Empire: Total War

One of the best military strategy games makes a bold and unapologetic entrance into 18th century combat to dominate both on land and sea. You take control of the seas and land as you forge a mighty nation of warriors to rule the world. Empire: Total War brings us to the Age of Enlightenment, where we face military advancements,political upheaval, radical thinking and everything captured in stunning and realistic detail. In particular, Empire: Total War did a phenomenal job of putting in real detail to the game.

Empire: Total War introduced a remarkable number of revolutionary features that include 3D naval combat. Where the newest game diverges from past titles relates to how you can now command your ships more intuitively. Take control of either a single vessel or a large fleet to strike terror into the hearts of your enemies. The seascapes have a rich level of detail, and the weather effects play a gigantic role in your victory or defeat at sea. Once you have pummeled the enemy with ruthless cannon fire, you can grapple their ship, board it and fight in hand-to-hand combat on the wooden decks.

Advancements have also been made toward Total War's signature 3D battles and their turn-based campaign maps. The real-time battle poses a new challenge where your armies will fight with muskets and cannons. This challenges new players to master their tactics and formations because of the increasing role of gunpowder in warfare. Empire: Total War introduces some new and upgraded elements to the game. For example, you have new systems of diplomacy, trade and espionage. Keep in mind, however, the diplomacy system comes with a couple bugs. To give an example, whenever your nation starts to prosper, your enemies will hate you more. Outside that, Empire: Total War improves and extends the scope where you can check out the vast wealth in India or explore the turbulence in Europe. You can also roll through the untapped potential of the United States.

The new real-time 3D naval wars in Empire: Total War are unparalleled in action and graphics. You start in the 1700s as you become one of the founding fathers of your nation. You will live in an era filled with warfare at sea and a revolutionary war that founded the United States of America. If you're a history buff, you may want to explore some of the historical campaigns where you play through real history. Overall, Empire: Total War is a raving success. The cinematic brilliance that made past Total War titles popular can be found in this game. Everything feels more realistic, and each territory will have a single regional capital, but as the region develops, you will establish new towns.

Pros

• Gorgeous graphics to take your breath away
• Cinematic brilliance still found in the game
• Riveting naval battles
• Historical campaign maps

Cons

• The diplomacy in the game can be somewhat finicky
• Starting out with a widespread empire exhaustive and intensive