Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition

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Critics Recommend

Average Score

Total Reviews: 53

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Age of Empires III Definitive Edition lovingly reworks the RTS classic, modernizing the experience and addressing long-standing issues other developers may have overlooked.

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Critics Recommend

Critic Reviews: 53

Critics Consensus

# Reviews: 53

Age of Empires III Definitive Edition lovingly reworks the RTS classic, modernizing the experience and addressing long-standing issues other developers may have overlooked.

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Critic Reviews for Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition

Critic Reviews

Score Distribution

53

Reviews

Average Score - 75/100

75%

Ranges

6/10

Jonathan Bolding (IGN)

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.

August 16, 2021 |

Full Review

Age of Empires III Definitive Edition is a lovingly reworked classic of the RTS genre that modernises in all the right ways. It also serves as the perfect way to prepare for next year’s long awaited Age of Empires IV.

October 15, 2020 |

Full Review

8/10

Dominic Leighton (TheSixthAxis)

8.5/10

Mick Fraser (God is a Geek)

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is a great remake, packing in loads of new content and addressing some issues that other developers might simply have swept under the rug.

October 14, 2020 |

Full Review

Jonathan Bolding (IGN)

6/10 - (Read Review)

Dominic Leighton (TheSixthAxis)

8/10 - (Read Review)

Mick Fraser (God is a Geek)

8.5/10 - (Read Review)

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is a great remake, packing in loads of new content and addressing some issues that other developers might simply have swept under the rug.

**Read all 53 critic reviews on the desktop version of VSG.

Read the Reviews (53 total)

Outlet	Author	Score	Date	Quote	Read
Areajugones	Alfonso Cánovas	8.8 / 10	10-16-2020	Xbox Games Studios is back in charge with a great adaptation of one of the world’s most iconic installments of strategy loaded with new features in one of the best remasters remembered in today’s landscape	Read review
Atomix	Sebastian Quiroz	90 / 100	03-07-2018	The work tantalums Media and Forgotten Empires have done is impressive. Not only do they manage to capture the essence of the original work, but somehow give us a title that more closely resembles the memories we have than the original game. Every visual and sound aspect is exactly as we remember it, even if our memory sometimes sold us an experience somewhat away from reality.	Read review
AusGamers	Kosta Andreadis	7.5 / 10	02-20-2018	A fun, engaging trip down RTS memory-lane.	Read review
Cerealkillerz	Gabriel Bogdan	8.5 / 10	02-18-2018	Age of Empires: Definitive Edition stills manages to surprise us even after nearly 20 years since the launch of the original game. Besides some poor optimization that come with nearly every windows store release and missing dedicated servers, the Remaster delivers a great new version of the classic that will make you fall in love again with the challenging campaign and the great ressource management.	Read review
CGMagazine	Madeline Ricchiuto	8 / 10	10-15-2020	It’s not a Final Fantasy 7 style remake, but the Definitive Edition comes closer to a remake than a simple remaster can, and that goes a long way to making the game enjoyable for the modern gaming audience.	Read review
Chicas Gamers	Raúl Pinto	Not Recommended	03-06-2018	Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is the perfect game for nostalgics, but for new consumers it may not have aged too well. The biggest problem is the terrible AI and that innovation comes down to graphics. With the time that has passed, they could have added new civilizations and constructions of the time.	Read review
COGconnected	Alexander Thomas	59 / 100	02-27-2018	_______________________	Read review
Cubed3	Kevin Tsai	5 / 10	03-07-2018	Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is a functional and faithful nostalgia trip for fans of the original release, and manages to earn the title “definitive.” However, newcomers to the genre will be disappointed by the shallow civilisation diversity, and be annoyed by the dated design and mechanics. As of right now, this is a title that can only be recommended for fans of the original game, as Age of Empires II is a more complex, deep, and a better release in every way.	Read review
Destructoid	Chris Carter	8 / 10	02-19-2018	The Windows 10 restrictions simply do the development team a disservice. A lot of work went into Age of Empires: Definitive Edition and just enough tweaks were made to ensure that it’s still relevant in 2018. I have an incredible amount of respect for the folks who brought this classic back to life, and for their restraint to ensure that this remaster doesn’t abandon its roots.	Read review
Digiato	Shayan Karami	68 / 100	04-04-2018	Developers’ precision in remastering has made Age of Empires: Definitive Edition gorgeous in terms of graphics but the AI bugs and issues are a pain the neck which will probably solved in the remasters of second and third installments of the series.	Read review
Eurogamer	Rick Lane	Not Recommended	02-19-2018	The 90s classic has never looked better, but beneath the makeover it can creak.	Read review
Everyeye.it	Luca Del Pizzo	8.5 / 10	10-14-2020	Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is a package with clear and eloquent perspectives. It is a generous reproposition, in which functional filings intersect in the management of playful mechanics and an important aesthetic modernization. The solidity of the transaction is crowned by important content additions, which extend an already powerful offer.	Read review
Expansive	Ray Willmott	7.5 / 10	02-19-2018	Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is a memorable and truly impressive remaster and will be enjoyable to audiences old and new.	Read review
Game Revolution	Cody Perez	3 / 5 stars	02-19-2018	While it is certainly one of the most accessible RTS games I’ve ever played, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition does feel too outdated for newcomers. Unintelligent AI, monotony, and unbalanced gameplay hold it back from competing with modern strategy games out right now. That isn’t to say there isn’t fun to be had for fans, as the extensive map editors and online multiplayer are its saving graces.	Read review
Gameblog	Camille Allard	7 / 10	02-24-2018	The target audience for this Age of Empires : Definitive Edition is clearly nostalgic people. This remaster is a nice starter to wait for the main course: Age of Empires IV. Despite bugs such as a shameful pathfinding and some zoom problems, this is not a lazy version. Graphics and audio liftings are enough to enjoy again one of the most important games of PC’s games History.	Read review
GameCrate	David Jagneaux	6.8 / 10	02-21-2018	Whether you really wanted it this way or not, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is about as pure of a remaster as you’re ever going to find. The visuals and sound are all upgraded for a modern era without changing the heart of the game. However, with the vastly superior Age of Empires II HD already in existence with five years of community built up around it, there is little reason to recommend this game unless you’re just dying to play extremely early era civilizations.	Read review
GameGrin	James Martin	7 / 10	03-03-2018	It’s a very solid remaster of a classic game, and those looking for a nostalgia trip to 20 years ago should look no further. Some of the quirks are still present, even the original cheats, ultimately making this the true Definitive Edition.	Read review
GameMAG	Denis Korolev	8 / 10	10-20-2020	No matter how you felt about undoubtedly polarizing Age of Empires 3 before, the dev teams at Tantalus Media and Forgotten Empires gave us a chance to relive nostalgic days that already long gone. Now this classic game feels a lot more expansive, prettier and acceptable.	Read review
Gamerheadquarters	Jason Stettner	8.6 / 10	02-19-2018	Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition is a great RTS experience that delivers a well rounded package with the upgrades and modes you would expect.	Read review
Gamersky	深夜诗人老阿吽	8.5 / 10	02-28-2018	Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is a fantastic remastered game that greatly enhanced in terms of graphics, UI, and gameplay.	Read review
GameSpew	Robert Gammon	6 / 10	02-19-2018	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.	Read review
GameSpot	Daniel Starkey	6 / 10	02-22-2018	Age of Empires: Definitive Edition introduces gameplay tweaks and 4K visuals to a 20-year old classic, but not everything holds up to modern standards.	Read review
GamingBolt	Will Borger	8 / 10	02-27-2018	Age of Empires 3 is still flawed, but Forgotten Empires and Tantalus Media have delivered an excellent remaster that improves the game in almost every way.	Read review
GamingTrend	Ben Lombardo	75 / 100	10-14-2020	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.	Read review
Generación Xbox	Laura Trujillo	8.7 / 10	10-14-2020	The classic RTS returns with a face wash that shows us its graphic boost.	Read review
God is a Geek	Mick Fraser	8.5 / 10	02-20-2018	Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is a great remake, packing in loads of new content and addressing some issues that other developers might simply have swept under the rug.	Read review
GRYOnline.pl	Przemysław Zamęcki	6.5 / 10	02-18-2018	Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is a game stuck midway between the past and the present. The remastering process took a lot of work and turned out pretty good but I can’t understand why the gameplay was left intact without any modern polish. At first, the nostalgia was strong but fighting with the archaic solutions over and over again for a few hours was too much for me and I got bored.	Read review
Hardcore Gamer	Fran Soto	3.5 / 5 stars	10-14-2020	Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is the remaster the game deserves.	Read review
Hobby Consolas	Alejandro Alcolea Huertos	88 / 100	02-26-2018	If you didn’t like the original, you probably won’t like this one either, but it is a spectacular RTS that improves in graphics and details such as the balance between the factions and the historical representation. And it’s included in Game Pass.	Read review
IGN	Jonathan Bolding	6 / 10	10-15-2020	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.	Read review
IGN Italy	Stefano Castagnola	7.5 / 10	02-19-2018	Not the best in the series but still fun and engaging, that comes with a few new gameplay modes, two civilizations and restored graphics.	Read review
IGN Spain	Álex Pareja	8 / 10	02-21-2018	Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is a fantastic job of remastering and enhancing the original. Graphics, historical representation, gameplay … Only some problems in the AI take us back to ancient times.	Read review
Impulsegamer	Jason Eckhardt	4.4 / 5 stars	10-15-2020	Age Of Empires 3 Definitive Edition beings 4k resolution to a 15 year old game and does a beautiful job,	Read review
Leadergamer	Emrah Subaşı	8 / 10	02-20-2018	Despite some mistakes, a game that will be played for life.	Read review
Metro GameCentral	GameCentral	5 / 10	02-21-2018	A well-crafted remaster but this ancient real-time strategy has little to offer modern gamers, especially when the sequel is already readily available.	Read review
New Game Network	Daniel Nichols	71 / 100	02-22-2018	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.	Read review
PC Gamer	Robert Zak	70 / 100	02-21-2018	A modest remaster of a fun but flawed RTS that’s stuck in the ever-lengthening shadow of its predecessor.	Read review
PCGamesN	Renata Mojola	7 / 10	02-24-2018	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.	Read review
PCWorld	Hayden Dingman	4 / 5 stars	02-19-2018	Age of Empires: Definitive Edition might always live in the shadow of its younger sibling, but Forgotten Empires has crafted a gorgeous update for diehard fans of the original or simply fans of ancient history. Wololo.	Read review
Player2.net.au	Matt Hewson	Recommended	02-26-2018	The odd-ball of the AoE family is back and is better than ever. This remake won’t change the minds of people who didn’t like it upon its original release, but it does celebrate an RTS that dared to try something new.	Read review
Press Start	Matthew Zimmari	8 / 10	02-19-2018	Completing the updated trilogy, Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition breathes new life into the franchise with the impending fourth instalment on the horizon. Fans of the original are sure to love the tweaks to the gameplay and graphics as well as the addition of two new civilizations, while new players will be able to dive right in to learn the mechanics of the game as well as jumping into the historic battle story mode. Now, all that’s left is an Age of Mythology revamp.	Read review
Saving Content	Scott Ellison II	5 / 5 stars	10-14-2020	The future of Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is brimming with possibilities in its scenario editor, mod support, and upcoming updates thanks to Tantalus Media and Forgotten Empires. This is a game that stands tall next to Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. The trilogy is now complete, containing hundreds of hours for new and old players to enjoy, with the original trilogy ending on a high note in this release. Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition re-establishes its rightful place in the series, completing the remastered trilogy of RTS excellence.	Read review
Screen Rant	Toby Arguello	4 / 5 stars	10-14-2020	It’s not a complete overhaul like other recent remakes, but with a new Age of Empires game to release in the future, it’s more than enough to get players old and new on board with Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition.	Read review
SECTOR.sk	Branislav Kohút	8.5 / 10	10-14-2020	Still unique RTS is back with improved graphics, rich content and new complements. The Only disappointment is poor AI.	Read review
SpazioGames	Daniele Spelta	7 / 10	02-19-2018	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.	Read review
Stevivor	Steve Wright	7 / 10	02-19-2018	It’s not perfect, but it’s still pretty fun. With single- and multiplayer offerings and a wealth of nostalgia, it’s hard to do wrong with Age of Empires: Definitive Edition.	Read review
The Games Machine	Daniele Dolce	6.8 / 10	02-19-2018	After hours spent in the world of Age of Empires	Read review
TheSixthAxis	Dominic Leighton	8 / 10	02-19-2018	Age of Empires III Definitive Edition is a lovingly reworked classic of the RTS genre that modernises in all the right ways. It also serves as the perfect way to prepare for next year’s long awaited Age of Empires IV.	Read review
Twinfinite	Khayl Adam	3.5 / 5 stars	10-14-2020	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.	Read review
Wccftech	Chris Wray	8.5 / 10	02-24-2018	Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is an undeniable and great improvement on the original. Featuring a huge amount of content, including some brand-new game modes, as well as a revamped and improved portion of the original campaign, there’s a lot on offer. The AI is improved, though does have a few niggles here and there. Particularly so with pathfinding. This issue is overwhelmed by the amount of content on offer, great improvements to the aesthetics of the game, improvements to multiplayer as well as changes to the home city system outside of the campaign. While not as outright fantastic as Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, this is still a brilliant release and comes in at a very low price.	Read review
Windows Central	Samuel Tolbert	4.5 / 5 stars	02-19-2018	Smart and much-needed changes bring Age of Empires III to a new level, providing a quality strategy experience newcomers and lifelong fans are both likely to enjoy.	Read review
Zoomg	Afshin Piroozi	7 / 10	03-01-2018	Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is a great remaster that has improved the visual and sound design of original game perfectly. But gameplay wise, the game feels so sold and may only satisfy those who loved the original game.	Read review
ZTGD	Sophie Halliday	6.5 / 10	03-09-2018	However, it’s also likely to leave those older players thinking some things are better left alone as happy memories. It’s the same reason that new players are unlikely to be enamoured. It’s difficult to play a game like this in isolation. Sooner or later, the mind wanders back to the present – the truth is, the genre has come on in leaps and bounds since Age of Empires came on the scene all those years ago and this is one remaster that feels like it doesn’t really belong.	Read review

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Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition completes the celebration of one of the most beloved real-time strategy franchises with remastered graphics and music, all previously released expansions and brand-new content to enjoy for the very first time.

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