Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Review — Revolutionizing for a solid new experience

Source: Microsoft

Going through the "Age" real-fourth dimension strategy games years agone, I institute Age of Empires III the weakest offering. The Abode City system with unlockable cards, the focus on colonial expansion, and eschewing of the historical campaigns in favor of a secret order plot just didn't come together or feel as strong as past titles. While still well-received, Age of Empires Iii was far from the universal acclaim of its predecessor, Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings.

Age of Empires III went on to receive ii DLC packs, The WarChiefs, and The Asian Dynasties. Age of Empires Three: Definitive Edition takes all the prior content that was released and bundles it with strong graphical enhancements, two new civilizations, heavy reworks for the Native American civilizations, challenge missions in The Art of State of war, and Historical Battles.

Forgotten Empires has already proven itself in remastering Historic period of Empires: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition and the team is aided hither by Tantalus Media. While the changes aren't as numerous as the sheer volume of content establish in the prior remaster, they're arguably more important.

An RTS for the ages

Age Of Empires 3 Definitive Edition Reco Box

Historic period of Empires 3: Definitive Edition

Bottom line: Smart and much-needed changes bring Age of Empires III to a new level, providing a quality strategy experience newcomers and lifelong fans are both likely to enjoy.

Pros

Gorgeous new graphics
All previously released content included
Thoughtful entrada changes
2 new civilizations, for 16 full

Cons

Some odd AI pathfinding issues
Framerate stutter in cinematic camera

Disclaimer: This review was made possible by a review lawmaking provided past Microsoft. The company did not see the contents of the review before publishing.

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition What I liked

Category	GameNameXXX
Title	Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition
Programmer	Tantalus Media, Forgotten Empires
Publisher	Xbox Game Studios
Genre	Real-Fourth dimension Strategy
Game Size	42GB
Players	Singleplayer/Multiplayer
Xbox Game Pass	Yes
Launch Cost	$20

My coworker Cale Chase already shared some thoughts on the game when he got to play a preview build, and I'grand happy to echo his opinion on merely about everything. While of Historic period of Empires Iii already looked the best of the original trilogy, information technology looks even better here with 4K graphics and a warm palette that fits the American setting.

In that location'southward plenty of customization options for the UI, with different placement options depending on your particular preferences. Using keyboard shortcuts to upwardly your strategic game isn't hard either. Managing different army groups with hotkeys was a cakewalk, and figuring out the right macros for keeping an economical pipeline booming wasn't difficult.

Age Of Empires 3 De Inca Source: Windows Central

The entire Home City mechanic has mercifully been reworked outside of the singleplayer campaigns. All cards are unlocked from the start for everyone. Now, if you're first to explore multiplayer, you won't be at a disadvantage playing confronting somehow who has hundreds of hours under their chugalug. Merely existence able to focus on choosing shipments during a match felt like a huge relief. When combined with the improver of dedicated servers, I expect players will be a lot happier with the multiplayer scene.

The unabridged Home City mechanic has mercifully been reworked.

With the addition of the Swedes and the Incas, there are now 16 civilizations to play. I specifically focused a lot of my time in custom matches with these two newcomers, and both experience like solid, balanced additions. The Incas experience suited to midgame rushes, with the ability to apace speed unit production, while the Incan Priestess can convert enemy units (Wololo!). Meanwhile, the Swedes take a while to get going but become a downright frightening force in the endgame, cranking out arms and hiring mercenaries with mechanized perfection.

The game has been well-optimized, likewise. On my Samsung 850 EVO solid-state bulldoze, the different story missions, custom multiplayer battles, and other modes never took more than nearly six or seven seconds to load, which meant flowing from one date to the side by side could be done with ease. With every setting to max at 1080p, a GTX 780 Ti and I7-4930k easily averaged 60 FPS, with some drops into the mid-40s when multiple large armies clashed.

Age Of Empires 3 De Swedes Source: Windows Central

The Art of War challenge missions from Historic period of Empires II: Definitive Edition make a welcome render here. Meanwhile, Historical Battles provide fully-narrated and voiced scenarios with nice production values. Information technology's not the same equally dedicated campaigns just being able to take on the Spanish at Algiers and undergo other fights meant the mainline campaign'due south focus is no longer as jarring and is actually fairly enjoyable.

I of the most meaningful changes comes in how the Native American tribes are represented.

Ane of the near meaningful changes comes in how the Native American tribes are represented. Names take been inverse to friction match authentic historical civilizations, with stereotypical material like the Fire Pit removed. Act Two of The WarChiefs entrada has as well been altered to remove Crazy Horse and has been written as a more personal, plumbing fixtures story. For more data, I encourage you to read the World'southward Edge interview with Anthony Brave, a Sicangu Oyate (Rosebud Sioux Tribe) and Chippewa-Cree descendant who helped to develop the new content and recommended different changes.

Age of Empires Iii: Definitive Edition What I disliked

Age Of Empires 3 Campaign Source: Windows Cardinal

My functioning was solid overall, though I did repeatedly get framerate stutter in cinematics, especially when trying Historical Battles. These would play out quite choppy despite little happening on the screen, only to resolve immediately upon assuming direct control of my units. These issues never cropped upwardly in gameplay, and so I'm willing to chalk it upwards to an odd bug, but it's still something to go along in mind.

While the AI's pathfinding has certainly been improved from 2005, I still noticed some odd motility choices.

This isn't exactly a complaint, just you should also be aware this championship is far more than physically demanding than Historic period of Empires Two: Definitive Edition. A modern gaming PC shouldn't have any issues. Still, if y'all're planning to game on the become, you'll want to wait into i of the best laptops for Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition to have a smooth feel.

While the AI's pathfinding has certainly been improved from 2005, I still noticed some odd motion choices that raised my eyebrows on multiple occasions. Cliffs, in particular, continue to provoke odd pathfinding beliefs equally artillery and infantry would split up, head in different directions, then reconvene for seemingly no purpose.

It's a minor gripe, but it'due south also far as well easy to accidentally select every unit in the surface area, which can brand sorting villagers and combat units early on tedious; you lot'll want to set up custom groups quickly.

Should y'all buy Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition?

Age Of Empires 3 Campaign Source: Windows Central

While the prior remasters provided beautiful new graphics and chunks of new content, the changes hither been more subtle yet arguably even more important. Age of Empires and Age of Empires 2: The Historic period of Kings didn't demand remasters to feel like incredible games, but here, it feels like Age of Empires III's potential has finally been realized.

Everything on offer here will provide dozens of hours of playtime earlier you ever affect multiplayer, and if the low price of $20 somehow isn't enough, it'southward included with Xbox Game Pass for PC.

If you lot're looking for some archetype strategy with a modern polish, it's well worth your time to check out this impressive attempt, peculiarly every bit it appears to be the final remaster earlier Age of Empires Iv eventually arrives — unless Earth'south Edge decides to grace us with an Age of Mythology: Definitive Edition. I'd actually, really, really like that.

Completing The Trilogy

Age Of Empires 3 Definitive Edition Reco Box

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition

More Age of Empires is always a skilful thing

With new 4K graphics, rebalanced gameplay, and new content like additional civilizations, historical battles, and more culturally-accurate depictions, Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition should brand older fans happy and draw in curious newcomers with ease.

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