14 DAY TRIAL // One of the 2009 games I am most interested in is Empire: Total War, the latest entry into the long running series made by Creative Assembly. Ever since the first game they launched, Shogun, the developers have managed to create a mix of turn based and real time strategy, of big battles and strategy, which appeals to any gamer interested in history and in overcoming challenges in different ages, like Ancient Rome or Medieval Europe.
Empire: Total War launches on February 3, 2009 and we already know a great deal regarding the game. But Kieran Brigden, who is Studio Communications Manager at Creative Assembly, recently talked to GameShark about what would set Empire apart from the other releases in the series. The most important aspect revealed is that the game will be much closer to reality than any of its predecessors.
Talking about the physics engine, Brigden said that “Essentially there is an actual model for every cannonball and every musket ball fired. When these balls leave the barrel of a cannon or rifle they have an associated trajectory, velocity and so on and so forth. As they move through the environment, they encounter objects in their flight path”.
The concept of modeling as much of the game world as possible is seen throughout Empire. India and America are „fleshed out theatres of war,” while the improvements that you build in one province show up on the tactical map so “you can see at a glance the wealth and development of a region”. The siege and counter siege situations which quickly developed in the previous games are no longer there. An enemy that rampages through a province can quickly cripple its economy so all enemy armies must be met on the field. The A.I. has been tweaked to make sure that the computer player understands the new rules and provides a clear challenge.
Add to the above mentioned features full blown naval battles, more soldiers on the battlefield, new tactics, more nations and diplomatic options, and you get a game that every grognard will love.