Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition ▶ Trailer
Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition screenshot 1Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition screenshot 2
StrategyBase BuildingRTSMultiplayerMilitaryCity Builder

2,142 playing

Peak in the last 24 hours: 4,253

Peak in the last 7 days: 5,295

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Steam store

Game description

Lead powerful civilizations across the globe, master strategies and tactics, and relive history in co op battles—now remastered in stunning 4K and modernized gameplay.

Basic info

DeveloperWorld's Edge, Tantalus Media, Forgotten Empires
PublisherXbox Game Studios
PlatformsWindows
Steam DeckUnsupported
Release dateOct 15, 2020
Price

Prices by IsThereAnyDeal

Minimum specs

OSWindows 10 version 18362.0 or higher
ProcessorIntel i3-2105 @ 3.1GHz or AMD Phenom II X4 973 with an average CPU Passmark score of 1830…
Memory8 GB
GraphicsGeForce GT 430, Radeon HD 5570, or Intel HD 4400 with an average Passmark G3D Mark of 570…
Storage42 GB
steamyze

Review Analysis Score

Based on 402 reviews from the past 1 year

85.2/ 100
Top 40%

Steam rating: Very Positive (86%)

Metacritic: 75 /100

Review analysis summary (Reviewed Oct 22, 2026)

Colonial armies, gunpowder and a card deck system set this remastered real time strategy game apart, and it scores 85.2.

👍 Strengths

134 reviews still enjoy it years later, finding the unique faction mechanics fun and easy to sink time into. 53 praise its strategic depth, with distinct civilizations, deck building and many builds to craft. Gameplay ranks 181st of 1396, and Content Volume ranks 125th of 1351. 52 admire the visuals, with detailed animations, physics that send units flying and a remaster that looks sharp. Visuals & Sound ranks 513th of 1249, and Multiplayer ranks 289th of 642.

👎 Where it falls short

18 reviews fault developer support, saying updates and promised DLC dried up and the game was left behind. 18 describe poor performance, with stutters, freezes and frame rate drops in large late game battles and on certain maps. 16 say the balance is off, naming overpowered civilizations, confusing unit counters and frequent changes that pushed veterans away. Tech & Support ranks 788th of 1399, and Pricing & Fairness ranks 824th of 1399.

Representative reviews Original reviews ↗

“became sole source of joy during difficult period, still cherished in university” · 134 reviews
“innovative design with out-of-game progression and strategic depth” · 53 reviews
“tiny animations and details like units cheering, cannons ragdolling enemies, weapons flying” · 52 reviews

How it holds up

−50+5

Controls, difficulty, progression and depth
Mentioned in 46% of reviews · Top 20% of the games we've analyzed

Strategy +3.51 · Depth of builds, tactics, and meaningful choices
Positive “innovative design with out-of-game progression and strategic depth” · 53 reviews
Negative “loss of technology progression system” · 2 reviews

Progression 6% · Difficulty 8% · Onboarding 8% · Freedom 4% · Controls & feel 6%

Plot, characters and the world
Mentioned in 24% of reviews · Bottom 50% of the games we've analyzed

World +2.90 · Lore, atmosphere, and how immersive the setting is
Positive “the game evokes warm nostalgia and emotional connection to childhood memories” · 11 reviews

Story 13% · Characters 1%

How much there is to do, variety and replay value
Mentioned in 21% of reviews · Top 10% of the games we've analyzed

Volume +2.54 · How much there is to play, including endgame, for the price
Positive “infinite playtime, very good gameplay, good story, easy to learn hard to master” · 9 reviews

Variety 8% · Replayability 3%

Graphics, art style, music and sound
Mentioned in 28% of reviews · Top 50% of the games we've analyzed

Visuals +3.45 · Graphics, art style, and animation
Positive “tiny animations and details like units cheering, cannons ragdolling enemies, weapons flying” · 52 reviews
Negative “3D graphics not as strong as AOE2 Definitive Edition” · 2 reviews

Audio 9%

Playing with others, the community and servers
Mentioned in 19% of reviews · Top 50% of the games we've analyzed

Playing together +2.87 · Fun of playing with friends, teammates, or rivals
Positive “multiplayer strategy with emergent moments like cavalry rushes is thrilling” · 15 reviews
Negative “online battles full of lifeless players” · 3 reviews

Community 6% · Servers & Connection 3%

Pricing, cheaters, balance and matchmaking
Mentioned in 19% of reviews · Bottom 50% of the games we've analyzed

Balance -0.10 · Whether classes, weapons, and builds are evenly matched
Negative “constant balance changes and new mechanics alienated veteran players” · 16 reviews
Positive “civilizations were rebalanced and high skill ceiling remains intact” · 7 reviews

Anti-cheat 0% · Pricing 9% · Matchmaking 3%

Bugs, performance and developer support
Mentioned in 24% of reviews · Bottom 50% of the games we've analyzed

Developer support -0.08 · Updates, patches, and how devs respond to players
Negative “developers ended support with no more updates or bug fixes” · 18 reviews
Positive “developers listened and released previously canceled Baltic DLC” · 9 reviews

Stability 5% · Performance 7%

Grey means too few reviews mention it to trust. — means almost no reviews mention it.

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