Ancient Warfare 3

96%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,861 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • optimization
Ancient Warfare 3 Game Cover
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"Ancient Warfare 3" is a sandbox-style action game with customization options and various game modes. Explore content from different eras, from the Stone Age to futuristic sci-fi, with over 3400 units, 1100 objects, and 580 equipment items. Use the in-game editors to create your own scenarios, share your creations, and access a wide range of user-generated content through Steam Workshop integration.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

96%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,861 reviews
gameplay15 positive mentions
stability13 negative mentions
  • The game offers extensive customization options for units and maps, allowing players to create unique battle scenarios.
  • The developer is very active in the community, frequently updating the game and responding to player feedback.
  • The game provides a fun sandbox experience with a variety of units and gameplay modes, making it enjoyable for creative players.
  • The AI is often simplistic and can lead to repetitive gameplay, diminishing the overall challenge.
  • The game can experience performance issues and lag, especially with larger battles or complex maps.
  • The map editor and unit creation can be cumbersome and may require a steep learning curve for new players.
  • gameplay41 mentions

    Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some players praising the sandbox mechanics, customization options, and creative potential, while others criticize the lack of complexity, clunky controls, and repetitive gunplay. Many appreciate the variety of units and battle mechanics, but some find the overall experience lacking in depth and satisfaction. Overall, the game shows promise with its community-driven content and ongoing development, but it still requires improvements in gameplay mechanics and performance.

    • “Pretty solid game with its mechanics, the creativity is endless.”
    • “The customizability and variety of units, objects, and terrain makes this game a very fun sandbox experience that could possibly offer endless gameplay.”
    • “An outstanding game with a large variety of quality community and in-game content with fun and easy to understand systems and mechanics all done in a 'blocky' style.”
    • “This on its own wouldn't be a dealbreaker, but then comes the gameplay, which has zero complexity nor satisfaction to it.”
    • “In terms of performance and gameplay, the game is extremely lacking.”
    • “Had this in my wishlist for a while, decided to go ahead and get it during the summer sale this year, but was just disappointed by what I just experienced playing just now.... gameplay is very clunky and boring.... lots of small glitches and bugs throughout, AI is trash, battle editor is glitchy as well.”
  • graphics22 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the charming, blocky aesthetic and low performance demands that allow for large-scale battles without lag. However, others criticize the graphics as lacking in detail and sophistication, suggesting that while they fit the gameplay, improvements are needed in character and weapon designs. Overall, the visuals are seen as simple yet enjoyable, contributing to the game's fun and replayability despite some technical limitations.

    • “Great graphics and lots of fun to play.”
    • “It has very good graphics and doesn't lag a lot!”
    • “I enjoy the blocky and polygonal aesthetic of the graphics engine, and the dismemberment and destruction within the game overall is pretty cool. The gameplay, paired with the ability to modify in-game units and content, allows for a lot of replayability that can be lacking in some other sandbox titles.”
    • “We need better characters, weapons, maps, graphics, and gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is boring, the graphics are ugly, and the weapon equips are confusing.”
    • “Boring, boring, boring. I mean, if you haven't run out of ideas for engagements, then you are bored out of your mind. Do you see the graphics?”
  • optimization15 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues and lag, particularly on lower-end PCs. While a few users noted improvements over time and found the gameplay enjoyable, many expressed a need for further optimization and quality of life enhancements to fully realize the game's potential. Overall, the game's performance remains a point of contention among players.

    • “This game is sooo addicting and it runs smoothly; you can create units and battles—it's just amazing.”
    • “Well optimized with fun gameplay that doesn't get old and has consistent updates.”
    • “Update: I noticed a huge improvement in game optimization; in my opinion, now the game's worth the price.”
    • “Performance = actual garbage, I'm just gonna assume this is a problem with Unity now.”
    • “The gameplay is sluggish and awful, as is the performance.”
    • “In terms of performance and gameplay, the game is extremely lacking.”
  • stability13 mentions

    The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and freezing issues that disrupt gameplay, especially when managing larger units. While some players appreciate the game's features, the overall consensus indicates that the stability problems significantly detract from the experience, making it difficult for many to recommend it without reservations.

    • “The game is so-so; building the maps, terrain editing, and custom units are cool, but the game glitches every time I play with over 70 characters. I don't know if it's a glitch for everyone or just me, but I would still recommend it.”
    • “Great game, I love it, but it freezes at random times while playing, forcing me to restart.”
    • “There is an immense amount of glitches and bugs, and the building system barely even works.”
  • story10 mentions

    The game's story aspect receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the creative freedom to design their own missions and campaigns, others criticize the lack of a structured narrative in the official campaign. Many users enjoy the sandbox elements and the ability to engage with player-created content, but some express disappointment over the absence of a traditional story-driven experience. Overall, the game caters to those who prefer customization and creativity over a linear storyline.

    • “These days there's even enough opportunity in the game to not have warfare at all; instead, story or linear maps.”
    • “I highly recommend this game to anyone who likes sandboxes, shooters, RTS, and heck, some people have even created long story-driven campaigns that take hours to complete.”
    • “I highly recommend this if you're into creating battles and a story to your liking.”
    • “This game is disappointing because the campaign has no actual level progression. I expected a story campaign, not a campaign made by others. What the actual heck?”
    • “There are even enough opportunities in the game to avoid warfare entirely; instead, we have story or linear maps.”
    • “There is no story.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its fun and entertaining battles, with players enjoying the comedic elements of the action and physics. Users appreciate the ability to create custom battles, which adds to the game's charm and lightheartedness, making it accessible and enjoyable for all ages. Overall, the game is praised for its amusing gameplay and engaging mechanics, appealing to fans of warfare games.

    • “This game is really fun and can be funny.”
    • “I recommend it if you like warfare games; even if you don't like fighting, AI can fight those battles for you in a funny and easy way to set up custom battles.”
    • “Again, TABS is a great, funny, and cheap game.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate its creative freedom and extensive modification options that enhance replay value, others find it hindered by slow AI and unsatisfying weapon mechanics, leading to potential boredom over time.

    • “I like this game for many reasons, one of them being that it inspires creativity and is overall fun to play. With you being able to do whatever you want, it has a lot of replayability.”
    • “Very replayable, but can get boring due to very clumsy AI.”
    • “The AI is slow, the weapons are unsatisfying, and for me, it has no replayability.”
    • “I enjoy the blocky and polygonal aesthetic of the graphics engine, and the dismemberment and destruction within the game overall is pretty cool. However, the gameplay altogether, paired with the limited ability to modify the in-game units and content, results in a lack of replayability that can be found in some other sandbox titles.”
  • music3 mentions

    Players appreciate the game's music, noting that it enhances the overall experience, but some express a desire for more variety or the inclusion of older tracks. The music is generally well-received, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.

    • “Love the game! Every update brings new cool things, and I haven't found many bugs. The music is fantastic, and I think it should be priced higher than $11. It's worth it!”
    • “If you want to hear the old music, check out 'Ancient Warfare 2' on itch.io. It's a great throwback!”
    • “All the sound effects and music are turned on, and they really enhance the gaming experience.”
    • “The music in the game is quite disappointing; it lacks variety and feels repetitive.”
    • “I wish there were more tracks available, as the current selection gets old quickly.”
    • “The sound effects are fine, but the music doesn't really enhance the gameplay experience.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and time-consuming, particularly criticizing the map creation process as overly complex and unengaging. While the initial gameplay may be enjoyable, the lack of variety and depth leads to boredom, making the experience feel like a chore rather than fun. Overall, many users express frustration with the grinding elements, suggesting significant improvements are needed.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Game is fun for an hour without mods; this is just if Tabs and Ravenfield had a baby and it mutated into a piece of wet tissue that bites you when you touch it. You have to create your own maps that take at least an hour, and then at last when you play, it is broken and boring. So you decide to go to the workshop, but alas, that only lasts you a bit because all you do is shoot and stab random people. This would be fun if they just improved the map editor to be less tedious. Give me my money back, you scam artist.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is highly immersive and diverse, featuring fully-functional casinos, intense zero-gravity combat, and dynamic airship battles. Players also experience meticulously crafted environments, such as a WW1 hilltop battle and an engaging trauma team simulator with a detailed health system, all contributing to a rich and varied gameplay experience.

    • “People have created fully working casinos, zero-g combat, airships boarding each other with glider troops, a WW1 hilltop battle with impeccable atmosphere, arcade-style maps, and a trauma team simulator complete with a detailed limb-to-limb health system.”
    • “The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, lacking the depth and immersion that I expected.”
    • “Despite the potential for an engaging environment, the overall ambiance is flat and fails to draw me in.”
    • “The game world feels empty and devoid of character, making it hard to feel connected to the experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Ancient Warfare 3

Play time

97hMedian play time
105hAverage play time
30-174hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 9 analyzed playthroughs

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