Empire and Napoleon Total War Collection - Game Of The Year PC DVD

Although I have loved the TW series since Shogun, I resisted buying this game due to all the bugs that other reviewers kept on reporting. However, in Agust 2010 I relented when I saw this going cheap, so got a copy. My review will be split into 2 bits - the game itself (and the manual), the bug problem & instalation/steam: THE GAME (Empire) The game itself seemed daunting at first as it had a massive map over 3 screens. The manual was absolutly dire and only gave the most basic of information - other stuff I learnt off various forums because without knowing how the mechanics work, you can't enjoy a game like this. In reality, the manual should have been beefy, espcially as its supplied as PDF on the disks as well, so theres no excuse (IMO) for not explaining everything in reasonable detail. At first I hated the game - too much going on, and knowing to little made it less of an experience. I don't get to play games that often, so was disapointed at it all, but I perservered and after a while got into it a bit more, as I started to understand things. I have now played it on and off for around 4 months and will say the following: 1. Battles: Despite the size of the campaign map, the land battles lack the scope of previous TW games - in virtually all my battles, they have been fought on flat ground only. They have buildings which you can use, but don't (but its quite cool looking at your men inside, busting out the windows ready to shoot - but I did this once in 100 years!). Gone are the mountains that were seen in other TW games (as much as a pain as they were), even the bridges, that are on the map, end up like a swamp type battlefield and everyone liked the mass slaughter at the bridges!!! That said, the battles are decent for what you get - most of the units you don't really need (you mostly just use line infantry) and the opponents are pretty weak unless you set to 'very hard' (recommended). There seems to be a bit more AI thinking in the battles, which is an improvement - but its not very strategic - the enemy will still walk into gun fire and get slaughtered etc. Seiges are a thing of the past really as well, as they all take place in 'star forts' which are ALL the same. 2. Graphics: I have a 5600 dual core (on XP) and I only get mediocre graphics - they are okay, but its a shame probibly only 1 in 10,000 will see the game in its full glory. Still, it plays fine without lags with the settings right! 3.Campaign Map: This vast and pretty decent. The new system of towns takes a bit of getting use to but its okay and the diplomacy is definatly improved. 4. Sea Battles - After a bit of practice these seem okay UNTIL you get big fleets fighting it out - 5 to 6 ships and its easy to micromanage it, but after that its gets a lot more difficult - still its okay! 5. Loading times - These are loooooooong - and TBH a pain in the backside! INSTALLATION Having read many of the previous reviews I knew what I was getting into with steam, the download bit etc and TBH it was pretty painless. I installed from the DVD's, connected to steam, let it do its download thing, then played it. It has only crashed once so far, so I presume the download sorted out certain bugs (It now automatically turns the sound off when you speed things up, which was a COD bug - which is a shame really, as even at fast speed, the battle sounds should be heard as in previous games). I would have prefered not to use steam, or at least have the option, but it did update well (though a patch downloaded could have done the same). Occassionaly I get a message from steam saying I can't play for some reason, but if I restart it plays fine!!! Still, Sega should take note of the users dislike of it in future releases IMO! Overall I gave it a 3/5. This is because I can't get the better graphics and the gameplay doesnt match previous TW games - but all in all, its decent enough for the money, so I can't complain. this review is for Empire only - I havnt played Napolean or the other campaigns yet, so will update review when I do.

I've been a huge fan of Total war ever since my first go at Medieval way back in 2002. I've also played Rome and Medieval II, both being great, but had an extended break of around 5 years up to this purchase. When I initially decided to plunge back in I presumed I'd have to pay around £20-30 for just one of the games so when I saw both available for just over £8 I was pretty amazed, and that right there is probably the single best point in my opinion as there is almost zero risk involved. Firstly in regards to the Steam 'problems' many people have mentioned. The entire installation from putting in the first CD to being able to start playing probably took around 3 hours and this might have been shorter had I sat poised ready to click every box instantaneously (I wasn't that eager). And the process of setting up the Steam account is also pretty straightforward for anyone who has used the internet. Naturally you need an internet connection to do this but who seriously doesn't have that seen as you've used Amazon to purchase it.... In regards to the game it has exceeded all expectations by a long way. The great thing about the game is the tutorial is basically the task of taking the USA towards independence which at least in my opinion is very cool and amazingly interesting and educational (I was inspired to read up on the real events that were represented in the game). On the actual game-play, there is so much to talk about so I'll give a few of my best things: 1. There are 3 separate maps for the Americas, Europe and India which opens up the world properly for the first time. 2. Most units are ranged (i.e. have guns) so battles take a very different approach which I personally like a lot. 3. The naval battles, whilst they are very different to normal battles and take a while to the hang of they are a great addition. Overall though for the price it a terrific game and a must buy for fans of the series or even new players.

If your familiar with the total war series then I sure your familiar with the general mechanics, two armies face each other, gain themselves positions of advantage and smack nine shades from each other until one line breaks. Well that hasn't changed with Empire, but yet it is somewhat very different. Massing troops is no longer the best way to fight but spreading them out in groups and achieving the largest zone of fire wins the day. There is less emphasis on Calvary now and more on artillery and fire-power. So change is good right? Of course it is, keeping a TW series the same makes it stale and boring, however, this does not derive from the fact that I do not hold it as highly as medieval 2 or rome. Why? Well for many reasons 1) The form of infantry is pretty much the same now and lacks the vast variety of the two mentioned above (unless your fighting as one of the Indians etc). You get one of three main infantry colonial which can stand very long in battle and are only good for extra firepower for main troops. Skirmishers who are good ambushers and advance screens and the line infantry who are the bread and butter of your army.... well to me its different type of ppl with guns and its like that for most factions... 2) Cavarly although still very useful (against artillery mostly) are greatly downgraded and can barely charge line infantry without losing most of its ranks. This greatly reduces tactical angles. 3) Your own troop ai can be pretty annoying, troops wont shoot unless the enemy is within the arc, and they wont turn and shoot ppl just behind them even if the enemy was buggering them, obviously many will argue thats the users fault but when commanding 17+ troops in a battlefield at once means you neglect some parts and suffer badly for it. 4) Sometimes troops following orders are not as quick as the pace of the game, for instance if im being charged I'd ask infantry to go to mele mode, it takes an age to follow the commands sometimes. Battles are still thrilling and the game is greatly fun and with all the additions including the fantastic Napoleon game, this is well worth the money. But just not on par with Medieval 2 and Rome Anthology for me.

I decided to purchase this bundle despite some bad previous experiences with Steam as their original Rome Total War was a great game. Unfortunately there are more bad things to report than good. Where do I start.....? Here are a few downsides- 1. You have to download games and it takes forever. You are at the complete mercy of your Internet connection as well as sudden messages saying 'failed to install' etc. 2. Games sometimes fail due to Steam link which insists on trying to sell you something each time you connect. 3. Games can bomb out for no apparent reason so make sure you save on a regular basis. 4. Loading saved games has gone from a 50 - 50 success rate to suddenly nil. 5. There is no apparent way you can sell game to anyone when you tire of it as you are linked in to Steam access. 6. Why pay for a game and then find out that you have to pay for simple add-ons. Good points. a. Great game when it works. So.... Expect certain glitches and irritating operational problems if you buy this game.

i recently bought this game to add to my total war collection, as i am a big fan of the series, but i was a bit hmmmm, worried i geuss as i had read many reveiws complaining about pretty much every aspect of the game. Firstly INSTALLATION. i have read many reviews saying how they couldn't install it or they had to make a 20GB download. i had no problem with installing it at all it turned out to be giant 20GB game witch makes sense when you see the ridiculous amount of content (this is napoleon btw, i also installed empire which went fine as well). another complaint is that people have had to download the whole 20GB game instead of installing it off the disk. at first I had this problem but there is a simple solution, you need to be connected to the steam servers otherwise it only installs the game compontents not the actuall game, and then gives you the option to play it and when you click on that it starts downloading the actuall game, so just click "reinstall" when you are connected to the steam servers and it installs the game off the disk. SIMPLES! THE GAME! firstly it looks amazing, unfortunately this means you do need a very powerfull pc to run this game on the full settings but you can't blame it for having good graphics. The signature total war RTS battles are back and are better than ever, it's like being in the real battles, and of course commanding you armies to victory is still great fun. i also recommend that you get the darthmod for empire and also napoleon which has fnally come out wich are very easy to install and make this already great game even GREATER. I'd give this game (well these games) 100/10 if that existed, YOU MUST BUY THIS GAME!!!!

Installation process for this game is ridiculously bad, not only does it require internet connection to be present( for the whole duration: ~ 1h) but also downloadable updates are needed to both Steam (before installation) and to the game itself (after installation) in order to run it. Game itself is good but installation process leaves much to be desired, also I feel that info about internet connection required on the back of the box is misleading.

Being a fan of the Total War franchise and having played both Rome Total War and Shogun 2 I decided to get this, as controlling the fate of nations in the 18th century was an allure too hard to resist. I was not that interested in Napoleon and probably would have never bought it standalone, but since this GOTY (Game Of The Year) version also includes the unit packs (elite units) that were sold as DLC and the Warpath campaigns (native Americans fighting Europeans) I decided to go for this version, as I wanted the most complete Empire Total War experience. I started my first campaign as the Maratha Confederacy (a nation in India) and found the amount of historical detail interesting - you learn about the geopolitical situation at the start of the 18th century, the kinds of troops available, technologies used in cannons and muskets, etc. It feels a bit like a history lesson but this is not a bad thing. Actually it is a good way to combine entertainment with education. However, even after all the patches the AI (Artificial Intelligence) is just a bit dumb - playing as a nation in the Indian subcontinent the first deal offered to me by Britain was an exchange: I get the Bahamas in exchange for a region in India... Such a deal is a bit laughable to say the least, even though it fits in with Britain's territorial ambitions at the time. If you are familiar with the Total War games then you know that part of the game takes place on the campaign map (turn based) and the other part consists of 3D battles (real time). Well the AI on the battlefield handles itself well for the most part but sometimes it is not that bright - a contingent of enemy soldiers was hidden in bushes with their backs turned on me while my troops massacred them, and they did not react! Maybe such a thing did happen on a battlefield in the past, I don't know. Another issue to bear in mind is that the fonts can be quite hard to read. In Napoleon for instance, the font used in the unit descriptions is really small, and I could barely read the text as the developers used a grey background. Text in Empire is more readable but the text size should be bigger in my opinion. Overall Empire Total War offers a wealth of riches. Countless nations, 3 theaters of war (the Americas, Europe and India), loads of units... and it all comes together as a great game. If you've never played a Total War game, then this would be a fine choice. Another option would be Rome Total War (considered by many to be the best in the series) or Shogun 2, for a nice oriental setting.

Warning: Unless you are familiar with Steam, don't buy this game. I was was aware of Steam as a concept, but I don't normally do PC gaming. I am sure both games are excellent but I have not started playing them because of the ridiculous number of hoops I've had to jump thru. A horrible experience all round. If ever I get to actually load and start the game I am sure I'll enjoy it, but never, ever will I buy anything that needs Steam activation. Also, why bother sending physical disks at all? It's the activation code that gives acces to the game (hopefully) followed by a time consuming download. The whole process seems pointless and annoying to this, possibly naive, xBox gamer.