Empire: Total War, by Creative Assembly, was released March 3rd, 2009.It is a strategy game for the PC that is rated T for Teen, which isrecommended for ages 13 years and older. This is the fifth game in theTotal War series. These titles include Shogun: Total War, Medieval:Total War, Rome: Total War and Medieval II: Total War. There are threemodes of the game: the campaign mode, land battles and naval battles. 

Thecampaign mode starts in the year 1700 and is set in Europe, America andIndia. On this mode you create armies, manage cities and constructfleets. The armies are lead by a general who has unique traits and asthe game progresses the general gains traits that could be positive ornegative. This also includes admirals who lead fleets. Managing citiescomprises of constructing buildings and fortifications. In additiontowns may appear on your territories which may become varied placessuch as farms, smiths or colleges. When you have colleges you may maketechnological advancements such as bayonets and improvements of thesocial strata. The more advancements in your technology, the moreknowledgeable your citizens become. They begin to clamor for reform,which may lead to a revolution. The revolution leads to a new form ofgovernment. 

There are many features for land battles. Inbattles you must use your surroundings to your advantage. Soldiers canuse fences and trees for cover, also they can garrison buildings.  Thetroop types include:

• Cavalry: they have a powerful charge and many can adapt by dismounting
• Infantry: the main body of the army. They vary from riflemen to pikemen and also unique units such as highlanders
• Artillery: destructive weapons that can punch a hole through army ranks

Oneof the newest features is naval combat. In most games ships are onlyused for transport, while this game's combat is different because thereare a variety of ships, from the versatile sloop to the mightyfirst-of-the-line battleship. 

Empire: Total War is highly detailed and feels as if itwas real. In my opinion Empire: Total War is an excellent game and isone of the best strategy games I have ever played. This game is thebest of the Total War series; it is  a huge leap from Medieval II:Total War. The graphics are great, there is a high replay value, andthere is a modding community which will extend the game's replayabilityfor a long time (a mod is when a gamer changes the game and adds newfeatures). I wholeheartily recommend this game if you are a fan of thestrategy genre.