You start the game in 4000 BC with a unit of settlers and a unit of warriors, and from there you found and expand a civilisation. In a massive drawn-out conflict of strategy you then have to balance war, diplomacy, infrastructure, expansion, technology, happiness, trade and so on until you lose, you win, or the game reaches the date 2500AD (it won't happen, it just won't) and ends. Got it? Good, so what's changed from previous Civs?

There are new gameplay elements such as a new "home city" and a brand new combat system. As with the previous editions of the game, there are maps to explore, treasure to find, maps to conquer, all within a robust and long first player campaign mode. There's a new graphics engine for AoE3 (Age of Empires III) that does a nice job bringing the world to life on the PC.