About Empire: Total War
Conquer the 18th Century world on land and, for the first time in the Total War series, at sea! Set against one of history’s most turbulent and revolutionary eras, Empire: Total War begins in 1701 and allows you to experience events such as the Industrial Revolution, America’s struggle for independence, the race for control of Eastern trade routes and the globalisation of war. Fully re-written AI with a wider range of strategies and tactics provides consistently formidable opponents on land, sea and on the campaign map. A variety of powerful gunpowder weapons will also force you to think creatively when designing your military strategies. An all new graphics engine and technology allows for new advanced landscapes, floral systems and breath-taking visuals.
Choose one of eleven playable contemporary factions each with their own respective territories, strengths and specialities and re-write history as you forge an empire, navy and army formidable enough to master the globe. Recruit and move your armies and navies around the world, with enhanced systems for controlling the three new agent types to conduct trade, espionage, sabotage, diplomacy and the internal politics of your nation on the detailed and intuitive and richly designed turn-based campaign map. Settle conflicts and combat on the campaign map automatically or take command yourself, deploying vast numbers of troops, ships and advanced military tactics to emerge victorious in 3D real-time land and sea battles.
The turn-based campaign mode is similar to previous Total War titles but features several advancements such as new diplomacy options, a streamlined user interface and visible upgrades for buildings and settlements. The way that provinces function has been decentralised, meaning that a region’s productivity can be disturbed without having to assault the regional capital. Ministers can now be appointed to form a court or cabinet to govern the nation and, unlike previous titles where a governor’s attributes only affected the settlement he lead, governors now influence all settlements under the player’s control. Generals can now recruit units from nearby settlements rather than having to wait for troops produced elsewhere to travel to them.
Other new features include a technology tree that has been introduced allowing the player to research technologies that will lead to advances in areas such as politics, infrastructure, agriculture or the military. Revolutions and rebellions may occur depending on the type of installed government and the way that the general populous view them, the player can choose to side with either rebels or loyalists and the outcome of the revolution will affect how other factions on the campaign map view the player and will influence their diplomatic relations. Whilst religion doesn’t play as large a part as it does in Medieval 2 it is still important, for example allowing two same-religion nations to identify with each other, bolstering alliances between them.
There is also the story-driven ‘Road to Independence’ campaign wherein the player takes on the role of early colonial settlers in America. Beginning with the establishment of the Jamestown settlement, this campaign follows the fledgling nation’s struggles as it battles dangerous natives and severs its ties with the encroaching British Empire in order to secure its independence.
In land engagements, players command an 18th Century army with a variety of units each with their own abilities, advantages and costs. Factions can now lay siege to settlements resulting in close quarters fighting and units are capable greater interactivity with their environments allowing them to take cover behind walls and to set up field defences. Outside of the campaign there are several historic battles from the 18th and early 19th Centuries to play through. Multiplayer options include player rankings, leagues and ladders as well as custom battles and a new multiplayer campaign mode. Whereas in previous titles, naval battles could only be resolved automatically, in Empire they can be commanded in real time. Control a fleet of up to twenty ships, varying in class, size, armament and crew. Tactical variety is reinforced by the addition of varied ammunition and the ability to board and specifically target areas of a ship to maximise damage as you see fit.
Empire: Total War is the fifth game in the Total War series. It was released on 4 March 2009 by the Creative Assembly and Sega.