A WWII beach assault.

Skirmish and multiplayer modes are where the game really realizes its potential. You can play the game as an “Action” game or as an “Empire Builder” game. The Action game is for those who prefer fast games where the fighting starts off right from the beginning. The maps are smaller, defensive options are reduced, and the amount of resources available are scaled back - this is a game designed for those who love to rush. On the other hand, the Empire Builder game has large maps and abundant resources designed to appeal to those who prefer to build large bases, big economies, and slowly amass monster-sized armies. Both variants are enjoyable and most players will probably divide their game time evenly between the two.

If you’re an RTS veteran then you’ll appreciate that the game was designed by fellow RTS veterans. Little touches such as newly created peasants putting themselves to work automatically have been added to streamline play and let you concentrate on strategy. The AI puts up a pretty good fight, and will often surprise you with its knack for making a comeback after taking a severe beating from you. Pathfinding is also well implemented and you can be pretty sure that your units will get to where you want them to go and arrive as a group without the need to babysit them across the map. If there’s a downside to a game designed by such RTS veterans it’s that they have built the game for other RTS veterans. If you’re new to strategy gaming, then be prepared to put in a little work before you can figure out what’s going on and how to control it all.

In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated: 87%.  If you enjoy Empire Earth or games in the Age of Empires mold, then you’ll almost certainly like Empires.

System Requirements:  Pentium III 600; 128 MB RAM;  32 MB Video RAM; 4x CD-ROM;  900 MB Hard Drive Space;  Mouse.

« Page 1 of 2