With every new game the Total War series has been getting bigger and better, until now it's ready to take on the whole world. For the first time you can build an entire global empire, with up to fifty factions available, from the British and French to American revolutionaries.

Like the previous Total War titles the gameplay is split into two main parts, with overall strategy, diplomacy and resource management taking place on a turn-based world map. Actual battles are controlled directly by you though.

The strategy elements are more engrossing than ever, but it's the battles that really steal the show, with incredible graphics that may be the most detailed ever seen. For the first time you can control naval combat hands-on, while rifles and artillery play a much more central role than ever before. If you thought strategy games were boring and slow, this is the game to change your mind.