Empire:Total War Review -Crispy Gamer

[juxilor]

Finally a honest and uncorrupted review of ETW:

http://www.crispygamer.com/gamerevie...al-war-pc.aspx

Edited thread title ~ Moderator

[Lucius Septimius Bassianus]

I should have read this review instead of IGN review

The reviewer seems to have played the game long enough to realized that this game is unfinished and was rushed to the market

Page 3 of review : "once again, Creative Assembly has made a game that its AI cannot play." and "It seems that many of the game's features simply aren't used by the AI. Perhaps the most glaring omission is that the AI can't move armies across water, which makes life as the British Empire particularly easy. The AI is incapable of organizing any sort of practical offensive, and will instead just raid towns ineffectually. Enemy armies shuffle around the map noncommittally, apparently unable to seize territory, which is the whole reason armies are in the game."

Very disapointing indeed....

[The_Dude]

The reviewer seems to have played the game long enough to realized that this game is unfinished and was rushed to the market
The AI is incapable of organizing any sort of practical offensive, and will instead just raid towns ineffectually. Enemy armies shuffle around the map noncommittally, apparently unable to seize territory, which is the whole reason armies are in the game."

maybe they shouldnt have played it on normal difficulty

[kerowhacko]

maybe they shouldnt have played it on normal difficulty

Why? Id argue that would be the best difficulty for someone to review it on being as I'd wager a lot of people start off the game on Normal and move up as they get more comfortable.

Just me though.

[Yojimbo]

maybe they shouldnt have played it on normal difficulty

That is prety much what they do. and that is a good review actuly being honest rather than the paid for tripe sites like gamespot produce. i think this reeview says it how it is too.

I havent played too much of etw i havent played it in days as im already sort of bored with it which has never happened with a total war game before. The game doesnt work and its not engauging. I know i wont buy the next tw on release either as all the hoo ha about the ai came to nothing. ca coudlnt care less about how the game gets released.

[lssjmic]

I should have read this review instead of IGN review

The reviewer seems to have played the game long enough to realized that this game is unfinished and was rushed to the market

Yeah, after numerous long delays and a release in the middle of a reccession in March, quite an unspectacular month for buying games, I can see why you drew the conclusion that they rushed it out.

Hell lets not believe their explaination, I'm sure you know best.

[Phier]

I should have read this review instead of IGN review

This, and he didn't even cover the half of the issues.

[fingon]

I should have read this review instead of IGN review

The reviewer seems to have played the game long enough to realized that this game is unfinished and was rushed to the market

Page 3 of review : "once again, Creative Assembly has made a game that its AI cannot play." and "It seems that many of the game's features simply aren't used by the AI. Perhaps the most glaring omission is that the AI can't move armies across water, which makes life as the British Empire particularly easy. The AI is incapable of organizing any sort of practical offensive, and will instead just raid towns ineffectually. Enemy armies shuffle around the map noncommittally, apparently unable to seize territory, which is the whole reason armies are in the game."

Very disapointing indeed....

EXACTLY !!!! IGN reviewers havent played it enough long to see the game ruining bugs.. They just wanted to be first to review it and to have a good relations with SEGA, so that they can have some copies for free..

[WeardLan]

Evens: He played 20 turns on Easy/Easy, then cribbed the rest of the forums.

[Buffalo-Soldier]

Evens: He played 20 turns on Easy/Easy, then cribbed the rest of the forums.

Yep, that's exactly it. It is rather suspicious that all the complaints he apparently stated from his review copy are the EXACT same complaints echoed by everyone in the official forums and elsewhere.

Gotta give it to him though, it is a rather unimaginative and cheap shot way to get viewers to his/their site. People naturally will applaud his review as the "incorruptible" since they already made up their mind about the game and just feel so much more appreciated in life since they have someone who shares their sentiment. That someone who TOOK their complaints and put it into official words....I mean what's the point now anyhow? Everyone who had an interest in this game already knows about the problems.

I am rather miffed about ETW's state but this review is definitely not much worth in its validity since it's 2 weeks late, it pretty much recycles EVERYTHING from the forums and is just sugar coated with a "professional" look.

Besides, all the pics he posted about the game were all the MARKETING pics we had seen months before. Come on, show us some real pics then that go along your line of thought and texts.

[Elmar]

It is rather suspicious that all the complaints he apparently stated from his review copy are the EXACT same complaints echoed by everyone in the official forums and elsewhere.

Yes. VERY suspicious. You'd almost think he played the same game as us.

That wasn't the smartest thing you ever said, was it?

[Grimstoned]

Yes. VERY suspicious. You'd almost think he played the same game as us.

That wasn't the smartest thing you ever said, was it?

LOL

[Sarkus]

Yep, that's exactly it. It is rather suspicious that all the complaints he apparently stated from his review copy are the EXACT same complaints echoed by everyone in the official forums and elsewhere.

Gotta give it to him though, it is a rather unimaginative and cheap shot way to get viewers to his/their site. People naturally will applaud his review as the "incorruptible" since they already made up their mind about the game and just feel so much more appreciated in life since they have someone who shares their sentiment. That someone who TOOK their complaints and put it into official words....I mean what's the point now anyhow? Everyone who had an interest in this game already knows about the problems.

I am rather miffed about ETW's state but this review is definitely not much worth in its validity since it's 2 weeks late, it pretty much recycles EVERYTHING from the forums and is just sugar coated with a "professional" look.

Besides, all the pics he posted about the game were all the MARKETING pics we had seen months before. Come on, show us some real pics then that go along your line of thought and texts.

I don't agree with the harsh negative tone of the review, but it's pretty clear from a variety of sources that the reviewer (Tom Chick) has put quite a bit of time into the game. He does a podcast (Three Moves Ahead) with several other long-time reviewers that is hosted by the guy that wrote the very positive 1UP review. They argued on that podcast about their differences of opinion on the game. Mr. Chick also runs a message board (QuartertoThree.com) where he has also been willing to discuss his review.

[Mediteran]

oh my! no naval invasions?? thats the first time i hear of it

[Valerius Maximus]

then cribbed the rest of the forums.

i agree

[Anbar]

reviewing on anything other than normal/normal would be assinine - as that it the default game level.

Totaly lunacy to suggest otherwise.

If there are special features enabled at higher settings then you would also review those, but keep them sidelined from the main review.

Fwiw I was a professional PC games reviewer for many years.
----

and, yes, that is the first itme i have seen a review that even mentions the lack of naval movement of troops.

[IHV]

Best review so far, tho he could have mentioned all the crashes and hardware problems aswell, because i might be blind but i didnt read them.

Other than that its nice to read a review from someone who has the balls to say things out the way they are instead of making payed commercial.

It didnt bash the game too hard but was very honest about everything

And the game should be playable with Normal for most people, Hard and Very Hard should be for experts and fanatics.

[Xerces]

Wow! Have to say after reading that, I couldnt have put it better myself!!!!!! This summed it up for me:

"it's easy enough to say "wait for the patch" or "wait for modders," both of which have dramatically improved Creative Assembly's previous games. I can only presume that will be the case here, at which point I look forward to seeing how Empire: Total War turns out. But we review the games we're given, not the games we wish they'll become. And right now, Empire: Total War is blunderingly stupid, relying on a handful of the same tricks, lots of shuffling and scooching, and long bouts of inaction."

Completely agree. I have had no inclanation to play Empire now for past week which is a shame, becuase my God have I been waiting for this game!!!

Best review I have read for a while!!

Sorry CA, I dont make games, and I am sooo sure that its not easy, and that you do your best, but this reviewer has hit the nail on the head so hard the nail has broken in half. Quite possibly the best un-biased review I have ever had the pleasure in reading, and it goes to show that many reviewers at the bigger sites must have to pay some sort of lip service to bigger companies.

[Darsh]

"it's easy enough to say "wait for the patch" or "wait for modders," both of which have dramatically improved Creative Assembly's previous games. I can only presume that will be the case here, at which point I look forward to seeing how Empire: Total War turns out. But we review the games we're given, not the games we wish they'll become. And right now, Empire: Total War is blunderingly stupid, relying on a handful of the same tricks, lots of shuffling and scooching, and long bouts of inaction."

+rep for this very true quote, I couldn't say better.

[OTZ]

Talk about scathing, lol.

"It is also a terrible mess from start to finish that makes me wonder if developer Creative Assembly has contempt for its fan base and utter disregard for everyone else. "