Age Of Empires 3: Definitive Edition is out now
So long, Nate
After 15 years, Age Of Empires 3 returns today with a shiny new expanded version. Like the AOE 2 Def Ed before it, Age Of Empires 3: Definitive Edition polishes up Ensemble's historical real-time strategy game to play nice with modern computers, rolls in all the old expansions, and adds a few new things too. Considering we've still not got Nate back from AOE2, I dread to imagine what this might to do him. We'll find asleep in the RPS treehouse in the morning with a mouse in each hand, two keyboards draped over himself like blankets, and two matches still going.
The Def Ed is AOE3 but with support for modern resolutions, new UI options, multiplayer spectator support, and other conveniences. Along with including the original expansions, it adds two new civilisations (the Swedes and Inca) and two new modes. It's coming from Forgotten Empires and Tantalus Media, the folks who did AOE2 Def Ed, so I'd broadly expect the same.
Age Of Empires 3 Definitive Edition is available now on Steam and Microsoft's Store for £15/€20/$20. Or it's covered by the Xbox Game Pass For PC.
An Age Of Empires 4 is on the way from Relic Entertainment, the studio best known for the Company Of Heroes and WH40K: Dawn Of War games. No firm word yet on when that will be out. We saw a trailer last year and not much since.