Age of Empires III

The Basics:
Platform: PC
Developer: Microsoft
Price: $49.99
ESRB rating: T (Teen)

Summary: Explore the new world in this fun RTS game.

Note: Parents need to know that this game has some large-scale battles, complete with cannon fire, bodies being thrown in the air and some blood. However, most of the fighting takes place from a birds-eye view. Parents should also be aware that the game has an online mode.The game is well-designed, with an interesting and slightly historical storyline. Outstanding graphics and tried and true gameplay make this a good choice for Real-Time-Strategy fans and casual gamers alike.

Families who play this game may want to discuss how great graphics can influence the success of a game. In recent years, first-person-shooter games tend to have the best graphics; do you think that has influenced their popularity? Age of Empires III has outstanding visuals; do you think it will help its popularity? Why do think graphics are so important to games?

Further Breakdown:

Overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars (entertainment rating)

Best for ages: 13+
Playability: Medium. Half hour learning curve.
Graphics: High. System demanding, but beautifully rendered.
Reading Level: Medium. Some reading required.

Ages 3-7: Red
Ages 8-12: Yellow
Ages 13-17: Green
Violence Amount: Yellow
Fear: Green
Illegal/harmful: Green
Language: Green
Nudity: Green
Sex: Green

Review:
Age of Empires III (AOE III) continues the popular Microsoft-powered Real-Time-Strategy (RTS) game series. This version places players in the New World, with European civilizations and native cultures fighting for supremacy in the Americas.

Players familiar with the first two games will find that the basics remain much the same. After all, why fix something that isn't broken? The focus, as before, is on resource gathering and building a balanced fighting force to attack enemy bases.

However, to get a leg up, players can now make use of a home city that can send extra resources and assistance. As players win battles and build up their settlement, they can switch to the home city view and request additional troops, food, etc. This element alone adds a new depth of long-term strategy and planning to the game, as players get to choose between levels what reinforcements the home city is able to send.

AOE III also introduces a well-rounded campaign mode that has players following the legend of the fictional Black family. Each member of the family gets there own "act" in a well-told story that weaves through history. Throughout the campaign, players have one of the Black family members as a "hero" character that cannot be killed and have an extra powerful attack.

Technically the game is a masterpiece. Outstanding graphics and sound help immerse the player in the Florida everglades, the jungles of South America and the plains of the American west. Battles are complete with jubilant cheers from the victorious troops when a skirmish is won, and the soundtrack is a perfect match.

Content-wise, there are few concerns. The game does, naturally, contain a large number of battles, with some blood and explosions present. Also, although the game does have some historical facts (helped a great deal by the well-designed in-game encyclopedia) there is a lot of fiction mixed in. In fact, this version is the least historically accurate of the three games.

Definitely entertaining, even slightly educational, AOE III is a worthy successor to the previous AOE games.