Age of Empires III

If you are a big fan of real-time strategy games, then one of your wildest wishes is about to come true. One of the biggest real-time strategy game developers is about to release their lasted sequel to their award-winning franchise. That’s right, the talented developers at Ensemble Studios is getting extremely close to finishing up their latest game in the Age of Empire series, aptly titled Age of Empires III. It has been more than six years since the last sequel to this game. Before you say anything I know that Age of Mythology was released a couple or years ago, but it was based all in fantasy. Age of Empires III returns the series back to its “historical roots,” meaning that this game is a true sequel to the Age of Empires franchise. Read on to find out about some of the new features in this game.

When a new game in a franchise is released many people want to know what new features the developers have incorporated into the game. Well in this instance there are a few new things which really adds more depth to the game, and makes it really stand out from other games of similar nature. In the past the “biggest gameplay changing feature” came by the name of heroes, which are still included in this game. This time around the newest change is, drum roll please: the “ Home City.” Trust me as anticlimactic as that statement sounded, this newest feature is really invaluable and really adds a lot to the game.

When you first boot up the game you will notice that this Home City will be a huge part of the game due to its towering presence the first time you see it. I will try to explain it the best way I can, but the only way you will truly be able to understand it is when you play though the tutorial mode. First off, the historical frame of this game is set during the time where people were exploring around the world. With that in mind think of the Home City as the capital of the European nation you are controlling. As you progress though the game you can improve your Home City over time, which gives you more strategic options as you play the game. Here is another way to put it, think of the Home City as a player in an RPG. The more you play and win various missions in the game, the better your city becomes and more options will become available to you. That is the easiest way to put how it works, there are many other in-depth features that you will just have to find out for yourself when you are able to play this masterpiece in the making.

There are a couple of other features that I want to briefly mention. When you first start a game it is in your best interest to explore the area because you can find native treasures such as food, wood, and many other things. Also if you perform certain tasks you will be able convince some of the native tribes to help you out. Taking a cue from Age of Mythology, when you upgrade to a new Age, you will be able to choose between two different political factions. Depending on which one that you choose they will provide a unique one time bonus to you. As you explore the map you will also be able to create alliances with the native tribes, which will offer players some unique abilities that other civilizations will not have access to.

Even though this game is still in beta, I can say that is looks fantastic. It is amazing how far along graphics for RTS games have come since their inception many years ago. To be completely honest this game, in its current beta form, is starting to rival the graphics for many First-Person Shooters on the market. Yes, the game looks just as good if not better than most of the screenshots you have seen floating around for it. Everything is just dripping with eye candy; it is unbelievable. Another thing that makes the graphics engine so great is the physics behind it as well. If you destroy a building you will see it fall in a more realistic manner that will make you all giddy inside.

The biggest disappointment about the Age of Empires III is that I will have to wait several more months before I can wrap my fingers around the full version. It will be a hard wait, but when the game is finally released it will be completely worth it!