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. Alex
    Mar 5, 2009
    10
    A simply incredible game! The best I have played in a long long time. If you love strategy games and/or TW games you will love this one! The campaign map is more complex than all of the other games combined, and turns can now take hours to complete. With the addition of new theaters of war and trading theaters every move has to be made so carefully! There are also the addition of naval A simply incredible game! The best I have played in a long long time. If you love strategy games and/or TW games you will love this one! The campaign map is more complex than all of the other games combined, and turns can now take hours to complete. With the addition of new theaters of war and trading theaters every move has to be made so carefully! There are also the addition of naval battles now - they look great and play really well. The land battles are out of this world (both in strategy and visuals). The AI is also much improved on previous games, although there could still be some improvements. Further, with the addition of Steam you can quickly join multiplayer battles...the game is also automatically updated! Worth every penny (especially for the replay value - every nation has a completely different strategy on the campaign map).… Expand
  2. [Anonymous]
    Mar 6, 2009
    10
    This is definitely the most immersive and realistic real-time strategy game that I have played to date. The graphics aren't anything groundbreaking, but for such a grand-scale RTS such as itself, I'd say they're outstanding. The sound is exceptional, and the gameplay itself is a bit of a learning curve, but very easy to master. The grand campaign is easier to play, with This is definitely the most immersive and realistic real-time strategy game that I have played to date. The graphics aren't anything groundbreaking, but for such a grand-scale RTS such as itself, I'd say they're outstanding. The sound is exceptional, and the gameplay itself is a bit of a learning curve, but very easy to master. The grand campaign is easier to play, with many things being scaled down in easy-to-use and easy to access format, with some new and fantastic features, like a government policy screen to control all taxes for various groups of people, as well as a diplomacy screen for easy trade and negotiations without having to send a diplomat clear to the other side of the world. Naval battles are also a visually stunning and awe-inspiring approach to a new system of combat for RTS'. However, every game has its flaws, and Empire is no exception. Don't make this ruin it though-because the flaws are few, and I foresee them being easily patched in the near future. I found the game's AI to be way too confused when playing in single player. In battles, the AI never rests defensive unless you're playing a siege map, and they always scatter around like headless chickens facing certain doom. Naval battles are extremely clunky, with it being difficult to individually manage more than 4 ships manually, and if you rely on the auto-fire, you'll be in a world of hurt, with ships sitting dormant whilst moving from side to side, trying to figure out the best direction to a target. There are graphical glitches at times, too, such as when I attempted boarding an enemy ship and the offending ship went clear into the defending ship's interior-but this only happened once. I've found the sound to fade out a few times and then return to normal, but I'm sure this will be fixed in a patch. Flaws notwithstanding, this game receives a perfect score. It's definitely not for people who are impatient and like to charge at everything in sight immediately. I'm actually finding books on battlefield tactics, such as Napoleon's Art of War (Yes, he wrote one too), to be extremely useful in conquering the enemy. I'm completely amazed that a game offers enough realism to be able to take references from history to use as tools for a video game. Speaking of history, the grand campaign offers amazing historical information, as well as occasional discoveries (or at least they were back in the day) corresponding with the appropriate year, such as the first effective smallpox treatment and the use of three basic colors to print the first color picture on a printing press. Empire: Total War is the game for any [military] history buff or for anyone who loves challenges. It offers rich backgrounds to everything, vivid visual detail, and unparalleled realism. You'll find yourself immersed just watching the crew diving off of the ship as it sinks from enemy cannon-fire, or staring at your line-men as they raise their muskets and disappear in a cloud of smoke as the approaching French troops' lines diminish. This game is a must-have, and I know I'll be playing it for years to come.… Expand
  3. AdolfH
    Mar 6, 2009
    9
    EmpireTW is definetly a strategy game, the first few missions you might not have to think but after that you better get your thinking cap on and bunker down with some chips and beer cause your gonna be replaying alot of missions. Reminds me of the first time I played COH, just relax and think lol. Good graphics and runs smooth even on my semi-old puter, except for when you go in close to EmpireTW is definetly a strategy game, the first few missions you might not have to think but after that you better get your thinking cap on and bunker down with some chips and beer cause your gonna be replaying alot of missions. Reminds me of the first time I played COH, just relax and think lol. Good graphics and runs smooth even on my semi-old puter, except for when you go in close to watch the enemy general kiss his own arse ahahahah.… Expand
  4. TomL
    Mar 6, 2009
    9
    Great Game, I'm New to the total war franchise and i was blown away with the graphics and sound. The Battle tutorial and Road to independence campaign are well designed so that 'noobs' like me can pick up up the game in a few hours.. Yeah it does use steam to activate it, but it is the way forward, your game gets patched automatically, you can backup your purchased to Great Game, I'm New to the total war franchise and i was blown away with the graphics and sound. The Battle tutorial and Road to independence campaign are well designed so that 'noobs' like me can pick up up the game in a few hours.. Yeah it does use steam to activate it, but it is the way forward, your game gets patched automatically, you can backup your purchased to dvd-r's and the community around the game is good as well. Most modern gamers use steam and dont have problems with it, you can play the game 'offline' using steams offline game mode, once its been activated.… Expand
  5. Yaz
    Mar 7, 2009
    7
    This is certainly a good game, and the level of little features and detail in are astonishing. Unfortunately for the time being it only deserves a 7 due to the large amount of bugs and problems in the game (crashes, graphic glitches, unit unresponsiveness, stupid ai actions etc...). Once it fixes up these things I would rate it solidely at a 9. However until that time it's just This is certainly a good game, and the level of little features and detail in are astonishing. Unfortunately for the time being it only deserves a 7 due to the large amount of bugs and problems in the game (crashes, graphic glitches, unit unresponsiveness, stupid ai actions etc...). Once it fixes up these things I would rate it solidely at a 9. However until that time it's just another case of what could have been a great game ruined by what was probably a slightly rushed dev time since it's not finished.… Expand
  6. Czar
    Mar 8, 2009
    8
    Amazing depth of play - very exciting to watch the 3d RTS battles are just awesome. However, I am getting some weird graphical glitches glitches on a system that plays all games with very little problems. Also the whole steam set up was a pain as after installing from disk Steam decided it also need to be downloaded - luckily I am not the only one and some works-arounds can be found in Amazing depth of play - very exciting to watch the 3d RTS battles are just awesome. However, I am getting some weird graphical glitches glitches on a system that plays all games with very little problems. Also the whole steam set up was a pain as after installing from disk Steam decided it also need to be downloaded - luckily I am not the only one and some works-arounds can be found in forums - in short a brilliant game that just falls short due to some terrible polishing and distribution decisions. I have never been anti-steam but quickly heading that way.… Expand
  7. mikec
    Mar 8, 2009
    3
    All the great attrbutes are there sat on the screen, but constant crashes and a stupidly large amount of bugs have made the game unplayable until CA start pumping out some patches. The game looks amazing and the bits that work are great but, with all the problems id question whether CA were so rushed by sega to get the game out its not actually being finished. In short a major All the great attrbutes are there sat on the screen, but constant crashes and a stupidly large amount of bugs have made the game unplayable until CA start pumping out some patches. The game looks amazing and the bits that work are great but, with all the problems id question whether CA were so rushed by sega to get the game out its not actually being finished. In short a major disappointment and falls well short of the expectations after the classic and truely brilliant Rome TW.… Expand
  8. KorbinN
    Mar 9, 2009
    4
    I have played alot of games and most of them i bought day of or a couple days after their launch, and i have to say THIS HAS BEEN THE WORST GAME LAUNCH I HAVE EVER SEEN. I have played many Total War games (including my personal favorite Rome: Total War) and was extatic to hear about ETW, but haven even played it now and had it for 48+ hours. The Tech Support forums are jam packed and it I have played alot of games and most of them i bought day of or a couple days after their launch, and i have to say THIS HAS BEEN THE WORST GAME LAUNCH I HAVE EVER SEEN. I have played many Total War games (including my personal favorite Rome: Total War) and was extatic to hear about ETW, but haven even played it now and had it for 48+ hours. The Tech Support forums are jam packed and it seems that hundreds are complaining about gliches, bugs, crashes, freezes, and more. there is a 7 page thread about the problem i am having and countess others. The developers claim to " Have a patch in the works that will be out by the end of the week", but they have not commented on a single beg for advice, help, anything that we could do to fix minor problems. Honestly i would have rather waited an extra week for the release than have the game sitting infront of me calling my name and rereading the manual over and over again. I think this whole thing is a combination of poor customer support and a lapse of judgement on the developers part for releasing it to early.… Expand
  9. ScottK
    Mar 9, 2009
    8
    While it's easy to immerse yourself in the game, it's not nice to have the game crash 36 rounds into a campaign. Just when I've got to grips with my expanding empire I can no longer continue. Many others have this problem and there seems to be no solution. I guess it's going to be a long wait for the first patch. However, the worst thing about Total War is the use of While it's easy to immerse yourself in the game, it's not nice to have the game crash 36 rounds into a campaign. Just when I've got to grips with my expanding empire I can no longer continue. Many others have this problem and there seems to be no solution. I guess it's going to be a long wait for the first patch. However, the worst thing about Total War is the use of Steam. Why? It puts people off!… Expand
  10. TS
    Mar 9, 2009
    10
    This game is nothing short of spectacular. Though some have questioned the download method (Steam! Oh Noes!) The game itself is solid, filling in every detail that makes this a 10. There are a few bugs, but they hardly effect gameplay at all, and the more you play the more you get sucked in. Its a good game, buy it.
  11. BrianL
    Mar 9, 2009
    8
    This is a great game... when it works. It works long enough to get serveral hours into a campaign then the campaign gets buged and unless you have a recent save... you may as well start over. I don't know quite what else to say its very frustrating that game developers feel it more important to get the game to market than to have it actually work correctly.
  12. ryans
    Apr 1, 2009
    6
    The epic scale of the land battles and the immersive campaign should have made this game one of the best, but problems like stupid AI and bugs bring it down a notch. I have had problems when selecting a fleet or dock and then having the game crash and having terrible lag during battles, but when the game does work it is very enjoyable and a good installment to the series. I only have to The epic scale of the land battles and the immersive campaign should have made this game one of the best, but problems like stupid AI and bugs bring it down a notch. I have had problems when selecting a fleet or dock and then having the game crash and having terrible lag during battles, but when the game does work it is very enjoyable and a good installment to the series. I only have to wonder what they were doing with all the time they delayed putting the game out. I waited for a year only to hear about more delays and they didn't fix the problems in it? I'd rather have a smooth-playing game than an extra nation or two. This game is good and worth the money, but until more patches come out it will cease to be great.… Expand
  13. LarsE
    Apr 1, 2009
    3
    Complicated installation Steam-sh... Wonder why is it necessary to provide Steam with user id - password an email just to install a purchased game. Could not start after closing. Graphics ok 10000 units is fine. Waiting time between losing or winning battles are killingly long... Camera is difficult to control and mini map are useless. Have been playing better turn-real time games before. Complicated installation Steam-sh... Wonder why is it necessary to provide Steam with user id - password an email just to install a purchased game. Could not start after closing. Graphics ok 10000 units is fine. Waiting time between losing or winning battles are killingly long... Camera is difficult to control and mini map are useless. Have been playing better turn-real time games before. Sorry nothing new under the sun.… Expand
  14. AlV
    Apr 1, 2009
    2
    I am truly sorry I have to rate the game so low; I wore out my Rome-TW and Medieval-TW CD
  15. HughE.
    Apr 10, 2009
    0
    This is the worst game I have ever bought, and I love the total war franchise. The game is full of bugs, it constantly crashes and despite my pc being top specs and able to run Crysis on full settings it strugles on medium on this game. The real annoyance though is that I paid £40 on steam and I steam don't do refunds. Well done Creative Assembly you've just made sure I This is the worst game I have ever bought, and I love the total war franchise. The game is full of bugs, it constantly crashes and despite my pc being top specs and able to run Crysis on full settings it strugles on medium on this game. The real annoyance though is that I paid £40 on steam and I steam don't do refunds. Well done Creative Assembly you've just made sure I never buy a product off of you again. What a steaming pile of **** this game is. Every copy of it should be burnt. Rant over… Expand
  16. RLT
    Apr 12, 2009
    4
    Money is a bit too tight. Units a bit AI dumb. Ships difficult to control. Too few countries to play. The nation building process is kinda... bland? Too difficult to get nations to trade with you, let alone be allies. There could have / should have been alot more to this game.
  17. MacM
    Apr 12, 2009
    4
    I bought this game on release day. To date (12th Apr 09) I think I have accrued something like 3-4 hours of play. Potentially, the game is astounding and complex, but in reality it is so bugged that it is unplayable at most times. I cannot give an in depth review of the game as every time I play it, it crashes randomly in all types of different areas of the game. The developers keep I bought this game on release day. To date (12th Apr 09) I think I have accrued something like 3-4 hours of play. Potentially, the game is astounding and complex, but in reality it is so bugged that it is unplayable at most times. I cannot give an in depth review of the game as every time I play it, it crashes randomly in all types of different areas of the game. The developers keep informing us in the official forums that they are working on fixes and they also claim that recent patches via steam have fixed some of the crash issues. I disagree, it still crashes when it feels like it. I have a decent gaming rig, and for the past 12 months or so I have bought lots of games. ETW is just another game in the string of failures that is plaguing PC gaming of late. This being that we are suffering from releases that are either just not ready, or are console ports that are badly optimized. Occasionally, there are games that suprise me and require little or no searching of website and forums in the hope of finding user created fixes, but ETW is not one of them. The steam forums, and elsewhere are full of people who still cannot play this game without it failing, and for me, CA and Sega need to address the issue with this game.… Expand
  18. ChristianB
    Apr 17, 2009
    7
    Great game in the tradition of Total War. We can regret the absence of Hot-Seat option that made Miedieval II such a great success.
  19. DougH
    Apr 19, 2009
    5
    Boring. Not bad, but boring. That about sums it up. Ignore the reviewers, the player base knows what it is talking about. Yes, it features the American War of Independence. If that is enough of a reason to buy a game go and watch ID4 - it's cheaper and requires less mental work or frustration. This era of combat highlights the weakest points of an engine that was design for the Boring. Not bad, but boring. That about sums it up. Ignore the reviewers, the player base knows what it is talking about. Yes, it features the American War of Independence. If that is enough of a reason to buy a game go and watch ID4 - it's cheaper and requires less mental work or frustration. This era of combat highlights the weakest points of an engine that was design for the fast-paced, fluid and, above all, clever nature of warfare in feudal Japan. It's MTW with only archers and catapults. Cavalry have a huge sign over their heads saying "Kill me". So you line up your archers, they line up theirs and it's attrition time. Like WWI without the machine guns. Boring and depressing. Don't even get me started on the AI tactical behaviour in seiges or when they're under enfilade fire or when deploying to remote corners of the map, cunningly avoiding any concentration of force. It is impossible to move units through towns or along the seige walls - the game will just ignore you half of the time. I see this as a direct result of what the game engine was meant to do, and this is not it.… Expand
  20. PetriJ
    Apr 1, 2009
    6
    The game would be perfect, if it wouldnt have so many bugs and crashes. Please make the games ready before the beginning of the sale. If the game dosn´t be soon playable its going to be the last Sega game that I buy.
  21. VladM
    Apr 21, 2009
    2
    I have been a fan of the series since Shogun. So far the each new release was a triumph. While being rather sceptic towards changes introduced in "Rome", I had finally started liking the new campaign map. Unfortunatelly the newest game is not what I expected to get for my 30 quid. AI sucks big time. I have single handedly kicked around all the countries in Europe on the highest level I have been a fan of the series since Shogun. So far the each new release was a triumph. While being rather sceptic towards changes introduced in "Rome", I had finally started liking the new campaign map. Unfortunatelly the newest game is not what I expected to get for my 30 quid. AI sucks big time. I have single handedly kicked around all the countries in Europe on the highest level without even ONE putting up a decent fight. Campaign map is very difficult to read. And the "steam"... well I was not impressed by the instalation process. I am depressed now. I was SO looking forward to this game... Luckily I still have MTW2 installed. Back to the real game.… Expand
  22. JeromeS
    Apr 21, 2009
    10
    All people who gave this game below ~5 are complete retards. Any who criticised Steam are complete retards. Shut your whore mouth and quit complaining about DRM that isn't there. Steam is the saviour of PC gaming, not DRM you retard.
  23. cedrickF
    Apr 21, 2009
    6
    I'm a Totalwar games fan. Let's says an addict as I spent more than 1000 hours on the first games (from shogun to Mtw2). For now I'm very disapointed with Empire . This could be a great game but as the things are for now, we have a "Colonial empire building game" where the AI DON'T NO HOW TO embarq and disembarq troops !!! Let's say the game is less challenging I'm a Totalwar games fan. Let's says an addict as I spent more than 1000 hours on the first games (from shogun to Mtw2). For now I'm very disapointed with Empire . This could be a great game but as the things are for now, we have a "Colonial empire building game" where the AI DON'T NO HOW TO embarq and disembarq troops !!! Let's say the game is less challenging with this bug. And it's really not the only one.… Expand
  24. andyc
    Apr 20, 2009
    7
    It looks great no denying that but the it just doesnt provide the emersion of the previous incarnations. The land based warfare is adequate but awkward and the sea based combat is clunky and slow. The main map screen has a lot more going on which works to some degree, forcing you to take a more proactive approach to playing the game but at the same time somehow the added complexities It looks great no denying that but the it just doesnt provide the emersion of the previous incarnations. The land based warfare is adequate but awkward and the sea based combat is clunky and slow. The main map screen has a lot more going on which works to some degree, forcing you to take a more proactive approach to playing the game but at the same time somehow the added complexities detract from the enjoyment usually garned from the riskesque portions. In all this game is impressive and a technical achievement but also a disappointment.… Expand
  25. LukeM.
    Apr 25, 2009
    10
    Best Game Ever!!!!
  26. AMC
    Apr 29, 2009
    3
    2 months in this game is as unstable as it was at launch. It has the potential to be the game of the year, if not the decade. Essentially it is a bug ridden mess that should ahve been tested for another 6 months. Looks like SEGA stuffed up the TW series by shoving this down our throats. Also...WHY DOES IT NEED STEAM? 90% of customers will buy this for the single player Grand Campaign.
  27. richardm
    Apr 29, 2009
    0
    Buggy piece of crap is all this is. And no i dont hate Steam. I just hate buying a game that gets ratings of 10's from major magazines and sites only to find out the game is less fun than checkers. AI is HORRIBLE and too many bugs for me. anyone that says different is a fanboy because ETW is BUGGY as heck for EVERYONE. AVOID!!
  28. JonathonM
    Apr 7, 2009
    9
    This game is extre,memly good and worth the rating i give it. THere are a few bugs such as i cant select Gilbratar's port without it crashing from overloading it with ships but then again this game's graphics are great and the campaign map is way better. The ship battle's are fun and i love seeing other peoples ships just explode into a bagillion little peices. People have This game is extre,memly good and worth the rating i give it. THere are a few bugs such as i cant select Gilbratar's port without it crashing from overloading it with ships but then again this game's graphics are great and the campaign map is way better. The ship battle's are fun and i love seeing other peoples ships just explode into a bagillion little peices. People have toremember trhis though this is an RTS that is trying to run on FPS graphics and that takes a toll on someone's computer even on medium. The AI is a bit buggy and i wish they could make it so the AI can put troops on ships otherwise britain is invincible against the computer in campaign. Overall it is a very good game that people should be a bit more patient with and hopefully very soon these bugs will become less common.… Expand
  29. MikeA
    May 10, 2009
    0
    I have played all the total war games and have been impressed. When I heard they were going to release empire I was very excited. That was until I purchased the game and it flat out just doesnt work on my computer. The game itself looks really cool, but I'm just going to have to return it....shit is just to much of a hastle and I feel like CA could have done a better job in creating I have played all the total war games and have been impressed. When I heard they were going to release empire I was very excited. That was until I purchased the game and it flat out just doesnt work on my computer. The game itself looks really cool, but I'm just going to have to return it....shit is just to much of a hastle and I feel like CA could have done a better job in creating a game that would work for everyone. VERY DISAPPOINTED.… Expand
  30. PoorFool
    May 12, 2009
    4
    Game looks like it might be cool but i cant get past steam yet to play it... its crashed on me twice and when it finally started working it said i have to download a crapload of patches before it will 'allow' me to play(guess the game was so crappy they dont want you to see how it was when they released it, lol). Yeah, thats a good way to keep me interested Creative Assembly. Game looks like it might be cool but i cant get past steam yet to play it... its crashed on me twice and when it finally started working it said i have to download a crapload of patches before it will 'allow' me to play(guess the game was so crappy they dont want you to see how it was when they released it, lol). Yeah, thats a good way to keep me interested Creative Assembly. not to mention i wont be able to play this at my friends house who doesnt have i-net.… Expand
  31. TroyG
    May 13, 2009
    0
    Any game that after being released for over 2 months still has CTD issues it has failed to deliver in my opinion. Hands down the worst MADE total war released by a long margin.
  32. Renaldi
    May 1, 2009
    9
    I give it a nine because I would never give a perfect score to any game. empire Total War is the grandest Total War game ever. The campaign map is really global. with Europe, mid east, America and India available for land conquest and South America, Ivory Coast and East Indies available as trade regions. The gameplay is great, the scope of the game is so wide that it probably needs at I give it a nine because I would never give a perfect score to any game. empire Total War is the grandest Total War game ever. The campaign map is really global. with Europe, mid east, America and India available for land conquest and South America, Ivory Coast and East Indies available as trade regions. The gameplay is great, the scope of the game is so wide that it probably needs at least a few months to try all the factions in campaign. The naval battle is also great. Ships could blow up into pieces because they did in RL. Imo this game is a must have for anyone who thinks that he or she is a 17th century history buffs and anyone who simply appreciate a terrific game(they don't come often).… Expand
  33. Revived
    May 14, 2009
    3
    I want to say that the developer is seriously lost its credibility is releasing crude product. I think that if it will continue to pursue a bold company can change the course of action is to think about the shareholders of the company.
  34. CharlieL
    May 15, 2009
    0
    What a pathetic attempt at copy protection once again. This is the whole reason I quit HL2. Do not force me to have internet to play a game offline. If I wanted to play an online game then I would have bought WOW. I am on dialup becuase the pwers that be think its fun to keep the rest of us in the 20th century so this update nonsense takes me hours and hours. This POS is going back to What a pathetic attempt at copy protection once again. This is the whole reason I quit HL2. Do not force me to have internet to play a game offline. If I wanted to play an online game then I would have bought WOW. I am on dialup becuase the pwers that be think its fun to keep the rest of us in the 20th century so this update nonsense takes me hours and hours. This POS is going back to where it came.… Expand
  35. SamM
    May 15, 2009
    9
    Ok, first things first, I'm not sure how you can rate a game because of Steam and also the game might crash either a, because your computers crap or b, you have been a noob and are trying to run a new graphics card on unstable drivers. This game is awsome and Steam has never let me down the sheer power that empire total war delivers is outstanding and amazing whilst the graphics are Ok, first things first, I'm not sure how you can rate a game because of Steam and also the game might crash either a, because your computers crap or b, you have been a noob and are trying to run a new graphics card on unstable drivers. This game is awsome and Steam has never let me down the sheer power that empire total war delivers is outstanding and amazing whilst the graphics are breathtaking and with no crash in sight for me. This game is easily best downloaded outside of Steam since I do know that Steam can sometimes have problems downloading instantly (GTA 4 was a bit of a hassle for me). But I give Steam a good rating and I disagree with people saying it's bad 9 times out of 10 its either a, your internet connection or b, your computer. This is an awsome game and earns its place within the history books of gaming!… Expand
  36. DannyC
    May 22, 2009
    2
    Well 3 months down the line and despite never having a crash since day one the fact remains this game is just a totally broken mess.. CA must be the first company to issue patches that actually cause more problems than they fix so well done.. The patronising updates are now also getting beyond a joke.. I cant see CA ever releasing another TW PC game after this sham. Those who are giving Well 3 months down the line and despite never having a crash since day one the fact remains this game is just a totally broken mess.. CA must be the first company to issue patches that actually cause more problems than they fix so well done.. The patronising updates are now also getting beyond a joke.. I cant see CA ever releasing another TW PC game after this sham. Those who are giving it a 10 really must have there heads in cloud cuckoo land along with the critics or like a game with zero challenge, broken AI and pretty graphics.… Expand
  37. Ali
    May 20, 2009
    5
    This is an awesome game, I'd have given it a ten. Unfortunately it's plagued with memory leaks and even on a high end computer you'll often find the campaign map slowing to an unplayable grind. For me this didn't occur till halfway through the grand campaign. I recommend you buy it, but make sure your store has a great returns policy, because half of you will be taking This is an awesome game, I'd have given it a ten. Unfortunately it's plagued with memory leaks and even on a high end computer you'll often find the campaign map slowing to an unplayable grind. For me this didn't occur till halfway through the grand campaign. I recommend you buy it, but make sure your store has a great returns policy, because half of you will be taking it back.… Expand
  38. carlbob
    May 29, 2009
    0
    I bought this game on the day of release and I'm still waiting for the bugs to be fixed. I wouldn't mind if they were only little bugs, but they are actually gamebreaking. It crashes ALL the time. It isn't just my PC, loads of people are having trouble playing this unfinished game. So, I don't care how good the game is if you can somehow can get it to work; its still I bought this game on the day of release and I'm still waiting for the bugs to be fixed. I wouldn't mind if they were only little bugs, but they are actually gamebreaking. It crashes ALL the time. It isn't just my PC, loads of people are having trouble playing this unfinished game. So, I don't care how good the game is if you can somehow can get it to work; its still unplayable after 3 months. It doesn't even deserve a rating - it isn't a game, its a beta which needs 8 months more testing. The worst part about this is the 'offical' reviewers don't even mention the bugs. Are they playing the same game? Don't buy this POS.… Expand
  39. CW
    May 31, 2009
    8
    A good game, I like the new areas to play in, and the diplomacy is a lot easier to use. The series has become more accessable after this game, but the fact that you have to use steam to even play it is dissapointing. I haven't had any technical issues like the ones others have described, and overall I enjoy playing it. I just hope that they don't use steam again because I A good game, I like the new areas to play in, and the diplomacy is a lot easier to use. The series has become more accessable after this game, but the fact that you have to use steam to even play it is dissapointing. I haven't had any technical issues like the ones others have described, and overall I enjoy playing it. I just hope that they don't use steam again because I won't be buying the next one if they do.… Expand
  40. BartR
    May 31, 2009
    4
    Running on a total water-cooled i7 at 3.8 stable gigs , 2 15000 rpm SCSI's Raid 0 stripe , 2 XFX 9800GTX+ Sli , 1200 watt PSU and 6 gigs Ram and still crashes . Great game but no way it should have all these crashes . My best solution has been frequent quick saves and return but don't repeat last move before crash . Would give the game a ten otherwise .
  41. iain
    May 30, 2009
    10
    I always see these whiney comments about "it's buggy, it crashes, it's unfair or sea battles boring and so on" and i even saw one bitching about in the campagin that people started with terriroty in america, well genious if you ever pick up a history book you would know that the french and british had their colonies there as well as the dutch,the sea battles i find them a I always see these whiney comments about "it's buggy, it crashes, it's unfair or sea battles boring and so on" and i even saw one bitching about in the campagin that people started with terriroty in america, well genious if you ever pick up a history book you would know that the french and british had their colonies there as well as the dutch,the sea battles i find them a realistic a can be if your a going "there boring" well yes the ships in the 18th century wern't that fast! and also you should really try and get the updates from steam they fix everything becuase i have no bugs that everyone who gives this game a bad score have, oh yea for those whiny basterds who say "it wont work on my computer" are stupid how are using windows 98 or some crappy system, because im playing this game of a damn laptop if it can work on you comp your comp sucks! yes, and for those people who choose the other style of combat in the other games like ME2 or Rome TW please do not comment because yes i do engoy all the other games from TW series but i like this one to because not only dose it have naval battles it brings a whole new perspective to the game unlike the others oh yea for thoues people who try to play the game without steam updates do not post a single remark because it is unfare to the makers of this game and give a real sold resaon why it is bad not "it wont work, or it has bugs, the battles are boring" and what ever else they say.… Expand
  42. MikeF
    May 3, 2009
    4
    First off, what I liked about the game. I like how the Campaign has been changed from previous games. Where in METW2 you could only create 3 units per city and only one city per region the way recruitment and city building has been improved tremendously. Politics and Diplomacy are no longer a headache now either, rather than sending an Emissary across a continent only to have him First off, what I liked about the game. I like how the Campaign has been changed from previous games. Where in METW2 you could only create 3 units per city and only one city per region the way recruitment and city building has been improved tremendously. Politics and Diplomacy are no longer a headache now either, rather than sending an Emissary across a continent only to have him assassinated or unsuccesful the one click to the faction diplomacy screen is welcomed. The Campaign map is huge and the game does look very nice indeed. But and this is a big but, everything I've praised seems to result in problems. Mainly crashes to desktop. At first I could only get an hour of playing in, then after a few patches I had no problems. But then when I made it to the year 1780, I crashed every single time I pressed End Turn. People may say "That's because your system can't handle this game". To which I say WRONG. Between the CTD's I get a solid 60FPS. I have had no overheating problems and keep my computer up to date entirely. This game needs alot more polish, the latest patch addresses alot of crash issues but really because this has taking so long to fix, I have lost all interest in this game and Creative Assembly. It has really been a big dissapointment. At first I kept thinking that it's early stages for the game to be released, they'll realise that there are problems and they will release a patch as soon as they can. But now, really is this what companies are going to do in the future? Release bug ridden games to the public? Once more, games that can't be returned after installing because of having to register them? If you buy this game, just know that it has been a very rocky road and still is. I've been a TW fan since METW and this game just isn't up to standards with their previous titles. All in all, the gameplay is good, graphics are brilliant and it's just such a shame that it's just full of game breaking bugs.… Expand
  43. andrewL
    May 4, 2009
    1
    Problems Problems Play and wait for the crashes. My personal favourate is when you finish your turn, play though an hour of computer games turn to crash at the end of the last battle. wonderful....not.
  44. SteveQ
    May 6, 2009
    2
    The AI is about the worst in any game I've ever played. The AI can't invade by sea, thus leaving England impotent as an AI nation and invincible as a Player nation. It removes the point of having different continents and the whole point of the naval battles dissapear. The AI is not aggressive, does not use armies on the field properly (it can't figure out how to use The AI is about the worst in any game I've ever played. The AI can't invade by sea, thus leaving England impotent as an AI nation and invincible as a Player nation. It removes the point of having different continents and the whole point of the naval battles dissapear. The AI is not aggressive, does not use armies on the field properly (it can't figure out how to use artillery, cavalry and infantry TOGETHER) and after about 10 hours I realized the AI NEVER attacked my cities. This was a disgraceful release.… Expand
  45. MikeF
    May 8, 2009
    10
    What's good about this game has already been said. However, I do not think these low votes people have given it are fair just because they have crappy computers and are mad they can't play the game because of that. This game deserves the highest score out of any RTS. Just because you have a crappy computer and can't play the game doesn't mean the game is bad!
  46. MumarO
    May 8, 2009
    1
    This game is potentially incredible, the battles are excellent, but the campaign game is (even after the May 1 upgrades) filled with CTD points that make the game impossible to play. My machine is beyond perfect for this game, state of the art and up to date, its the campaign game and the coding, its just unbelievably bad. How did anyone ever sign this off in the condition it went out on This game is potentially incredible, the battles are excellent, but the campaign game is (even after the May 1 upgrades) filled with CTD points that make the game impossible to play. My machine is beyond perfect for this game, state of the art and up to date, its the campaign game and the coding, its just unbelievably bad. How did anyone ever sign this off in the condition it went out on DVD boxed or download and how can the upgrades have made things worse for CTD's than they already were? Poor testing, poor judgement and poor purchasers! Sega/creative get our money and we are left high and dry with a near useless game that may take months of work to put right. Not Good enough. I'd never buy a CA/Sega game again.… Expand
  47. JamesG
    Jun 10, 2009
    5
    Im a huge total war fan, but i feel let down by this rushed and incomplete game. It has so many bugs, and the AI is even worse that before, even after a patch. I think after a few more months of work this game will be upto the standards of the other total wars, but for now this game just gets a 5 from me. I feel sega may have got CA to rush the game for release, it so needed a few more months.
  48. RandyH
    Jun 14, 2009
    9
    Firstly the game requires very specific, and ambiguous computer setups to operate. I lucked out and one of my computers was able to run it (the rest matched the on box requirements, but for some reason it didn't run) and so my laptop runs it - amazingly. The graphics, firstly, are amazing. The region system, if you have ever played the Civilization series or previous TW games, the Firstly the game requires very specific, and ambiguous computer setups to operate. I lucked out and one of my computers was able to run it (the rest matched the on box requirements, but for some reason it didn't run) and so my laptop runs it - amazingly. The graphics, firstly, are amazing. The region system, if you have ever played the Civilization series or previous TW games, the regions are always a city, build in the city, and hope it works. This has a much more realistic, if not perfect, region system. The battle graphics are amazing as always, the naval battles= 10.9 on my scale for this game since that makes this really three games in one- campaign, land, and sea battles are usually independant focuses of other games without the other two. Civ 3, Command and Conquer, Hunting Red October are the examples of games that focus on one of the three, but do not exemplify the other two. That is why this game should be the highest rated and I give it a 9 because there are bugs (I have hit one, and only one, in three weeks of gameplay) and so nothing is ever perfect - so a 9 will suffice. 9.8 to be specific.… Expand
  49. MarcusG
    Jun 16, 2009
    5
    I love the disclaimer and will have to visit again just to see what happens to my comment, "Coments will be reviewed and may be edited prior to postin.: With the exception of vulgarity, why would a comment need editing? Does that not undermine the basic credibility as well as point of user comments? LOL. Perhaps someone should have edited all the poor grammar and mispellings. At any rate, I love the disclaimer and will have to visit again just to see what happens to my comment, "Coments will be reviewed and may be edited prior to postin.: With the exception of vulgarity, why would a comment need editing? Does that not undermine the basic credibility as well as point of user comments? LOL. Perhaps someone should have edited all the poor grammar and mispellings. At any rate, I have played Creative Assembly games from Shogun to the present Empire. I have enjoyed Shogun more than any other title, however, I do have a penchant for Samurai. Until an update on June 16, 2009, my Empire wokred well. Alas, now it crashes whenever I attempt to initiate a game from the main/in -game menu. No this game is not perfect and having to use Steam is...not ideal. This is the way of the world and ALL developers should consider how customers can be alienated away from their franchise by this practice. We are paying and may not wish to use steam, gamespy, Xfire... Afterall, only the developers are benefiting from this practice and at 50 bucks for this title... Enough said. When Empire works, it is a BLAST. Sometimes it is a bit slow...the campaign map movement takes time and SHOULD take time as armies march across the land. As for the naval battles, well...I do enjoy them despite seeing certain shortcomings. These shortcomings certainly reflext the communication barriers of that time. Deal with that as there were no iPhones/Sidekicks/Rants onboard naval ships of that time, so I think the challenge of naval battles lends a great amount of realism. I won't post my system specs here as they far exceed what is recommended minimum, though not a Core i7 system. I won't be upgrading to that for awhile and it is unfortunate developers would design for such high end systems while also not disclosing that little fact on the product packaging. At any rate, like US, this game is not perfect, but fun and has some interesting features. I cannot rate it as high as I would like and if this entire review was read, it should be apparent why. Is it worth $50? Not in my opinion, however it is a worthwhile addition to the library. I just hope the patches and improvements continue and allow this game to do more than gather dust in my library.… Expand
  50. ChristopherB
    Jun 1, 2009
    5
    The game looks great, probably because that's were Creative Assembly spent their entire budget, aside from bribing various gaming sites with advertising in exchange for favorable reviews. The fact that this is the highest rated game on Metacritic is criminal. The game is riddled with bugs, something the reviews will NOT tell you. Unit pathing is terrible, AI is mediocre (relatively The game looks great, probably because that's were Creative Assembly spent their entire budget, aside from bribing various gaming sites with advertising in exchange for favorable reviews. The fact that this is the highest rated game on Metacritic is criminal. The game is riddled with bugs, something the reviews will NOT tell you. Unit pathing is terrible, AI is mediocre (relatively unchanged from earlier titles), and navel combat is disappointing. Creative Assembly released an unfinished game. Read the user reviews.… Expand
  51. JezL
    Jun 18, 2009
    1
    Anyone that has rated ETW "great" deserves to be retarded. The AI is dumber than ever; your own men make your own generals cannon fodder while the enemy tends to do dumb things as well; send their own generals to the front line in a suicidal charge or never invade you by sea. The pathfinding is horrible; your ships tangle into each other no matter what formation you give them. The same Anyone that has rated ETW "great" deserves to be retarded. The AI is dumber than ever; your own men make your own generals cannon fodder while the enemy tends to do dumb things as well; send their own generals to the front line in a suicidal charge or never invade you by sea. The pathfinding is horrible; your ships tangle into each other no matter what formation you give them. The same applies with your own land troops; they will just stand there to be shot at if no orders are given instead of defending themselves by turning their attention on the closest enemy. All in all, a game that fails blatantly short like previous titles from the TW series. To do some justice. the only obvious effort given to this latest installment is the graphics and very minor adjustments. CA team is not the original team and it shows. A pity.… Expand
  52. HenryB
    Jun 21, 2009
    5
    In short, this game just isn't ready for prime time. I've tried playing this game for over a week now, and it is just infuriating how many show-stopper bugs crop up. This isn't just about crashes to desktop (I've actually not experienced any). My problems have all been around the campaign running along for several hours, only to encounter a bug that wipes out all of In short, this game just isn't ready for prime time. I've tried playing this game for over a week now, and it is just infuriating how many show-stopper bugs crop up. This isn't just about crashes to desktop (I've actually not experienced any). My problems have all been around the campaign running along for several hours, only to encounter a bug that wipes out all of your work. - Ships trying to blockade your port end up on land, so you cannot attack them and break the siege. (Your economy is now ruined, and you must start over). - Your key artillery pieces are enormously stupid. I can understand if they accidentally shoot other units. But if targets move sufficiently off to the side, the cannons will line up in a single file and shoot through each other. That is silly. And can turn a key battle from sure victory to a close defeat. - Units on the campaign map will just disappear when moving between fleets and land, making rush reinforcements of areas risky. - The AI in battles and campaign is just horrible. - The trade Routes system (IMHO) is botched in its design. When you create a trade route from (say) the east indies to Europe, it goes through 4 or 5 different maps. In any one of these maps, a pirate can attack the route and severely disrupt your income. The interface doesn't allow any practices that were used to avoid this problem in reality- convoys, seasonal shipping, etc. - Agents just don't work well. You can't make them and they just die randomly (either through assassination or old age) leaving you without a key person. I love the Total War series. However, this game shows so many gameplay bugs (again, not just crashes to desktop) that you will find yourself absolutely infuriated when you must abandon a campaign after hours of work. There is no excuse for such horrible quality. I am actually shocked how favorably all the Critics reviewed this game. No other game in my memory has gotten such rave reviews by the critics only to be panned by the public due to bugs. How did CA manage this? Were the reviewers not reading closely? I've seen a lot of criticism of negative reviewers on this board and elsewhere. People say things like "its just a minority of users with problems complaining. The vast majority of people have no problems." This just isn't true. Right now, the user reviews of MetaCritic put this game at 6.8. And CA's forums are near revolt. Empire isn't the worst game ever- indeed its promise is what annoys me so much. But it has to be one of the biggest DISAPPOINTMENTS in my long (20+ yrs) gaming career.… Expand
  53. AnonymousMC
    Jun 23, 2009
    3
    The Naval battles are good, land battles less so. I enjoyed Rome Total War land battles more. The major problem that I have is that it crashes in campaign mode, otherwise I would give it 8 - good but could do better. Was enjoyig it, but now moving on because of the crashes.
  54. DavidB
    Jun 24, 2009
    8
    While a great game one issue which really bugged me was the fact that you could never see why a nation refused your treaties- that's all, beside a few bugs that have gotten patches recently.
  55. JuergenK
    Jun 20, 2009
    2
    To much crash downs. It's a problem of the game. My PC is high performed - no problems with the requirements.
  56. DaveK
    Jun 27, 2009
    0
    My PC is only 1 year old, has quad core and a Geforce 8800 card with 4G Ram so it easily meets the specs. I have updated all drivers, have installed Xp as it is more stable and I have used Steam to update my game to the max. I have been gaming for 30 years and I have played all of the TW games. Guess what? crash crash crash crash crash. The graphics might look nice but what's the My PC is only 1 year old, has quad core and a Geforce 8800 card with 4G Ram so it easily meets the specs. I have updated all drivers, have installed Xp as it is more stable and I have used Steam to update my game to the max. I have been gaming for 30 years and I have played all of the TW games. Guess what? crash crash crash crash crash. The graphics might look nice but what's the point if you can't play it? It's like having a shiny sexy new car with no engine. Pointless! I'm not happy with Steam as a marketing tactic. I'm not happy with Sega and CA as they have obviously released this too soon. I am not happy with these bitty little increments when everything should be stable to start with. And I'm not happy with the magazines that have given this a good rating and have obviously not tried it. Sega, CA, Steam and various magazines. You have shot yourself in the foot with this one. I will never buy Sega/CA again (which is a shame). I also have no trust in gaming magazines and will now wait for real reviews from forums before buying any more games like this. I will be returning this game back to the shop and I will demand a refund. In the UK a game should be "fit for purpose" - this game obviously is not.… Expand
  57. GeorgeW
    Jun 3, 2009
    5
    In my opinion Empire: Total War has not been the kind of squeal to the series we have all been waiting for. The game i found was very slow paced and it is BORING at many times and it also has many 'fun' issues with it. However the graphics are amazing and the sound is superb, but its one thing to have good effects and another to have shitty game play. If i have to choose, id In my opinion Empire: Total War has not been the kind of squeal to the series we have all been waiting for. The game i found was very slow paced and it is BORING at many times and it also has many 'fun' issues with it. However the graphics are amazing and the sound is superb, but its one thing to have good effects and another to have shitty game play. If i have to choose, id choose game play over looks and effects. Empire has not been able to impress me with this at all. I've played Rome total War and Medieval 2 total war and had a absolute fun time with both, i spent many hours playing each and they are both great games, but Empire just doesn't do it for me. The units are all VERY similar and the main difference is how many guys with guns and how many guys with what colors of uniforms etc. etc. Overall the game lacks a large sense of fun, and this was made by the greatest gaming company for big battles ever. But it has its moments and it has given my some smiles here and there. So here it is: 5/10.… Expand
  58. pietjej
    Jun 30, 2009
    6
    Great game. Too bad it was released in a very buggy and unfinished condition. Hopefully they give something back for free for all the trouble their fans went through although I doubt that. Today you have to pay to be a beta tester it seems. I remember I got a t-shirt for beta testing settlers 3.
  59. JJ
    Jun 4, 2009
    6
    Well, i was going to review after i had finished a grand campaign, but due to the game crashing, well, i guess im finished!. This game is one like no other for both posative and negative reason. The graphics are just amazing, the depth and attention to detail is incredible although different character models would have been nice, 1500 men with the same face was a bit of a joke . Great Well, i was going to review after i had finished a grand campaign, but due to the game crashing, well, i guess im finished!. This game is one like no other for both posative and negative reason. The graphics are just amazing, the depth and attention to detail is incredible although different character models would have been nice, 1500 men with the same face was a bit of a joke . Great sound, especially when a houndred muskets fire across the battle field at the same time, the moans and groans of close combat are just fantastic as are the sounds of bullets slaming in the enemy. Now the gameplay has more potential that a invisible ninja, the campaign is great, the joy and feeling of succes when conqouring* a region and upgrading all your cities and villages is gloryous, as is winning a battle when your outnumber 10-1, but when your bloody skirmishers face the opposite way from an incoming enemy or when your artillary wont shoot at what you tell them to or when your guys wont shoot there muskets!................you get the hint. This game is completly unfinished and buggy, and i was lucky as i got about 3/4 through a campaign before any REAL trouble. The replayabilty may be a bit short as there is very few maps and the armies are basically the same which makes for some very average custom battles. And for some reason i cannot play multiplayer at all. The only reason it gets a 6 is due to what the game could have or should have been. I will gladely give it 10 when the developers grow a back bone, refund our money and fix this mess.… Expand
  60. RiyadS
    Jun 6, 2009
    7
    This would have been a great game if it werent for all the crashes. I realy can't get into its mood.
  61. AymericPROFFIT
    Jun 8, 2009
    8
    Un très bon jeu sur le plan immersion. Les commandes sont intuitives comme ces prédécesseurs et certaines améliorations de l'IA sont intéressantes comme une utilisation plus judicieuse de la cavalerie et la mise en place de stratégies réactives a vos propres actes. Les nouveautés comme les batailles navales jouables, lesUn très bon jeu sur le plan immersion. Les commandes sont intuitives comme ces prédécesseurs et certaines améliorations de l'IA sont intéressantes comme une utilisation plus judicieuse de la cavalerie et la mise en place de stratégies réactives a vos propres actes. Les nouveautés comme les batailles navales jouables, les technologies à rechercher, le nouveau système de diplomatie et autre, d'abord déconcertant pour un habitué des total war, se révèlent au final un moteur pour la recherche de toutes les possibilités de jeu existantes (du moins, pour ma part). Mais, car il y a toujours un mais, de trop nombreux bugs dans les batailles et certaines incohérences diplomatiques toujours présentes comme sur les autres total war ternissent ce si bon jeu.… Expand
  62. TomH
    Jun 9, 2009
    0
    Until now. Big problems just to install the game. Stem connection lost. Install interrupted. Starting the game. Not available. I Have pay'd for a finish product. To get a steam connection...Why steam connection ? I want to play of fline.
  63. stevew.
    Jul 11, 2009
    5
    Overall i was disappointed, i really enjoyed rome but this for me is too big, too difficult and on the whole i can't face the game, there is no scope to build up an empire in my eyes. i would rather play civilization now which for me is more fluid. In terms of factual accuracy they have done a good job in this game, but it does not feel like a game... not enjoyable... i had high Overall i was disappointed, i really enjoyed rome but this for me is too big, too difficult and on the whole i can't face the game, there is no scope to build up an empire in my eyes. i would rather play civilization now which for me is more fluid. In terms of factual accuracy they have done a good job in this game, but it does not feel like a game... not enjoyable... i had high expectations of this game, but i am let down.… Expand
  64. BenG
    Jul 1, 2009
    9
    Great game. I'm playing it on ultra, fantastic graphics and so far perfect game play... no bugs what so ever.I think the only area I could possibly think of significantly improving this game would be in terms of the ability to align units in a more preferable manner, and the functions of fortifications which seem akward. Overall a fantastic game, which I'm enjoying thoroughly.
  65. ab
    Jul 19, 2009
    6
    Very good campaign and graphics. very enjoyable other than every 5 or so mutes your computer crashes, then it takes 30 minutes to load and crashes again.
  66. KenN
    Jul 7, 2009
    6
    Too buggy to get max score. All games need updates to iron out minor bugs and correct balance; this game needed major rework under the hood to get it right. Did they test it at all or did they release a half-finished game because their eyes were full of dollar signs?
  67. TimRawlins
    Jul 7, 2009
    8
    Its a good game. The strategy elelments are just the filler for the real game, which in MHO is the tactical battles, which are amazingl! (10 out of 10). But the campaign is pretty crap really, because the campaign AI is really dumb-ass, every faction goes to war at the drop of a hat and there is ZERO real conversation or meaningful alliance system.

    This game has a ways to go to be    Its a good game. The strategy elelments are just the filler for the real game, which in MHO is the tactical battles, which are amazingl! (10 out of 10). But the campaign is pretty crap really, because the campaign AI is really dumb-ass, every faction goes to war at the drop of a hat and there is ZERO real conversation or meaningful alliance system.

    This game has a ways to go to be really good. The developers need a good hard think about the strategic AI and need to make the alliances and trade and all the diplomacy actually worthwhile. After playing through about 8 campaigns on various difficulties, I think it might actually get interesting if you have a multiplayer campaign, because the AI always acts in the same totally boring way, so there is only ever one way to play a campaign, and you can't lose.

    Maybe with Empire Total War II they will sit down and create an actually interesting game where there is more to it than a linear expansion of your holdings, while most factions are swallowed up and disappear. Maybe you can get victory points by ways of scientific progress,. and peaceful trading and other kinds of things that will mean you actually have to think about a way to win rather than the present unimaginative mode of waiting for everyone else to attack you so you can crush them in self defence.

    I mean for a strategy game, this has pretty well ZERO strategy required.

    The battles though, the battles, they are AWESOME    … Expand
  68. ValentinoGamboa
    Aug 10, 2009
    10
    Awsome much btter than other total wars but unit graphics well still really cool but its the same way rome tw looks all units same but no problem and campaigh may go fast but makes u fight faster and to all the whiners complaining abought boring als its beacuse ur setting difficulty on easy retard and the graphics are still awsome on laptop come on u stupid dumbass
  69. AlexT
    Aug 17, 2009
    5
    The gameplay is good; a very addicting game until you have a sprawling empire then your game crashses. I believe this is not a problem of computing power as Greg C stated. but rather I think that it is that the computer is too powerful and the problem is 64-bit Vista, which is required if you have a new computer with more than 4GB of RAM. Also I think that in trying to take full advantage The gameplay is good; a very addicting game until you have a sprawling empire then your game crashses. I believe this is not a problem of computing power as Greg C stated. but rather I think that it is that the computer is too powerful and the problem is 64-bit Vista, which is required if you have a new computer with more than 4GB of RAM. Also I think that in trying to take full advantage of the computer's RAM the game intrudes on reserved system RAM and Vista's data execution protection is kicking in.… Expand
  70. SimonL.
    Aug 24, 2009
    5
    This game is way too buggy, it continually crashes and suffers graphics glitches all the time. The game play is excellent and if it actually worked it would be magnificent but it was obviously rushed out without enough testing. The patches have not fixed its problems.
  71. mannyg.
    Aug 25, 2009
    9
    The game is great, I would have gaven it a "10" if they put in a little more time and making the game more historic. like music, colors and advents, but all in all for now the game is great and you should buy it .
  72. EdwardV
    Aug 26, 2009
    10
    This game is more than what people just play and get over with this game is telling storys about the men who fought and died.This game can be be played over and over and you still wouldn`t get the same result.This game is the one to stop all other games in the 18th centruy.This is unstopible
  73. MickeyS
    Aug 31, 2009
    10
    One of the best games I've played in years, and I game a few hours a day. It combines RTS with turn based strategy like I have never seen before. From full control over sea and land battles that are awesome, to meticulous turn based tech and structure building. Diplomacy, religion, trading, etc... Best RTS/Turn Based I've played yet. Voting down for crashes seems silly to me. One of the best games I've played in years, and I game a few hours a day. It combines RTS with turn based strategy like I have never seen before. From full control over sea and land battles that are awesome, to meticulous turn based tech and structure building. Diplomacy, religion, trading, etc... Best RTS/Turn Based I've played yet. Voting down for crashes seems silly to me. Could be your machine, etc... should vote on game play, not vague computer issues. It hasn't crashed on me once (three months of playing so far).… Expand
  74. JKing
    Aug 4, 2009
    10
    Absolutely a great game. Now most crashes are fixed. I was a little dissapointed in the game with the crashes but in time all was corrected and I love it! This is definetly worthy of being considred one of the best in the total war series!
  75. HippolyteA
    Aug 4, 2009
    0
    The game seems good but Steam's update is a worst shit that i never seen before. I would never again buy any game where Steam has in charge his maintain.
  76. BobH
    Aug 5, 2009
    6
    AMAZING!!!!! perfect game i'm so lucky it works on my computer.although 2 things 1.Stream WTF it is just loads of crud I HATE STREAM!!!!2.AI is so stupid i mean it never attacks u:(! and it just sits there and gets killed!!!!Its a great game though very historical and a nice map oh, and about the map the AI is like broken or something cause it just sits there and dose nothing!!! I AMAZING!!!!! perfect game i'm so lucky it works on my computer.although 2 things 1.Stream WTF it is just loads of crud I HATE STREAM!!!!2.AI is so stupid i mean it never attacks u:(! and it just sits there and gets killed!!!!Its a great game though very historical and a nice map oh, and about the map the AI is like broken or something cause it just sits there and dose nothing!!! I would also like to play as nations such as idians pirates ext. i rate this game a 6.… Expand
  77. PeterS
    Aug 5, 2009
    3
    A good idee and great graphics, but it is not playable do to ever occuring crashes in various places. Wait at least a year to purchase this game.
  78. DillH
    Aug 5, 2009
    9
    To all the people who are complaining about long installations and such... wtf it took 20 minutes, and my comp is the best, so ignore that shit. Anyway, the gameplay is generally very enjoyable, this is one of the best rts' i've ever played.
  79. SebastienL.
    Aug 8, 2009
    9
    Let me just say this game is great overall, sure they are bugs even a few here and there, yet those thinking that a perfect game exist should leave the gaming community now and spare us all the complaints. The surprising thing is that even average desktop or in my case case high-end laptop with only dual core will work perfectly. Actually the CPU speed has an importance yet those with Let me just say this game is great overall, sure they are bugs even a few here and there, yet those thinking that a perfect game exist should leave the gaming community now and spare us all the complaints. The surprising thing is that even average desktop or in my case case high-end laptop with only dual core will work perfectly. Actually the CPU speed has an importance yet those with quad-core complaining it was not working should return their PC or stop making their own. In any events, I enjoy the game and agree that some of the crashes are at a bad spot but then when is a good time anyway. Spend your money if you are sure your PC will run it, then have fun and even after hours you will still enjoy it.… Expand
  80. CarlF
    Aug 9, 2009
    10
    I think this is the best game ever played. Even though 15 GB i quite a lot for a game. I've just got myself a new grafic card, so there's no problem there.But i didn't like to have a Total War game on Steam but it works, so that's why i gave it a 10.
  81. WillC
    Sep 10, 2009
    5
    I must say I was excited to see that some one had finely made a 18th Century R.T.S. that was worth playing. Well that was what I was thinking until I installed this and began to play. Not 15 minutes into playing grand campaign mode this video game failed to perform and resulted in a crash. After attempting to re-install this program I found that these problems continued and at times got I must say I was excited to see that some one had finely made a 18th Century R.T.S. that was worth playing. Well that was what I was thinking until I installed this and began to play. Not 15 minutes into playing grand campaign mode this video game failed to perform and resulted in a crash. After attempting to re-install this program I found that these problems continued and at times got worse. Being a former tester in the video game industry I tend to think that I expect more from titles then most. But the constant software failures, Clipping issues, and lagging animation leads me to believe that this game was a rushed product that was not tested properly, and no it isn't my computer this computer is loaded with the best hardware and software on the market and runs all previous games with out issues. I understand this is a resent release and like all new games will have its issues but this game is by far the most broken game I have yet to encountered next to Dream Catchers Super Power 2. I firmly recommend this game be fixed soon or I will insure you that I will never buy another Sega product again. I'm giving this game a 5 due to it excellent concept but poor performance.… Expand
  82. Leatherneck918
    Sep 1, 2009
    5
    This game is still broken at 1.3 patch. Im giving CA one more chance at fixing this BETA of a game with patch 1.4 that is suppost to come out in Late September. If the game is still not up to specs as Avertised, I will be giving up on this game and wait for the modders to fix it.
  83. FatMan
    Sep 2, 2009
    10
    I don't know what is wrong with u ppl's computers, seriously. Steam works perfectly fine, and for Half Life 2 as well. The GAME IS NOT SLOW, just u ppl's cmops suck. A battle for me loads in 13 or less seconds, even te big ones, sure the custom battles are shit, but great campaign makes up for it! Even thouhg u can play as only 12 Nations is still enjoy it, adn the part I don't know what is wrong with u ppl's computers, seriously. Steam works perfectly fine, and for Half Life 2 as well. The GAME IS NOT SLOW, just u ppl's cmops suck. A battle for me loads in 13 or less seconds, even te big ones, sure the custom battles are shit, but great campaign makes up for it! Even thouhg u can play as only 12 Nations is still enjoy it, adn the part about crappy AI is only partly true. The AI IS AGRESSIVE and i have seen seaborne invasions happen, like a french capture of Ceylon. In around 50 turns the map looks so diffrent, Prussia has slaughtered everyone around it, Sweden is kicking Scandinavian ass, Spain has the Iberian and other areas, and the Maratha have all of India, those are just some examples. Crashes happen only around every 40 turns for me, and never during battles, so u ppl clearly have a CRAP COMP. Overall, aside from some very minor bugs, everything else is fine with the game.… Expand
  84. Matthew
    Sep 30, 2009
    2
    I really really like this game. The total war series has always been one of my faves, and empire has been the best so far. It, for me, has the perfect balance of all the elements needed in a good stratagy game, and the introduction of navel combat was awsome. It lets me down on one cruical issue tho, bugs. I have not yet been able to complete a proper long campaign due to the fact that I really really like this game. The total war series has always been one of my faves, and empire has been the best so far. It, for me, has the perfect balance of all the elements needed in a good stratagy game, and the introduction of navel combat was awsome. It lets me down on one cruical issue tho, bugs. I have not yet been able to complete a proper long campaign due to the fact that each time i get so far throught the game for various reasons i encounter a fatal error. like taking a city causes a crash each time i try, or ending a turn causes a crash and wont work even after a re-load, due to corrupted save files, i have had the same problem on multiple computers. Without being able to play a campaign through it makes it infuriating and pointless to start a new one. This would be a 10/10 rating, if not for that factor.… Expand
  85. RickW
    Sep 5, 2009
    5
    This game is borken, plain and simple. The AI for both the campaign and battle map is worse than the previous installments in the series. With every patch the inherent problems with the games become more and more evident. The AI will never use diplomacy, will refuse most negotations for no reason, and will never declare peace on other AI, meaning that every nation is a war with everyone This game is borken, plain and simple. The AI for both the campaign and battle map is worse than the previous installments in the series. With every patch the inherent problems with the games become more and more evident. The AI will never use diplomacy, will refuse most negotations for no reason, and will never declare peace on other AI, meaning that every nation is a war with everyone else for the entire game. On the battle map, the AI is incredibly inept and can do nothing but charge you head on with bayonets after running bakc and forth before your firing lines. Pathfinding is hopeless and random glithces will crash your game about every hour or so. The multiplayer for this game has some promise, but it is unfinished. Balance and unit diversity form the latest patches make the gamplay intersting and exciting with every game. However there are only about 10 maps with totally unfair starting positions. There are also only three scenarios. Because of this replayibility on multiplayer is limited which is a shame becasue it's the only part of the game that works. This game looks imprssive and the reviewers paraded it about, but it is nothing more than an empty shell of a really good idea. Stay away from this game unless you are a diehard fan of the CA series multiplayer.… Expand
  86. JoseM
    Sep 7, 2009
    10
    Very good design, over exceeds expectations. Entertainment and spread history knowledge among players, congratulations to designers.
  87. Delta23h
    Jan 31, 2010
    8
    I can agree with some of those votes but i think that the problem does not lie with the game manufactures its Steam. Steam is processor intensive as it has to load with the game or you cannot play the game. I open my processes and find steam running higher then most programs i run normally and its not a primary selected program. Steam needs to get off there asses and fix this issue. If i I can agree with some of those votes but i think that the problem does not lie with the game manufactures its Steam. Steam is processor intensive as it has to load with the game or you cannot play the game. I open my processes and find steam running higher then most programs i run normally and its not a primary selected program. Steam needs to get off there asses and fix this issue. If i sut down stean i cant play total war at all. so why should i play a game that a distributor takes all of the fun out of buy making the game laggy trust me I have done the tests on my system and if i can get it to run with out steam in the back ground please let me know! because its giving the manifacture a bad name!… Expand
  88. KurtA.
    Oct 1, 2009
    9
    I will admit that the game was as buggy as a swampland upon release, and that that state persisted for quite some time, but that is not the case now. With patch 1.4 released and 1.5 on the way The Creative Assembly have started to deliver on their promises and make Empire: Total War into a thoroughly enjoyable and highly polished game, just as it always should have been.
  89. LucaD
    Oct 11, 2009
    8
    This game is good but on the single player mode it makes me crazy that the enemy arms comes and burn a twon there no troops ore a steal every round my new technologie but the fight mode is awsome, a other point is that when the infantry is fire than its seems like they have a M4 in burst mode.
  90. JamesM.
    Oct 1, 2009
    0
    A piss poor game sums up my feelings for this game. Dumb AI, Bugs after all their patches, No MP Campaign (which they said we would get (lairs), a lot of point less game play. And it does seem that France loves the white flag, since there is only one city in all of France. The be time reviewers where bought off and no way is this one of the best games ever made. More or less how not to A piss poor game sums up my feelings for this game. Dumb AI, Bugs after all their patches, No MP Campaign (which they said we would get (lairs), a lot of point less game play. And it does seem that France loves the white flag, since there is only one city in all of France. The be time reviewers where bought off and no way is this one of the best games ever made. More or less how not to make a game.… Expand
  91. BrendanW.
    Oct 13, 2009
    8
    Once you get the game working, it's actually very fun. Of course, I did have to go through about a day of tweaking, updating my drivers, and graphics adjusting, but with that out of the way, it's a welcome addition to the Total War Series in my opinion. If one is thinking of buying this game, please make sure that your computer is strong enough to run it in the first place, as I Once you get the game working, it's actually very fun. Of course, I did have to go through about a day of tweaking, updating my drivers, and graphics adjusting, but with that out of the way, it's a welcome addition to the Total War Series in my opinion. If one is thinking of buying this game, please make sure that your computer is strong enough to run it in the first place, as I would've easily given this game a 2 or 3 if I hadn't known how well Empire could run after a bit of adjusting.… Expand
  92. yoyo
    Oct 13, 2009
    4
    It is a great game... When it is actually working and not finding new ways to crash with it's infestation of bugs.
  93. EctoP
    Oct 15, 2009
    8
    Sure it has some flaws, here and there a major bug. Bit the patches have been coming steadily and the game is still alone at the top. Nothing comes close tot the TW series in this genre. Now if only CA would provide the modtools so ETW can be polished and upgraded to a straight 9.
  94. OleK
    Oct 19, 2009
    9
    Great and gameplay that makes me an emperor in the world of Total War. Many new nations and countries are using the European campaign map and most of them I never learned about in history lessons. This is really great. The technology -tree is a fine adition that gives alot of information about the different technologies. This is also something I never learned about in history lessons. A Great and gameplay that makes me an emperor in the world of Total War. Many new nations and countries are using the European campaign map and most of them I never learned about in history lessons. This is really great. The technology -tree is a fine adition that gives alot of information about the different technologies. This is also something I never learned about in history lessons. A grand game indead.… Expand
  95. NikitaM
    Dec 13, 2009
    2
    I like the campaign and the sea battles, but the ground battles(which i prefere more not good enough)
  96. RobC
    Dec 1, 2009
    5
    When it was released it crashed constantly, now that it's fixed it's actually quite a bland game.
  97. JasonH
    Dec 17, 2009
    10
    An absolute masterpiece. With a powerful PC, I can run this game with everything one Very High or Ultra, and it is smooth. The detail present is incredible, the range of units, the range of buildings, the different forces you can play, etc make it superb. Now the prospect of Napoleon Total War has me waiting impatiently. Since Shogun I have followed this gaming franchise, and it just gets An absolute masterpiece. With a powerful PC, I can run this game with everything one Very High or Ultra, and it is smooth. The detail present is incredible, the range of units, the range of buildings, the different forces you can play, etc make it superb. Now the prospect of Napoleon Total War has me waiting impatiently. Since Shogun I have followed this gaming franchise, and it just gets better and better. I only hope that there is scope for more games and perhaps even a full global theatre in the future. Perhaps the First World War or American Civil War?… Expand
  98. RomanE
    Dec 4, 2009
    9
    I bought the Special Forces edition when the game came out. I had no problems installing it, and the game has been running fine on my system. (Athlon 3200/64 with 4Gb Ram, ATI Radeon HD 3600 with 2Gb Ram, XP with all service packs). I have had very few crashes, and the gameplay has improved with each patch. I have been an avid devotee of the Total War series, and while there are some I bought the Special Forces edition when the game came out. I had no problems installing it, and the game has been running fine on my system. (Athlon 3200/64 with 4Gb Ram, ATI Radeon HD 3600 with 2Gb Ram, XP with all service packs). I have had very few crashes, and the gameplay has improved with each patch. I have been an avid devotee of the Total War series, and while there are some problems, all in all, I have found this game the best so far. I am going to purchase Napoleon when it is released, as I have always had a fascination with this period of military history. I have been able to overlook the various minor problems with each game, because the overall experience and immersion is so compelling.… Expand
  99. JeremyJ.
    Oct 5, 2009
    1
    Promised multiplayer campaign, but never delivered. Crashes consistently under certain conditions, even with high-end hardware and up-to-date drivers. Forces me to update even when I have the auto-update setting disabled.
  100. gointomexico
    Oct 5, 2009
    2
    Very buggy, spotty customer support. I cant play some of my saves because it crashes every time. I emailed customer support,and they close my tickets after 48 hrs. The first ticket I opened got closed even after I provided the info they requested. I opened another ticket asking why that ticket was closed, and that ticket got closed too. My life is too important to waste on buggy software, Very buggy, spotty customer support. I cant play some of my saves because it crashes every time. I emailed customer support,and they close my tickets after 48 hrs. The first ticket I opened got closed even after I provided the info they requested. I opened another ticket asking why that ticket was closed, and that ticket got closed too. My life is too important to waste on buggy software, and jerky CS.… 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.
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