This starts off simple with the basics of the game and drip-feeds new concepts and game mechanics in as it goes on, taking you from your first towns through to your first conquests, diplomatic alliances, agents and onwards. I think The Creative Assembly realised that the scope and scale of the Grand Campaign made it a little daunting for newcomers, so the game also features a more accessible campaign reminiscent of those introduced by the Medieval 2: Kingdoms expansion, following the growth of the US colonies towards settlement and independence. Wouldn’t it be better if you could just join the whole lot up, and maybe annexe the rest of Germany while you’re at it? Isn’t it time you showed the Austrians who’s boss? When you bear in mind that these are only two of the twelve playable factions, each with their own objectives, it’s pretty obvious that this is a really extensive game. The Kaiser and his chums have control of two regions, inconveniently divided by a large chunk of Poland. Too much to contend with? Try the Prussian campaign. That’s an awful lot of plates to keep spinning, and it’ll take a superb grasp of economic and military strategy and detail if you want to even have a hope of winning through. Not only must you guard against attack from the forces of France and Spain, but the action now stretches across three distinct theatres, taking in not just Europe, but the American colonies (full of treacherous rebels who don’t like tea, or something) and the Indian subcontinent (where two rival Empires need sorting out, in good old-fashioned Imperialist style). Playing as glorious Blighty, for example, you really have your hands full. The important thing is that it’s a vivid period with a lot going on, and that – as a result – there’s an awful lot of meat in Empire to chew on. The weaponry and tactics work along similar lines, and you’ll still have a pretty good idea of who is siding with whom. If your nearest reference point is Sharpe, don’t worry. This is an exciting period of European colonial expansion and internal conflict, taking in events that will be familiar to anyone who’s read Neal Stephenson’s excellent (if equally intimidating) Baroque Cycle, and leading up to the Napoleonic wars and the wars of German and Italian unification that will dominate the century to follow. I had my doubts about Empire’s 18th Century setting, but I really needn’t have worried. If you want, you don’t even have to spend a second in the central ‘Grand Campaign’ you can just set up your own battles or play the pre-defined scenarios, and just enjoy the sounds of booming cannon, musket-fire and clashing steel. If you want to let battles resolve themselves and concentrate on the political drama, then that’s fine too. ![]() Handling both portions gives you the full, rich Total War experience, but if you want to let the AI handle the management of the economy and the society, you can. It’s a mix designed to satisfy would-be Bismarcks and would-be Napoleons, and the game cleverly allows you to play the way you like best. This is the 3D real-time strategy that you’ll remember from previous Total War games or the BBC programme Time Commanders a fast-paced, realistic simulation of warfare featuring dozens of units and thousands of men on the field at any one time. When conflict rears its ugly head – and inevitably it will – it’s time for the other half of the game to take over. You also have to maintain diplomatic relations with allies and rivals, steer scientific progress to develop new military, social and technological assets, and ensure that your economy remains headed in the right direction. In the one half, you’re developing your cities, raising and moving armies and sending out agents to spy, sabotage or steal technology on your behalf. Beneath all the features and complex game mechanics, Empire remains a mix of turn-based empire building and real-time strategy, these two elements kept separate but affecting each other throughout the game. ![]() For anyone new, Empire: Total War might feel terrifyingly detailed and complex. Even for those of us familiar with the series, beginning a new one can be an intimidating business. More and more I feel that the Total War series isn’t just a series of games, but a virtual cathedral to epic strategy, each instalment resting on and building from the foundations, walls and towers put in place by the last. As things are, you’ll have to settle for my honest opinion of the game as I’ve experienced it, and bear in mind that there are huge sections of The Creative Assembly’s latest opus that I’ve had to leave virtually untouched. Give me a month off work and 10,000 words to play with, and I might just be able to give you a final and definitive verdict on Empire: Total War.
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