Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition revealed in stirring announcement trailer

Age of Empires III was originally released in 2005 and was met with a warm welcome by both gamers and critics alike. Microsoft has been busy over the last few years having some of its popular IPs remastered, with both Age of Empires and Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings turning up in Definitive Editions. Plans to renovate Age of Empires III were revealed back in 2017, and it seems the finished product is almost upon us, with a dramatic announcement trailer for the title now shared as part of the Gamescom event.

Along with the fancy 4K graphics and enhanced audio, Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition has also received a reworked user interface and features both a Historical Battles game mode and an Art of War mode, giving gamers a chance to test out their favorite tactics or build up some experience before trying out the also included cross-platform multiplayer option.

Two new civilizations have also been added to Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition in the forms of the Incas and the Swedes. While many RTS gamers and Age of Empires fans will be more than familiar with the Incan Empire (the Incas turned up in the Age of Empires II: The Forgotten expansion pack in 2013), the Swedish option is a novel one based on the powerful Swedish Empire that existed from 1611 to 1721.

Interestingly, the team behind developing this 2020 edition of the famous RTS title (Tantalus Media) has engaged the assistance of some “tribal consultants” to help more accurately depict the members of the Native American civilization that are found in the game.

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition will be released on October 15, although it is still possible to sign up as an AoE insider to help test the game in the final weeks before release. The full price for the title will be US$19.99/£14.99/€19.99 but a 25% discount (to US$14.99/£11.25/€14.99) is available to those who own the Definitive Editions of the previous two titles or possess the Age of Empires III: Complete Collection on Steam, or for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. Pre-orders are now available via Steam or the Microsoft Store.