Hegemony III: Clash of the Ancients

About

In "Hegemony III: Clash of the Ancients," players engage in large-scale historical battles across the Mediterranean, including naval combat and city management. The game is set in ancient Italy, where various cultures including Greeks, Galls, and Romans compete for power and resources. With updates adding new features such as rebellion management and tactical improvements, players must strategize and expand their territories to emerge victorious.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 760 reviews

gameplay46 positive mentions

grinding36 negative mentions

Unique blend of RTS and Grand Strategy, focusing on logistics and supply management.
Engaging gameplay with a huge map and diverse factions, offering a lot of replayability.
Improved AI and mechanics compared to previous titles in the series.

Steep learning curve with a poorly designed tutorial that leaves players confused.
Limited diplomacy options and AI behavior can feel unbalanced and frustrating.
Bugs and performance issues, including crashes and clunky controls.

gameplay
208 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
70%
8%
The gameplay of this title is praised for its strategic depth and engaging mechanics, particularly in city management and logistics, which provide a unique experience within the RTS genre. However, players have noted a steep learning curve, with some mechanics feeling unreliable and the diplomacy system being particularly criticized for its lack of depth. While the game offers a rewarding experience for those who invest time in mastering its systems, it can also become repetitive and frustrating due to bugs and unbalanced elements.
- “The game brilliantly balances fun and strategic depth, offering a unique blend of historical immersion and tactical gameplay.”
- “I have never played an RTS with mechanics such as this, with levels to strategic maps and resource mechanics, but it is all done wonderfully and it all works well together. If you are a fan of the RTS genre or grand strategy games, I strongly recommend this game.”
- “Fantastic game, it has the right balance between complex mechanics and easy gameplay.”
- “My brain turns to mush, because this game doesn't demand any skill apart from patience with unreliable mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is very confusing to beginning players, but you'll get a fair grasp of things after about an hour.”
- “The point I'm trying to make is that I enjoy the game, but since it is largely just rinse and repeat gameplay, I don't enjoy long sessions of the game.”
graphics
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
60%
13%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the immersive art style and atmospheric visuals reminiscent of ancient paintings, while others criticize them as dated and occasionally glitchy. Although the graphics are considered a step up from previous titles in the series, they do not reach the sophistication of AAA games, leading to a perception that they may not satisfy players seeking high-end visuals. Overall, while the graphics contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, they are not the primary focus, with many players prioritizing gameplay mechanics over visual fidelity.
- “In spite of its shortcomings, the game really shines on how fluid and dynamic it can be, fighting on many fronts at the same time, in a huge map of Italy, while managing a vast empire's production and logistics, all wrapped up in a brilliant and immersive art style.”
- “Hegemony 3 is a better game than its predecessors in almost everything: better graphics, better battle system, big terrain, and it truly reflects the ancient time in the Italian peninsula.”
- “Love the atmospheric graphics resembling ancient paintings.”
- “Combat feels old and repetitive and the graphics are severely outdated for 2018.”
- “Crap game, horrible graphics, clunky gameplay.”
- “It looked fun but, if you can't even play it without horrible graphics (below or on par with Age of Empires II) with some stuttering or good graphics with inescapable stuttering, you're not going to have a fun time.”
grinding
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, primarily due to clunky controls, poor UI, and overwhelming micromanagement, especially when managing multiple cities and units. While some mechanics, like supply management, can add interest, the repetitive nature of tasks and lack of automation lead to a frustrating experience, particularly in the mid to late game. Many reviewers express disappointment, suggesting that the game's design makes it feel laborious and unengaging.
- “Combine that with relatively clunky controls, and you have a very, very tedious game.”
- “Picking individual buildings and tax rates for 6 cities is fun, but doing the same for 60 is a tedious micromanagement nightmare.”
- “Dead boring micromanagement overkill, clunky, lacks that special something and the management of everything becomes tedious.”
story
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
69%
8%
The game's story is heavily quest-oriented, which some players appreciate for its structure, but many find it overly reliant on pop-ups and repetitive missions that detract from immersion. While there are interesting quests tied to different nations, the lack of variety and the presence of outdated objectives can make the experience feel bland and frustrating. Overall, the narrative elements provide a foundation for gameplay, but they often feel disjointed and lacking in depth.
- “I think this is where I can stop my review as there are just so many other things like great quests for each nation and other stuff like that. I refunded the game for the first time and then got back into it, and I keep coming back like half a year again and again. It takes time to master, but when you do, it is all worth it!”
- “If you've read any of Julius Caesar's works and thought to yourself, 'This would make a great PC game if they could simulate his experiences and challenges of command, from leading a couple of legionnaires in a skirmish/foraging mission to planning your grand conquest, securing borders using the natural terrain including building fortifications and bridges, scouting to combat the fog of war, knowing your enemy intimately in his fighting style, but never quite knowing the man leading them, and understanding the absolute paramount importance of keeping your fighting men (#1) and your people (#2, hehe) well fed and paid, logistics, logistics, logistics, et cetera,' then you've found your perfect game.”
- “And while there are no actual historic campaigns to follow, there are quests that occasionally pop up and the main hegemony objectives to pursue through a sandbox.”
- “The missions are far from 'dynamic.' Random would be a better word.”
- “I get missions to hand cities or pay tribute to factions that no longer exist; I currently have 2 missions that have the exact same objective (to burn farms) for a faction that no longer exists.”
- “That feels very on rails, because it's forcing the player to look at their quest log immediately, which feels Pavlovian.”
replayability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
Hegemony offers significant replayability through its diverse factions, multiple scenarios, and expansive sandbox modes, allowing players to explore different strategies and starting locations. However, some players find the game repetitive and feel that the diplomacy mechanics can hinder long-term engagement, leading to mixed opinions on its overall replay value. While many appreciate the game's depth and modding support, others believe it lacks sufficient variety to sustain interest after a few playthroughs.
- “Hegemony hits the sweet spot of tactical troop combat, city development, and an absolutely huge map that offers so much replayability with starting location and how difficult your surroundings are.”
- “As for the game itself, each faction plays a bit differently, and there are multiple scenarios and campaigns (including those from DLC and mods) plus the sandbox modes, so it definitely has replayability.”
- “While it has a bit of a learning curve, this game has massive replay value, interesting gameplay, in-built modding tools, gorgeous visuals, and some of the best developer support I've ever seen.”
- “Overall, it's a fun game, but the diplomacy is a real killer for replayability. I'm almost done with a playthrough and can see myself doing one more in the future (aside from the one DLC), but after that I don't think it'd really ever interest me again.”
- “Nice strategy game... somehow lacking replayability.”
- “But for me, the game is too repetitive with little replayability value.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
21%
21%
The music in the game is generally described as immersive and effective in enhancing the period atmosphere, complementing the art and design. However, some users find it average, rating it around 6/10, and express a preference for other soundtracks, indicating that it may not leave a lasting impression. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's ambience, opinions on its quality vary.
- “The soundtrack is immersive and the game feels like it captures the period really well in terms of its art (e.g. general portraits, unit cards) and the detailing on the settlements.”
- “Effective use of art design, map, and music to create good ambience.”
- “+ great art and music bringing the ancient world to life”
- “H3's soundtrack won't leave you any significant impression.”
- “I prefer the Hegemony Gold's soundtrack more.”
- “Music is okay-ish, 6/10.”
optimization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
43%
43%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering and poor graphics, making it difficult to recommend. While some users noted improvements over time, others still found it lacking and suggested waiting for further fixes before playing. Overall, the optimization remains a major concern for many players.
- “Amends both predecessors' issues, runs smoothly, offers limitless Steam Workshop potential, and functions on day 1 straight off the store.”
- “The game isn't optimized as of yet and should be avoided until it's fixed.”
- “It looked fun but, if you can't even play it without horrible graphics (below or on par with Age of Empires II) with some stuttering or good graphics with inescapable stuttering, you're not going to have a fun time.”
- “Game is actually great, but the terrible performance, weird diplomacy, bugs, and dead developer make it very hard to recommend it.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed, with users reporting minor graphical glitches and occasional fighting mechanic issues. While some players find these problems insignificant, others describe the experience as a "buggy mess" that requires significant patching. Frequent debug screens and camera zoom level concerns have also been noted, suggesting that players may need to wait for updates to improve stability.
- “Buggy mess that needs patching.”
- “Tl;dr - this is a buggy mess, I constantly get debug screens asking me to save info and send it to the devs. Wait a few months and then check the forums to see if the bugs have been fixed.”
- “The only negative thing I personally have found would be just the camera's zoom levels and minor graphical glitches that happen every now and again.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its captivating atmosphere, enhanced by graphics that evoke the feel of ancient paintings. Reviewers consistently highlight the enjoyable ambiance and artistic visuals, contributing to an overall immersive experience.
- “Enjoyable game with a great atmosphere.”
- “Love the atmospheric graphics resembling ancient paintings.”
- “This is an interesting game in some ways and has good atmosphere and nice graphics.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game to be wholesome and comforting, evoking positive emotional responses. However, there is a desire for more content and expansion to enhance the overall experience. While it may not yet rival established titles, there is optimism for its future potential.