The new Empire Total War game combines very thoughtful turn-based empire building and some dramatic tactical action that the Total War series is known for; it adds many new features on its' foundations to reach unprecedent new heights. At one moment you'll be setting tax policies, paying for dock construction as well as negotiating alliances; the next moment you will find yourself on the battlefield, maneuvering your infantry lines and ordering massive cavalry charges. The game focuses most of the action in Europe and the two colonial theaters of India and North America during the 18th century.

Empire Total War's campaign map game-play does an amazing job at simulating the empire-building, intricate web of trade partners, alliances and diplomacy and the jockeying for power that make the 18th century an inexhaustible treasure trove for armchair monarchs. The Grand Campaign benefits from a wide scope in terms of both time and geographical area. Players are given the opportunity to lead one of the main powers of Europe (as well as smaller ones) through the entire 18th century. Leaders of each nation will have to choose between war and peace, alliances and expansion, trade and taxation, etc., and a host of other competing national priorities. With other powers competing for the same resources and territories, conflict will be inevitable.

Each nation has it's own specific and unique starting situation; the game weights the requirements for victory based on the resources and challanges of the nation at the start of the campaign. England, for instance, will need to develop a powerful navy to protect it's shores. Each nation has a number of determined territories it must capture in order to claim victory, which gives the game a bit of direction. Each territory is dominated by a single regional capital that you can upgrade with better barracks, theaters or government houses, but there are also a number of outlying resources you'll need to develop as well. As a region develops, new towns will spring up nearby and they can be upgraded with tech-researching colleges. So each region will have a number of smaller towns (provinces) within it that can be targeted by your enemies.

One provice, for example, may have spaces that can be developed into an iron mine or a college or a tea plantation or one of several different kinds of ports. Each of these areas can also be used to create military units. This makes the city interface simpler by only allowing up to 5 different development slots that will determine things like population happiness, economic output and the types of military units that can be recruited there. Merchants and diplomats, on the other hand, are no longer seen on the map, and both functions are handled via an information screen.

Empire Total War is made more easily accessible and playable thanks to the new "Road To Independence" tutorial, an incredibly well-designed campaigns, constituting four missions. "Road To Independence" is narrated from the point of view of the first US  President, George Washington during the deepest days of the American Revolution, as he reminisces about the history of his American ancestors.

It begins with a series of specific and oriented objectives that will guide you through some of the basic concepts of the game, which range from fighting off a Native raiding party to waging battles on the campaig map; you will also be maneuvering ships to move your land units around obstacles. After you complete the first few missions in the new campaign, you're dropped into the American "theater", where you will be able to learn other important features such as managing the empire from an economical perspective.

The main improvement of Empire Total War is the addition of full 3-D naval battles. It must be said that the sea battles in Empire are visually stunning and impressive to say the least. The presence of men actively working on the decks, the flutter of the sails and rigging, and the explosion of flame and splinters when the cannons strike their targets make the naval battles every bit as visually pleasing as the land battles. Trying organize and to line your ships up correctly, making the most of the wind direction and choosing your targets appropriately is very rewarding, particularly when the outcome is factored into your larger plans on the campaign map.

Of course, Empire doesn't disappoint when it comes to the "auditory scenery". The roar of the cannons, the clash of sabers and bayonets are more than enough to give an air of realism to the game. Tramping boots and the shouts of your men add another dimenson to the combat as well.

Empire Total War really is a masterful combination of all the best things about strategy games: a great setting, a top presentation, tactics that reward maneuver, and a strategic layer that requirers flexibility in your plans. Both halves of the game (naval & land) do the series proud and will have gamers happily whiling away the hours trying to conquer the World. The 18th century is a perfect setting for the game design, and the new naval battles finally delivers the series one missing component; naval battle. The new strategic options are nicely balanced by increasing convenience and legibility across the map.

If you're a fan of strategy games then this is one game you must have in your collection.