

Having some personal knowledge about the this faction, I fully expected to see Hussars in play. The Swedes feel similar to other European factions, but they do bring their own brand of pain to the battlefield. Quick, melee and range units can be powerful if opponents are baited into them. Beware fighting against canons, though, as the Inca themselves don’t come across artillery easily without upgrades. They can develop at a remarkable pace–allowing players to reach the endgame Imperial Age quickly. The Inca faction feels balanced where it has its advantages and disadvantages. You’re introduced to two new factions: the Incas and the Swedes. Where care and attention to detail can be noticed is in the rework of factions. Additionally, new aesthetic upgrades like particle textures, rerecorded voice acting and a fully-remastered soundtrack help revive the franchise with a fresh coat of paint. The game is breathtaking and should be praised for its remaster. Coming back to the AoE III after a decade, it truly is marvelous to see the graphical overhaul and remastered content. I’ve played the games so much, the villager spawn sound is part of my brain matter now. As a veteran player, it’s difficult to find something about Age of Empires that I don’t know. This Definitive Edition brings a plethora of content to new and veteran players alike. We already know the original title was a great game, so how does this Definitive Edition build upon the legacy?

It’s a title rich in identity and content as is generally expected of the franchise, but does also come with plaguing gameplay issues that are difficult to ignore. Collaborating with historians and First Nations consultants, developers Tantalus Media and Forgotten Empires made steps to correct many harmful inaccuracies depicted of Native Americans within the narrative of Age of Empires III. One could argue that it is a completely different game than the original because of all the improvements made to it - including steps to create a more historically accurate and respectful representation of its Indigenous factions. From quality of life updates, to new factions and AI movement, it’s almost like a whole new game. In the meantime, Age of Empires III already had a plethora of content to keep players busy, but this Definitive Edition is packed will all previous content and more. At the rate this is going, perhaps an Age of Mythology: Definitive Edition is around the corner? I’ll keep my hopes up until then. Now the franchise is back again in 2020 with its latest Definitive Edition of Age of Empires III. Fans of the franchise have much to celebrate as these paradigms of the RTS genre were remastered and overhauled for a new generation. In 2018, we were treated to the release of Age of Empires: Definitive Edition and in 2019 Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. It’s been an immense last few years for the Age of Empires franchise.
