From its inception in 1997, the Age of
Empires franchise has long been known as one of the top real-time-strategy
games ever. Nearly 25 years later, gamers are finally getting the fourth
installment of the long-running series with Age of Empires IV, slated to
release later this year. But before the new installment’s release, fans still
have more content to keep them going in Age of Empires III: Definitive
Edition.
Last week, developer Tantalus Media dropped a brand new update for Age of Empires III, which adds in the United States as a brand new civilization. But much like the country itself, the United States civilization functions and operates a bit differently than all of the other civilizations, with the developers cleverly implementing new gameplay features and mechanics that are directly inspired by history.
New Advancement System
The United States functions differently than all of the other civilizations in Age of Empires, with an advancement system that progresses through union development instead of political structures. Whereas other civilizations normally appoint politicians or aristocrats, the United States adds new states to their union in order to progress. Every state comes equipped with two special abilities that will help strengthen the civilization.
Another major difference that the United States features is the fact that they start with a general rather than an explorer. Generals have the ability to boost morale by placing inspiring flags next to soldiers. Flags give additional attack bonuses as well as increasing military unit production. One downside to Generals, however, is their lack of the ability to build town centers. But as a trade-off, they can assemble forts which will increase the military presence within uncharted territory.
Diversity as a Game Mechanic
Additionally, the United States replaces settler cards with immigrant cards, which allow players to borrow special abilities and features from other civilizations. This will allow players to mix and match various abilities from other civilizations, offering an endless number of combinations of bonuses and abilities. The ability feels quite appropriate, considering that the real-world United States is such a culturally diverse country and ultimately is derived from immigrants from all around the world.
Unique Way of Unlocking
As the final cherry on top, the developers have decided to make the United States DLC entirely free for players – and is unlockable in-game by completing a series of 50 in-game challenges that are each focused on the 50 U.S. states. Gamers are able to play through 3 challenges per day and unlock new profile icons as they progress. Upon completing all 50 challenges, they’ll receive the United States DLC completely free. However, the 50 challenges are only available for a limited time, though the end date has not yet been announced. The developers have stated that they will give at least one month’s notice before ending the event.
The United States DLC seems to be the final additional piece of content that players will be enjoying for Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition before the long-awaited sequel, Age of Empires IV, launches later this year.
–
At Epoch Xperience, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse Epoch Xperience’s service on our parent site, SJR Research.
–
(This article is credited to Ben Price. For as long as he can remember, Ben has always loved playing, discussing, and writing about video games. Since receiving his B.A. in English, he now writes about them for a living.)