Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition

Best strattegy game in the last 25 years.

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is a real time strategy game that I keep coming back to because the basic formula still feels really good. I build a town, collect food, wood and coin, advance through the ages and slowly build an army while trying to destroy the other side. The setting is also a nice change from games that focus entirely on ancient history, since the game covers the colonial period and later moves into battles across Europe, the Americas and Asia. The Home City system is probably the thing that makes this version stand out the most for me. I can send shipments during a match, giving me resources, units or other bonuses depending on the civilization and cards I have chosen. I like having to think about when I want to use those shipments because sending something too early or saving it for too long can make a difference in a close game. The civilizations are also really different from each other. The full game has 22 civilizations when the expansions are included, and they have their own units, bonuses, buildings and ways of progressing. I can spend a lot of time learning one civilization and then switch to another and suddenly have to rethink how I play. The Swedes, Incas, Ethiopians, Hausa, Italians, Maltese and others all give me plenty of different approaches to try. The campaigns and historical battles give me a good amount to do outside multiplayer too. I can play through the story campaigns, try the Historical Battles or use the Art of War challenges to practise specific parts of the game. I especially like having those training challenges because there are so many systems to learn that jumping straight into competitive matches can be pretty intimidating. The biggest problem for me is the learning curve. There is a lot happening at once, and once I start playing seriously I need to think about build orders, resource management, unit counters, scouting and timing attacks. I enjoy that depth, but it can take quite a while before I feel like I actually know what I am doing. A small mistake early in a match can also come back to hurt me much later. The sheer amount of content can also be a little overwhelming. I can spend ages deciding which civilization I want to learn, and then there are all the different maps, units, cards and strategies to understand. I like having so much variety, but it can make the game feel like a lot of homework when I first return to it after a long break. The Definitive Edition presentation is another big improvement for me. The game has been rebuilt with 4K visuals, improved 3D assets, enhanced audio and a modernised interface. It still has the character of the original Age of Empires III, but it looks much better and feels more comfortable to play on modern hardware. The multiplayer also supports cross network play, which makes finding matches much easier than it would have been with the old version. Overall, Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is one of my favourite entries in the series because it combines familiar resource management with some genuinely different ideas. I love the Home City shipments, the huge variety between civilizations and the mixture of campaigns, historical battles and multiplayer. The learning curve is definitely steep and there is a lot to understand before I feel confident, but once everything starts clicking, the battles become incredibly satisfying. Rating: 7.6/10