The GameDaily One-Minute Review

Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties mixes up the Age of Empires III gameplay by transporting players from the Americas to the Asian continent and adding new gameplay features. The nations of Japan, China and India must build large, ornate Wonders to progress through Ages, which also grant special bonuses and abilities. Asian themed units bring new flavor using samurai, kung-fu masters and giant war elephants. There's also a larger focus on economics and trading, but the changes aren't so extensive that veteran players will need to relearn everything. Gamers will need to get over the dated graphics and artificial intelligence, along with a few design oversights that spoil the Asian setting, but this expansion strengthens the Age of Empires III gameplay and makes it feel almost new again.