IGN Empire: Total War Review (9.5)

[Meneldil]

Just like RTW and M2TW were going to be the best games of the world, yay.

Seriously, I'm as much waiting ETW as most of you guys are, but having been sincerely disappointed by both RTW and M2TW, I can't help but think ETW will be the same thing: a potentially great game that will ultimately fail at entertaining me.

[Polemists]

Yea if you hate RTW and MTW2 chances are you'll not love Empire TW.

I mean it is the TW series. Only so much changes.

For rest of us, who enjoyed RTW and MTW2, i'm sure it will be fun.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

I don't know. The campaign was what really killed Rome and M2 for me (killed is a little strong, I played it a lot when it came out, but less than M1). It sounds like CA has improved the campaign map in a lot of ways, while I like the setting better for the land battles. Throw in what may be even more mod support, and I'm really hopeful.

That's why I'm counting on people like Monk to be ruthless in pointing out ETW's flaws. To keep me from buying ETW until the 2nd patch and/or the first significant mods.

[Gregoshi]

I'm with Alexander. While I'm excited and pleased with the great IGN review, the reviews here from fellow Orgahs will hold more sway with me. Plus with an upgrade of my gaming rig months away at the very least, there will be some time after the initial excitement/disappointment to shake out a more realistic appraisal of the game. I am hoping for a fun, challenging and immersive game and I hope CA has found the magic again. Time will tell.

[Megas Methuselah]

I'm just gonna buy it. IGN's review or your pathetic opinions will hold no sway on my noble resolve to get my royal hands on the game in all its glory.

[Polemists]

Needless to say, at some point I will be taking Megas down a peg or two in a multiplayer campaign

That said, there were alot of us that enjoyed RTW and MTW2 and still play them.

While empire does alot new, government is new, ai is new, new units, new land battles, new trade, and new city set up. Alot has also remained the same. Such as the exact same diplomacy options as before. Routing in battle as before. Movement on landmap as before. (Though now you can recruit in the field.)

I think it will be different, but to say Empire will be 100% different compared to MTW2 would be silly. It's still the same series, the same ideas, the same turn based gameplay. It's just lots of new features.

[Sir Beane]

I'm with Alexander. While I'm excited and pleased with the great IGN review, the reviews here from fellow Orgahs will hold more sway with me. Plus with an upgrade of my gaming rig months away at the very least, there will be some time after the initial excitement/disappointment to shake out a more realistic appraisal of the game. I am hoping for a fun, challenging and immersive game and I hope CA has found the magic again. Time will tell.

If you wait to get the game a few month after it comes out you also have the benefit of any patches that have been released, as well as whatever fantastic mods will be out by then.

I'm far too impatient to wait however, and I'll get the game no matter what people say about it. I like to form my own opinion, and I have unusual tastes .

[Dogfish]

I'm really looking for to dominating the oceans with the new naval battles. Such a big new feature. Oh, the times I've been playing all the other TW games wishing I didn't have to auto-resolve when on the blue portions of the map.

That also makes me full of anticipation with regards to the modding possibilities too. Hopefully CA kept the architecture fairly open to allow for such things. I would love to be playing a Rome conversion based on this new engine, ramming ships, being able to raid the countryside, research technology...

[Alexander XXI]

A promising sign that their are not any glaring problems like there were in the original release of MTWII. Does anyone know if the game (outside the US) will be delivered on the release date? Or, due to the Steam rules about activation, mean that the game will not arrive at the shops and warehouses until the wednesday? So therefore may not be posted until wednesday at the earliest?

[Monk]

A promising sign that their are not any glaring problems like there were in the original release of MTWII. Does anyone know if the game (outside the US) will be delivered on the release date? Or, due to the Steam rules about activation, mean that the game will not arrive at the shops and warehouses until the wednesday? So therefore may not be posted until wednesday at the earliest?

I dunno, but Amazon.com is promising that it will ship the game on the fourth. It's possible then that they already have it in stock and are just waiting to be able to send it out.

[PanzerJaeger]

Just like RTW and M2TW were going to be the best games of the world, yay.

Seriously, I'm as much waiting ETW as most of you guys are, but having been sincerely disappointed by both RTW and M2TW, I can't help but think ETW will be the same thing: a potentially great game that will ultimately fail at entertaining me.

My fears exactly. RTW and M2TW were two of the biggest disappointments I've experienced in gaming - not so much because they were terrible games, but because they were so much worse than the previous titles.

SP has never been my thing, but it was so odd/buggy in those two it was pretty much unplayable for me. What was truly sad, though, was the destruction of the MP community. All the great clans and all the great players pretty much disappeared. What is left is just a shell of what used to be...

STW/MTW certainly had their issues, but what made them great was the combat system. While not perfect, it was far more balanced and allowed for so much more tactical depth than the next engine. I think everyone just assumed that RTW would continue with the same battle dynamics as the older games with awesome new graphics. Sadly, something was lost in translation. I think Puzz said the guy whow created the system quit/was fired.

As much as we all love to see the little guys slugging it out, it gets old - fast. The truth is, graphics will never compensate for sub-standard gameplay.

In any event, the ETW demo has given me some reasons for hope. I could tell right away that M2TW was going to suck. The jury's still out on this one...

[Polemists]

As much as we all love to see the little guys slugging it out, it gets old - fast. The truth is, graphics will never compensate for sub-standard gameplay.

Well I never found the gameplay or balance of RTW or MTW2 to be that horrible but that's me.


In regards to Monk's comment, since yes I hope to get it from amazon. Yes the current rumor is that the game will ship on the 4th

[ArtillerySmoke]

Well I never found the gameplay or balance of RTW or MTW2 to be that horrible but that's me.


In regards to Monk's comment, since yes I hope to get it from amazon. Yes the current rumor is that the game will ship on the 4th

It's supposed to be on shelves on the 4th in the states. Steam also unlocks the game on the 4th.

[DisruptorX]

Well I never found the gameplay or balance of RTW or MTW2 to be that horrible but that's me.

Start a skirmish in RTW. Field nothing but light cavalry against enemy spearmen and heavy infantry. Laugh as your completely unarmored horsemen armed with nothing but a light spear crush everything they fight. Saying that RTW lacks balance is an understatement. I have literally conquered Rome with Numidian Cavalry only. Thats not even getting into the fact that men seem to run about 30 miles per hour, and horses about 60.

The latter concern was my biggest fear for Empire, though it seems that only horses are too fast, men run at a reasonable speed.

In any event, why can't I preload this yet?

[Meneldil]

Well I never found the gameplay or balance of RTW or MTW2 to be that horrible but that's me.


In regards to Monk's comment, since yes I hope to get it from amazon. Yes the current rumor is that the game will ship on the 4th

Well, STW and MTW fights required a bit more than a cavalry charge to be won, and also lasted more than 30 seconds.

Most battles in RTW and M2TW follow the same pattern:
- Archers shoot at the opponent but cause little harm.
- Infantry clash in the middle of the field.
- The first one who make a cavalry charge in the rear of said infantry see the whole opposing army breaking and fleeing.

Believe me when I say I vaslty prefered STW and MTW fights. The graphics weren't nearly as fancy, but it felt much better nonetheless. Not to mention the AI was IMO vastly better.

Now, I couldn't play ETW demo on my laptop thanks to the crazy requirements, so I can't really say how I liked the battles into it. I'm still hoping that ETW will prove to be as challenging as MTW or STW, but I fear that CA decided to water-down everything to cater to casual gaming.

[Sir Beane]

Well, STW and MTW fights required a bit more than a cavalry charge to be won, and also lasted more than 30 seconds.

Most battles in RTW and M2TW follow the same pattern:
- Archers shoot at the opponent but cause little harm.
- Infantry clash in the middle of the field.
- The first one who make a cavalry charge in the rear of said infantry see the whole opposing army breaking and fleeing.

Believe me when I say I vaslty prefered STW and MTW fights. The graphics weren't nearly as fancy, but it felt much better nonetheless. Not to mention the AI was IMO vastly better.

Now, I couldn't play ETW demo on my laptop thanks to the crazy requirements, so I can't really say how I liked the battles into it. I'm still hoping that ETW will prove to be as challenging as MTW or STW, but I fear that CA decided to water-down everything to cater to casual gaming.

I know it isn't much, but having played the demo it didn't give me the impression being watered down for the masses. It seemed much more intelligent than Med2 for instance.