Oh, no. No, this is all wrong. Everything is in the wrong place! There are only three resources! Villagers don't carry things and drop them off at storage pits, they just keep mining/chopping/picking berries endlessly! And why the hell isn't the campaign telling a real historical story?!
This is to convey some sense of the disorientation I feel when playing Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, having reconvened my friends for several games of its predecessor's definitive edition in recent months. I was ready for it to be different, but it's still a little alienating, especially when so directly compared with the warm bath of gooey nostalgia that has been our return to an immaculately restored Age of Empires II.
I played the demo of the original back in 2005 but didn't vibe with it, and so Age I and especially II remained my firm favourites. I always felt vaguely guilty to have not given III more of a chance, however, and after Microsoft did such a great job remastering I and II, was curious and excited to give III its fair shake.
RELATED LINKS:
Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition review - definitely definitive
Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition is coming to Xbox Game Pass this week
Age of Empires' enduring appeal stems from balancing accuracy with fun
