Title: EMPIRE: Total War  Format: PC   Developer: Creative Assembly Publisher : SEGA Reviewer: Wonda-I3oy Test Kit: Intel Q9650@3.5Ghz - 4GB Ram-GTX295-Vista 64 Ultimate**

It’s time to get all ship shape and Bristol fashion here at the bone-IDLE offices as we take a look at the very much anticipated EMPIRE: Total War, the next instalment of the highly praised (and rightly so) series in the Total War franchise. So don your best pirate outfit, hang the Jolly Roger from your monitor and call granddad “Black Beard” as we walk the plank in shark infested waters...ARGGHHHHHH me hearties!!!! It’s hard to believe that the Total War series has been around for the past nine years. And in that time has amassed a huge following of hardcore followers and modding community, with its detailed 3D map and turn based strategy campaign it lets us mere mortals play GOD.  EMPIRE: Total War is set in the turbulent times of the 1700-1800’s and so with the invention of gunpowder instead of bows & arrows, new tactics is a must to survive...no more rushing head first into a volley of buckshot now is there? Along with the main campaign there is a new “Road to Independence” story mode which is the rise to power of the good old U.S of A, and is aimed at newcomers to the series which gently introduces the new features and units and gets players up to speed. One of the main differences between the new and old games is the new detailed battle map, complete with animations of cities as they get bigger and horse and carts busy trading along the newly built cobbled roads you just authorised as part of getting your empire ahead in the race for supremacy. Again the level of detail in the game as a whole is very impressive and adds to the overall feel of the game.   Another new feature to the game is the “Research Tree” a race so to speak to find new technologies to aid both war and peace. As in you can spend your time researching the best weapons and army formations to get that vital edge in enemy warfare or research farming and education to add your nations people....each has its own pros and cons as to which you will ultimately pay the price for failure with revolts and rebellions amongst your people if you get it wrong. Probably the biggest selling point of EMPIRE is the all new 3D naval battles, and I have to admit they are visually stunning as the sight of fifteen warships in heavy battle will test the skill of even the most seasoned gamers. You control just about everything in the naval engages including speed, course  and even the type of ammo used when firing depending on weather you want to destroy the sails or body of the enemy ships. Add to all this diplomatic obligations, trading routes to establish and government decisions and all in all you have one huge and truly satisfying games to grace the PC platform.  Unfortunately, this is where this review takes a shot across the bow.  This game would truly merit a place in anyone’s collection not just the hardcore following if it delivered on what it set out to do. Let me explain! Upon purchasing this game on release date to present day, it has and continues to suffer from constant crash to desktops, memory leaks and performance issues across all platforms. The internet forums are busting at the seams with users frustrated with this game. In fact I have never in all my years gaming on the PC ever come across such a bug ridden game released to the public....ITS THAT BAD!!!!  Add to the mix the distribution platform used, none other than valves “STEAM” and you have installation issues on top of the bad game performance it really is embarrassing. The handful of updates already issued have in fact made my game worse....so it’s a case of two steps forward, three steps back. Unlike other main stream media review sites and PC games magazines, we here at bone-IDLE will not paint over the cracks of any game to get our sticker on a box. As our motto says....We are gamers reviewing games, and it is in our best interests along with yours to point out any games that are released in such a bad state at such a premium price, when clearly it needed months of beta testing to iron out the fatal flaws. I have no doubt that with constant patching over the next few months that EMPIRE: Total War will be a truly great game.....but until then I would rather have a dose of the “high sea’s scurvy” then buy this game. So please don’t make the same mistake as I did.........:(  SCORE 42% **Game need a beefy PC to run smoothly.