|
<-- Continued from page 1
The other big change is the inclusion of naval battles for the first time in the series’ history. Naval engagements were generally more of an afterthought in previous Total titles, with their only use being to transport troops, explore, and blockade ports. Should your navy come into contact with another, then a quick auto-resolved computation battle took place based on statistics and probabilities. Now, by developing its own dedicated battle engine, players can fight out naval skirmishes like their land counterparts, utilising a unique set of skills and controls to fight for ocean supremacy. This has been a feature that has been wanted for a while by a section of the fan base, and is a worthy addition to the game.
In all honesty however, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Even the smallest of skirmishes need a lot of micromanaging of individual ships in order to be effective, and you can find yourself trying to juggle several ships at once. Path-finding, the great thorn in CA’s side, is also a bit of an issue. Ships can easily get tangled up in one another, or be prevented from moving, making them easy targets to a well trained AI. Whilst these engagements will probably appeal to some, those of us who weren’t that bothered to begin with will probably just find ourselves trying them out for a bit, and then auto-resolving to save time.
Speaking of a well trained AI – one of CA’s greatest claims when it came to this title was a new and improved dual AI system, one for battles, one for the campaign. The theory was that, as well as using more advanced tactics in general, the battle AI and campaign AI will converse so that the one will use tactics that suit the other. Very posh sounding on paper, but the reality has so far not quite lived up to expectations. Still, the AI is vastly improved, and you will often find it using more advanced tactics against you to great effect. Coupled with the completely new fighting style that comes with the 17th century, and players who are either on the more casual side of life, or who are used the easiness of previous AI’s my find themselves frustrated on more many occasions as they are beaten more often than they would like.
However, this is barely scratching the surface, as there is far more to this game to talk about. The land battles, whilst intrinsically the same, are extremely different from previous games due to the new tactics that were brought about through the use of gunpowder. Infantry lines, cannons and volleys are the order of the day, with mêlée only being used as a last resort, or a flanking action by cavalry. A new separate story-driven campaign, The Road of Independence, has also been included to help ease players into the new environments that Empire brings. Styles of play have been improved on, recruitment has been revamped slightly, diplomacy is easier... The list goes on, and unfortunately not all of them can be properly explored in this review. Take it from us, and just go out see for yourself.
Contrary to the impression we’ve just given out, this game isn’t perfect. There are a whole host of technical (or other) bugs that exist, that really give off an ‘unpolished’ feel. AI path finding (especially during sieges) is a problem. Units will quite often get stuck around buildings, on the ramparts, or even in breaches in the walls, and will start moving in ones or twos towards their destination. Units also have a habit of walking through friendly fields of fire when they shouldn’t; there is a whole list of defects that could be fixed, but at the end of the day, the extent to which these things bother you depends solely on your point of view, and how much you really care. It’s a shame though, as you want to call Empire the perfect game, you really do, it has so much going for it, and yet like all eagerly awaited games, you can’t help but find those little flaws, those simple quirks that you make you think, “Hmm, why would they do that?”
There are other less technical flaws with the game however, which on some level is even more disappointing than the previous ones. Certain factions, for instance, seem to have not had as much time spent on them, in terms of unit rosters and historical accuracy. The United Kingdom clearly has the best and most diverse unit roster, which betrays the possible bias of the developers. Still, it’s not the end of the world. Whilst it’s disappointing that Creative Assembly couldn’t put in the time to improve on the other playable nations, a skilled player can still out-smart an opponent with less advanced units. Also, despite an improved graphics engine, CA didn’t bother adding any individuality to unit models. Whilst you could argue that the general ethos at the time didn’t suit a diverse and individual taste in uniforms, it seems a bit of a step backwards to not even have variations in facial features.
On the other hand, it’s easy to look past these things to what is still an incredibly enjoyable game. With a budding online community behind it, and a better post-release support system this time round, many of these changes will be fixed over the coming months. Longevity is assured, if only because there is so much to do, even if some factions have a less diverse set-up to do these things with.
One final thought: Empire: Total War is a testament to many things: innovation, renovation and keeping a series alive. It is also a testament to the strategy genre, delivering many aspects of in-depth gameplay whilst staying this side of say, civilization. It is a testament history, bringing the early modern age alive in an enjoyable and interactive format. It is a testament to the community, trying to listen and incorporate their ideas, whilst also giving them the tools to do it themselves. But above all, it is a testament to perception, and how this year’s best strategy game to date can deliver so much, but still fall short of what it should be in the eyes of some.
|
