- Quick specs
- Price: Free to try (Two single-player missions, two skirmish maps with two empires); $49.99 to buy
- Operating system: Windows XP, Windows 2000
- Date added: October 26, 2005
- Total Downloads: 855,843
- Downloads last week: 1,660
- See full specifications
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 106 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff
After a lengthy installation, say a little prayer that your machine can handle this demo, because the system requirements aren't listed anywhere in the download package. The Age of Empires III demo provides hours of fabulous real-time fun, but lack of documentation and instruction haunts the experience.
The ReadMe.rtf file includes a useful list of shortcut keys, but there's no introduction or explanation of the gameplay, so you'll have to find your own way. In two single-player scenarios (building trading posts along a railroad track and defending a fort) and two skirmish maps (Texas and New England), you'll be collecting resources, raising structures, creating units, and bombarding your enemies.
Gameplay is deep, involved, and addictive, though the one major addition--the ability to send special shipments from home cities--seems extraneous. Noticeable absences in the hot-keys list are the ability to select all of one unit type and to create custom unit groups. Such shortcuts might exist, but without detailed help, we couldn't tell. Also, we were slightly disappointed with the range of view and the graphics overall. The rag-doll physics make for fun combat scenes, but the graphics themselves are actually less impressive than last year's Rise of Nations.
Publisher's description
From Microsoft Game Studios :In this action-adventure tale of historical fiction, players take on the role of Morgan Black and his family, struggling against the hostile wilderness and a mysterious cult from Europe. In 24 scenarios, Morgan Black and his descendants help the Aztecs resist conquest by Spanish conquistadors, pit the French against the British, and help Simon Bolivar lead revolutions in South America.
For multiplayer action, contend against opponents with persistent Home Cities that gain power and strategic options the more games you play, compete for a spot on dozens of ladders, help organize your clan, or chat after a game.
This demo for Age of Empires III includes two missions from the single-player campaign. The demo also includes a single-player skirmish mode where you can play as the British or Spanish empires in the New England and Texas maps. The latest update of the demo includes a worthwhile tutorial and the ability to minimize the UI.
More popular Real-Time Strategy Games downloads
- 12,569 downloads 1. Age of Empires
- 10,418 downloads 2. Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
- 5,157 downloads 3. Command & Conquer: Red Alert
- 4,336 downloads 4. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
- 3,320 downloads 5. Red Alert 2: Apocalypse
- See all Real-Time Strategy Games downloads
User reviews
- Average user rating: 4.1 stars out of 106 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
-
Showing 5 of 74 user reviewsSee all 74 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
9 out of 11 people found this review helpful
Version: Age of Empires III
"End of Ages for Age of Empires"
Pros: When you startup age of empires III, you will first be stunned by the new engine. It looks beautifull. Also when you're ingame it looks great, especially when you destroy a building and the building is destroyed where it is hit. Gameplay is almost the same as AOA2, except for the added citymanager, what unnessesairy managing adds to the game!
Cons: There are just a few units available.
The city manager is very irritating.
It's not very special to stand up in the crowd...
-
Version: Age of Empires III
Pros: Very nice graphics, animations, and sound effects. Nice modes of play and exciting theme.
Cons: Th demo has no explanation of how to do anything, so the cards are a little mysterious at first but you can catch on quickly. The demo is kinda short, but aren't all demos? One glitch I noticed was the the first few word spoken in sentences are chopped off...
-
8 out of 14 people found this review helpful
Version: Age of Empires III
Pros: Ma highest rated file ever...
Cons: just need a 512MB ram 256OK
-
Version: Age of Empires III
Pros: everything from the original with more details!
Cons: If you have Vista don't bother... you can do the expansion pack but not this one
-
9 out of 12 people found this review helpful
Version: Age of Empires III
"AWESOME addition to the franchise"
Pros: The only other AoE game I've played was AoE: The Age of Kings, and I have to say I am addicted to this game. I seriously want to buy this game, or get it for Christmas.
Cons: The demo doesn't have enough stuff to get you used to the game. It doesn't even let you use the tutorial, which is dumb. However, it's fairly easy to learn this game.
- See all 74 user reviews Write review
Submit your review
- See more CNET content tagged:
- New England,
- Real-Time,
- Texas,
- demo,
- gameplay
Previous Versions:
