Total War: Empire is not a new game – Creative Assembly published it for the first time on Windows in 2009, while a MacOS and Linux port of the strategy title, which takes place in the 18th century, arrived six years later, graciousness of Feral Interactive. Almost 15 years later, players who have missed one of the strategy games most acclaimed by criticism of all time can access the title on their iPhone or Android smartphone, with a redesigned user interface and optimizations that improve the experience of reading a turn -by -turn strategy game on a mobile device.
In Total War: Empire, you are responsible for controlling one of the many powerful empires in North America, Europe and even in parts of India, while engaging in terrestrial and naval battles which can be extremely difficult when you play for the first time. I spent a few days with Total War: Empire on an iPad, and here are my reflections on this popular strategy game.
Total War: Empire Review: Price, Supported Appliances
The mobile port of total war for iOS and iPados is available via the App Storeand it is currently at the price of Rs. 1,349; The Android version is much cheaper to Rs. 549 through the Game store. It is designed to operate on smartphones and tablets – but after testing the game, I strongly recommend playing it on an iPad or tablet based on Android. The additional real estate of the screen becomes invaluable for the experience, in particular with the minitisms of the head -up display and the user interface.
You will also need 12 GB of free space on your smartphone or tablet, but the installation process requires you to have even more storage available (around 24 GB). I played Total War: Empire on an iPad (2021) operating on iOS 18.1.
You can see the extent of your Empire by zooming in and leaving
Feral has provided a practical list of devices compatible with Total War: Empire on the game list on the App Store. If you have an iPhone XR or a more recent model (this includes the second generation iPhone SE which was launched in 2020), you should be able to perform the game. It is also designed to operate on the following iPad models, or more recent models: iPad Mini (2019), IPAD Air (2019), IPAD (2019) and iPad Pro (2017).
There is a fairly long list of compatible Android devices, which includes the following devices and their successors – the Google Pixel 3, Pixel Tablet, Motorola Edge 40, OnePlus 7, Nothing Phone 1, OnePlus Pad, Red Magic 9 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung Galaxy Note 10, Samsung Galaxy Tab S6, Xiaomi 12, Samony Xperia 1 II, Xiaomi Pad 5 and the Poco F3. The editor also says that users with incompatible devices will be prevented from buying the game. So, if you can buy the game, you can run it on your mobile device.
Total War: Empire Review: checks
Although most strategy games are designed to run on a PC and use traditional mouse and keyboard commands, these are not practical options for mobile devices. While I had the impression that a game like Total War: Empire would be better suited to PC controls, the title is completely optimized for entering the touch screen. Tactile controls are well thought out and intuitive, especially for a game that has an extremely large card with several regions around the world.
If you have a slightly older device, you may notice a little stuttering while zooming and going out on the map – this is particularly the case when you are in the middle of a loaded countryside. I suspect that this is due to material limitations. In any case, it is a turn -based strategy game, so it will not in any way affect the result of each turn.
Diplomacy can help you acquire resources or military aid in a pinch
It should be noted that the interface of the game appears of a considerable amount of text in terms of advice, messages of envoys (for foreign relationships and treaties) and other messages that occupy a considerable amount of space on the screen. Reading these strategies and the evolution of the situation has evolved was easy because I played the game on an iPad, but they could be a little too crushing on a smaller display – which means even more zoom in and out of the card to see smaller details.
Total war: Empire Review: gameplay
I have never played Total War: Empire on PC, but I had some experience with other strategy games over the years, such as Warcraft 3 and the Age of Empires series. According to my experience, Total War is one of the most complex and difficult titles that I have played in the genre. You start with one of the many powerful empires that are established in Europe, the Americas or India, then sail in the complex world of Statecraft. I played with two factions during my tests – Great Britain and the Maratha Confederation.
The game covers a large part of the world, with enough areas for terrestrial and sea battles – you can move fleets through the transitional areas which are located at the edges of the cards, but longer travel in distant areas will require several turns in the game. In addition to these war theaters, you can also access various trade routes to considerably increase your income. However, you will have to defend your merchant ships against pirates who also attend these routes, using warships.
You will have to develop your strategy as soon as new events take place
To put it simply, you will not be able to just get out of it with a pure chance while playing Total War: Empire. When you start a new campaign, there are several other kingdoms on the map – with a friendly, neutral or hostile position. Your strategy should be adjusted while dealing with each of these empires. For example, if war broke out in an ally country, the refusal to join means the end of this alliance. After finishing your turn, the game of the game will make decisions for other empires and factions on the map.
You can spend a considerable part of the game to negotiate with other kingdoms and maintain peace, or even to use assassins against rival empires and missionaries to keep religious disorders in check. The game also allows you to select political leaders for your provinces, and the nature of your government can also change over the years.
You will sometimes be trained in the fight on land and at sea, depending on where your military units are on the map or when an opponent decides to attack the structures on your territory. The battles are the second part – and just as important in the game, and each has consequences, just like the campaign part of the game. Earth battles are quite simple and the touch screen controls to move the units operate transparently. With the right strategy, you can even use your commander to recall soldiers who flee the battle, and this can be useful when you are overwhelmed by greater force.
Ignoring the “powers balance” bar is an easy way to lose a battle
On the other hand, naval battles are much more difficult, because you must continue to turn your warships to cope with the enemy in order to make an attack. This was quite difficult to get used to it, because these 18th century ships rest on the sails and the direction of the wind (with the exception of galleys and steam ships). You have to choose the right time to move your ships to pull cannons and get on an enemy ship. When they are correctly timed, these naval battles are undoubtedly the most exciting part of the game – and the animations showing an enemy ship that flows is quite satisfactory to look at.
You will also have to keep an eye on the status of your units (their morale can drop, which has “transported” them and flee the battle) and the status of ship (Sail Health, Health and Hull Number) because these factors can quickly turn the wave of a battle. It is also important to keep an eye on the field on which your troops are fighting, as it can considerably improve your chances of winning – after several defeats, I realized that it is also possible to hide behind the structures and to take advantage of specific capacities offered by certain infantry and cavalry units which can land the ball in your courtyard at a crucial time.
The game also shows you a “power balance” bar that shows you what side is most likely to win, and you can choose to fight or remove. It is important to keep an eye on this bar and the morale bar of your troops to decide to continue to fight or to concede. This is also the case for naval battles, which are difficult enough until you learn to maneuver ships quickly.
Naval battles involve attacking or embarking on an enemy ship
While sailing in the world of certificate and foreign affairs, you will also have to keep an eye on resources in your own field. You will have to manage expenses for new technologies, while increasing or lowering taxes to maintain enough money to come to the chessboard. This must be done while protecting public order, which can be disturbed when the nobility or the lower classes oppose taxes, occupation (or garrisons) or war. You can spend resources to manage them using a functionality called Town Watch Repression.
Sometimes a well -planned strategy can help you quickly advance in your campaign. For example, you can acquire certain territories from allies, or simply attack and defeat another kingdom to quickly make their provinces independent. However, you should keep in mind that you can also face disorders in your own territories, especially when your own cities are besieged by enemies.
Verdict
Total War: Empire is easily the most complex strategy game I have ever played, and the game is very pleasant – once you have learned to develop your strategy and choose your battles – more than 15 years after its origin. He has a more steep learning curve compared to other titles such as the Microsoft Age of Empires series, so you will have to spend a few hours trying to understand how to build your army, maintain foreign relations and extend trading, while improving your empire technology.
I would recommend playing as such on a device with a larger screen, because there is a lot to keep an eye on the game, and the animations are much better. If you are someone who likes strategy games on the turn and you are looking for one to play while you are on the go – and that don’t mind spending enough time to learn how to develop your strategy as new challenges appear – it is very easy to recommend total WAR: Empire, which is available as a unique channel on iOS and Android.
