Product Description

Special Forces Edition
The following elite units are included as part of the Empire: Total War - Special Forces Edition. This premium packaged edition for aficionados of the Total War series comes complete with an illustrated campaign map and unique Steam unlock code. Once the game is installed and verified by Steam, players can enter their code and unlock these elite units which will then appear in the single-player game:

• HMS Victory
• Rogers' Rangers
• Ottoman Organ Gun
• Ghoorkas
• Corso Terrestre Guerillas
• Bulkeley's Regiment
  
  Empire: Total War introduces a host of revolutionary new features, including true 3D naval combat. For the first time in the Total War series, you will be able to intuitively command single ships or vast fleets upon seascapes rich with extraordinary water and weather effects that play a huge role in your eventual glorious success or ignominious defeat. After pummeling your enemy with cannon fire, close in to grapple their ship and prepare to board, taking control of your men as they fight hand-to-hand on the decks of these wooden behemoths.
  
  In addition, Empire: Total War will see further enhancements to the Total War series' signature 3D battles and turn-based campaign map. Real-time battles will pose new challenges with the addition of cannon and musket, challenging players to master new formations and tactics as a result of the increasing role of gunpowder within warfare. And the Campaign Map - for many, the heart of Total War - introduces a variety of new and upgraded elements, including new systems for Trade, Diplomacy and Espionage with agents; a refined and streamlined UI; improved Advisors; and a vastly extended scope.
  
• Take command on the high seas. New real-time 3D naval warfare takes Total War's unparall

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4481 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Sega
• Released on: 2009-03-04
• Platform: Windows XP
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English

Manufacturer's Description
Empire: Total War Special Forces Edition.

In a time when a soldier’s life could be given easily and quickly, it took extreme courage and determination for a true hero to forge a reputation for themselves.

Whether through harsh and highly disciplined training, generations of successful military tradition or world-leading technology, the units available as part of the Empire: Total War Special Forces Edition are among the very best of the best.

The Special Forces Edition introduces six of the most influential military forces of the 18th Century. True to the period, these exclusive elite units become available on the campaign map via a certain faction or once a specific geographical region is under control.

Each elite unit brings with it the potential to open up dramatic new strategies and turn the tide of your campaign. A cornerstone of your Empire’s land or naval forces, each has the potential to be used to decisive and devastating effect.

The following elite units are included as part of the Empire: Total War Special Forces Edition. This premium packaged edition for aficionados of the Total War series comes complete with an illustrated campaign map and unique Steam unlock code. Once the game is installed and verified by Steam, players can enter their code and unlock these elite units which will then appear in the single player game.

HMS Victory:
The Royal Navy’s most distinguished and formidable first rate ship of the line; Lord Nelson’s 104 gun flagship is one of the most heavily armed ships of the 18th Century.

Rogers’ Rangers:
Major Robert Rogers’ company of rangers are highly trained elite light infantry, specialising in reconnaissance and special operations. They are extremely mobile in even the most challenging environments.

Ottoman Organ Gun:
A viciously powerful field gun, able to inflict incredible damage on the opposing army. Emphatic proof of the Ottoman Empire’s advanced knowledge of gunpowder and firearms technology.

Ghoorkas:
"Better to die than be a coward" has been the motto of these elite Nepalese soldiers for centuries. Disciplined, tough and courageous, they carry a deadly 18-inch long, curved knife known as the kukri.

Corso Terrestre Guerillas:
An independent light infantry guerrilla regiment, experienced in skirmish and stealth tactics. Surprise raids and ambushes are the guerillas’ favoured tactics, a way to compensate for their limited number and light armour.

Bulkeley's Regiment:
A French unit of Irish mercenaries with a fearsome reputation for hardiness. Exceptionally tough and resilient, they make for a highly flexible and dependable regiment.

Customer Reviews

Great potential, but...
As I am growing up, there is only a handful of games that are worth dedicating precious free time. There are some golden oldies (like Max Payne 2, Call of Duty, Hitman(s)), and one or two new ones; but only one franchise that from start to finish remains on my computer. This last installment of the Total Was series seems to have it all. Seems to... So, as for it to not be misleading, and to remain relatively balanced, I will state the more obvious good things first, and the more obvious bad things (most of them) in capitals.

Good things.

(1) Good graphics. The tradition continues, the first step within the series having been made with Rome TW. Yes, the graphics are better, although you have to have enough video memory to truly savor them. On medium options you'll get something similar to Medieval 2. On high, however, you will be very pleased.

(2) A (little) more advanced AI. At least it will flank now in land battles, and will not stand idly when you shoot at it. Well, there are a few more good things here, but let there be some suspense. In essence the AI will not be "bloody marvelous", but will operate with a fair amount of logic, will maneuver, and WILL catch you off guard. The days of winning a major battle with very few casualties are in the past.

(3) Tactical warfare. Sure, you can create a huge mob of the toughest units and send it charging, but few real TW players ever try it - kills the point of playing the franchise. So, the tactical bit is present. And relatively accurate too - you will have to make some traditional tactical decisions, and ones that were historically present as well.

(4) Naval battles. The major good thing - they now exist, and are graphically quite nice. The major bad thing - the AI is not as good as in land battles. However, this is definitely a step towards the right direction.

(5) New features are exciting. Government, ministers, a more advanced trade mechanism; a more advanced research mechanism; India and the American continent; different languages (voiced) for different factions. Little things that add flavor.

THE BAD THINGS.

(1) The requirements are to some extent misleading. I have the full requirements, a 1GB video card and 4 GB of RAM, and I still get standard gameplay delays, lags, less than ultra graphics, etc. (TIP TO SEGA/CA - few of the wide public operate on a system similar to Langley's. However, if a game is `heavy', state the requirements correctly.)

(2) IF A GAME IS OUT AND IN ORDER TO PLAY THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF IT (the tactical battles) WITHOUT A CRASH YOU HAVE TO (according to - unbelievable! - the advice of the developers) "SWITCH OFF SOUND EFFECTS"... THAN THIS IS NOT A FULLY TESTED, FULLY DEVELOPED GAME. In truth very few games get out on the market fully finalized, but Empire TW has SUCH AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF BUGS, major and minor, and is SO HEAVILY IN NEED OF NUMEROUS PATCHES, that to many gamers it looks more like an untested BETA version. And I cannot say I disagree with them.

(3) THE CDTs ARE PRESENT. There are a few gamers that experience a smaller amount of those, but a great many people have major crash issues, that MOREOVER HAVEN'T BEEN SOLVED BY THE PATCHES THAT HAVE COME OUT TO DATE.

(4) Very few historical battles. 3, to be exact. (Two of them naval.) I could hope that CA will increase the list with free, online add-on "gifts", but no such practice existed for the previous installments of the series, so any additions to this are doubtful.

(4) Steam. I personally did not encounter the problem of time-consuming loading and installation, but many others did. However, there are some additional technical issues relative to Steam's involvement, like, for instance, lack of optional downloading for patches. Normally this is actually helpful, however not in this case: the last patch, for instance, made the game virtually unplayable for many, causing a huge amount of additional problems.
Another, perhaps less important topic for some, is the issue of legal rights over a Steam-powered game, relative to ownership/use.

(5) Sound issues. The constancy and universality of this problem for all users is indicative of the game being out in stores prematurely. Sound is affected in two ways: it is, for many, a problem for the smooth running of the game and the avoidance of CTDs, but MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT APPEARS AND DISAPPEARS AT WILL (in tactical battles), AND ITS VOLUME OFTEN IS 'NON-REGULATABLE'. Meaning that a unit marching will sound good the one minute, and will blow your speakers like the stomping of a herd of elephants the next.

(6) Some have reported AI issues. In comparison to gameplay and technical problems these are, to me at least, a lesser evil. They are still important, however, and their existence should be mentioned in a review such as this.
***
Conclusion: this is a very small list of both the virtues and the various problems. Empire TW had the potential to be a good game. It does not, however worth your money as it is, with major problems, unresolved issues, and, as of yet, non-existent solutions. It is, of course, a pity, but we all are at the mercy not only of developers who lack the balls to stand up to management, but also of game publishers that want immediate gain, even at the cost of the franchise's good name and future sales.

The basic tip: Wait for about two months. It two months (a) the major problems will be largely resolved; and (b) the price will fall. Then you will be able to save yourself a lot of grief, some money, some self-respect, and in the end play a very good, interesting and engaging game.

It's good, but it's not right
I'm a Total War addict. Empire had me hot under the collar for months in anticipation because of the glorious and authentic way Creative Assembly have built their games year on year. Empire doesn't disappoint... but. If you're new to the series, Empire will undoubtedly blow you away with its truly honest adaptation of 18th century history. The feel of the piece is lovely, seamless, rich in tone and anecdote, all helping one not just have a great game but also understand the era. Making decisions is not easy, because when you rouse even the smallest nations to wrath it's kind of permanent. Alliances fall, defeats are inevitable, battles long and punishing. Dominate trade theatres as well as pound Empires into submission with your 12lbr cannons, grenadiers, and ships of the line. Vast, engrossing, turn-taking.

But... for us old hands, there isn't much new here, and they've taken out some of the best bits of the old. The basic mechanics are the same - raise armies, fleets, and spies, trade and make alliances, and eventually march across the land to the cound of cadenced marching drums and burn, baby, burn to expand your Empire and win. For me as a gamer I would have wanted something a little different out of this iteration of a monumental series. Example - Ottoman Empire plays exactly like the Russian Empire. Same tech, same units by and large (names and facias are different, but capabilities and results are the same), fighting over the same ground. British and Spanish the same. You can't recruit agents when you please but must build churches or schools and hope against hope that Gentlemen, Scholars, or Missionaries emerge. You can't play as a minor nation or an American Indian nation. There are no more of those pace-inducing assignments - trade with this or that nation, take Rome, etc. You can up your economic capability to stratospheric heights and assign the best managers in the world to run it (great idea) but the money just doesn't come in, and you have to make agonising priority decisions over which building to make. On a couple of games I have built economies and tech only for the first thirty years, not building armies at all (and therefore not draining resources, only adding to them), and the money per turn actually went down! New army/navy buildings are expensive yet yield very little reward - maybe two new units if you're lucky - but sometimes not better units, making the investment wasted. What happened to the thrill of getting your top units - like the Tabardarriya in the Egyptian Campaign of Medieval? - and it actually being worth it? Management of cities is pretty but allows you just one or two options in adjusting happiness - tax or not, tax rates different for nobility and populace. Often tweaking these sliders does nothing whatsoever.

In a game that has at its beating heart exactly the same premise as all other Total War games, to make it more interesting and absorbing I would have wanted more interaction. Empire comes down to a just a few clicks per move, and, used in Medieval to turns taking some time to set up and manage, Empire I click a few times and think... there's nothing more to do. The experience is hollow. What sits underneath Empire is undoubtedly incredibly complex, beautiful, thought-through, accompished. But they have taken the greatest fun out of it - the variety of armies, the differences between empires, the management options. Battles, it must also be said, are way too slow and in their drive to be honest and authentic, creative Assembly have taken the fun out of it.

I'll play Empire a few more times to see if I'm wrong, but I sense, after having played the British, Ottoman, Russian, French and Russian World Domination games already, that I'm off to Medieval to beat the crap out of the Mongols for the 30th time. Creative Assembly, I love and bless you, but Empire disappoints, chaps.

We should have it so much better
O.k first things first, this is a review based mainly on the game and not Steam or other issues. If you are having trouble running the game you have my sympathies and you are indeed entitled to vent your rage on this site. However I am one of the (seemingly) lucky few, who has not encountered too many problems so I feel like I'm in a good position to rate the game for what it is. So here goes.

My mother always taught me that first impressions are essential, and Empire: Total War certainly sets a good one. The presentation of the intro movie and the first menu screen are nothing but spectacular, with special mention to the beautiful music and sound. From the first menu, Total War virgins may struggle to decide which path to take as there are so many different options (i.e Grand Campaign, Battle Scenarios) but I would suggest doing the battle tutorial first and then challenging The Road To Independence episodes. These episodes work as a long tutorial which anyone whose played previos TW games will have no trouble in completing, and which I found a little too easy and patronising to be honest. Once you've succesfully freed yourself from the British rule it is finally time for the Grand Campaign.

Now this is the main part of the game and where you'll be spending most of your time. The choice of which nation to control is very impressive and vast, honestly it took me nearly an hour to decide which one I wanted to take to world domination, finally deciding upon Austria. So with Vienna and Zagreb under my control I set out on my journey to make Austria the dominant nation of the world. The first thing I noticed was the great improvement to the Diplomacy aspect of the game. All diplomatic decisions are now made via a single screen thus making the diplomat character completely redundent (this in my opinion is a good thing. Also different is the introduction of a research tree, this plays out exactly the same as that which is featured on the Civilization series of games so if you've played them then you will know what to expect. The only non-combat characters are now Rakes and Gentlemen. Rakes play like a combination of spies and assasins from previous TW games and are mainly used to sabotage enemy bases. Gentlemen are used to help in research, by placing them in research towns you get a major boost.

The Campaign map has also had a bit of an update, it is generally more colourful and vibrant. But more important than just a better look is the use of towns and farms (again similar to Civ) which branch out from the main cities, these can be upgraded to produce more trade items such as tobacco or you can choose to build public order buildings such as theaters. The size of the game world should also be mentioned as it is very impressive, it now incorparates areas such as India. Upgrading your cities has also been simplified with easy to follow building upgrades. This is one area I'm not so keen on as I feel it has taken away the individuality of planning your own towns and cities for various uses such as military or cultural. As you progress into the campaign mode you will find that diplomacy plays a very prominant part of the game. This is both a good and bad thing, as on the one hand I enjoy putting my brain to use and trying to out-fox the enemy with diplomatic skills but when the A.I makes such foolish decisions (i.e small nations declaring war with major dominant forces) it kind of takes the shine off when you have out-thought your opponents. So in summary, the campaign map is overall an improvement on past TW games but still has small faults which will hopefully be ironed out. Anyway, I've just declared war on Poland and I'm planning to invade Warsaw....

Which leads us to the battle map. This is without doubt the biggest leap the series has made since Rome : TW. The introduction of gunpowder based units means any tactic you used in previous TW games will have to be thrown out the window. The basis of battle consists of getting your infantry within range to shoot your opponents, this sounds a lot easier than it is, and the emphasis is certainly on trying to use the terrain to your advantage with hills being of particular use. There is still a wide range of melee combat (in fact most units have the option of using their bayonet instaed of firing their guns) and the cavalry units are still very prominent. On most maps there are various buildings you can capture to aid your progress and give your infantry some much needed cover, this is something which I'd never thought of before but now makes me wonder why it was'nt included in past titles. So far so good, but the problem of poor A.I rears it's ugly head again, when your units don't seem to respond to some of your commands and moving them about the battlefield can sometimes be very frustrating and problomatic. Also seige battles are so easy to win when defending that it is laughable, I can win with only a handful of units when I'm taking on the might of the whole British army!!!. I suppose that pretty much sums the game up. On the one hand you have the most beautiful and epic game in the series, but a few poor decisions on the developers part and some bugs that need ironing out prevent it from being the classic it so nearly is.

To summarise, I would suggest to anyone new to the series that they should probably seek out either Rome, Medieval or Shogun first and then come to this in about six months when these problems should have been erased and to TW veterans like myself, well I suggest if you've had problems with the game then keep persevering because I do feel it will be worthwhile in the end. And finnaly the Steam issue, as I said I've had very few problems myself (apart from some crashes to the desktop) but please don't abuse the people who have had problems and feel the need to express their anger on this site, it is well within their rights to complain and that maybe the only way we get the respect we deserve as paying PC owners.