The definitive edition of Age of Empires 3 has been officially released worldwide (as of October 15th, 2020). Available for PC, the game can be purchased on Steam and the Microsoft Store for $19.99 US and £14.99 UK. It will also be included with Xbox Game Pass for PC and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
It’s been nearly 15 years since Age of Empires 3 first debuted on PC and now with the release of a fresh definitive edition, gamers can expect a plethora of new features and improvements that expand and modernize this old RTS.
For starters, the visuals have been completely remastered with 4K Ultra HD graphics, accompanied by fully rebuilt game assets, recreated campaign cinematics and a rebuilt user interface. In conjunction, the audio and soundtrack has been remastered and the character audio for campaigns re-recorded. The AI has also seen some attention with improvements made and a new “Extreme” difficulty added. For those who enjoy playing against others, multiplayer has been improved and updated to support cross-network play. Other additional features include accelerated deck building and prebuilt decks, editor and campaign tool improvements, plus a spectator mode and mod support.
Other than being remastered, the game has also been expanded. Inclusive of the previously released expansions (The WarChiefs and The Asian Dynasties) with all fourteen original civilizations, two new civilizations, the Incas and the Swedes have been added.
Both civilizations offer their own more unique playstyles. The Swedes are described as being well equipped for offensive action, whilst the Incas can build large defendable cities.
On top of this, two new game modes Historical Battles and The Art of War have been added. Historical Battles includes a variety of set events from the time period to play. The Art of War, originally introduced in Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition, includes various challenge missions to test one’s strategic skills and gets players to experience the unique gameplay features of Age of Empires 3.
On another note, although this definitive edition is based on an old title, those who are interested in experiencing this new game should note that the system requirements are far greater than the original, so take note before purchasing.
