MeinMMO author Cedric Holmeier took another look at his childhood favorite game after 15 years and fell in love again, even though the title has always remained in the shadow of its predecessor.
I still remember clearly, on Christmas 2005, Age of Empires 3 was under the Christmas tree for me, a real-time strategy game that I played as much and often as no other. For the next 5 years, I played Age of Empires over and over. My friends and I pressed side by side in front of the screen and gamed round after round against the computer.
But I was also thrilled by the campaign, which I probably played through a dozen times and could already quote back then. But like so often in life, interests change. I got older, and the era of Teamspeak and multiplayer games began. On my next PC, I didn’t even install my once favorite game anymore. It fell into oblivion, like so many old PC games.
Nostalgia Hits
This spring, I was on vacation in Malta, the European island nation in the Mediterranean. There, I also visited the famous St. Elmo Star Fort, which inevitably reminded me of my former favorite game, in which you have to defend exactly such a fort in Malta against the attacking Ottomans. Today, 15 years later, nostalgia hit me, and one download later, everything was like it was back then – only sharper.
How AoE 3 Still Captivates Me Today
Even though it’s been 15 years since my last round, everything feels like back then – only sharper. Thanks to the Definitive Edition, the now 20-year-old game shines in a new light, without losing any of its charm. My nostalgia factor is at a high 10.
While the campaign felt as difficult to me as a German class assignment back then, an adult and experienced gamer figures it out quickly. The storytelling is still just as good as I remember, guiding me through the family saga of the Black family and their rivalry with the Circle of Ossus.
Even the “normal” rounds against the computer opponents still function just like back then, 20 years later. While I have to increase the difficulty level so the enemy doesn’t overwhelm me immediately, Age of Empires 3 is still a brilliant game that I fire up in the evening.
In the Shadow of Its Predecessor
As much as I love Age of Empires 3, it undeservedly stands in the shadow of its predecessor. Age of Empires 2 is regarded as a masterpiece and still enjoys over 20,000 concurrent players during peak times today (via SteamDB). In contrast, part 3 only reaches about 500 players during peak times, according to SteamDB.
Even in esports, part 2 is still much more respected than part 3. For example, the energy drink manufacturer Red Bull sponsored some tournaments for professionals only in 2024 (via ageofempires.com). Although Age of Empires 3 stands out with a rating of 81 from critics on Metacritic, it falls far short of part 2, which is regarded as a Must Play with 92 points on Metacritic.
Thus, Age of Empires 3 undeservedly stands in the shadow of its predecessor. The game offers many new systems, improvements, and elements that still excite me today. For example, artillery shells in the game can also detach fragments from buildings, which can then injure or eliminate units.
The home city maps also offer an interesting meta-game that makes each round unique. And the many upgrades for units and the bonuses that trading posts and alliances with Native Americans bring interesting points of interest on the map, which are simply missing in other RTS games.
Age of Empires 3 is a great game, even if it always stands in the shadow of its magnificent predecessor. Unfortunately, this also became a downfall for it, as the developers scrapped the announced DLC and announced on Steam that there would be no more in the future.
Even though I have not been able to catch up on all the new DLCs, nations, and content from the last 5 years, this clearly shows the standing of Age of Empires 3 in general.
Nevertheless, this little excursion once again showed me that it doesn’t always have to be the newest game that warms your gaming heart. Maybe you should also take another look at the game of your childhood. A MMORPG community has kept their game alive for 20 years: Players spend 30 days in a dead MMORPG, is the first beginner in a long time, and is ceremoniously welcomed by the small community
