Review: Napoleon Total War - PC

by Steven Williamson on 28 May 2010, 09:11

Tags: Napoleon Total War, Sega (TYO:6460), PC, Strategy

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qayii

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Conclusion

Whilst I appreciate those improvements, particularly the AI changes, it feels a bit empty. However much the Creative Assembly tries to tell us it’s a new game, it just isn’t. It’s a mod of Empire: Total War – a mod that misses out half of the map. Best of all, by making it standalone, they don’t need to patch Empire to the same calibre, and they can charge £30.

So then, we’re stuck in a nasty position. You can play the full map of Empire, but put up with the comparatively dissatisfying AI, or enjoy the gameplay of Napoleon, and put up with the hugely inferior map. Consequently, neither feels quite right, and I’ve completely lost my enthusiasm for both of them.

It’s a solid game, and it deserves its plaudits, but ultimately I found it a disappointment. Considering how perfectly Napoleon fits the Total War ethos, I can’t help but feel that his game should have warranted a bit more effort and ingenuity.

Score - 8.2/10

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HEXUS Forums :: 8 Comments

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Posted by phoenix198 - Fri 28 May 2010 10:35
Given your final words I was a little surprised at a score of 8.2/10 :O_o1:

Think I'll go with the words and save myself some money!
Posted by jim - Fri 28 May 2010 10:47
phoenix198
Given your final words I was a little surprised at a score of 8.2/10 :O_o1:

Think I'll go with the words and save myself some money!

I know… I've had a few games like that recently where my opinion isn't necessarily in tandem with the calibre (and hence rating) of the game.

Thing is, at the heart of it, it's a very good game. And I've always thought that if you're going to score a game, it should be based purely on its merits. In other words, I think it's unreasonable to say “Modern Warfare 2 is a great game, but they took away dedicated servers so I'm giving it a 3.” Or “Assassin's Creed II's good fun, but the DRM sucks. So it's getting a 2.”

I don't mind if it's something that will negatively affect everybody who's playing the game, like “Modern Warfare 2 is a great game, but the online mode is virtually unplayable as a result of the terrible pings, so it's getting a 6”. Or “AC2's good fun, but the DRM kept cutting in and preventing me from continuing the game when I lost my internet connection. Virtually unplayable at times, so I've got to give it a 5.”

So with N:TW I found it a bit hollow, but not because of any specific deficiency - there's very little wrong with it technically speaking. My gripe was more about the way they've conducted themselves with regard to Empire and Napoleon. There was always going to be overlapping between the two, and I think they've made a real hash of it. To me, it seems unfair to suggest that that the game itself sucks as a consequence of that. In other words, if I'd never played Empire, that's the rating I would've given it.

Hope that sort of makes sense :p
Posted by Jimbo75 - Fri 28 May 2010 19:45
I agree with your sentiments so much so that I didn't bother with Napoleon. After waiting almost a year until Empire was halfway playable, CA have a real nerve to expect us to shell out £30 again.

I don't care how good the game is, I wont be treated like a fool by any company and they won't be getting any more of my business.
Posted by jim - Fri 28 May 2010 19:47
Jimbo75
I agree with your sentiments so much so that I didn't bother with Napoleon. After waiting almost a year until Empire was halfway playable, CA have a real nerve to expect us to shell out £30 again.

I don't care how good the game is, I wont be treated like a fool by any company and they won't be getting any more of my business.

Agreed. As good a game as it is, I had no intention of buying it for precisely that reason - was given it as a gift.
Posted by McPhee - Fri 28 May 2010 23:22
I stopped playing Napoleon about 2 weeks after it was released. It's a great game and the best Total War yet, but I got bored due to how similar it is to Empire.

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