Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Reviews

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is ranked in the 79th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
6 / 10.0
Oct 15, 2020

It comes down to the fact that Age of Empires III has never been the best at fundamental RTS gameplay. The Definitive Edition has done a great job of bringing the title into the modern age with beautiful visuals and a new UI – but that core gameplay remains, and it falls flat especially compared to the standard set by last year’s Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition‘s intriguing campaigns are worth a look, but if you value adaptive and fluid multiplayer gameplay, stick with Age of Empires II.

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Jonathan Bolding
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Oct 15, 2020

Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition preserves for posterity the core of this weirdest 00s RTS experiments while making some much-needed changes. Love it or hate it, the definitive edition is Age of Empires 3 amplified.

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7 / 10.0
Nov 4, 2020

Of course, these are not be able to change the opinion of the older fans with regards to the title, who will always prefer the slightly more complicated second instalment in the series.

Review in Greek | Read full review

7 / 10.0
Oct 23, 2020

Quality of life improvements, the new UI, and even Historical Battle mode, are additions highly appreciated; however, they are not enough justification to return to Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, unless you are already a die hard fan.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

3.5 / 5.0
Oct 14, 2020

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is the remaster the game deserves.

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7 / 10.0
Oct 14, 2020

We hope that Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is the last step towards the fourth chapter, but this farewell has not a sad taste.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Gameblog
Top Critic
7 / 10
Oct 26, 2020

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is still a good strategy game. The developers filled the title's content with historical battles, tutorials on their gameplay mechanics and two new factions, as well as trying to bring the graphics up to date. Try, because even if it is visually pleasing, it remains quite far from the current standards. Despite the 4K and revised textures, the I.A. behaves strangely at times and is not famous at all.

Review in French | Read full review

3.5 / 5.0
Oct 14, 2020

That being said, Age of Empires III Definitive Edition is a fantastic trip down memory lane, and the goosebumps I felt hearing that title theme again were very real. But without that nostalgia factor driving you onward, I just wonder how a player completely new to the series would fare.

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7 / 10
Oct 14, 2020

It ticks all the boxes it promised to, but feels like it could've gone further with improvements to gameplay, home cities for new civs, and AI.

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PC Gamer
Top Critic
70 / 100
Oct 16, 2020

A modest remaster of a fun but flawed RTS that's stuck in the ever-lengthening shadow of its predecessor.

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71 / 100
Oct 20, 2020

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is a fun RTS. Historical Battles are a highlight and it's an easy game to grasp for newcomers with tutorials and the Art of War mode. However, bugs, lack of variety and a grindy level system hold it back.

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7.5 / 10.0
Oct 23, 2020

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition captures what makes the original game great, however, it also constantly reminds us that it isn't as great as its older brother. All the upgrades can't hide that the game is outdated, but it's still extremely addictive and fun to play.

Review in Dutch | Read full review

75 / 100
Oct 26, 2020

If you’ve got fond memories of this series, then the Definitive Edition of AoE 3 will hook you good. This new model looks and sounds great, there’s a ton of new battlefields to conquer, and new ways to do that conquering.

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75 / 100
Oct 14, 2020

Microsoft has finally brought Age of Empires 3 out of the dark ages and fans are able to return to the game that they know and love. There's a lot of quality of life changes to be found with the Definitive Edition, but at the same time there's essentially the same amount of content to be experienced. Returning players may find that they're effectively paying for a 15 year old game, but are now able to view it in 4K.

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7.5 / 10.0
Oct 14, 2020

Not the best in the series but still fun and engaging, that comes with a few new gameplay modes, two civilizations and restored graphics.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Oct 27, 2020

No matter who you play as Strategy is the name of the game and you have to be somewhat quick about everything. It’s important to remember that while you are gathering resources to build your Civilization up, your enemies may have started at a magnificent spot lush with resources and maybe getting ready to invade surrounding areas. I remember having the ability to speed up or slow down the game in earlier versions of the game, if that feature is in AOE3, I could not find it.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 20, 2020
AGE OF EMPIRES III DEFINITIVE EDITION - REVIEW DISCUSSION | An AGE of REMASTERS  [2020] video thumbnail
Oct 14, 2020

There are certainly some areas of the game that could have used a bit more polish in this release, but I believe that fans of the franchise, especially fans the original Age of Empires III, will very much enjoy what is being offered here.

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VGN
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Oct 14, 2020

The Tantalus team, the architect of this remastered, has, on the whole, done a good job. Age Of Empires III: Definitive Edition offers the ability to retrieve all the content of the original game (and some extras) in one solution and with good technical improvements. Considering the price we would say it's worth it, whether you're a nov service or a longtime fan of the series.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Zoomg
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Oct 26, 2020

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is a successful remaster of a successful game that will offer a delightful experience especially for fans of the original version.

Review in Persian | Read full review