    10
    Empire total war is a game with all the good signs and attributes expected of a strategy game. It has variety and can be played by anyone of any skill level. It has a smooth learning curve and an atmosphere that promotes strategy and smart thinking and rewards it accordingly.It is a game that is addicting, fun and easy to learn but hard to master.
  27. FredL
    Jun 6, 2009
    0
    CA must have given lots of thoughts into the graphics of this game to give it first appeal. Sadly, everything else sink like the titanic did. From the disappointing AI for land/sea battles to the flawed pathfinding and then the horrible crashes you experience, it just makes you want to toss the game into the dumpster and be done with it. The game is rampant of bugs and bad coding. I CA must have given lots of thoughts into the graphics of this game to give it first appeal. Sadly, everything else sink like the titanic did. From the disappointing AI for land/sea battles to the flawed pathfinding and then the horrible crashes you experience, it just makes you want to toss the game into the dumpster and be done with it. The game is rampant of bugs and bad coding. I justify this with a zero because it fails as a game tha is supposed to satisfy your craving for entertainment, but instead you get only frustration.… Expand
  28. DJ
    Jun 6, 2009
    5
    Good game if it works but due to the amount of bugs and problems it still has even after 3 months being released, and I'm talking about bugs that should have been fixed before release. Seems to me Creative are becoming just another money hungry whore, shame the other Total War games have been very good and had next to no major glitches.
  29. Kristian
    Jun 8, 2009
    5
    For me this game recieves a solid 5. The graphics are good, the gameplay itself is good, though difficult for someone with no gaming skill like myself. Enjoyable, but riddled with bugs and set up issues that have really knocked the rating down for this one.
  30. TuroOraste
    Jul 30, 2009
    5
    Multiplayer features on this game are simply shadows from the TotalWar2. Its also build on steam so you cannot resell the game if your not happy about it. Total War2 was alot better with its features and musics. This one had grafical updates but all armies have the same units.

    Shortly: Empire Total war is 15 gt of laggy crap.
  31. PaulB
    Aug 27, 2009
    6
    Playable and fun, but essentialy a beta version. Some of the standard features of other TW games are ommitted, leaving me feel a little cheated. Luckily the modders are improving this game all the time and patches are available, with more promised.
  32. Highelf
    Aug 30, 2009
    8
    The game itself is great. For the first time the Dutch play their part, and the ships aswell. A few negative points of the game are the following: first of all, Steam. The idea of Steam is great, but it should not be a prior for a game to play... Next, I miss the movies when rakes do their jobs. Luckily, the gentlemen do have the movies when they are duelling. Unfortunately, they are not The game itself is great. For the first time the Dutch play their part, and the ships aswell. A few negative points of the game are the following: first of all, Steam. The idea of Steam is great, but it should not be a prior for a game to play... Next, I miss the movies when rakes do their jobs. Luckily, the gentlemen do have the movies when they are duelling. Unfortunately, they are not able to duel with their eastern counterparts, the scholars...After all, an 8.… Expand
  33. PedroM
    Aug 6, 2009
    10
    JUst simple the best game ive played untill now .Im a number one fan of TW series.Bugs,errors etc we always find in other games to .But the qualitie of the details,uniforms,fields,campaign,naval battles,multiplayer etc just dont have any kind of comparation with any other game ive seen untill today.And im 30 years old i know what im talking about.
  34. Juan
    Sep 11, 2009
    8
    Llevo solamente una semana jugando al Empire. En general es un buen juego, buenos gráficos, pero exije un ordenador muy potente. Parece que la IA ha mejorado un poco, el programa construye buenas unidades y es un poco mas difícil derrotarle en batalla. Tienen que seguir mejorando en diplomacia, sigue siendo muy difícil hacer la paz con naciones muy inferiores que noLlevo solamente una semana jugando al Empire. En general es un buen juego, buenos gráficos, pero exije un ordenador muy potente. Parece que la IA ha mejorado un poco, el programa construye buenas unidades y es un poco mas difícil derrotarle en batalla. Tienen que seguir mejorando en diplomacia, sigue siendo muy difícil hacer la paz con naciones muy inferiores que no tienen prácticamente posibilidades de ganar la guerra.
    El juego me ha dado algún fallo, el juego se cierra (cuando le toca el turno a la confederación iroquesa jugando yo de español tras conquistar Savannah, hacia el turno 15). Hasta ahora no me ha dado mas fallos tras cambiar mi línea estratégica (olvidarme de Savannah).
    Disculpas por no escribir en inglés, me expreso mucho mejor en español.    … Expand
  35. BenW
    Sep 21, 2009
    5
    Uses the same mechanics to control your soldiers as in earlier games , which isnt really any good as in the last games everyone either had a sword , or a bow and arrow and shot over there mates heads , now 60 of your own men unchecked can shoot your entire army in the back. I know you can toggle auto fire off , but in real life , even if i was told to fire at will , id probably not shoot Uses the same mechanics to control your soldiers as in earlier games , which isnt really any good as in the last games everyone either had a sword , or a bow and arrow and shot over there mates heads , now 60 of your own men unchecked can shoot your entire army in the back. I know you can toggle auto fire off , but in real life , even if i was told to fire at will , id probably not shoot every single person in my battalion. Also the game crashes about every 3rd battle. No cheats also sucks , I know people think you shouldnt cheat , but tbh my PC has never complained about me using give_money command in single player in any of the other total war games. Cant see why they thought it needed removing in this installment. I used to enjoy sending 20 cannons into a battle unaided by infantary or cavalry and watch them blow up a few people and then all get wiped out , Not exactly historically acurate, but if i want historical acurracy i wouldnt play computer games to teach me anyway. If they had made the game the same as the old total war games with the gfx and time period this game would of rocked , seems rushed and not ready for the napoleon addon pack they are releasing for it early next year. It has also had 4 patchs since release which dont actually seem to solve the main problems in the game but do address some issues. If you love the old total war games this is worth a look, but id wait until you can find it in the bargin bin rather than dishing out 30 rips for it.… Expand
  36. CedricPereyra
    Sep 30, 2009
    10
    I don't get why you guys have a hard time playing the game... It just takes time and patience to get the controls and all that. The missions and campaigns are really well made and is very rich in storyline. Everything in the land battles looks so awsome!! it looks so realistic!! especially the smokes that come out of the rifles of the infantry and artillery looks incredibly real!!!I don't get why you guys have a hard time playing the game... It just takes time and patience to get the controls and all that. The missions and campaigns are really well made and is very rich in storyline. Everything in the land battles looks so awsome!! it looks so realistic!! especially the smokes that come out of the rifles of the infantry and artillery looks incredibly real!!! and also during sea battles... when you board an enemy ship, It looks awsome! all in all, I would give it a solid 10!!!... wohoo!!… Expand
  37. WilliamB
    Sep 3, 2009
    5
    Graphics are nice if you have a good enough video card! The minimum system requirements are far too low. to play it on those requirements would make the game nearly un-playable. Sea battles are a nice feature. Campaign map is boring and confusing. VERY BUGGY! Not finished.
  38. AndyA
    Sep 6, 2009
    10
    Brilliant game-it has some glitches, the patch helps, (and I am sure more patches to come), but given the flaws it still gets a 10 for pure brilliance! If all games reached this level I would have little social life! An expansion into the 18th century and the Napolionic wars would be great1.
  39. HarryS
    Oct 10, 2009
    10
    Wonderfully thoughtful strategy mechanics and intense, engaging battles. With a vast array of military units and tactics as well as political approaches, Empire is essential for all weathered strategy veterans.
  40. JasonL
    Oct 11, 2009
    8
    Its a great game and even though i cant seem to figure out how to play as the united states on single player its great. The riflemen fire like i expected they would and the battles are more realistic than the other total war games.
  41. MickN
    Oct 1, 2009
    2
    I decided to hold off on reviewing Empire even though I bought it off Steam on release day. It was broken and nearly unplayable on release due to the near total absence of AI opposition. The AI was so bad that it couldn't even land armies off ships. In short, this meant that island nations like the UK were unbeatable when played by the gamer, and worthless when acting as an AII decided to hold off on reviewing Empire even though I bought it off Steam on release day. It was broken and nearly unplayable on release due to the near total absence of AI opposition. The AI was so bad that it couldn't even land armies off ships. In short, this meant that island nations like the UK were unbeatable when played by the gamer, and worthless when acting as an AI opponent.

    Patch 1.4 FINALLY came out after six months, promising to fix the AI. Well, it's still crap. Not as crap on release, but still so utterly useless that it robs any enjoyment the player might have had were the AI even remotely competent.
    It's a slap in the face to the consumer that the game was shipped in such a terrible state, a further slap in the face that the slowly released patches have done little to ameliorate the many problems, and a final slap that CA has decided to devote their efforts into wringing more money out of dupes like me via questionable DLC and worthless expansions like Napoleon.

    Why would I care about Napoleon:TW when the base game is in such a crap state?    … Expand
  42. MikeE
    Oct 10, 2009
    2
    What sham this game turned out to be. Poor performance, bugs out the wazoo, horrific AI and the developer has already given up on to make their next killing with Napolean Total War.
  43. JimmyH
    Oct 12, 2009
    8
    Aside from the slow down during HUGE battles, which really, is only to be expected, this game is incredible. Such depth and tactical diversity means every battle is different. And the naval battles, while confusing at first, add a dimension missing from most games of this nature. Bravo!
  44. Melter
    Oct 14, 2009
    2
    Full price for a beta game? My god i really hope that software law is changed so stuff like this stops happening because if it was the case i would have returned this game within the first day it was terrible. It was worse than a beta game, atleast beta testers dont have to pay to play a game they end up having to tell the devs to fix. I Gave it a 5 due to its sort of turn around since Full price for a beta game? My god i really hope that software law is changed so stuff like this stops happening because if it was the case i would have returned this game within the first day it was terrible. It was worse than a beta game, atleast beta testers dont have to pay to play a game they end up having to tell the devs to fix. I Gave it a 5 due to its sort of turn around since 1.5 but as CA have said themselfs no more major patches coming which is definatly not what this game needs as 1.5 fixed alot of problems but brought new ones to the table as did every other patch they released, you know what im dropping it to a 2 due to CA's pathetic attempt at ''not fixing'' covering up their mistakes. Just to note, If you want a better Meta score CA, make a better bloody game you con-artists.… Expand
  45. samt
    Oct 15, 2009
    4
    I started with shogun total war, which i loved when it came out. Then i jumped on rome total war which i also liked and played alot. This one ETW was hyped up and was suppose to be this great new total war game. Well lets just say i think im done with the total war series after this one. I gave it a 4 cause of its graphics and new battle play with ships which i like, but other then that I started with shogun total war, which i loved when it came out. Then i jumped on rome total war which i also liked and played alot. This one ETW was hyped up and was suppose to be this great new total war game. Well lets just say i think im done with the total war series after this one. I gave it a 4 cause of its graphics and new battle play with ships which i like, but other then that it hasent changed. The multi play is exactly the same which really should be changed, and the AI sucked. It is in the end simply boring!… Expand
  46. SteveM
    Oct 15, 2009
    0
    It looks pretty enough at first. But, despite the fact that my PC significantly exceeds the minimum required spec it crashes constantly making it unplayable. Steam don't care. Their support just fob you off once they have your money and refuse to help after informing you that their subscriber agreement gives them the right to sell you crap and keep your cash.
  47. DiegoE
    Dec 30, 2009
    7
    Entertaining, but far from historically accurate.
  48. alk
    Oct 24, 2009
    6
    A fan since Shogun: TW, I have been following the series since the beginning. But this latest entry was overhyped and was clearly rushed out the door before they finished it (e.g. naval invasions left out on release? Are you kidding me?!). Buggy as hell, even many months after release. Also all factions except for England and France had clearly been left unfinished in terms of unique A fan since Shogun: TW, I have been following the series since the beginning. But this latest entry was overhyped and was clearly rushed out the door before they finished it (e.g. naval invasions left out on release? Are you kidding me?!). Buggy as hell, even many months after release. Also all factions except for England and France had clearly been left unfinished in terms of unique units; note how they have finally released some downloadable units to make up for the poor roster when it first came out: clearly released in an unfinished state. A big minus is that this series is notoriously demanding on the CPU, much more than any modern FPS for example. And yet CA still has not enabled dual-core optimisation! We've seen games use two cores for years now, some even are utilizing quad core tech. Most of these games don't even require that much power, unlike Empire: TW.… Expand
  49. PaulW.
    Oct 2, 2009
    9
    A very good game, more so now that they just released another update. Utterly engrosing when you get into it. I would reccomend any Total War game for those who have yet to try any.
  50. GrahamW.
    Oct 5, 2009
    10
    Fantastic game. Has some glitches but, like a bright sun, it's shine obliterates such a wispy cloud. I was blown away be Shogun, then medieval and then Rome. This game blasts volleys into the enemy while the howitzers shell them from above and your horse await the inevitable route. The historical notes are related to the turning of the years. Beethoven dies and a capacitor is Fantastic game. Has some glitches but, like a bright sun, it's shine obliterates such a wispy cloud. I was blown away be Shogun, then medieval and then Rome. This game blasts volleys into the enemy while the howitzers shell them from above and your horse await the inevitable route. The historical notes are related to the turning of the years. Beethoven dies and a capacitor is discovered. Education fun and an awesome spectacle. I haven't been back to my wargames table since Total War came on the scene.… Expand
  51. GregM.
    Oct 6, 2009
    0
    Horrible bugs, laggy and slow, no ai. They keep trying to sell everything as DLC, where are the patches!!!. Now they trying to sell the exclusive peroder content again. Hello what does exlusive mean you cant sell it again.
  52. SeanH
    Oct 6, 2009
    9
    I've spent hours with the frustrating pre-1.4 versions of Empire, and can say that the game is now, finally, living up to its promise. The crippling AI diplomacy is dramatically improved in the latest version, making the solo-campaign a much more enjoyable experience. Frustrating never-ending wars have been alleviated by AI adjustments that make Peace Treaties much easier to sign, AI I've spent hours with the frustrating pre-1.4 versions of Empire, and can say that the game is now, finally, living up to its promise. The crippling AI diplomacy is dramatically improved in the latest version, making the solo-campaign a much more enjoyable experience. Frustrating never-ending wars have been alleviated by AI adjustments that make Peace Treaties much easier to sign, AI will actually offer Peace Treaties unsolicited when it's in their interest, and micronations no longer declare wars senselessly. The AI is also finally capable of naval invasions -- in my latest English campaign, I actually saw the Martha Confederacy, after subduing the entire Indian subcontinent, drop a full-stack into the European theater. After many months of work, Empire has finally developed into a really spectacular game.… Expand
  53. WalterB.
    Oct 6, 2009
    2
    The game has been entirely unplayable for months due to a crash bug introduced in a patch. The AI was extremely weak when it was playable and instead of fixing the game, they decided to go on and make their next one. I would not recommend this for purchase.
  54. gollum
    Oct 7, 2009
    0
    ETW has been hyped to the stars and one more time it all turned out to be white lies. Not only the game is unstable, buggy and incomplete, but it is simplistic and boring as hell. The only aspect of the game that is good is the visuals, but they can't save the gameplay or alleviate the frustration. CA has become overambitious and probably quite a bit greedy. Patches admittedly fix ETW has been hyped to the stars and one more time it all turned out to be white lies. Not only the game is unstable, buggy and incomplete, but it is simplistic and boring as hell. The only aspect of the game that is good is the visuals, but they can't save the gameplay or alleviate the frustration. CA has become overambitious and probably quite a bit greedy. Patches admittedly fix things, but it is clear that the core gameplay and AI of the game wont change, and they are really really bad both on the campaign and the battles.… Expand
  55. KurtC
    Oct 8, 2009
    7
    Bought this off STEAM, and it's really not worth 50 bucks. They should have priced it for half of what it was worth, because the game itself was incomplete or obsolete. You see, there are so many bugs with the whole game like the AI and the crashes... For example, after I beat the the U.S. Campaign, I started on the Grand Campaign. I picked Great Britain (would've picked the Bought this off STEAM, and it's really not worth 50 bucks. They should have priced it for half of what it was worth, because the game itself was incomplete or obsolete. You see, there are so many bugs with the whole game like the AI and the crashes... For example, after I beat the the U.S. Campaign, I started on the Grand Campaign. I picked Great Britain (would've picked the U.S. but I was disappointed that CA put it in) and I was working my way to conquering the whole world. But one day, on a fateful night, I loaded my game, and did what I always do, and ended my turn. Then, it showed one of my allies sailing to an island, all of a sudden, my game crashed! I launched the game again, and did the same thing, crashed once again. I tried about 20 times but it kept crashing, and finally I reset my computer, hoping that it would fix something but it didn't. So I just stopped playing the game for 2 weeks. I just quit... So one day I decided to get back to it, I launched the game and once I get to the SEGA logo it glitches and keeps repeating "Seeeega, Seega, Seggaaa." Over and over again. So, I re-installed my game, and waited for 2 gruesome hours. I then restarted my computer, and launched the game, and guess what? The problem still existed. I decided to go to the forums, and I looked for a solution that someone might have posted. This person posted a list of instructions to fix the problem similar to mine. So I followed it, I know it could be a trick, but others were saying it work. Desperate, I followed the instructions, and you know what? My game started to work again! I know if all you hardcore gamers picked up this RTS game, you'll hate it and some of you will love it. All I am saying is, never buy a game once it's released... You should read reviews and personal critics from gamers or maybe try the game yourself.… Expand
  56. Matt
    Oct 8, 2009
    10
    The best game on my computer. Yes it does occasionally crash (I have an average computer) but with the good autosave, that's fine, and the amazing gameplay compensates. With patches 1.40-5 this game only got better... i've had it for months and it hasn't got old.
  57. LeeM
    Oct 9, 2009
    1
    The multiplayer side of Total War has gone backwards with Empire total war. - No Lobby -Servers are decentralised -Maps are seen as mod and change the version of your game -Every update brakes mods - Always desynchs -Easy modifiying stats to cheat In conclusion dont bother with this game or the new one they are planing to release as its just a clone with new units.
  58. BubbaNZ
    Oct 9, 2009
    9
    If you didn't already know, ETW is set in the 18th century and combines 4X strategy and real time battles on land and sea. Back in March I gave this game a 6.1. It was a flaccid bugfest that fell far short of its marketing. Felt I had a different version than that given the 'professional review sites.' Writing now in October '09, it's a totally different If you didn't already know, ETW is set in the 18th century and combines 4X strategy and real time battles on land and sea. Back in March I gave this game a 6.1. It was a flaccid bugfest that fell far short of its marketing. Felt I had a different version than that given the 'professional review sites.' Writing now in October '09, it's a totally different experience. Since March it's received 11 (!) patches, including five major ones. Yes, there are still some (minor) problems; yes, arguably CA mishandled the first few months after release. And multiplayer still isn't there. But there's no game that comes close to a CA title in scope and intelligence, period. If you want strategy on a grand scale, this is now the one to beat. The campaign AI is spritely and the battle AI will surprise you. If you've the machine for it, it looks fabulous. There's a reasonable variety of factions. All in all, hundreds of hours of entertainment. BubbaNZ.… Expand
  59. UngoK
    Oct 9, 2009
    0
    The worst game I've played. Horrible AI, bugs, crashes, CTD, blue screen. The magazines' reviewers have obviously decided it best to give this "game" a 10 despite the fact that they never even played it when released. They were obviously bought for this dubious "stellar" rating. This proves there is greed and corruption even in the video game industry. You'd be a fool to The worst game I've played. Horrible AI, bugs, crashes, CTD, blue screen. The magazines' reviewers have obviously decided it best to give this "game" a 10 despite the fact that they never even played it when released. They were obviously bought for this dubious "stellar" rating. This proves there is greed and corruption even in the video game industry. You'd be a fool to rush and buy whatever CA has in store next for you; Napoleon's campaign. The mag reviews forgot to take out the 1 in front of that 0 in exchange for money period. Run for the hills on this one and any future CA releases and give yourself ample time and space whenever you decide what to play next especially coming from CA.… Expand
  60. Bob
    Oct 9, 2009
    3
    Would have been a wonderful game if it wasn't for the bugs. Even the new patch 1.4 doesn't resolve the glaring bugs and massive unresolved instabilities that still are very much present in the game. The game would be worthwhile if the only issue was AI. After all, all the Total War games have AI issues and Empire is no different in this respect. The AI seriously counters my Would have been a wonderful game if it wasn't for the bugs. Even the new patch 1.4 doesn't resolve the glaring bugs and massive unresolved instabilities that still are very much present in the game. The game would be worthwhile if the only issue was AI. After all, all the Total War games have AI issues and Empire is no different in this respect. The AI seriously counters my moves on the battlefield like a massive retard- allowing itself to get flanked and then letting it's melee units sit there for target practice. But the main issue is that it CTDs constantly. I can play about 5-10 moves before the computer simply freezes and program becomes unresponsive. Granted, this is on a monster rig with a GTX 275.… Expand
  61. MarkW
    Mar 11, 2009
    5
    Fantastic game, great concept, graphics are great for a game of this scale. Only problem is that it's entirely in beta format still. It was released too early and has way too many bugs. With extensive patching this game will probably get better. But won't be sure until that time comes. I give it a crashtastic thumbs sideways.
  62. BillWolf
    Mar 11, 2009
    6
    Although the Graphics are spectacular and the Time period is very turbulant,I feel the creators left out some of the best aspects of the series.For example....where are the movies? Spys and Gentelmen are quite boring,and maybe I missed something but I really enjoyed marriage,heir choosing...like in ROME.Also going to a city in battle mode during peacetime was fun,I liked watching the Although the Graphics are spectacular and the Time period is very turbulant,I feel the creators left out some of the best aspects of the series.For example....where are the movies? Spys and Gentelmen are quite boring,and maybe I missed something but I really enjoyed marriage,heir choosing...like in ROME.Also going to a city in battle mode during peacetime was fun,I liked watching the citys grow.It gave a more realistic sence to the gam.I also had to spen a grand on a new PC that could run this LOOONG anticipated game,and its still choppy.I own every copy of the Total War series along with about 500 other games.I will say for now this is my favorite,but for how long....ps it would be nice to see a American Civil War add on for this.… Expand
  63. AlexanderR
    Mar 11, 2009
    0
    I started playing Total War with Shogun, and i missed no TW-Game or Addon. I love Empire. But STEAM sucks, the game is not more than a beta, and they apply more and more broken patches (to the german version) via Steam. If they get it fixed anyway, the game should have a 10. But actually its worth nothing...
  64. MarkT
    Mar 11, 2009
    10
    Initial experience of this game, the Road to Independence game, is truly magnificent. The gameplay is even better than the tremendous MTW2 and RTW. The setting - of which I was skeptical - is a great breath of fresh air. Muskets change things! Must have for gamers and students of the C18 alike.
  65. ArthurW
    Mar 11, 2009
    3
    A Fantastic White elephant, CA have done it again all right. A beautiful addictive game with serious, Major AI flaws. No AI seaborne invasions? In an empire game? Pathfinding Issues, Factions building entire Milita Armies. I don't know why I'm surprised exact same issues were had with every other of their releases. Once again it will be left to the mods to fix. and for ruining A Fantastic White elephant, CA have done it again all right. A beautiful addictive game with serious, Major AI flaws. No AI seaborne invasions? In an empire game? Pathfinding Issues, Factions building entire Milita Armies. I don't know why I'm surprised exact same issues were had with every other of their releases. Once again it will be left to the mods to fix. and for ruining the game with a Steam update I give 3/10 I'm off to play Catan again - forget this techology rubbish for a while.… Expand
  66. Garysomeone
    Mar 12, 2009
    5
    This game is a peice of junk at the moment....i was, like many others, looking forward to playing, but after hours of playing i have come to the conclusion...... its, for want of a better worg crap........... the only thing i like are the landscapes but.... what!!!! here's one, a limbering and unlimbering of cannons... sometimes they wont and just sit there unliber and fire... no This game is a peice of junk at the moment....i was, like many others, looking forward to playing, but after hours of playing i have come to the conclusion...... its, for want of a better worg crap........... the only thing i like are the landscapes but.... what!!!! here's one, a limbering and unlimbering of cannons... sometimes they wont and just sit there unliber and fire... no they just move a little or do nothing or better still gallop towards the enemy and die. The AI is even worse than what it was in medievel.... i mean like they just bunch up and fire... No nice straight lines! The skins are crap...... CA what have you done? a boring experience, and i for one cannot wait untill the modders do their magic and lift this game out the gutter, as i for one, have thought about throwing it there. how on erath this got a 94 in pc magazines is beyond me totally, the guys who reviewed must of got "you know the funny handshake" cos really come on, it is not what we all hoped for is it, or expected! even our worsed preconceptions have been overshadowed by this sorry attempt for a next gen? WTF....... CA suck.… Expand
  67. SidM
    Mar 12, 2009
    3
    I have been a Total War fan since shogun and enjoyed every release of the series until this one, which is a shame as I was very ,very keen to play this era. I hate Steam. It is irritating to have to play through it. I hate it with a passion and it has ruined any positives the game held for me. Get rid of it. Then there's the game itself, which looks great but plays very clumsily, sea I have been a Total War fan since shogun and enjoyed every release of the series until this one, which is a shame as I was very ,very keen to play this era. I hate Steam. It is irritating to have to play through it. I hate it with a passion and it has ruined any positives the game held for me. Get rid of it. Then there's the game itself, which looks great but plays very clumsily, sea battles being a nice addition but with a tendency to get messy very quickly, with lots of micro management. Not to mention the bugs with certain ship types.... Land battles just lack excitement, particularly sieges. There's just no tension whatsoever. Then there's poor AI path finding, annoying formation movement, and a severe lack of diversity of land divisions. Also, is it just me or is shooting accuracy generally useless. And what happened to volley fire? Why don't those Cherokee's turn tail and flee when they get hit in the face with a wall of lead? It just gets boring after a while. You just don't get a sense of guns being decisive in battle. Oh but wait, then it just gets plain irritating - constant crashes, slow downs and infinitely long times waiting for turns to cylce through! Diplomatic relations are almost not worth pursuing, although at least allies don't tend to turn on you at the drop of a hat. Historical Accuracy is poor, but thats not that big a deal because we'll get some modders to create an empire total realism later on right? oh no wait !we can't anymore because of ... Steam. I really, really, hate steam. It just ruins the game for me. On the plus side, the research/tech tree idea is very positive, national politics are a little more developed which is a nice touch, and yes the feeling of ripping through an enemy ship with a broadside of a 1st rate is exhilarating... but its not enough to make me stay up all night playing as I used to with Rome or MTW. Really guys, there are so few great games out there and you managed to completely ruin what promised to be the best.… Expand
  68. GordonM
    Mar 12, 2009
    7
    It's a Total War game, and has many of the things that I enjoyed in the previous games. It added sea battles, tech trees, and a map/settlement style that is arguably better than the old one. There are big problems, though. The AI is bad, the game is buggy, the units are too similar (a fault of the era, not the developers), and major factions can be wiped out in the first few turns It's a Total War game, and has many of the things that I enjoyed in the previous games. It added sea battles, tech trees, and a map/settlement style that is arguably better than the old one. There are big problems, though. The AI is bad, the game is buggy, the units are too similar (a fault of the era, not the developers), and major factions can be wiped out in the first few turns with incredible ease. Oh, and you don't need to worry about the AI landing a fleet behind your front lines and taking a settlement. They won't try, ever. No need to keep any troops on an island.… Expand
  69. LinB
    Mar 12, 2009
    4
    If I could get this game actually installed on my computer it might be as good as the other Total War Games I have . I have been trying to install this through steam for the last 24 hours trying several times per hour to install it ,am extreemly let down having paid my hard earned money to purchase this game $110 AU and being excited by its release has now been replaced with disappointment.
  70. RuudH
    Mar 12, 2009
    7
    In the broader picture this game reveals a gap between critics and the wider audience of "normal" people who play the game. The scores from the critics seem to be made on a future potential of the game, not the actually released product. And that is what we will be playing with absolute guarantee, not the possible (thus possibly never) version it could be. And about that. It's a very In the broader picture this game reveals a gap between critics and the wider audience of "normal" people who play the game. The scores from the critics seem to be made on a future potential of the game, not the actually released product. And that is what we will be playing with absolute guarantee, not the possible (thus possibly never) version it could be. And about that. It's a very frustrating game! You can taste the potential at every aspect, in every minute you're playing. But it never becomes what you expect it to be! The AI, pathfinding and loading times are the biggest drawbacks. You'll find yourself winning battles by exploitations you don't want to exploit, losing battles because your units take irrational never-ordered paths, the enemy being either overly passive or downright mental by walking straight into your cannon fire. And then i'm not even talking about the impatient frustration because of the time you'll be waiting whilst looking at the loading screen (even on my quadcore, 3GB RAM and Gforce 8800GTX). And those are just the flaws on the battle map. Mind you, the big flaws, followed by many minor ones (i.e. losing a few men because your cannon decides to unpack and shoot at the enemy in the middle of a infantry unit, even though you gave orders to do otherwise). The campaign section of the game isn't bothered by as many bugs as the battle section but there are a few very annoying ones nonetheless. First and foremost; the AI. There is no synergy between land and sea coördination at all, a fatal flaw for the time period portayed in the game. Secondly, the AI will wait for you to come to them most of the time, and shows no actual strategy (mind you, this is a STRATEGY game) when it is on the offense. The other major fault of the campaign is, also, the loading time between turns. A minute at best, several minutes most of the time. It can be truly frustrating to have to wait so long everytime to see your well laid plans come to fruition or you just want to see how a certain war between two AI's develops. It totally takes the pace out of the game. The campaign loading times might be okay if i could fill the turns with statisfying real-time battles but, as mentioned earlier, these are more frustrating. When you put it all together the main pro for this game is that you can taste what it could be, it makes you desire an awesome strategy game. But it just isn't. And that leaves more frustration then pleasure. Barely.… Expand
  71. JamesD
    Mar 13, 2009
    9
    I broke out in cold sweats when I heard about this release. The TW series re-supplies it's position in the battle of the top PC strategy series of all time(CIV's got a blackeye from its PC3 release and close combat is obviously on R and R, sorry Sim fans but nup). I upgraded my computer to deal with this game so I'm a little dissappointed about the "fear of crash" that has I broke out in cold sweats when I heard about this release. The TW series re-supplies it's position in the battle of the top PC strategy series of all time(CIV's got a blackeye from its PC3 release and close combat is obviously on R and R, sorry Sim fans but nup). I upgraded my computer to deal with this game so I'm a little dissappointed about the "fear of crash" that has never been an issue for me. And what's all the fuss with steam anyway? I don't pretend to know anything about computers but that's why we have IT departments right? If your hobby is fixing programming then moan elsewhere because they've got the fundamentals right (although I haven't finished it and if the end sequence isn't a little rewarding criticism will be forthcoming). So pop quiz, can anyone develop realistic diplomacy for the inner Machavelli? Evidentally not. No Austria I'm not giving it back, get over it. I've never played multiplayer ever (as I said I'm no Einstein) but I think the programmers have tried to icrease the "fluidity" of the battle field. Bugs aside the march and counter march should play a greater role both in the strategic and tactical maps for humans. Maybe??? The kids got an 8.9 in my book, lets see how it develops.… Expand
  72. FredF
    Mar 13, 2009
    6
    It boggles the mind how anyone gives this game a 10 unless they are completely new to PC gaming. Lets ignore steam and the CTD style bugs. Lets just talk about gameplay. ETW seems awsome for the first few turns, and very pretty. Then you figure out the AI is NOT improved, Forts are amazingly bugged, the battlefield pathfinding is the worst in ANY TW game to date (and I've played them It boggles the mind how anyone gives this game a 10 unless they are completely new to PC gaming. Lets ignore steam and the CTD style bugs. Lets just talk about gameplay. ETW seems awsome for the first few turns, and very pretty. Then you figure out the AI is NOT improved, Forts are amazingly bugged, the battlefield pathfinding is the worst in ANY TW game to date (and I've played them all). There are just SO many bugs in the GC its really not worth my time to mention each one, the biggest one is that the AI doesn't move troops by ships, yet the game includes india and the americas, I hope you see the problem with that. If you want to play a TW game do yourself a favor. Get Rome or M2, download the patches, download the good mods like Rome Total Realism, for the Stainless Steel mod for M2TW, and enjoy the game. Wait a year at least for this one.… Expand
  73. AnonymousMC
    Mar 15, 2009
    7
    -game is very demanding of sytem resources
    -many graphics glitches
    -painfully slow load times -battles: graphics on zoomed units are great, but realistically you will see most of the battle as blocks of ants with flags over their heads marching around. painfully slow at times -i thought this game would replace civ 4 for me. sadly, i still choose to fire up civ 4 instead. -i can see    -game is very demanding of sytem resources
    -many graphics glitches
    -painfully slow load times
    -battles: graphics on zoomed units are great, but realistically you will see most of the battle as blocks of ants with flags over their heads marching around. painfully slow at times
    -i thought this game would replace civ 4 for me. sadly, i still choose to fire up civ 4 instead.
    -i can see how this game would appeal to some people, but it is not for everyone, in spite of the very high praise it has received    … Expand
  74. jan
    Mar 15, 2009
    9
    Wow!! trully i think this is the best from all strategy games and more. This games has everything, and atlast we can control navy battles. This is a huge improvement to total war games and sega. just to point out that i have found some mistakes in the game which are 1. In navy battles when you board ship the the sailors that jump across somehow jump huge distances like planet of the Wow!! trully i think this is the best from all strategy games and more. This games has everything, and atlast we can control navy battles. This is a huge improvement to total war games and sega. just to point out that i have found some mistakes in the game which are 1. In navy battles when you board ship the the sailors that jump across somehow jump huge distances like planet of the apes!! 2. Theres not alot of factions too choose from. 3. You need an excellent computer!!… Expand
  75. HarryC
    Mar 16, 2009
    5
    Total War has recently adopted Steam, an unreliable sensitive piece of rubbish that safely removed any enjoyment of the game, I fervently hope that TW decide to remove it any future releases! Once I finally got it installed on Steam (an arduous task indeed) I was impressed by the fantastic graphics and new features. Unfortunately TW seems to have not committed to scenarios or single Total War has recently adopted Steam, an unreliable sensitive piece of rubbish that safely removed any enjoyment of the game, I fervently hope that TW decide to remove it any future releases! Once I finally got it installed on Steam (an arduous task indeed) I was impressed by the fantastic graphics and new features. Unfortunately TW seems to have not committed to scenarios or single player battles, the set ups both limited and unsatisfying, unlike in M2TW. The addition of technology is surprisingly good, this idea normally falls short, but it is developed and interesting. Turn-changing is still woefully slow, land battles seem to still rely on scrums and diplomacy remains edgy. Add that to crashes, jerkiness and steam and I'm one disappointed fan. The addition of Naval combat is great with wonderful detail and ships bristling with action, although large scale battles are absurdly hard with the micromanagement of broadsides verging on insane. The units are fantastic, the history is accurate and the extra platforms in America and India are superb if a little confusing when it comes to trade. All in all, although TW has retained much of its prestige on the battle map, it's let itself down with new features like Steam and an excess in micromanagement. A pity for us fans although still definitely worth playing if you can get past the wall of steam.… Expand
  76. AnonymousMC
    Mar 18, 2009
    9
    I have only had one crash and it was my own error so anyone complaining about lag probably has something slowing their computer so Empire can't run properly. I gave this a 9/10 mainly because the only problem i have with the game is the AI. I have medium graphics and the game runs beautifully. I'd like more playable factions like the minor nations but compared to all the otherI have only had one crash and it was my own error so anyone complaining about lag probably has something slowing their computer so Empire can't run properly. I gave this a 9/10 mainly because the only problem i have with the game is the AI. I have medium graphics and the game runs beautifully. I'd like more playable factions like the minor nations but compared to all the other strategy games out there this is by far the best. Too many people are critical because of the hype this game received before it was released and need to realize no game will be perfect and if you're THAT upset with the AI not being smart, up the difficulty and then show me proof it's still too easy to route the enemy. Best total war game so far!… Expand
  77. H.L
    Mar 10, 2009
    8
    My initial nostalgia for this game has worn off now after 30hrs. The game is still rather buggy and had some kinks it needs to work out before it can even consider being great. The most frustrating bug is occasionally trade ships sitting in a trade port will essentially disappear. There are also a few game play issues that need to be sorted out as well. Like when a flag carrier is killed My initial nostalgia for this game has worn off now after 30hrs. The game is still rather buggy and had some kinks it needs to work out before it can even consider being great. The most frustrating bug is occasionally trade ships sitting in a trade port will essentially disappear. There are also a few game play issues that need to be sorted out as well. Like when a flag carrier is killed no one picks the flag up. Also England is disproportionately stacked (no suprise it was developed in England). The trade zones are a cool concept but it would be even better if these were actual zones you could settle. Also no Asia, WTF!?!? I played as the Dutch and one of the monopolies the Dutch had was Japan but its not in the game, neither is Hong Kong. Would also like the play as Portugal, but can't. Also complete lack of diversity among countries it all feels the same playing as a different country. Same units, minor exceptions, and same tech tree. Also same buildings, again a few minor exceptions. I might have been expecting more, and it still is a good game, but I was a little let down.… Expand
  78. MajorP.
    Mar 20, 2009
    9
    So I loved rome. In fact I had Empire, turned it on and then turned it off. Slow. Tricky new stuff. Etc. Then I went back, went a little slow and went nuts. Wow! Its like watching a movie. Its crazy. Sooo good. Sure the ai can lame out. And yes they need to patch the ui so its snap snap fast... but... the stategic game is deep Very, and the land battle rule. Seeing a line of troops run So I loved rome. In fact I had Empire, turned it on and then turned it off. Slow. Tricky new stuff. Etc. Then I went back, went a little slow and went nuts. Wow! Its like watching a movie. Its crazy. Sooo good. Sure the ai can lame out. And yes they need to patch the ui so its snap snap fast... but... the stategic game is deep Very, and the land battle rule. Seeing a line of troops run into a building and start going h to h is amazing. in fact I'd stand and cheer but I'm busy playing. I love this game. MP… Expand
  79. JennyS.
    Mar 22, 2009
    2
    Ok, so this game is unfinished crap basically. Not just the bugs and performance issues but other more serious gameplay issues as well. Pathfinding for one, it probably features some of the worst pathfinding in a game ever. What's the deal with not being able to place formations next to objects in battles? And fort combat is simply hilarious, you're actually in a disadvantage as Ok, so this game is unfinished crap basically. Not just the bugs and performance issues but other more serious gameplay issues as well. Pathfinding for one, it probably features some of the worst pathfinding in a game ever. What's the deal with not being able to place formations next to objects in battles? And fort combat is simply hilarious, you're actually in a disadvantage as a defender since your buggy tropps CANT FIRE OVER THE WALLS EFFICIENTLY!… Expand
  80. Tom
    Mar 20, 2009
    6
    Buggy console games are sometimes expected, as they often have to be converted to work across multiple consoles with different coding. PC games however should be flawless upon release as their generally made for the one OS. Despite the 1 month delay in release Empire total war had and still has a number of bugs upon release and after the lacking patch. It is not to much to expect a Buggy console games are sometimes expected, as they often have to be converted to work across multiple consoles with different coding. PC games however should be flawless upon release as their generally made for the one OS. Despite the 1 month delay in release Empire total war had and still has a number of bugs upon release and after the lacking patch. It is not to much to expect a product you spent $140.00 on to be flawless, or at the very least to prevent it from crashing multiple times in one sitting, if console gaming can do it then why can't PC gaming?… Expand
  81. AaronL
    Mar 26, 2009
    0
    A game can have the best graphics, and the best gameplay in the world, and it wouldn't matter one bit if it was too buggy to play. Zero is what I give this game because it's just not a finished product and the grand campaign (single player side of the game) isn't playable. I waited for a patch to clear it up, and it actually made it worse. Boooooooooooo!
  82. BillB
    Mar 27, 2009
    6
    Unstable! Very happy with gameplay. I just wish i didn't have to abandon a campaign or replay a single battle four-five times before the game will allow me to save progress without crashing. Right now I am stuck in a loop where all the hours i have put into the current campaign will be lost because the game always crashes after this particular battle.
  83. dirk0815
    Mar 28, 2009
    3
    Sorry for my poor English first (I come from Germany): After installation (almost 30 minutes), I've waited again about 40 minutes (because of the steam updates and fixes) until to start the game first. After 1-2 minutes it crashed. It is stressful to play it and my computer is not the oldest one. So I think this game is released to the market although the producer knows the gaps and Sorry for my poor English first (I come from Germany): After installation (almost 30 minutes), I've waited again about 40 minutes (because of the steam updates and fixes) until to start the game first. After 1-2 minutes it crashed. It is stressful to play it and my computer is not the oldest one. So I think this game is released to the market although the producer knows the gaps and errors. On the other hand I don't know what datasets of me and my computer are sent throught the internet with this steam account. I'll never accept in future this kind of software installation again. Sorry, but I can't comprehend this business model.… Expand
  84. KevinN
    Mar 31, 2009
    2
    The official review score is a total shame. The gamer's review score is closer to reality and it should even be a much lower score. Same old philosoply coming from Sega is a real disappointment. Selling an unfinished product is totally unacceptable. The game is a bug in itself. It will mess up your computer and slow down anything you do with it. Looking at the so called "reviews" The official review score is a total shame. The gamer's review score is closer to reality and it should even be a much lower score. Same old philosoply coming from Sega is a real disappointment. Selling an unfinished product is totally unacceptable. The game is a bug in itself. It will mess up your computer and slow down anything you do with it. Looking at the so called "reviews" from the official reviewers like gamespy makes me want to throw up on them. I'm proud to say that I never supported gamespy and will ONLY support them when they stop this nonsense "review". DO NOT buy this and support only publishers who deliver a product that works. Boycotting should be the name of gamer's game from this point on.… Expand
  85. ErikP.
    Mar 30, 2009
    5
    This game was actually a step down from the Total War series in every way except graphics. The game engine and interface were both simpler than Medieval II and Rome. It would seem that CA spends its time and money on graphical magic instead of a game that works and is fun to play. Lets not forget that in the world of gaming, graphics and a streamlined use interface really only affect how This game was actually a step down from the Total War series in every way except graphics. The game engine and interface were both simpler than Medieval II and Rome. It would seem that CA spends its time and money on graphical magic instead of a game that works and is fun to play. Lets not forget that in the world of gaming, graphics and a streamlined use interface really only affect how the game LOOKS. What people spend their money on to a large degree is how it PLAYS. CA and many other developers understand that making a game LOOK good is a great way to get a high metascore from reviewers, making it PLAY equally well is apparently just too much to ask any more. In this title, CA has actually backed off of functionalities and complexities that made Rome: Total War, and Medieval II: Total War great games. They have produced a disappointment, and have fallen well short of my standards, as well as their own.… Expand
  86. JohnR.
    Mar 3, 2009
    2
    Steam is a steaming great t**d. All the effort at making a game that could sprint of into the halls of fame and they go and chain it to a wall of useless! Steam crashes, it irritates, it dictates and makes you wonder if Empire: Totalwar is worth the hell. Some say yes, I say I can live without it as cons outway the benefits of playing an otherwise polished game with only minor faults to Steam is a steaming great t**d. All the effort at making a game that could sprint of into the halls of fame and they go and chain it to a wall of useless! Steam crashes, it irritates, it dictates and makes you wonder if Empire: Totalwar is worth the hell. Some say yes, I say I can live without it as cons outway the benefits of playing an otherwise polished game with only minor faults to gameplay. Steam has left me fuming.… Expand
  87. drewc
    Mar 30, 2009
    5
    In the long term, multiple patches will be needed to make the game viable and replayable. The game is plagued with inordinate amounts of lag at times, frequent crashes to desktop, and full of bugs (as is usual with total war games). At the end of the day, a range of problems, some of which are major, dramatically hold back what would otherwise be a spectacular game.
  88. NathenS.
    Mar 3, 2009
    10
    This game is truly an amazing feat from Total War it was everything I expected it too be! Even better I was never a huge strategy fan of these styles they just weren't nearly as interactive in strategy like the Total War series. Seriously I feel any gamer will enjoy this game beyond anything else too date! I was somewhat irritated by another critics review saying the computer feels This game is truly an amazing feat from Total War it was everything I expected it too be! Even better I was never a huge strategy fan of these styles they just weren't nearly as interactive in strategy like the Total War series. Seriously I feel any gamer will enjoy this game beyond anything else too date! I was somewhat irritated by another critics review saying the computer feels to passive. Well reason being is more than likely the difficulty you set and your Empires rateing in terms of technology and other advancements obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion but I hope these things are taken into consideration!… Expand
  89. SamuelW
    Mar 30, 2009
    10
    I haven't noticed any of these 'bugs', strange! I've enjoyed every single minute I've played. The campaign is amazing, the introduction of multiple towns and resource centres within a province are neat too. Multiplayer is great too, although it would be nice if more maps were introduced for 2vs2 and up. (There are plenty of 1vs1 maps)... All-in-all Empire comes I haven't noticed any of these 'bugs', strange! I've enjoyed every single minute I've played. The campaign is amazing, the introduction of multiple towns and resource centres within a province are neat too. Multiplayer is great too, although it would be nice if more maps were introduced for 2vs2 and up. (There are plenty of 1vs1 maps)... All-in-all Empire comes very close to the amazing game that is Rome: Total War, and is possible even on par with it. This game is truly awesome, I've spent countless hours on it (about 50 so far, and I'm a little more than a quarter through my first campaign). Very entertaining!… Expand
  90. ChrisB
    Mar 30, 2009
    5
    Agree with all below, will be a great game when finnished. Really needs the M2TW/ Kingdoms detail, towns are poor. Invaded Paris and it looked like a small hamlet - no history in the layout at all. Battles are always in green fields even when standing on a bridge on the campaign map!! Come on guys you are better than this look at the detail in Kingdoms for a lead.
  91. MrAngry
    Mar 4, 2009
    5
    I was lucky enough to play this game on a friends PC that by some act of god allowed him to download patch from steam and play it. Tha game its self is amazing and i would normally give this a high score and recomend. However i am so discusseded that my own copy won't load due to steam and that their was cleaerly no scale test to check steam would work with high volume at launch that I was lucky enough to play this game on a friends PC that by some act of god allowed him to download patch from steam and play it. Tha game its self is amazing and i would normally give this a high score and recomend. However i am so discusseded that my own copy won't load due to steam and that their was cleaerly no scale test to check steam would work with high volume at launch that i am almost at the point of returning the game and getting a refund. Yes this rant is about steam not the game but the two come together without a choice. DON'T BUY THIS GAME YET wait until the rush is over and steam is fixed....or be very disappointed!… Expand
  92. SteveG
    Mar 4, 2009
    10
    Magnificent. I was very concerned with the demo i played on steam not two days before my purchase, load times were gigantic, the game looked and ran very poorly on my computer, the ai was unresponsive and unintelligent, the sounds were repetitive and buggy, indeed i thought i was headed straight for buyers remorse. But after buying and playing the full version for a few hours now, i am Magnificent. I was very concerned with the demo i played on steam not two days before my purchase, load times were gigantic, the game looked and ran very poorly on my computer, the ai was unresponsive and unintelligent, the sounds were repetitive and buggy, indeed i thought i was headed straight for buyers remorse. But after buying and playing the full version for a few hours now, i am anything but disappointed. I found NONE of the problems i experienced in the demo, and it become more apparent to me with each passing minute, that this is the total war game to end all total war games. Every expectation i had for this game was either met or exceeded. There is so much to do on the campaign map, and both land a sea battles are exciting, and extremely tactical. Not to mention the game looks incredible. I have yet to scratch the surface of this wonderful, wonderful game, and i believe it will provide me with more hours of entertainment than both rome and medieval 2 total war combined. My only complaint is that it took some tweaking with the settings to get it to run smoothly on large battles, but i am very pleased with the looks and performance on my 2-year old computer.… Expand
  93. GarethK
    Mar 4, 2009
    10
    Best Total War Yet! The Grand Campaign is Slightly Daunting at first with many changes from previous Total War games, however when you understand all the features and get used to all the Interface windows, the game becomes one of the best turn-based strategy games. You can also play the road to interdependence, a structured campaign that will guide you through playing the game, so this is Best Total War Yet! The Grand Campaign is Slightly Daunting at first with many changes from previous Total War games, however when you understand all the features and get used to all the Interface windows, the game becomes one of the best turn-based strategy games. You can also play the road to interdependence, a structured campaign that will guide you through playing the game, so this is the best place to start. The AI is improved, the separation of each of the three 'theatres" is great, I also love the separation of buildings from a single city in a region to multiple docks, towns, farms and other places, the management of all of this is made easy with a very informative and intuitive Interface. The scale and the size of the Campaign map combined with the amount of factions is absolutely great! Naval battles are a great addition to the land battles and really add some variety to the RTS aspect of the game. The requirement of steam isn't so bad; most experienced gamers should be used to Steam and have no problems. The additional features of steam are great with Automatic Updates, Backups, in-game Web Browser, Friends/Community management as well as the ability to install it on any pc without the disks is great. The Publishers need some form of DRM, so now steam is becoming the normal now and it is far better than SecuROM or any other protection, only issue is you NEED and internet connection to activate the game, after which you can play off-line without any problems. I would recommend this game to anyone, in particular Strategy fans should absolutely love Empire: Total War.… Expand
  94. DerekB
    Mar 4, 2009
    9
    Great game so far -- the scope of it is a little intimidating, but the UI has been implemented quite well and have simplified things from previous TW games without losing any of the grandeur. This is my favourite time period of military history and CA has not disappointed with its implementations. Breaking a cavalry charge and then rolling up their lines with your own charge sends Great game so far -- the scope of it is a little intimidating, but the UI has been implemented quite well and have simplified things from previous TW games without losing any of the grandeur. This is my favourite time period of military history and CA has not disappointed with its implementations. Breaking a cavalry charge and then rolling up their lines with your own charge sends shivers. To the reviewer "John R.:" I fail to see how giving Empire: TW a 2 when you real complain is with Steam is in anyway constructive.… Expand
  95. JohnH.
    Mar 5, 2009
    10
    Empire Total War is in no way bogged down or ruined by Steam. Steam runs fine for me, has no bugs or issues i cant fix. Empire is a great game that lasts a long time and is unlike many other generic RTS games out right now, which is a good thing. AI is much improved over other Total War games and is a challenge to beat, especially in naval battles. The graphics are great and the new story Empire Total War is in no way bogged down or ruined by Steam. Steam runs fine for me, has no bugs or issues i cant fix. Empire is a great game that lasts a long time and is unlike many other generic RTS games out right now, which is a good thing. AI is much improved over other Total War games and is a challenge to beat, especially in naval battles. The graphics are great and the new story telling features and campaigns make this game a must have.… Expand
  96. JaredD
    Mar 5, 2009
    10
    This is the best game I've played in a long while. The naval battles are as fun to play as they are to watch, and challenging on top of that. The battle AI is much improved over Total War games in the past; it seems to actually respond to changing situations and redirect its plans mid-battle. The new interface is streamlined so that it is much easier to manage, especially when you This is the best game I've played in a long while. The naval battles are as fun to play as they are to watch, and challenging on top of that. The battle AI is much improved over Total War games in the past; it seems to actually respond to changing situations and redirect its plans mid-battle. The new interface is streamlined so that it is much easier to manage, especially when you start gaining more territory. The only real problems I've had with the game come from Steam, which is a separate issue altogether.… Expand
  97. JosephJ
    Mar 5, 2009
    10
    John. R and all other steam haters, if you don't like steam, learn to get up, walk to the store, and buy the disc like us old folks still do! Live in the middle of nowhere? Buy the disc online, and actually have the...dare I mention it...patience for it to arrive at your door. As far as the game goes, Empire doesn't disappoint. Total War games keep getting better and better, and John. R and all other steam haters, if you don't like steam, learn to get up, walk to the store, and buy the disc like us old folks still do! Live in the middle of nowhere? Buy the disc online, and actually have the...dare I mention it...patience for it to arrive at your door. As far as the game goes, Empire doesn't disappoint. Total War games keep getting better and better, and this is no exception. Welcome to the gunpowder age people! Also, I bought and play this game through steam, and I have never had any trouble with the steam app ever, and I'm talking all the way back to 2004.… Expand
  98. BrettD
    Mar 5, 2009
    10
    Giving this game a poor review simply based on the fact that you have issue with the Steam client is utterly ridiculous. Having not played the game at all, you are not rating the game, but rating Steam. With that said, it is people like you, John R., that cause inaccuracies in rating review systems. You remind me of all the reviewers on NewEgg who buy new computer parts and give them a 1 Giving this game a poor review simply based on the fact that you have issue with the Steam client is utterly ridiculous. Having not played the game at all, you are not rating the game, but rating Steam. With that said, it is people like you, John R., that cause inaccuracies in rating review systems. You remind me of all the reviewers on NewEgg who buy new computer parts and give them a 1 out of 5 because UPS didn't deliver them on time. Makes no sense at all and is very ignorant to say.… Expand
  99. StuartV
    Mar 5, 2009
    10
    Please can people stop saying it's crap due to Steam, neither me nor any of my friends with the game suffered any problems with Steam, you cannot slag Empire off for something that a) Is pretty irrelevant to almost all of the game and b) Works perfectly well for most people. Just because you have happened to have a bad experience with Steam does not make the game bad.
  100. ChrisD
    Mar 5, 2009
    10
    One of the best RTS's I've played; each game in the Total War series becomes a more polished and exhilarating experience. Few things are more satisfying than watching a line of infantry unleash a volley at the enemy. As for the comment about Steam, I love the service and wish each game I purchased had Steam functionality; its a great way to stay connected with friends and allows One of the best RTS's I've played; each game in the Total War series becomes a more polished and exhilarating experience. Few things are more satisfying than watching a line of infantry unleash a volley at the enemy. As for the comment about Steam, I love the service and wish each game I purchased had Steam functionality; its a great way to stay connected with friends and allows for ease of updating and multiplayer matchmaking that many non-Steam games deserve.… 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.
    Read full review
  3. InsideGamer.nl
    93
    This is the best Total War game thanks to all the little tweaks. Sometimes little differences make a good game great. The battles ask of you that you think more about your actions and managing your empire never was easier. The sea battles are fun to watch, but are a little hard to control. Nevertheless, Empire: Total War is a game that can make you forget about the time.
    Read full review
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