The quiet is unbearable but I wait. Then a cannon fires and within seconds all my cannons open fire. The enemy appears out of the fog and my cannons continue to fire at them as they advance at a run. They get close enough and my soldiers behind the small farm fence take aim and open fire cutting down hundreds of the advancing Spanish soldiers. It doesn't take long as my carefully placed regiments each take easy shots at the Spanish who haven't even had time to return fire. They never get it as they turn and run. Another victory for the Dutch as my conquest across Southern Europe continues. Welcome to Empire Total War!
The Total War Series started out as a new idea that was received with raised eyebrows and not everyone jumped for it. But by the time Medieval Total War came out everyone was all too happy to jump on the bandwagon for it. It introduced a simple idea, the massive campaign map with cities and such, all turn based and looked at like political map. You manage the cites from afar. The engagements with troops are on a separate battle map but instead of other games with 60 troops on 60, its more of 600 on 600. Total War was just that, complete and utter Total War.
Medieval II Total War was also very good and after they were done with the swords and catapults, Creative Assembly and SEGA moved to the time of muskets and cannons and took the world map from Europe and Asia to Europe and Africa with stops in the Caribbean, India, and the Eastern coast of North America. Along the way they added almost 15 new nations to the playable list so the player can take any nation or faction and become a world power. While running down archers with knights was fun, cutting down hundreds of soldiers with one well timed "FIRE!" order is loads of fun.
Being someone who grew up in the Netherlands I have always enjoyed strategy games in Europe and I try to be the Dutch when I can. Empire Total War gave me the chance to put that into play. After securing treaties with nations to the West I was able to turn all my forces to the southeast. After my friendly advisor suggested the Spanish as a target I marched right in and launched an attack on them. This brought their French allies into the fray. Not a problem, my Austrian allies joined on my side. While the Austrians kept the french busy in the south I succeeded in destroying the Spanish and untied the Netherlanders under one flag. One that was done I turned South and helped Austria finish off France. Once I had secured ceasefires and left the French and Spanish crying in the corner I headed to the Caribbean and showed the pirates what pain means as I sunk almost every ship they had (or at least the ones I could find), take that Jack Sparrow!
My second time I started as little Austria or Österreich. Your all alone when you start with them, no problem. This time I reversed my path of destruction. I secured treaties with the east and headed West. What is now Poland fell quickly and I headed South into the Balkans. Too easy so I stopped halfway and headed east into Ukraine and Russia. I tried to grab a colony or two in the Caribbean but Austrian sea power was no match for the English and Dutch who made sure to put me in my place when I showed up. That is another thing Empire introduced. Ship combat was very much just point, click, and pray in the earlier games. It came down to numbers, my 20 ships will beat you 16. In Empire you are taken to the sea map where you can personally direct each ship in battle. I can't count how many times I went in with four ships against nine and came out as a winner with three of my ships still left thanks to my good maneuvering and well timed broadside cannon barrages.
As with the previous games you can play a nice long campaign and the number of nations provides so many replayability options that you will be occupied for plenty of time. However, if you get tired of Europe then Empire introduces a new mode called Road to Independence where you take control of the new colonial forces and fight from the creation of Jamestown to the creation of the America as you fight in the Revolutionary War.
Road to Independence was very rewarding as I enjoyed playing through it. I enjoyed watching my colonists transform from simple colonists to soldiers and then to citizens of the new America. It made the game fun and challenging as you often find yourself launching small attacks that do nothing more then stall the British Army and then you smile as your two regiments of line infantry join your army just in time as the British catch up with you. Many of the battles I fought I was outgunned but being a strategy veteran I was able to use my tactics to win battles that I should have lost. Regardless, if your new to strategy games you still can do well, they have a tutorial to help you along and as long as you pay attention to your advisers you can do fine, just don't start off with the Road to Independence, it is a hard one for new players.
Graphically the game is still very shiny and pretty and smooth getting rid of the clunky old map from the other games. The problems with the game stem from the AI. Sometimes it is far too easy to win. Although challenging it at times it becomes easy. I found myself surprised at times as the AI would launch hopeless attacks against me. The Spanish at one point thought sending 150 line infantry against a well rounded army of 800 Dutch was a good idea. I lost two men while killing 146 before they surrendered. The politics and diplomacy system is also cruel to new players and veterans alike. The entire diplomacy system has changed and I can't count how many times I thought I had done well only to find out I came out way behind in the negotiations, I accidentally one time gave up three cities and had to reload and try again before finally coming to an agreement that allowed me to keep what I had gained in a long and bloody war.
Review
Grade-Harvest It!
Highs-Strategy veterans will love that tactics are back and the new players will fall in love
Lows-AI is dumb and the diplomacy system is cruel and hard to navigate
ESRB Rating-T for Teens, Ages 13 and up
Kid Friendly?It's a bit complicated and it can be violent, respect the rating
Where Can I Get It?Amazon has it, they sell the game for about $19.99 but you can also get it in some stories
Overview-Still good and enjoyable, RTS is alive and well!
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