Microsoft Age of Empires 3

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Product Description

In this highly anticipated next installment in the Age of Empires franchise from Ensemble Studios, Age of Empires III places players in the time period of roughly 1500 - 1850, picking up where Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings left off. As players work to establish their empire, they take on the role of a European power struggling to explore, colonize, and conquer North and South America. Age of Empires III introduces exciting new gameplay elements, including the all-new Home City and an incredible combat system. Players have new civilizations to discover, random maps to conquer, and a single-player campaign unlike any other. Players also find stunning graphics as a result of a revolutionary graphics engine that pushes the limits of PC graphics technology in an entirely new way. As players control the action, they can experience a new level of exciting combat with realistic physics effects and have the option of engaging in battle with blades, gunpowder, or both. Victory depends on the player's strategic battle plan. The Home City represents a player's capital back in Europe and plays a supporting role in the attempt to control the New World. The better the player performs in the New World, the more powerful his or her Home City becomes. Players can customize their Home City to reflect unique personality traits, making the Home City a vital character in the game. Players can take advantage of elements of the colonial time period, including the ability to ally with Native Americans. They also can explore and find new resources in the Amazon rain forest, recover buried treasure from Caribbean islands, hunt bison on the Great Plains, compete to establish trade routes, and fortify the coast of New England. Players witness new lighting effects and shadows while immersed in a world that feels bright and sunny, yet which has a softness and depth that is revolutionary to PC games. Thanks to the new physics engine, players never see the same scene twice.

General
Category	Games
Subcategory	Games - strategy / tactics / wargame
Language(s)	English
Compatibility	PC
Software
License Type	Complete package
License Qty	1 user
License Pricing	Standard
Platform	Windows
Distribution Media	CD-ROM (DVD-box)
Package Type	Retail
Game
ESRB Rating	Teen (13+)
ESRB Content Descriptors	Blood, violence
Elements	Strategy / tactics / wargame - real time
Context	Historical
Play Time Mode	Real-time
System Requirements
OS Required	Microsoft Windows XP
Peripheral / Interface Devices	Sound card, mouse or compatible device, CD-ROM, headphones, speakers
System Requirements Details	Microsoft Windows XP - 1.4 GHz - RAM 256 MB - HD 3 GB

Customer Reviews

Reviewed on 2008-05-31 Age of Mythology without the Mythology Personally I was heavily bored and disillusioned by Age of Mythology. It had very little replay value for me, especially when human infantry are basically useless against Myth units. Age of Empires III, rather than acting as a sequel to Age of Empires II, acts as a sequel to Age of Mythology. The engine is pretty much exactly the same. Perhaps thinking the ancients too stupid to build big buildings, all the buildings here are maybe 3 or 4 times the size of buildings in Age of Mythology, making the map seem very small and difficult to navigate as you seem to run out of space quickly. Even ships look cartoonish simply by how massive they are in comparison to the puddle-sized river you've just built them into. About the best improvements made from Age of Mythology is the population... you can have more than a 50 man army at one time here. There is nothing else revolutionary here... it's the same old s-word with regards to real time strategy---civilians dig gold, hunt animals or farm, cut wood, build houses, build barracks, build church or mosque or temple, build infantry, mass them, attack, upgrade, build another base somewhere else, repeat. The graphics look great, but they are highly unimpressive in battle... gunfire, cannon shots, explosions, are all unremarkable. The only positive aspect I can say here is that the buildings actually look like they're taking damage when under fire---losing roof tiles, chunks of concrete and masonry crumbling off. Everything else is just ordinary. The sort of generic, unremarkable RTS of the next 3D generation, improving where Age of Mythology fumbled (that is, army battles), but breaking no new ground. (Native Americans) Indians: They have some settlements littered around. You build a trading post next to them and you can train some of their soldiers. That's it. Mercenaries. In-depth Cities: Useless. It does nothing. You can't do anything with the cities. Instead you get bonus cards, which give you little tiny gifts that don't turn the tide of the battle massively unless you've got nothing left. Everything else is about the same old s-word you'd find in Age of Empires II, Age of Mythology, and Rise of Nations. No innovation, no revolution, no increased challenge, nothing new. Status Quo all the way.

Reviewed on 2008-01-12 Chess like Strategy with great gameplay This game is great to show the economics, military strategy, resources and etc of civilization, plus its a LOT of fun. My son and I like to play chess, and this is very similar with lots of interaction and online LAN excitement .............. its really addictive, ...you can win !! its great

Reviewed on 2007-12-10 A Very Enjoyable, Very Addicting Game Age of Empires III deals with the European powers colonizing and fighting over the New World (North America, South America, and the Caribbean). Like past AoE games, this newest installment is relatively historically accurate. You can play as eight different nations, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I think this is a wonderful game. Being an avid AoE fan, I looked forward to buying it the moment it was announced. But before I bought it, I wondered if it would be worth while, whether all the trailers were as good as the actual game. Of course, the trailers are always better than the real thing. Nevertheless, this game is a Huge step up from AoE II. The biggest steps are graphics and physics. The terrain (numerous real world maps to chose from), each individual soldier, and each building is sculpted very well, so much so that I am amazed at the massive difference between AoE II and II. In addition, the physics of the game are spectacular. When a cannon shoots a building, a large chunk falls off, and even makes a splash in the water. I could go on and on about the improvements, but I won't in the interest of space. If you are thinking of getting this game, enjoy the trailers, are both an AoE and RTS fan, I say go right ahead - you will not regret it.

Reviewed on 2007-10-11 Very nice. I am not a gamer in general but Age of Empires is an exception to the rule! I have played all previous versions. This addition is way better in graphic. However it needs a very advanced computer to be able to play without problems. You will need a good video card. Following scenario in AOE III I noticed virtual play area is relatively smaller than previous versions. I think if you liked other versions of AOE you will enjoy this one as well.

Reviewed on 2007-10-09 Apparently it's gotten better I've read a lot of reviews complaining about bugs and crashes. I haven't seen any of them, so if you're concerned about a buggy version, don't worry. The game itself is similar to most RTS games, but instead of, say, upgrading all rifles, you upgrade individual units to a higher rank. For instance, musketeers can eventually be upgraded to redcoats, with higher damage, armor, etc... As with Age of Empires 2, not each race has access to every unit type, and each have unique units (some more than others). The most unique addition to the game is the concept of "Home Cities. If you've played Command and Conquer Generals, it's a very similar concept to the Generals Promotions. First, you create a City (Profile) based on your nationality. As you play skirmishes, you gain experience and use this experience to "buy" additional "cards" to add to your "deck." Basically, before you start a game, you create a deck of cards. These cards are like the General Powers from CnC:Generals. As you gain experience from exploring and combat, you can "play" your cards, which is like sending a shipment from your home city. For example, early on you can ship crates of food, wood, or silver to your town center. Later on you can ship a Fort Wagon, which allows you to build a fort (like a castle in AoE 2). After you finish the skirmish, the experience you gain can be used to buy better cards to use in future skirmishes. Another great addition is the concept of sustainability. Even after all the resources on the map are expanded, you can keep harvesting. Plantations and farms give continuous money and food for your colony, trade routes on the map allow shipments of resources periodically, and shipments from your city can always be sent in using your cards. And of course, as all the other reviews have stated, the game is absolutely gorgeous. Water looks awesome, trees look awesome, buildings look awesome, etc... One of the things I was most impressed by was cannon fire. Cannonballs take chunks out of buildings exactly where they hit. They plow down a line of infantry in a single shot with the bodies flying through the air realistically. It all just looks amazing. I have just started the campaign, so I can't comment too much on it. So far, it's pretty good. All in all, this is a great game. I get a lot of enjoyment out of improving my city in order to use better cards. The city system really gives you a reason to keep playing over and over.

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