Age of Empires III Definitive Edition – Inleiding – Review

Final verdict

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With Dune II in 1992, Warcraft in 1994 and Command and Conquer a year later, rts was one of the most popular genres of the 1990s. Microsoft, relatively late at the party, also made a contribution in 1997 with Age of Empires. The series was a success, with more than 25 million copies sold.

The series set itself apart from other rts games with its historical theme where players evolve over the centuries. Weapons, nations and houses were in keeping with the spirit of the times and were reasonably realistic. Part one was published in 1997 and was set from the period of hunters and gatherers to the end of the Roman Empire. Part two from 1999 focused on the early to late Middle Ages, and the last part dealt with voyages of discovery, colonization and trade, ending just before the Industrial Revolution. Of the three, the second part was always the most popular. It was more diverse than the first part, thanks in part to new developments such as pistols, cannons and castles. Part three, which we’ll be discussing in this review, was received less enthusiastically in 2005, although graphically it was a significant progression. In this review we look at the ‘remaster’ of that third part.

A remaster must of course stay close to the original to provide the same playing fun. The makers have adhered to it well in this case. Age of Empires III really plays as usual, but with some useful improvements and more graphic spectacle. This also means that many of the disadvantages of that time still apply. Although Age of Empires was graphically improved with Part III in 2005, Part 2, which is set in the Middle Ages, remained more popular – until today. Apart from the new theme, a number of controversial adjustments were also made and new game elements were added.

Suddenly there was a home city where you could have army units, upgrades and resources shipped to your colony. And you could build trade routes that gave you experience points that you could use for your home city. There were also settlements of Indians that you could recruit. In addition, a hero unit was introduced with special features. Although these new possibilities were innovative, they also had an impact on the balance sheet and strategy, which was not appreciated by everyone. In this review, we look at whether this criticism is still valid, what additions and optimizations there are, and whether the Definitive Edition of Age of Empires III is worthwhile.

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