Empire: Total War — Dive into the 18th Century with This Strategy Saga

Empire: Total War is one of the most famous games of the Total War franchise, focused on the 18th century and the birth of colonial empires. Developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega, it was released in 2009 and, like the other installments, mixes a turn-based strategic mode with real-time battles.

Its particularity: three distinct theaters of operations — Europe, North America and the Caribbean, and the Indian subcontinent. This expanded world map completely changes the strategic game: securing your maritime trade routes becomes as vital as conquering inland provinces.

Land and Naval Battles

Land battles are of course present, but Empire: Total War stands out through its large-scale naval battles: ships of the line fighting broadside to broadside, bombardments of coastal forts, skirmishes against Caribbean pirates. Fleet management and control of trade routes are at the heart of victory, as is diplomacy with the native powers of America or India.

Your goal is to take control of a power of the era and establish the mightiest empire possible, by force or by diplomacy. But beware: religious conflicts, popular revolts and even a revolution can destabilize any power, even the most fearsome and solid ones.

A few months after release, The Warpath Campaign expansion added a whole new campaign focused on the conquest of North America and the rivalries between France and Great Britain. Today, the Definitive Edition available on Steam lets you download the game and its expansion in a single pack.

The sound design deserves a mention too: cannon fire, rigging creaks and the murmur of port cities give each naval battle a cinematic weight that few strategy games of the era matched.