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It’s those final few hours of Civilization 6 that can really grind you down, when the map is teeming with different units from every single opponent, and you’re all fighting one another turn after brutal turn. Civilization 7 is reworking the entire meta game, as your nation and culture evolves with each new era, and I’m hoping the large-scale combat will feel different, too. In the meantime however, Age of History 3 feels like a superb alternative. Created by Łukasz Jakowski, this is a grand strategy game in the vein of Europa Universalis and Hearts of Iron, but with a greater focus on warfare. Less than a day old, it’s already a huge hit on Steam.
Age of History 3 hit Steam on Wednesday October 23 and already it’s attracted an impressive high of more than 4,000 concurrent players, and a ‘very positive’ user rating – of all the reviews published so far, an incredible 87% are favorable. At one level, it’s a grand strategy game in the tradition of the genre. Beginning in pre-history, you guide the political and economic development of your budding nation while also shaping its culture and advancing along the tech tree. Engage in diplomacy, make laws, form councils and advisory boards, and build unique wonders as you attempt to become the most dominant force on the planet.
Where Age of History 3 stands out, however, is warfare. You don’t just build a unit and send them into battle. In order to create a successful army, you need to effectively combine different soldiers and artillery to organize a two-line attack. Frontline soldiers do the majority of the fighting, but your second line is responsible for providing long-range barrages and support. Every in-game day, those frontline troops will engage with the enemy. As long as they have decent reinforcements, the battle should go well – but there will always be casualties, and as well as the actual fighting, you need to manage retreats and your troops’ morale.
There are 63 different units that you can use in battle, and you also need to be mindful of ‘manpower,’ a varying metric that determines how many citizens are eligible for and willing to enter military service. Maybe you want to start a war with an aggressive neighbor, but if your population is low or doesn’t have the appetite for conflict, you simply won’t have the manpower. On the contrary, if the national mood is right and disposable citizens aplenty, perhaps it’s the time to strike.
Vast, ambitious, and already extremely popular, Age of History 3 is also available for just $9.99 / £8.99. You can get it right here.
Alternatively, keep your sword sheathed until the Civilization 7 release date, or maybe try some of the best 4X games available on PC.
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