The Asian Dynasties is a new expansion for Age of Empires III, where you get to play as—yes, you guessed it—one of three Asian civilizations: China, India, and Japan. Big Huge Games are involved this time, and they’ve delivered something fresh for AOE III players.
With the three new civilizations come three new single-player campaigns. In the Chinese campaign, you lead an expedition to the Americas during the Age of Discovery. The Indian campaign places you in the middle of their first war for independence, while the Japanese campaign explores the transition from the Toyotomi Dynasty to the Tokugawa shogunate.
As expected from an AOE game, each civilization plays differently. China relies on an organized military and can train unique ‘banner armies’ made up of different unit combinations. They build villages instead of houses and garrison villagers within them. Rather than starting with an explorer, China begins with a Shaolin Master and a disciple.
India also does things a little differently. Indian villagers cost wood instead of food, and they can arrive at no cost through Home City shipments. Livestock cannot be harvested for food but can generate experience when assigned to sacred fields. Instead of an explorer, India starts the game with two elephant-mounted Brahmins.
In Japan, animals and livestock are also unavailable for food gathering. Instead, the civilization relies on cherry orchards and rice paddies. Shrines are unique buildings that generate a steady stream of resources and can be set to produce gold, food, or wood. Japan does not use explorers either, starting the game with two Ikko-Ikki monks. Japan also features one of the most interesting units in the game, the Daimyo, which inspires nearby troops, can train units on the spot, and acts as a Home City shipment point.
Other new features include wonders, which are required to advance to a new age. Each civilization has five unique wonders inspired by real-world monuments, and each provides a distinct benefit. For example, the Taj Mahal triggers a temporary ceasefire, while the Chinese Temple of Heaven allows all units across the map to heal quickly.
The expansion also introduces a new resource called Export. This resource is generated while villagers gather materials and allows civilizations to form alliances with European powers through the Consulate building. Export can also be used to upgrade troops or recruit additional unit types.
On top of this, The Asian Dynasties introduces several new multiplayer modes alongside the traditional Supremacy and Deathmatch options. These include:
• Regicide mode, where players must protect their king or regent;
• King of the Hill, which challenges players to capture and hold a fort for a set time;
• Treaty (with blockade), where players cannot attack for a fixed period and focus on gathering resources;
• Treaty (no blockade), which follows the same rules but prevents players from blocking each other’s shipments.
The Asian Dynasties offers all of this alongside strong visuals, solid voice acting, engaging campaigns, and the ability to create creative scenarios featuring these civilizations interacting with the Americas.
If you already own Age of Empires III, this expansion is well worth picking up. For those who haven’t played the game yet, now is a good time to give it a try.