Age of Empires is one of the most amazing and legendary civilisation style games that ever existed.

Now in this third part, you're taken into the New World. Players are able to develop European nations from the Age of Discovery through to the Industrial Age. There are eight playable nations that battle across a wide variety of lands - from the early beginning of the swamps of Florida to the Rocky Mountains. You can recruit Native American tribes along the way and with them, try to seize control of trade routes while being supported by your Empire back in Europe.

There's no doubt that visually, the game looks superb with some of the best graphics ever seen in the Age of Empires series. However, the developers seem to have concentrated on graphics more than the realism aspect. An exception to this is the fact that you are supported by your home European nation in your quest to plunder the New World which is something unseen in previous versions.

However, it is attention to detail and unfaithfulness to the realities of history that really let the game down. American Indians are portrayed as mercenaries rather than spiritual tribes and gold mines suddenly appear hundreds of years before they ever did!

Age of Empires 3 looks great and has the potential to be a great game but the developers probably need to pay more attention to historical facts than the graphics themselves.

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The premise behind the game is simple : take control of a group of little men and send them round a variety of landscapes looking for other little men to blow up or shoot in the face. Each member of your team that survives a level is available for the next mission, thus making progress a little easier. Modern day equivalents to Cannon Fodder are probably the hundred or so real time strategy games around, but none of them can match Cannon Fodder's ingenious level design and delightful attention to detail. And you don't need a Pentium IV to run it, either.

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Warzone 2100 is a real-time strategy game, developed by Pumpkin Studios (Archived website) and published by Eidos-Interactive. In late 2004 Warzone was released by its copyright holders, Eidos-Interactive, to the public under the GNU General Public License and the Warzone 2100 Resurrection Project was born.

Although comparable to Earth2150 in many significant aspects, it does contain some that are unique. These include various radar technologies, a greater focus on artillery and counter-battery technologies, more frequent in-game cinematic updates as gameplay progress, as well as a different vehicle design method.

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The legendary planet Dune did for RT strategy, what Wolfemstein 3D did for first-person shooters. At almost fifteen years old, this is the mother of all strategy games. Your mission is to build a functional base using the facilities on offer, and to construct a powerful army that will face and defeat opposing forces. You may choose from four houses, much as you could pick GDI or NOD in the Command and Conquer series.

Dune II was a defining game which has influenced countless others since then. Anyone that wants to see raw gameplay at its best from the early 90s, download this.

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Expand your lands while you build and fortify your citadel. Entertain with jousts, lavish feasts and tournaments with an iron fist and dispense medieval justice to your overworked and slovenly peasants. Stronghold 2 is the most accurate, amazing and dynamic depiction of siege-warfare and castle-life ever portrayed.

This is the story depicted in this excellent adventure: the King, having fled after the defeat of his armies, now attempts to rule his country from a secret location. It is not known if he is even in the country anymore. Now, powerful barons jostle for what is fast becoming a disintegrating kingdom. It is up to you to stem the tides of their ambition and unite the land under the King once again!

Take a look at what Stronghold 2 has to offer:

• See the breathtaking medieval setting in beautiful 3D or choose from a variety of other views to survey your domain
• Be Lord of a true-to-life medieval berg. Watch the falconers deal with the "rat problem", discover how man and pig lived side by side, see weavers, candle makers and ale wives go about their business
• Hold great festivals such as jousting tournaments, feasts and dances and conduct public executions to keep peasantry in line
• Brand new soldier types, siege weaponry and castle defenses
• As lord, your gaze reaches far. Watch life inside castles and behind closed doors.
• Earn valuable honor points and use them to rise through the ranks from humble serf to mighty duke
• Non-linear interactive story unfolds as you decide which challenge to undertake next

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Plunge into the fascinating world of ANNO 1701 by become a conqueror of new worlds. Weigh anchor, sail the seven seas, explore new continents and foreign cultures. Demonstrate your strategic skills, business acumen and diplomatic finesse.

Maximum interaction with the gaming enviroment through numerous details such as the cheers or protests of the population in the village center, lovingly animated portraits with audio, and the ability to negotiate and engage in diplomacy with foreign peoples.

Extremely detailed, lifelike graphics, unprecedented effects and breathtaking realism permeate flora and fauna, village life and even natural disasters such as hurricanes, volcano eruptions and earthquakes.

A unique information mode and stunningly simple, clearly structured user interface give even beginners an ideal point of entry to the game.

More than 100 sub-quests are integrated dynamically into the game. Players can choose whether or not to accept them. Successful completion brings suitable rewards.

Clandestine diplomacy involving special operations such as sabotage, espionage and demagoguery opens up intelligent, strategic options to proceed.

A multiplayer mode supports up to four players over a LAN or the Internet. Cooperative play is also possible.

Winning conditions can be freely configured for single and multiplayers in the continuous game.

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Launched in 1995 Transport Tycoon Deluxe is a classic economic simulation, where you aim to make it big by building and developing your own transport company. Grow your own transportation network and sell off goods to beat your main rivals and become the leader on the market.

Nostalgic fans of the game will be glad to discover OpenTTD, effectively a completely free version of the game. What's more it has been completely revamped. Graphics have been slightly improved, adding more color, and many new features are now included. The Euro is now part of currencies, you can bribe town authorities and set up international and metropolitan airports among others. Usability is also better, with new features like the autorail build tool or being able to get a cost estimation. You can even play online with up to 8 other players.

The only real drawback to the game is that you' ll the original version of Transport Tycoon Deluxe data files in order to make it work.

In all, anybody who's even the least bit interested in games should get their hands on this free version of an excellent classic simulation title.

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March, 2047. A massive nuclear fireball explodes high in the night sky, marking the dramatic beginning to the Third Tiberium War and long-awaited return of the most groundbreaking Real-time Strategy franchise (RTS) of all time.

In 2047, Tiberium has blanketed the Earth, which is now divided into zones based on the level of Tiberium infestation. Pristine Blue Zones represent 20% of the planet's surface and are the last refuge of the civilized world. Partially habitable Yellow Zones make up 50% of the planet's surface; most of the world's population lives in these war-torn and ecologically ravaged areas. The remaining 30% of the planet is uninhabitable, a Tiberium wasteland swept by violent Ion Storms. Red Zones are like the surface of an Alien planet.

The infamous Kane has returned to lead the Brotherhood of Nod in a massive global assault on the Global Defense Initiative and the few remaining Blue zones left on the planet. Only you can stop him. The fate of humanity – and the planet – is in your hands.

Featuring state-of-the-art, next-generation graphics, an epic story with live action, full-motion video sequences, and the classic fast-paced C&C style of play, C&C 3 sets the standard for the single player RTS experience. When you decide to test your skills online, a suite of truly innovative features, such as the ability to transform online battles into a spectator sport, unfold.

Fast, Fluid, Fun

The ultra-responsive, smooth-as-silk gameplay C&C invented is now better than ever, intuitively placing your entire arsenal at your fingertips.

Over 30 Single Player Missions

In a vast open-world 'theatre of war' where each decision you make matters, you'll experience one cohesive, epic story told from the unique perspective of all three warring factions.

Story Like You've Never Seen

High-definition, live action video sequences that seamlessly tie the game's epic story together featuring an unparalleled, diverse cast.

New Ways to Attack

Keep your opponent guessing by building flying battleships, wielding the power of terrifying Ion Storms, and combining units to form powerful never-before-seen super-units.

Battle the Best Online

With multiple online game modes, all-new multiplayer maps, and a fully featured content editor, go online to see how you stack up in RTS' ultimate forum.

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After receiving an ominous warning from a mysterious prophet, the Orc warchief Thrall must guide his warriors to a strange new land in this fully playable demo of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.

Whether you're new to real-time strategy or a skilled veteran, you'll be in for a challenge as you navigate the Orcs through lush 3D environments and lead them into battle against those who stand in their way. Can you rally the Horde in the face of extinction?

Download Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Playable Demo in Softonic

Command the Company that Changed the Face of History.

From the studio that brought you the blockbuster Game of the Year titles Homeworld and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War comes the next revolution in action strategy. Company of Heroes is a WW2 Real Time Strategy game that brings to life the journey of the brave men of Able Company as they fight across Europe in the greatest war mankind has ever known.

From the opening shots of the D-Day invasion of Normandy players will find themselves immersed in a rich single player campaign. Experience the cinematic intensity, courage, and bravery of the heroes that defined a generation, set against the backdrop of the most dynamic battlefield ever seen in a game.

Features:

• Essence Engine – Relic’s next generation cutting-edge engine provides graphics quality and a physics driven world that is unprecedented in an RTS.
• Environmental Strategy – Real-time physics and a completely destructible environment guarantee no two battles ever play out in the same way. Destroy anything and re-shape the battlefield in your image! Use buildings and terrain to your advantage, or deny them to the enemy.
• Living Soldiers - Advanced squad AI brings your soldiers to life as they interact with their changing environment, take cover, and execute advanced squad tactics to eliminate all enemy opposition.
• 2-8 players MP competition via Lan or Internet – Go online with friends and join in the ultimate battle of Axis versus Allies.

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Lemmings is the kind of casual videogame you never grow tired of. This is why it's always good to have remakes of this classic title, although this time we're going to save penguins instead of those small, pink, hairy creatures.

Pingus is a very well-done Lemmings clone, both in gameplay and graphics, which challenges you in the same way the original title did. Controls are very easy, especially if you already played Lemmings before. The downside to this is that you're forced to play the tutorial whether you like it or not, and it can be quite boring if you're familiar with the game's mechanics.

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The Restaurant Game is a restaurant simulation where you play as a customer or waitress. This game is a research project at the MIT Media Lab that will algorithmically combine the gameplay experiences of thousands of players to create a new game.

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Praetorians is an epic 3D troop-based strategy game set amidst the historical battles from the campaigns of Julius Caesar. As a Roman General, you will be transported back to the dusty battlefields of Egypt, the frozen lands of the Gauls, and to the heart of the Empire itself, Italy. Your quest will be no easy task as the lands you seek to conquer are heavily defended by thousands of different troops, each with special skills, individual strengths, and various war machines.

You will be given the opportunity to command the forces of not only the Romans, but also the ferocious Gauls, and the religiously fanatical Egyptians. Victory depends on strong strategic skills - learning to combine units and exploit the enemy's weakness is key.

Played out in jaw-dropping 3D visuals from the immense scale of the Pyramids right down to the individual centurion Praetorians is stunning in its detail, scale and beauty. The game is incredibly intuitive, belying its sophisticated game engine and allowing skilled strategy gamers and beginners alike to fully immerse themselves in the story with absolute ease.

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"Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars" is a sequel of "Cossacks: European Wars," the hit of 2000-2001. Developed on a new 3D engine, the game combines 2D graphics and the latest achievements in 3D technologies. Significant rework on the engine as well as a number of gameplay innovations allow for presenting the game on a new level. "Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars" answers to the latest technology advances and provides a chance to even hardcore RTS gamers to experience a brand new gameplay of historical battles played on the true-to-life scale, with tactics and strategy particularities of warring sides taken into account.

Napoleonic period brought "civilized" warfare, fighting in combat formations into being. The very principle is put into practice in Cossacks II gameplay. Generally speaking, formations play a decisive role on the battlefields whereas individual units are mostly ineffective. Players are given a chance to lead their armies to victory in epic battles with tens of thousands of units on the map. The new engine's ability to zoom in and soar upwards to get a bird's-eye view of the battle makes Cossacks II the most spectacular game about the Napoleonic era.

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S.W.I.N.E. is a real-time tactical strategy game in which you must carry out extremely varied missions while taking advantage of the terrain and your units’ special abilities. Your army’s abilities and strengths will then develop over the course of the game. Before and during the missions, you will also have the opportunity to purchase or sell units, and upgrade or augment them with various items of equipment.

However, this will cost you some of the strategic points (SP) you receive for destroying enemy objects (units, buildings, etc.) and for successfully completing your missions. Further strategical components include the use of the air force and supply trailers (repairs, ammunition, and fuel). Clever exploitation of the terrain, selecting the proper units, and the optimum utilization of your abilities will enable even a small force to do battle against an enemy with numerical superiority.

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Some videogame genres are more likely to be set in certain environments or historical periods, such as RPG and fantasy, FPS and World War II and real-time strategy and medieval times. However, sometimes you find exceptions to the rule like Company of Heroes, an adventure set during the Second World War which all strategy lovers are going to enjoy.

The game enables you to play as the British army or the German Panzer Elite squad, in two of the most important battles in World War II. In spite of being a real-time strategy game, you're soon immersed into action-packed skirmishes and you really need to be quick if you want to beat your enemy. This is why we strongly recommend following the tutorial level instead plunging headlong into the campaign.

Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts features extraordinary graphics, plus the ability to pan and zoom the camera with total freedom. I specially enjoyed the possibility to set the camera at ground's level and see action as if you were right in the middle of the squadron.

Get ready for some strategy and lots of action in this epic adventure.

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To coincide with the release of Sid Meier’s Railroads, the original Sid Meier’s Railroad Tycoon (SMRT), straight from 1990, has now been made freely available in full. The game takes you back to the 19th century where you create your own transportation empire by building railroads, buying new trains and setting up connections between cities.

Those of you who are worried about compatibility: fear not. You won’t have to access DOS to play the game because it features its very own DOS Box. Original gamers of SMRT, will fondly appreciate the minimalistic graphics, midi country music, pixelized area maps, but most of all, the crux of the whole series, managing your money and assets. You start off with a million dollars (of which you’ll have to pay back $500,000) and must first choose a good location, build a station and then start laying tracks. You’ll soon become familiar with all the varieties of locomotives, like the Norris, Crocodile or Ten-Wheeler. The game really starts to get addictive when you see your network of railroads reach more and more cities and your income start to rise. Depending on the level of difficulty you choose, you’ll also come across rough competition and you’ll have to protect your assets from truly aggressive entrepreneurs.

Even though the graphics don’t compare to what you’ll find in the latest release, Sid Meier’s Railroads, the simulation aspect of Railroad Tycoon is as much thrilling now as it was 10 year ago. All aboard!

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Ave Prefect! I will tell you a few things about us Romans. We are a peaceful people, and the Roman Empire appears to be blooming these days. For this reason the Roman Senate is in search of talented Governors. It is your honor to fulfill this task. For a start, have plain residential areas built. Satisfy the wishes of Roman families! Provide your people with work and basic necessities like nourishment. Maintain peace and keep everything in order. Celebrate your success by building awe-inspiring buildings like thermal baths, theatres or even a coliseum. If you do well, the Roman society will bloom and living in our city will be rewarding to every citizen.

Glory of the Roman Empire is an empire-building simulation set during the height of the glorious Roman Empire in which the player assumes the roles of city planner, governor and military leader. Successful players will need planning skills, economic savvy and -- should those fail -- military might. Glory of the Roman Empire will challenge gamers to grow a small village into a thriving community and trade with neighbors, while also expanding and defending its borders through military might.

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The Roman civilization became the world's largest empire of Antiquity. It created a powerful network of roads, had a highly developed engineering and gave rise to an impressive artistic era.

Now Imperium Romanum enables you to live the glorious days of the Roman Empire as if you were right there. This real-time strategy game challenges you to build your own portion of Roman civilization by creating a Roman settlement and turning it into a powerful, influential capital city.

Just like other similar titles, there are several elements that must be taken care of in Imperium Romanum: creating buildings, gathering and managing resources and defending your village from enemy troops. In this sense, although the game is not difficult to play by itself, it does require concentration and care for the detail.

Talking about detail, the game's graphics are rendered with an amazing realism, especially as regards landscapes and nature effects such as the day/night transition or weather. Characters are a bit more simplistic though. Unfortunately I can't say a word about music, simply because there was no music at all. Yes, I checked system volume settings and the game inner settings too, but sorry, no music for me.

As for gameplay, Imperium Romanum is fun to play (as long as you like classic strategy titles) because you not only have one general mission, but also smaller tasks (the so called "tablets") that provide you with new challenges and also guide you through the story.

Imperium Romanum is the classic real-time strategy title that lets you take part in the building of one of the most important civilizations of old times.

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For the first time in PC gaming, re-imagine the epic battles from both the film trilogy and the never-before visualised J.R.R. Tolkien fiction in The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II.

Embark on a gripping single-player campaign that takes you deep into the War in the North as three new factions: the Dwarves, Elves, and Goblins. Exploit new strategic advantages—build your castle anywhere, create your own Middle-earth hero, and much more. But beware, this newly revealed Middle-earth hides dangerous enemies commanded by a powerful new AI system, giving them an improved tactical edge. With so much more to see, there is far more to fear.

Will your armies win the war for Middle-earth or be vanquished by enemy forces too powerful to overcome? Take control of all Middle-earth and decide its fate.

Download LOTR: The Battle for Middle Earth II Demo in Softonic