Game Details
- Publisher: Microsoft Games
- Developer: Big Huge Games
- ESRB Rating: T for Teen
- Genre: Real Time Strategy
- Theme: Historical
- Pros: Three new civilizations each with own campaign; Excellent multiplayer/online community; New units, new home city shipments and wonders.
- Cons: Not a stand alone game, requires original Age of Empires 3
Age of Empires 3: The Asian Dynasties is the second expansion pack to be release for Ensemble Studios Age of Empires 3 real time strategy game but it was not developed by them. Rise of Nations developer, Big Huge Games, took the lead on The Asian Dynasties and have produced a solid and well balanced addition to the game series that keeps the core game intact while adding some fun new elements, units and single player campaigns.
The three new civilizations included in The Asian Dynasties expansion are the Asian civilizations of China, India, and Japan. As with other civilizations each of the three new civs have their unique units, buildings, strengths and weakness. The new civs are balanced with the dozen or so existing civs and this balance is continually being updated and improved with each patch release.
The Asian Dynasties contains three new single player historical campaigns one for each new civ. The Japan campaign set in the 16th centurytakes players through the events during the transition from the Toyotomi Dynasty to the Tokugawa Shogun. Set in the 15th century, the China campaign sets players on a non-historical set of missions to expand the reach of the Chinese empire by discovering America and the New World. Finally the Indian campaign goes through the story of India's first war for independence agains the British East India Company.
As should be expected each civ also has unique units that follow the rock, paper, scissors method of being strong against one type of unit and weak against another. Japan has some powerful units such as the Samurai and mounted Naginata Riders as well as a Daiymo unit which provides mobile troop training and home city shipments. India has a large variety of military units including the devastating Seige Elephants. In addition, they along with China can produce villagers much faster making their economy grow quickly. Finally China creates larger armies and with power units being the Flamethrower and Arquebusier.
The one of the major additions to game play is the introduction, or rather re-introduction, of the wonder. In order to advance your civilization to the next age you are required to build a wonder. There are are 5-6 wonders to choose from for each civ which, upon completion, deliver addition resources or grant special bonuses. Wonders only apply to the new Asian civilizations, the original and Warchief civs aging does not change.
The multiplayer portion of The Asian Dynasties is as fun as ever home city card limits for all nations/civs has been increased to 25 and there are a dozen or so new Asian maps that add greater variety and new strategies to learn.
Age of Empires 3 was originally released back in 2005 so it's most likely approaching the end of it's life cycle. The Asian Dynasties does extend it a little and is quite fun to play, however it would have been nice if this expansion was a stand alone game and did not require new players to purchase the original Age of Empires 3 as well.
