Empire Total War Review and Rating

The Total War franchise has risen to the top of the heap and become the benchmark by which all other turn-based strategy/empire building games will—nay—must be judges.  Creative Assembly’s newest entry, Empire, not only lives up to the previous games but blows them out of the water, literally.

Gameplay

Players jump right into the action as one of 12 playable nation states, each with their own conditions for victory, strengths, weaknesses, and deficiencies and must secure their territory, build alliances, improve their infrastructure, and eventually conquer the world.  What makes this franchise so attractive and unique is the equal division of gameplay (and computer resources) between political wheeling and dealing, internal management, and open warfare.  What makes Empire the best game yet is not only the tons of new content but the streamlined control scheme which makes absorbing the mountains of data and controlling hundreds of units across a vast global map actually possible--and easier than ever before.
Now, Instead of having to click an individual town or region to access its dropdown mini-menu, important trade centers, production facilities, and even the entire empire can be selected and manipulated as one.  For instance, whereas in other Total War games players had to click on individual cities to fiddle with their tax rates, players can now change the taxes for the entire nation with two simple sliders (one for nobility and one for the common folk.) 
This effective simplification of the control scheme also extends into combat even though the arenas are more complex and visually stunning than ever before.  In Empire entire groups of units can be told to move across the battlefield and remain in formation.  Individual units can also be told how to attack by switching them from melee to ranged and back (helping to eliminate friendly fire incidents.)  Complex strategies which would have taken a lot of mouse clicks before can now be executed in just a few.  It’s a change that may have purist micro-managers up in arms but for the vast majority of Total War fans it is welcome.

In addition to the Grand Campaign, Empire contains a shorter campaign entitled the Road to Freedom which is essentially the abbreviated story of the young America.  Players get to manipulate early American history and help carve out a homeland from native territory, build it into a nation, and then fight for independence from England.  This campaign functions as a tutorial and each of the four levels exposes more tactics, tools, and strategies that are available.  However, just because it functions as a tutorial doesn’t mean the campaign isn’t worth playing of its own accord.  It’s jolly good fun to change the course of history through George Washington’s eyes and these four levels alone should keep you busy for days.

Also new in Empire are naval battles.  The new ease of use extends to them as well but they themselves just don’t hold up when compared to the glory that is full scale war on land.  The naval battles were one of the most effective marketing tools the game had going for it but they feel almost rushed, or unfinished compared to the rest of the game.  While the models are still exquisitely detailed and hilariously lifelike in their animation, the tactics you can employ and the number of logistical options available to you are quite limited.  It doesn’t help that the AI seems as if it’s a little seasick as well.  Often times ships either refuse orders to attack or will go about it in a roundabout fashion that will alternately have you scratching your head and smashing your keyboard. 

It’s nice to actually see--and be able to participate in--naval operations, as they were an integral part of the past games but had been until now left out of the picture, but it would have been better to flesh out the mechanics a little more rather than just trying to wow with pretty graphics.

Graphics

And graphically the game is truly amazing.  It’s hard to believe that a game of this huge a scope could be so intricately detailed but it is.  You can zoom in on the action right down to the eye level of the grunts and seeing them run amuck as the fog of war closes in upon them is maddeningly gorgeous.  Horses, infantrymen, sailors, and even the ocean itself are truly stunning though some of the more open battlefields feel a little plain.

And that’s actually one of the best parts about the game:  the variety.  Whereas in past games most of the action took place as sieges (due to the necessity to capture your enemy’s capital) Empire brings a whole new openness and freedom to the game by shifting strategically important targets outside the safety of city walls.  You’ll find mines, manufacturing facilities, trading posts, and government buildings scattered about the map and you’re free to attack them (or ignore them ) as you see fit.  It’s incredibly satisfying if a bit sadistic to cripple your enemy by taking their ports and severing their overland trade routes. 

Because the game is so graphically rich (and just so bloody huge) it takes up a massive chunk of your hard drive and will eat through your memory like it was popcorn at the movies.  Empire will put even serious gaming machines through their paces.  Thankfully many of the options can be “dumbed down” so the game will function on older machines.  However, expect to see some lag, and a few crashes.  They seem to get worse after the game has been played for long stretches so take a break.  It will be there when you get back.  Promise.

Sound

The audio quality of this game is truly spectacular.  The exciting martial score and sound effects (booming cannons cracking muskets and crying men) all suck the player in and make them forget they are sitting in front of a computer.  The level of audio detail is just crazy.  If you listen close you can actually hear that the individual soldiers are actually speaking in their respective languages!  It’s little things like that which just complete the game and round out an otherwise stellar experience.

Value

In spite of its annoying flaws (crashing, lag, and uninspiring naval conflicts) Empire will keep you busy for a long, long time.  You could easily spend several days on a single play through and with 12 playable nations and the Road to Freedom Campaign I would suggest clearing your calendar for a while.  This game may truly be the best value for the money of this season.

Final Verdict

If you like this type of strategy/empire building game, Total War: Empire is a must have.  There’s no two ways about it.

Pros: absolutely huge, massive, insanely big game, finicky attention to detail, easier more intuitive gameplay.

Cons:  Hitching, crashing, naval campaigns don’t stack up to the land warfare.


Overall Score: 9/10