Genre: Real-Time Strategy
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Ensemble Studios
Release Date: October 25, 2005

Real-time strategy enthusiasts have been awaiting this day for quite a long time. Age of Empires III looms just over the horizon, and thousands of drooling fans can't wait to see what the next iteration in the series will bring. A change from 2D to 3D graphics, a new home city feature, and some new gameplay concepts are just a few of the anticipated features. While the core of the Age of Empires experience is still in place, there are enough new ideas in Age of Empires III to justify putting number two back up on the shelf for good.

There is a really robust campaign mode that serves as the main focus of the game. A great story with excellent voice acting begins to unfold as you play through the various missions; memorable characters prevail, and you'll find yourself being drawn into the lives of each one. The objectives for the campaign missions are interesting and don't feel contrived at all, so if you've played the campaign missions in the previous games, you'll basically know what to expect. The maps are all laid out for you, built up in a gorgeous manner that will have you stunned.

Of course, there is also a skirmish mode where you're thrown onto a map and pitted against various numbers of opponents. This was always my favorite part of the previous two titles, and I loved going against the different civilizations and seeing who would come out on top. Harvesting the various goods, researching your techs, and spreading out over the map in your bid to conquer everyone else retain the fun of the previous games. There is also a multiplayer mode, and while this aspect wasn't playable in the preview build, I'm sure that it will turn out to be one of the best parts of the AoE3.

The graphics are absolutely fantastic. The 3D models for the buildings, units, ships, and landscape are all well done and really look great, and the animations for the different units, peasants, artillery, stagecoaches, trains, and combat maneuvers are all smooth and realistic. In particular, combat is really cool, making use of the fantastic integrated physics engine. Buildings collapse on themselves as cannonballs tear them apart, troops drop to the ground when hit with an arrow or a bullet, and ships get ripped open and sink into the beautifully pixel-shaded water. Your home city is one of the most incredible things you'll lay eyes on, but you won't spend much time looking at it, since it basically serves as a glorified menu. It will take a beefy computer to run everything at a high level with a smooth framerate, but the game scales easily to fit many different types of systems.

If you've played either the original or the second title – or just about any RTS at all – you'll know exactly what to expect with Age of Empires III. You've got your peasants that do all your dirty work and harvest wood, food, and gold, which can in turn be used to create buildings and military units that you employ to go and thrash your enemies. It's pretty standard fare. There are some interesting additions and annoying omissions from the usual Age of Empires standard. Everything that you do earns you experience points, which will earn you different perks that you can pick from as you progress through the various ages. Your experience also goes into a larger pool that upgrades your home city, allowing you to unlock even better bonuses that will give you a bigger advantage over your opponents.

Unfortunately, one of the things that seems to be missing from Age of Empires III is the large variety of map types. It could just be the preview build, but there didn't seem to be a large number of maps, and the playable maps didn't have different sizes that ranged from small to huge. This could be a minor disappointment or simply limit the way games are played. In either case, it's too early to tell, but I certainly hope there are more map options in the final version. One option that isn't limited is the choice of civilization: there are eight different European peoples you can choose from, each with their own unique home city, special units, and abilities. The choice of your civilization will have a large impact on the way you play the game, and it's great to see some variety outside of just a name change for the different options.

Another new addition is the inclusion of trade routes. Trade units and routes cannot be destroyed or interrupted, but they can give you quite an advantage if you build trading outposts along the route, providing you with extra experience, food, wood, or gold. There are only a limited number of locations to build a trade outpost, and if you get an outpost on all of them, you gain a monopoly and gain all sorts of bonuses. There are also different treasures scattered around the map that are under guard by animals or other types of enemies. The treasure can be gold, wood, or a helpful unit. These treasures are really beneficial in the beginning of the game, so it'd be a good idea to send out your explorer unit to gather them as soon as possible. Another addition are native units that can be befriended and offer assistance in various different ways.

Age of Empires III promises to be everything that its predecessors were, and much more. There are so many new additions and concepts to be found here that you'll initially be overwhelmed, but after only a few play sessions, you'll find yourself slipping back into the old familiar mindset, and quickly forget that it used to be any different. That's how effective the transition is – it just feels right, and is a natural extension of the familiar old gameplay. Add the prospect of some great multiplayer matches, and you'll be in heaven. Of course, the icing on the already delicious cake is the incredibly polished look and feel of the whole package. Age of Empires III is certainly one to check out when it releases in about a month.