Empire II: The Art of War is a further update of the classic computer wargame. (See Empire Deluxe.) This version includes more terrains and more sighting and movement rules. A significant change is that land units can take damage in a skirmish instead of simply winning or losing (being destroyed). There are also added rules for unit morale. If a unit's morale gets to low, they retreat, regardless of your orders. Other additions are allowing for reinforcements to appear on certain turns and weather factors.
The scenario editor has been enhanced so that players cannot only create their own maps and scenarios, but their own custom units, including statistics and the graphics. So players can fight prehistoric, historical, fantasy, science fiction, or whatever battles they like.
Pretty much any strategy fan would say that Empire II - The Art of War is just another turn-based strategy game, and they are probably right. You move your soldiers, represented as squares with a little picture on them, around on a map and try to defeat your enemies. Units are generally divided into infantry, cavalry, or artillery, and you gain victory points for controlling roads and towns, or for defeating enemy units. You can change your units' formation to prepare them for combat or move them over long distances, and you can also order them to entrench themselves and gain a more defensive position. It's nothing any strategy game fan hasn't seen done before; strategy games like this aren't uncommon, and are most often seen in a Napoleonic or American Civil War setting
Empire II comes with a number of scenarios that can be played against the computer or with a friend online or in person. Unlike most games in the genre, the scenarios don't focus on any one war; instead, well-known battles spanning over a thousand years are represented, including Waterloo, Cannae, Guadalcanal, Agincourt, and Antietam. The commands available to the player are very basic and general so that they may suit all of the eras displayed in the game. If Empire II focused on only one or two wars, the game would have allowed for more complexity.
In addition to the historical scenarios, Empire II includes a number of sci-fi, mythological, and fantasy battles. Empire II also features a scenario editor which allows you to create a scenario of your own by making a map, choosing appropriate technology, placing units, and setting the conditions for victory.
Empire's graphics aren't bad at all, and the music is good enough if you just like to have some noise while playing a game. The sound effects are for the most part annoying, especially the one that sounds when you try to execute an illegal command. The game itself is easy to learn; there is a scenario called "tutorial" which was probably played while reading a guide made for it in the manual, as there is no active help during the mission, however in a few turns you should be able to understand how all of the commands work.
A disappointing end to the illustrious Empire series that began in 1978, Empire II: The Art of War feels like it was rushed out the door long before the game was ready. This results in an inconsistent, sometimes fun wargame that could have been much better than Empire Deluxe, but instead ended up as the sequel that never was. As Mobygames' description and review makes clear:
"This version includes more terrains and more sighting and movement rules. A significant change is that land units can take damage in a skirmish instead of simply winning or losing (being destroyed). There are also added rules for unit morale. If a unit's morale gets to low, they retreat, regardless of your orders. Other additions are allowing for reinforcements to appear on certain turns and weather factors.
The scenario editor has been enhanced so that players cannot only create their own maps and scenarios, but their own custom units, including statistics and the graphics. So players can fight prehistoric, historical, fantasy, science fiction, or whatever battles they like.
Although it's part of the Empire line, it's lost much of the charm. I think this is mainly because of the lack of exploration required. In Empire and Empire Deluxe, the fact that you have to explore the planet/area you're conquering plays a big part in the game. That's lacking from this version. You always see the complete map, it's just a matter of being in range of sight of enemy units. If you're an avid wargamer, you'll probably enjoy it. However, if you've heard great things about Empire and Empire Deluxe and think this will make an acceptable substitute, think again."
How to run this game on modern Windows PC?
People who downloaded Empire II: The Art of War have also downloaded:
Empire Deluxe, East Front 2, Fields of Glory, Dragoon: The Complete Battles of Frederick The Great, Fire Brigade: The Battle for Kiev 1943, Enemy Nations, Dune 2: The Battle for Arrakis, Empire: Wargame of the Century
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