Revisiting a Legend: Age of Empires III Retro Review

The first production from Ensemble Studios, Age of Empires, did not take long to become a legend. I believe the producers were aware of this while designing the game—as expansion packs and the second game appeared before long. Age of Empires was ordered chronologically from the Dark Age to the fall of Rome and into the Middle Ages. Now, it is the turn of the Industrial Age…

The series, which covered the Dark Age in the first game, Roman history in Rise of Rome, and the Middle Ages in Age of Kings, targets the years between 1500-1850 in the third game, but in a different location. Generally set in Europe and its surroundings, the series this time centers on the colonizing America, a setting not often encountered in games. Continuing from where Age of Kings left off, Age of Empires III will handle the war of the Native American people against the European states in the colonial race. We will closely witness the historical development of the American continent, referred to as the “new world” during the Age of Discovery, with Age of Empires III.

After Age of Conquerors, Ensemble, which moved slightly away from the series with Age of Mythology to try something different, started the Age of Empires III project to revitalize the series and continue historical development. Age of Mythology, which was a very successful game in many respects, prepared the infrastructure for Age of Empires III. Above all, the engine used in AoE III is based on AoM, and many beautiful features used in AoM have been integrated into the legendary series. Of course, not all features were included, such as god powers. Actually, the producers say they added this feature to AoE III as well, but they removed it because they thought it was not good and ruined the mystic and realistic atmosphere of the series. In other words, we can say that whatever beauty suited the Age of Empires atmosphere in Age of Mythology will also be present in AoE III.

Since Ensemble performed its first 3D trial in Age of Mythology, we can expect Age of Empires III to be a very well-settled and mature game in terms of structure. Having chosen Age of Mythology as the first victim for 3D (such a victim is a blessing..?!?), the team created a game that looks even better than the visually strongest strategy games on the market, as you can see from the screenshots. Quite assertive on this matter, Ensemble added that no game (presumably speaking for strategy games) has ever looked this beautiful. The game, which has an engine compatible with Shader 3.0 and DirectX 9.0c, utilizes the benefits of DirectX 9 to the fullest (see: reflection and water effects). In short, you will need to own an Alienware to play Age of Empires III at maximum visuals 🙂

I think the biggest change in the series is the change in the story flow. Unlike previous games, the game will have a story narration in the style of Age of Mythology; it will place you in a story flow according to the country you choose and show you everything it wants to without you noticing. In the game, which is stated to have around 24 stories, the cutscenes and cinematics connecting the chapters are made with the in-game engine (like in Age of Mythology). In this context, it is possible to say that the game has more in common with AoM than Age of Kings in terms of story.

Age of Empires III offers 8 civilizations. Although not all of them have been announced yet, it is known that three of them are France, Spain, and England. The producers pay great attention to these countries being in their real-life states. For example, the British are very developed economically and can produce villagers quickly. In contrast, the French can unite with the native people more easily and also have a special villager unit named Coureur, which can transform into a cavalry unit. The Spanish, on the other hand, can communicate with Europe more easily due to their advancement in transportation. So, what are the benefits of communicating with Europe? This element, called “Homeland,” also holds an important place in the game; developments in your home, namely Europe, will be reflected directly in your colonies in AoE III. In the homeland, which is an important part of the technology tree, you can make all the developments you do in America; that is, if you don’t have the possibility to build a port in your colonies, you can develop this in the homeland and build it in the colonies. In this respect, Age of Empires III will offer us a different structure.

Based on the idea that gunpowder was invented and “bravery was spoiled” during the Age of Discovery, the producers have radically changed the units possessed by countries. In the game, which uses the old rock-paper-scissors logic, units with the same weapon definitely do not have the same power. While Skirmisher units perform long-range sniping, infantry units like Musketeers will engage in battle quickly. The Skirmisher unit has a high probability of hitting its target and a high potential for protection because it fires from a distance, but moving and firing very slowly makes them disadvantageous when necessary. The advantage of Musketeer units is that they act quickly, but they also die quickly. So, every unit has certain disadvantages as well as advantages, and this structure allows the rock-paper-scissors logic to be processed successfully.

We will not be fighting with guns throughout the entire game; swords and arrows had not been entirely shelved around the Middle Ages. But research is also of great importance, as a sword unit cannot get close to those with guns. Another different aspect of Age of Empires III in the military field is its different perspective on heavy weapons. In Age of Kings and Mythology, cannons and similar “big boys” were generally used only for sieges and destroying buildings. In Age of Empires III, such weapons are adjusted to be used as they are in real wars. For example, catapults are no longer used just to knock down walls, but also to sweep the enemy flowing over you like a flood off their feet. In fact, these weapons could be used in this way before, but they were not considered very effective. In AoE III, the use of such weapons has gained more importance with small changes.

The shots of the catapults will also highlight another overhauled feature of the game: realistic physics. Yes, physics that we are not used to seeing in strategy games will be included in Age of Empires III. Along with the ground shaking from the harmonious hits of large cannons, the surrounding infantry soldiers will continue the battle as air units for a while. Soldiers who are tossed to the left and right will drown if they fall into the water. In the game, which features ragdoll physics, every unit will be tossed around and fall realistically. In addition, the destruction scenes of buildings are being prepared with care; for example, a catapult shot hitting the roof of a building will cause the roof to be tossed away and the soldiers where it falls to be crushed. In short, a very realistic battle arena awaits us!