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'Age of Empires III (PC)'. (EAN 0882224043304)

With all the talk of next generation consoles it’s somewhat ironic that the most graphically impressive new game is actually PC real-time strategy title Age of Empires III. The last game in the series was a rather clinical looking 2D isometric game but this new iteration features some of the most complex, organic looking 3D graphics ever seen on any system.

Thankfully the gameplay appears just as developed as you take control of a civilisation from around the time that Age of Empires II left off in the 16th century and continues up to 1850, as you battle to take control of the New World. Gameplay is actually split between the Americas though and your home city back in Europe, which you must also maintain and upgrade in order to keep the populace happy.

The most exciting element though is undoubtedly the new combat system, where the dull and mechanical "tank rushes" of the previous games have been replaced with stunning looking battles of gunpowder and sword blades as you fight angry natives and rival colonisers.

As is demanded of any PC game nowadays there’s also a cool sounding multiplayer mode, with the eight different civilizations you can control allowing for a large variety of different play styles. That’s if you can actually gather your wits enough to form a strategy and stop ogling the frankly incredible looking graphics. -- Harrison Dent

This preview is based on an incomplete version of the game; features or problems mentioned above may not appear in the finished game.

The same game play as AOE III give or take a couple of new features / gimmicks to justify the release. Updated Graphics make the game pleasing on the eye but the actual game play has not really progressed at all. Silly Town Centre feature that I could not be bothered with. Who wants to mess around updating buildings that have no meaning in the game? Boring... I completed this game because I regret paying thirty quid for it, and have no desire to do any more with it then give it to my local charity shop. Unless you are AOE fan then save your money and buy AOE II.

This really is just the latest version of AOE, nothing much has changed. However the new graphics are stunning. Play aoe3 for a few days before going back to aoe2 and you will be amazed at how boring the graphics on aoe2 seem.
In my opinion ensemble have focused on the graphics too much and the only real additions to game play are silly. The explorer and treasures are a lame replacement for the old relics in aoe2

If you like aoe2 you have to buy this, but dont expect it to be much better

The moment you play Age of Empires III, it hits you. That feeling. A feeling that makes you disappointed yet slightly comforted at the same time. A feeling that you often get but cannot place. This feeling has a name, and its name is déjà vu.

Yep, sadly the newest instalment of the popular strategy franchise, Age of Empires III, has the awful 'Haven't I played this before?' atmosphere about it. It seems that Ensemble has opted for a nice, safe strategy. After all, it is dangerous to mix with a tried-and-tested formula, because the new product might be rubbish. However, it is equally dangerous to stick to more of the same. That is why the human race continues to change. That is why we have things like 'next-generation' consoles: we don't like the same old boring stuff again and again. The main problem I have with Age of Empires III is that Ensemble decided to evolve rather revolutionise. And it wasn't much evolution going on at that.

So, enough of the mumbo-jumbo, what does Age of Empires III feel like to play? Well, if you've played Age of Empires I or II, you'll pretty much already know. You still build town centres and establish a little town to call your own; you can still play as a variety of different factions, you can still train a variety of different units, and you can still fight a number of enemies and siege their little towns just like you used to. The main difference has to be the graphics and physics, which are impressive (this really feels like a good-looking game, whilst the destruction cannons cause to enemies and the environment is equally eye-pleasing), but not Half-Life 2 standard.

The main draw of AoE III is the 'New World' setting. Yes, I was fairly excited about running around America blowing other colonists sky-high, but unfortunately it's not as great as it sounds. The Napoleonic-era setting doesn't work as well with the set 'Empires formula, and the new technology, such as guns, doesn't gel as well as the Feudal Knights used to. The plot, which focuses around several generations of the Black family, is cheesy and contains very little historical fact. So you won't be the Conquistadors running the Aztecs out of Mexico. You'll be Jenny Black (or whoever) trying to build a railroad. Exciting? Gripping? I'm afraid not.

I also have a problem with the new 'Home City' function. Whilst this is another seller feature, it works fairly poorly. The idea is that you can upgrade a particular city (connected to which ever faction you play as) over time, customising its appearance and building a deck of cards to help you during play. Most of these cards come in the form of shipments that provide more resources, more soldiers, etc. Sadly, although this is treated like a winner feature, the Home City feels unbelievably tacky. It appears that Ensemble needed something to spice up the game, and the Home City was what they came up with as an afterthought.

The good points? Well, AoE III can still, much like it's predecessors, envelop you in addictive, quirky, slightly cute strategy. And it looks quite nice. Other than that, I'm afraid it just goes downhill. The plot is poor, the gameplay doesn't work anywhere near as well in the new time period, and the Home City feature is a joke. If you get bored of the campaign, there are extra skirmishes to play. And there is the now obligatory online mode. But, would you really want to follow through with these extras? Unlikely. The tallest house will fall down if it has bad foundations. And these foundations are made of mud. Wet mud, at that.

Previous AOE games were awsome and extremely addictave. This sadly isnt. Dont think im trying to slag the game off because i have all AOE games and really wanted this when it came out. After instaling it and began playin i was a bit gutted to see alot of genre from aoe games was missing. The game has tried to go in depth more but has made itself to much like total war. Dont get me wrong the graphics are amazing and it has a good storyline and no glitches, its just not the same, its lost the simplicity of previous aoe games. It seems to have lost the fun from playin. I Played this for a few hours befoore going back to other games and then finaly uninstalled it from my pc n was gutted for payin 30 pound for it. Obviously this is just my view and most of you will enjoy the game but i still recomend try the demo first or borrow it off sumone to see what you think.

This is a brilliant game modelled on the three previous age of empires games. The civilisations have been cut down on but a great many improvements have been added. For example, one of the many new units, the Musketeers are all armed with rifles and hand-to-hand swords and daggers. The programmers have also cut off one of the resources, the Stone which just used to make things complicated. The remaining three resources (gold, wood, and food) are still there. Also, each civilisation has an explorer (similar to the kings or main characters in the previous games). The only difference is that they have different special attacks and cannot die (woohoo!). The graphics are greatly improved and the see has waves!! There are treasures around the map that can be found by your hero which benefit your team. E.g. a tame bear or tiger that aids you. There are also trading post sites that give you and your team extra resources when captured. The most significant difference is that your team is chosen at at the start of the game and you can build a home city. This sends you regular shipments of soldiers and buildings, free of charge! All of the units have different sound effects when you click them. Here is a translation of them:
Avonce - Advance!
Comonderment - For the general!
Readdiey - Ready
Iworn - I warn
Iwis - ???
Imanasaus - He made us all (?)
And lots more that i am yet to discover.
This is a brilliant game overall. If you or your kid is screaming at you to buy it, JUST DO WHAT HE SAYS!!! You never know, you might enjoy it.