Ahhh, Tears for Fears had it right all along “Everybody wants to rule the world.” It can’t be made anymore clear in Creative Assembly’s Sega-published game Empire: Total War a game of world domination that puts Risk to shame.
Empire follows many of the same basic elements of the Total War games that have come out so far, though it does have many new features that give the game a lot of unique qualities. The same basic premise still stands, though — if you’re familiar with the original Total War games. If you’re not, here it is: A world map allows you to move your generals and troops around the world in a turn-by-turn game. You build towns, invest resources, make alliances and eventually pit factions against each other to fight key battles. The battles take place in unique settings that switch to a real-time close-up look at the battlefield in which you move companies and formations of men over the terrain, which radically affects your tactics.
In former Total War games, the scenarios dealt with historic world settings such as ancient Rome or Medieval Europe. The close-up battles show your foot soldiers with sword and spear battling it out blade to blade and allowed players to opt to replay great battles like Hannibal in the Alps or moving your legions through ancient Carthrage.
Empire brings the game into a new realm altogether. First, the game moves on a global scale, so the players get the chance to move their forces across the entire planet, not just a select few countries in a single continent. This also means that players are given a much wider range of choices in their background.
In former Total War modules, the player could choose from various factions (in Rome, for example, players could choose to be of the three major families of ancient Rome: the Jullii, the Skippii and the Bruti), and use any of them to become emperor.
The time is set in the late 1700s. Empire allows the players many more choices in the factions they pick. French, Spanish, British and American are the most obvious. But players also may choose from Ottoman, Indian and (surprisingly) pirates as they attempt to conquer the entire planet.
Asian factions aren’t involved because firearms play such a role in tactics, and ancient Asian cultures typically did not use firearms in mass warfare.
Military tactics have changed radically. Instead of using mainly melee weapons players will be using firearms, which changes the entire situation regarding the real-time strategy combat. But possibly the biggest alteration will be how naval battles are resolved.
In traditional Total War games, all naval battles have been resolved automatically. But in Empire, the players have control of real-time naval battles that take into account the terrain of the ocean; currents, winds, shoals, coastlands and so forth. Furthermore, the players are free to purchase better and different ships to use in the battle. Sloops, merchantmen, barques, battleships, frigates and fireships are a few. Eventually ironclads and steamers come into play; they move slower but don’t need to rely on the wind, so they don’t have to worry about that element when they utilize battlefield tactics.
As the players tack and turn in the force or lee of the wind, they are able to bring their ships to bear on each other and fire broadsides of hot-shot, grape and other cannon against their foes. They weaken the forces until they are able to move alongside and board and fight it out (that is sadly done through auto-resolve).
I’m pretty excited to take my armies and crush the world until the sum of all nations bow under the weight of my iron heel! And then, when I stand at the head of my legions, I’ll tell them all to take their cue from Tears for Fears and give a “SHOUT!” for my conquests!
