About This Game
In this highly anticipated next installment in the Age of Empires franchise from Ensemble Studios, Age of Empires III places players in the time period of roughly 1500–1850, picking up where Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings left off.
As players work to establish their empire, they take on the role of a European power struggling to explore, colonize, and conquer North and South America. Age of Empires III introduces exciting new gameplay elements, including the all-new Home City and an incredible combat system.
Players have new civilizations to discover, random maps to conquer, and a single-player campaign unlike any other. Players also find stunning graphics as a result of a revolutionary graphics engine that pushes the limits of PC graphics technology in an entirely new way.
The story-based campaign mode consists of related scenarios with preset objectives, such as destroying a given building. In Age of Empires III, the campaign follows the fictional Black family in a series of three "Acts", which divide the story arc into three generations.
All three acts are narrated by Amelia Black (Tasia Valenza). Instead of playing as one of the standard civilizations, the player controls special civilizations linked to the character or period that each Act portrays: the Knights of St.
John for Act I, John Black's Mercenaries for Act II, and the United States for Act III. Most player units speak English, with the exception of unique units such as Spanish Rodeleros and Lancers or German Uhlans and War Wagons.
Act I: Blood In the late 16th century, Morgan Black—a Scottish-born mid-level commander of the Knights of Saint John— defends their last stronghold on Malta from the forces of Sahin "The Falcon" of the Ottoman Empire (in a telling of the Great Siege of Malta). When the Turks flee, Morgan and his superior Alain Magnan discover a stone library telling of the Lake of the Moon; the Fountain of Youth, a rumored source of eternal life; and a secret society called the Circle of Ossus, who seek the Fountain for their own gain.
Alain orders Morgan to sail to the New World to search for the Lake, but Morgan is attacked by the pirate Elisabet "Lizzie" Ramsey and lands in the Caribbean islands. After re-engaging and defeating Lizzie, Morgan's men find some navigation charts and sail to New Spain.
