Age of History 3
- October 23, 2024
- Łukasz Jakowski
- 21h median play time
Get on Steam"Age of History 3" is a turn-based strategy game that spans the entirety of human history, from ancient civilizations to the far future. Players can choose from various civilizations and advance their technology tree to unlock better buildings and units. The game features a new battle system with a focus on army composition, where front-line units must be resilient, while second-line units provide support or specialized functions. With over 63 unique unit types, players have a wide range of strategic options at their disposal.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Massive improvement over Age of History 2 with more mechanics and better gameplay.
- Fun and engaging with a good balance of complexity, making it accessible for both new and experienced players.
- Great customization options and mod support, allowing for endless replayability.
- Game suffers from bugs and stability issues, including freezing and crashing.
- Lacks key features from the previous game, such as the ability to annex vassals and a more robust diplomacy system.
- AI-generated content detracts from the overall experience, with many leaders and images feeling generic.
- gameplay248 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Age of History III has seen significant improvements over its predecessor, introducing a mix of new mechanics and a shift to real-time strategy that enhances the overall experience. While many players appreciate the depth and strategic planning involved, some mechanics feel underdeveloped or unbalanced, leading to a learning curve that can be both rewarding and frustrating. Overall, the game offers a fun and addictive experience, though it still requires further refinement and additional features to reach its full potential.
“The gameplay is fun, and everything is really customizable.”
“Incredibly addictive gameplay.”
“The shift from turn-based gameplay in the previous title to real-time strategy here is a brilliant move, giving the game a much smoother, more dynamic feel.”
“Some of the mechanics are clearly skeletons waiting to be fleshed out, and balancing is an issue in every game I've played.”
“Gameplay is painfully repetitive, with only minor tweaks separating it from its predecessors.”
“Most of its mechanics are unpolished at best, and at worst almost game breaking.”
- graphics56 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the improvements over previous titles, particularly in terms of design and user interface. While some players appreciate the aesthetic and detail, others criticize the simplicity and occasional lack of coherence in the artwork, noting that some graphics appear AI-generated. Overall, the visuals enhance the gameplay experience, but opinions vary on their quality and impact.
“The graphics and user interface are well-designed, making it easy to navigate through the complexities of the game.”
“The graphics and sound effects are excellent, and the increased focus on your country’s economy and relations is a great improvement over the previous game.”
“Absolutely love the graphics compared to the last one.”
“The graphics are one of the worst aspects.”
“Now it certainly isn't perfect and the easiest point to criticize are the graphics, which are basically nonexistent.”
“Something felt off about the art style and would you look at that, AI-generated content.”
- story52 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and variety, with many users noting the absence of unique missions and narrative elements that differentiate nations. Players express a desire for more engaging and specific mission trees, as well as improved AI and diplomacy options to enhance the overall experience. While some appreciate the game's mechanics, the consensus is that the storytelling component is underdeveloped and could benefit from significant improvements.
“More missions and diplomacy options would be great, but right now this game is more than worth the price.”
“I hope he or modders continue to improve and build upon these by adding things like nation-region specific missions, events, etc.”
“+ extensive and original missions between other countries”
“Like I can build, declare war, all that, but I don't understand how I'm supposed to advance missions.”
“The mission tree is very bare and mid, as it's just the same throughout everything and it's kind of boring.”
“Next nation was the exact same story.”
- grinding30 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 47 % negative mentions
Players frequently describe the grinding aspect of the game as excessively tedious, often requiring significant time investment to manage tasks like territory selling and army control. Many reviews suggest that the game's mechanics, such as the mana system and settler management, contribute to a frustrating experience, leading to the sentiment that players would need "a second life" to fully engage with the grinding elements. Overall, the consensus is that the grinding can detract from the enjoyment of the game.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“My only complaint is that selling provinces is extremely difficult as you have to sell them one by one, searching for their names in the menu, which is very tedious if you are a large civilization since you have to scroll through a lot.”
“Getting to 1k provinces and wanting to build something as simple as farms in every province is tedious and awful.”
“So, trying to fight a war just felt tedious and annoying.”
- stability24 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 4 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its instability, with numerous reports of bugs and glitches that significantly impact gameplay. Players have experienced frequent freezes, crashes, and optimization issues, leading to a sense of an unfinished product. While some enjoy the game's features and potential, many express concern over the developer's ability to address these persistent stability problems.
“I hope from past experience, Lucas can actually maintain the game bug-free (of course that is impossible, but I mean a sense of being bug-free) and add some mechanics that it still needs, like making alliances bigger than just one country and possibly even factions, and adding more depth to people's reactions to your choices.”
“Extremely buggy game.”
“Game is good, new features are pretty cool, but the game is really poorly optimized for some reason. It freezes and stutters a lot to the point where I have to close the game entirely, sometimes losing progress. This usually happens when I speed time up during a session.”
“Age of History II (previously called Age of Civilizations II) was practically abandoned by the developer post-launch despite its very buggy state.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews. While some players appreciate the improved performance compared to previous titles, many report significant issues such as stuttering, freezing, and slow map scrolling, particularly during high-speed gameplay or when managing extensive in-game activities. There is a consensus that further optimization and bug fixes are needed to enhance the overall experience.
“What a fun game, it's basically an improved and standalone take on the extended timeline mod for EU4 without the bloat of that game that makes performance crawl to a halt on later dates.”
“Runs very smoothly and is optimized really well.”
“Performance is much better than AOH2, though the civilization name glitch still doesn't get fixed.”
“Also the game is a bit poorly optimized.”
“The game is really poorly optimized for some reason, the game freezes and stutters a lot to the point where I have to close the game entirely sometimes losing progress, this usually happens when I speed time up during a session.”
“Literally the game is half made, it is clearly poorly optimized and riddled with AI-generated images.”
- music13 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players praising its quality and integration into the overall experience. However, some users noted issues such as loud background noise and a lack of variety in the soundtrack. Overall, while there are minor bugs affecting music settings, the compositions are often compared favorably to renowned works, enhancing the game's atmosphere.
“Hell yes, the music is an important part.”
“It's incredible, with incredible new functions, and I love the new soundtrack, especially when you zoom in on the ambient sounds.”
“I can already say that the compositions are made quite well; I really like them, and some perfectly remind me of Jeremy Soule's music from Skyrim or Oblivion.”
“The music doesn't really match.”
“It has no music.”
“The only step up is the music and graphics.”
- replayability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability through extensive customization options and the ability to create unique scenarios, appealing to players who enjoy experimenting with different strategies. However, some users note that the lack of significant differences between nations and the potential for steamrolling can diminish replay value. Overall, while the game has strong replayability features, it may not fully satisfy those seeking varied experiences.
“It's well made for its franchise, and I enjoyed it a lot because compared to other games, this one has real-time strategy (RTS) in addition to customization of the game to create various mods, which gives it high replayability.”
“Additionally, the ability to customize and create your own scenarios enhances replayability, allowing players to experiment with different strategies and outcomes.”
“It allows practically infinite customization with great ease in the game, as well as allowing for mods, which, when paired with the mechanics, gives it a very high level of replayability.”
“And if you couple that with the bad variety between nations, you get a game that doesn't really have much replay value.”
“- Lack of significant differences between countries makes replayability low, which is a missed opportunity.”
“But due to the rough edges, despite the improved mechanics and overall expanded additional ones, it just doesn't hit as well as one would think for someone who invested hundreds of hours into the previous game with the additional features added which should've given it a modestly better lifespan for potential replayability.”
- humor8 mentions
- 88 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it amusing and entertaining, particularly in the creative aspects like nation-building and map design. However, some users express frustration with interface issues and the limitations on creating realistic nations, which detracts from the overall comedic experience.
“It's really funny.”
“Funny game.”
“If you make a game like this, and never check the history maps, that's funny.”
“A very fun game with very unfunny interface problems.”
“The humor falls flat and often feels forced.”
“I expected more laughs, but the jokes just didn't land.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with concerns about malicious software and intrusive ads being associated with it. Additionally, there are indications that the game may include microtransactions, leading to negative sentiments among players.
“I don't know why the creator decided to make this other than as a cash grab.”
“Okay, if he really adds microtransactions, I will bully friends into buying it.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the game's impressive content length and strong community support, which contribute to a wholesome and emotionally engaging experience. The modability enhances player connection and investment in the game, fostering a sense of belonging within the community.
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is generally consistent due to the cohesive art direction, though some users feel it may detract from the overall experience.
“The art direction is consistent, but it might cheapen the atmosphere for some.”
“The overall ambiance feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players.”
“Despite some interesting visuals, the atmosphere fails to evoke any real emotion or tension.”
