The original game’s 3D visuals, that is polygons and textures moving about the screen, were cutting-edge back in the day. Even so, Age of Empires III presented a somewhat different challenge than what had come before. Support for 4K displays and modern PC hardware, crisper assets, and remastered sound. A studio that helped Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition reach the heights that it did back in 2019.įrom a development standpoint, there are similarities to what we saw happen there. For the release of Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, the first mainline title in the series to introduce full-3D visuals ala Blizzard’s jump from Warcraft II to Warcraft III, remaster duties have been handled in a partnership between World’s Edge and the Melbourne based Tantalus Media. Odds are you or someone you're close to have fond memories playing Age of Empires.Ī phenomenon that recently saw the formation of a new Xbox Games Studios team called World's Edge, which would oversee the franchise’s continued success with assistance from a range of talented studios. In the case of the latter, the recent Definitive Edition releases of the first two Age of Empires titles - originally developed by the now defunct Ensemble Studios - not only saw a renewed interest in the Age series from a wider audience, but bolstered its already formidable popularity in a community of fans that span the globe.

From StarCraft to Warcraft to Command & Conquer to Age of Empires, we’re talking about titles from decades past in a genre that has all but disappeared. When it comes to the real-time strategy genre, full-blown remasters are often a cause for celebration. Re-releases or Definitive Editions haven’t exactly been rare of late, but as we’ve gone from non-HD to full-HD to basking in the midday sun of the 4K-era, there are plenty of reasons to bring back a classic.

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