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East India Company

EMAIL PRINT pc

5.7 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 27 critic reviews
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Based on 30 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Paradox Interactive

Developer: Nitro Games

Genre(s): Real-Time Strategy, Wargame

Players: 8

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: July 28, 2009

Summary

In East India Company, players enjoy building the World's most powerful trading empire and engaging in fierce battles in both single player and multiplayer modes. Players fight, manage and rule their trading empires from Europe to the Far East with eight nationalities to choose from: British, Dutch, French, Danish, Portuguese, Swedish, Italian or Spanish. Starting modestly, you build your fleet, establish connections to far away countries, and keep rival nations at bay. Choose from a wide array of ship classes, including a variety of transport and military vessels. Create diverse fleets and assign each of them specific trading routes. Control and upgrade well situated ports as you form your strategy for domination. Conflicts and wars are inevitable. When hostile fleets engage each other, the spectacular naval battles are fought on a real-time tactical level. Devastating broadsides are fired with a deafening roar and cannon balls tear through enemy ships and their crew. For greater tactical depth, you can, at any point, take direct command of any of your ships and feel the battle close up! Fight against the other European powers to create a trading empire that will rule above all others in this groundbreaking strategy game. [Lighthouse Interactive]

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Gamer Limit

East India Company offers everything it promises - an enthralling experience of power, greed and sunken ships.

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Pelit (Finland)

The game has a nice blend of economics and naval warfare. The basic idea just needs little more variation and wider range of victory conditions to keep the game fresh. [Aug 2009]

GameTrailers

The most demanding sim aficionados might not find enough to hold their interest for the long haul, but East India Company is definitely worth checking out if you're new to the genre or merely have an itch to make lots of virtual cash.

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IGN

Players who are interested in the concept or the period will definitely find a worthwhile game here but the appeal wears thin long before it should have.

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ZTGameDomain

Cheat Code Central

Even the game's most tedious moments will offer a good measure of entertainment for strategy gaming fans, though a number of issues may eventually have you questioning whether it's worth sticking with in the long run.

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Strategy Informer

A good blend of economics and warfare, Paradox fans and newcomers alike should like it. Those who liked the new trade system in Empire will love this game, as whilst not being perfect, it sure as hell is addictive.

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Gamers.at

If you want to plough trough the oceans from time to time and don't want anything too sophisticated this is the right game for all the part time captains.

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GamePro

In the end, East India Company is a game that manages to merge effectively its twin themes of trading and naval combat. Unfortunately its also a game that is plagued with several important interface issues that make the game more frustrating and tedious than it really should be.

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Boomtown

There is some fun to be had with East India Company but not everyone will have the patience to stick with it.

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Level7.nu

This title, as the name implies, offers you the chance to take the reins of a trading empire during the 17th century trading wars. You'll get to use diplomacy, trade and warfare as your tools in your quest for trade monopoly. The campaign mode is very meaty and will let you trade, wage war and use your strategic wit for hours on end. The only major drawbacks is the lack of land based warfare in the campaign mode and being limited to naval warfare only online. Nevertheless, this is a great game for trade junkies everywhere.

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AceGamez

It's great for fans of Eighteenth century nautical flavoured strategy games, but everyone else is better off playing.... well, you know its name by now...

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RealGamer

There are some changes I feel would be beneficial before release, mainly to the battle system. But it looks as if East India Company is shaping up to be a solid strategy title.

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PC Zone UK

East India Company manages to whisk you on a sedate journey through teatime. [Nov 2009, p.75]

GameShark

Ultimately, East India Company is a wonderful idea with a lot of great gameplay, but there’s a lot of missteps; too many, really.

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GameStar

The basic gameplay is always the same: send your fleet to the east, sell your goods, buy goods, send the fleet home and repeat. Except for a sea battle from time to time, there's not enough diversity, no special missions, no hidden areas, no buried treasures.

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PC Format

Diplomacy, sea battles, trade, construction - it's all here, but sadly it never quite gels to fulfill East India's potential. [Oct 2009, p.96]

PC Gamer UK

DLC and diligent modders could make it seaworthy, but until then, a galleon-T attempt that lacks necessary depth. [Oct 2009, p.76]

Game Informer

I'd hoped it would be a compelling hybrid, but it unfortunately does not hold up in that arena either. [Sept 2009, p.92]

GameSpot

This naval-centric strategy game merely treads water.

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Worth Playing

It is ultimately this lack of personality, engagement and in-depth contextualization that makes East India Company just another run-of-the-mill trading game that doesn't really live up to the allure of the greatest historical simulation games that can actually transport you back and let you loose in another time and place.

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GameFocus

While fans of the genre will find the game fun those purists who need a lot of beef on their gaming bone will find this game lacking immensely and head to other games with more features and better gameplay. This is only a buy if you have played other Empire games to death and need something new to play.

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Total PC Gaming

An enjoyable trading and strategy experience, let down by lacklustre combat. [Issue#23, p.56]

Absolute Games

Here is hoping that modifications and patches will turn East India Company into a good, captivating game, because right now it is shallow, vapid and monotonous if you’re not a venturesome sailor.

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LEVEL (Czech Republic)

Trading goods is quite fun but in no time you become bored. And there is not much to do except the tedious and too-easy naval battles. [Sept 2009]

The Onion (A.V. Club)

It’s all the tedium surrounding the trade that sinks this ship.

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Teletext GameCentral

A game insensitive to both the subject matter and the need to offer any real variety or intrigue.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 5.7 (out of 10) based on 30 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

ryan g gave it a3:
Pretty cool in single player but the fact that two patches have come out within 4 days of the release date are a tell - tell sign of what Paradox had in mind. Also, you can't even contact them for customer support, its not an option. I have the latest patch and with my firewall turned off can't see the multi-player menu. A waste of $10 if you ask me, let alone the $40 that I spent : mad.

Kelsey G gave it a10:
Great Game. Similar to Civilization but more action oriented. Great Replayability. I've been addicted ever since I bought this.

Hammerfest gave it a4:
Don't bother buying this, the game lacks excitement of any kind. Even the supposedly high-end naval combat becomes little more than tedium after a few minutes.

Mad gave it a4:
Useless wate of money, don't even bother to buy it. Poor graphics, slow gameplay and sluggish cammera made me nearly throw up.

Daniel C gave it a6:
Not the best game in the world, but not the worst. It is a decent trading game. Although its treatment of trade, intercompany politics, and sailing is rather simple. Entertaining but not for to long. Wait untill it is a bargin bin game to buy if you feel so inclined.

Ben P. gave it a9:
The most glaring problem with the game (the loading screen before the port screen) was addressed in a patch on the same day it was released, so at this point, its rating should be even higher.

TRoy S. gave it a0:
I can't even get the game to start. I get a message, "The game is currently not available. Please try again Later". Same BS I get everytime I purchase a game from Steam. Do not purchase this online. way to many bugs and issues.

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East India Company

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