He was actually 1.69m, which is taller than the period’s average. For that reason, Napoleon sinks pretty quickly in any modern list of the best Total War games. The end result was an opaque and slightly slow title, which looked and performed beautifully, but played badly.

Unfortunately, the actual campaign and unit mechanics were already a bit dated when N:TW was developed, inheriting many systems from the old Rome and Medieval II Total Wars and the very buggy Empire: Total War. In addition, the majestic music, the unbelievable perks of his generals, and the absolutely spot on voicework of Stéphane Cornicard manage to create the ultimate impression of the legendary leader’s influence, and uniquely capture his legacy that changed the face of military tactics forever. The game also benefits from having one of the most realistic campaign movement and weather systems in the franchise, thanks to the short timespans of each turn. It was the moment the series at last became a tactical and truly visual masterpiece. From the hot sands of Egypt to the frozen tundras of Russia, from the waters of Gibraltar to the hills of England, the game's beautiful graphics and effects for the first time elevated the franchise into a bonafide graphical beauty, best exemplified in naval battles as ships shake and heave with each cannon shot, their broadsides tearing at each other as wood and cloth fly through the air. Napoleon: Total War - in addition to having the best naval combat in the franchise’s entire history - also manages to utterly perfectly capture the atmosphere and climate of this momentous military period. The guy was relentless, and the (military) world (at least) is better off for it.

They even imprisoned ol’ Bonnie on an island, but he came back for a while before being exiled to another, more distant isle. Napoleon is widely recognised as one of the greatest military minds to have ever existed, taking the staunch defiance of Britain and the combined arms of every nation in Europe to take him down. The Napoleonic Wars are an integral part of the study of warfare, when the French that said “no” to multiple beheaded absolutist wanna-bes surrendered to an Italian-blooded Emperor (Napoleon's family hailed from Tuscany and he was born in Corsica, which only became French territory in 1769 - if Napoleon had been born mere months earlier, he would have been an Italian citizen).

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