Released: October 2005
Publisher: Microsoft
Publisher: Microsoft
Platform: PC and Mac
Type: RTS
Graphics: Narly
Game Play: Meh
Originality: Meh
How many hours I’ve wasted: Narly
The Nostalgia Factor: Meh
Age of Empires III was a decent real-time-strategy
game (if typical) for the mid-2000's.
Expansion packs released the following year (The War Chiefs) and then in 2007 (The Asian Dynasties) along with a well developed online multiplayer option has kept
interest in this game going long after it's original release.
As a huge history buff, I had been anxiously awaiting the arival of an RTS that focused on the colonial and pre-industrial period. The optional ability to play as the British and routinely massacre the French army was icing on the cake (and as in reality, it's not a particulary challenging pastime, but it is damnably fun.)
As a huge history buff, I had been anxiously awaiting the arival of an RTS that focused on the colonial and pre-industrial period. The optional ability to play as the British and routinely massacre the French army was icing on the cake (and as in reality, it's not a particulary challenging pastime, but it is damnably fun.)
The graphics were nothing short of outstanding for the time, and
generally speaking have aged well. The original music was excellent, and the sound effects are extremely realistic.
While campaign/story mode proved generally challenging it had a low replayability factor. Online multiplayer has been this games greatest asset with it's numerous faction, player and battlefield options.
Players can choose from a variety of areas to play in from the New World: Alaskan Tunda, Caribean Islands, Amazon River, and the Plains to name a few. Each battle area was infused with various interesting and unique topographical features which presented unique obstacles to overcome or to use to your advantage tactical during the battle.
Each nation faction had different traits including a wide variety of units unique to said faction. While I generally chose the British, it did invite one to come back and play as a different faction to try out the unique units.
Players can choose from a variety of areas to play in from the New World: Alaskan Tunda, Caribean Islands, Amazon River, and the Plains to name a few. Each battle area was infused with various interesting and unique topographical features which presented unique obstacles to overcome or to use to your advantage tactical during the battle.
Each nation faction had different traits including a wide variety of units unique to said faction. While I generally chose the British, it did invite one to come back and play as a different faction to try out the unique units.
Despite Age of Empires many great qualitites, like most RTS games, it had two main failings: the computer AI
and unit control.
AI
Even at the highest difficulty settings, the AI’s attacks were often very predictable. The computer player would target the same portion of your defences over and over again, making it easy to counter or at least anticipate and prepare for enemy attacks.
AI
Even at the highest difficulty settings, the AI’s attacks were often very predictable. The computer player would target the same portion of your defences over and over again, making it easy to counter or at least anticipate and prepare for enemy attacks.
The AI's insistence on constructing the
same structures in the same places regardless of how often the structure was
flattened was another easily exploitable flaw. This was best illustrated in naval bombardment. I would usually
station ships off shore and used ranged fire to flatten a settlement and
blockade the enemy. It didn’t matter how many times I blew up the enemy
harbour, the AI would constantly send a sting of peasants to rebuild the
harbour in the same place. To effectively stop the AI from gaining any sea control and from receiving emergency supplies,
one merely needed to station a ship at that point to kill the incoming peasants
after razing the building.
Likewise, an AI army under naval gun fire would remain in
the same position, regardless of the increasing casualties. I’ve won many a
game against the AI, simply by building a sizable fleet and bombarding their
settlement and armies into ashes.
Control
Another disapointing failing, also like almost all RTS games, was for your troops to simply "mob" attack. Troop formations were difficult to enforcce and most battles turned very quickly from being orderly, to one giant heaping mess. Not much point in having Redcoats if they abandon rank and file and fling themselves with reckless abandon into a quagmire. Heavy casualties on both sides were very much a given and many battles were won on the basis of attrition.
Overall, Age of Empires III is an decent RTS, however much of its attraction has been overshadowed by the significantly more capable Empire Total War.
Control
Another disapointing failing, also like almost all RTS games, was for your troops to simply "mob" attack. Troop formations were difficult to enforcce and most battles turned very quickly from being orderly, to one giant heaping mess. Not much point in having Redcoats if they abandon rank and file and fling themselves with reckless abandon into a quagmire. Heavy casualties on both sides were very much a given and many battles were won on the basis of attrition.
Overall, Age of Empires III is an decent RTS, however much of its attraction has been overshadowed by the significantly more capable Empire Total War.
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