Games

Best of 2008 | 07 | 06 | 05
Advanced Search

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

Empire Earth III

EMAIL PRINTpc

3.1 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 40 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 29 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >

Game Info

Publisher: Vivendi Games / Sierra Entertainment

Developer: Mad Doc Software

Genre(s): Real-Time Strategy

Players: 8

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: November 6, 2007

Summary

Empire Earth III puts the EARTH into Empire Earth by introducing a spectacular global perspective to conquering the world. The globe serves as the battleground between the 3 unique factions (Western, Middle-Eastern, and Eastern) that have been created with a stunning new artistic vision. All of human history and beyond - Across the entire globe - Empire Earth III commands all. Empire Earth III lets players battle across the entire globe as they make their bid for world domination. Gameplay unfolds in a richly detailed Earth made up of 60 skirmish maps (provinces) representing real locations on the globe or create a randomly generated globe to conquer. Players can choose both the starting location and starting era. Unique Customizable Civilizations - Civilizations are divided into three factions Western, Middle-Eastern, and Eastern. Each faction has its own unique tech tree, units, structures, and game play style. Each faction's tech tree allows players to create completely custom civilizations of their own choosing. Fully Persistent World - Unlike any other RTS, Empire Earth III will let players keep their spoils of war. As the player builds their empire across the globe their cities and outposts will grow and improve. Their units and structures will evolve over time. You keep what you create, so long as someone else doesn't take it from you. [Sierra Entertainment]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Empire Earth Empire Earth II

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

PC Zone UK

Mad Doc needs to do the full makeover in the expansion. [Jan 2008, p.72]

AceGamez

Undertaking such a vast venture as it does, Earth Empire III requires plenty of the very element it is emulating: time.

Read Full Review >

Gaming Nexus

All in all, the controls are pretty much the same as any real time strategy but with the added benefits of being able to look at the big picture. Instead of working on one battle, everything a player does affects what might happen in the future.

Read Full Review >

Game Informer

Empire Earth III’s handful of units per tech tier, problematic unit AI and pathfinding, and lackluster factional differences between the West, East, and Middle East types do little to give RTS players anything they haven’t seen before.

Read Full Review >

PC Format

It's a mix of disappointment at missed opportunities, and general boredom because of the stagnation of ideas. [Feb 2008, p.112]

PC Gamer

EEIII aims high, but falls victime to over-ambition--there's a lot going on here, but not enough of it has been effectively refined into an entertaining gaming experience. [Jan 2008, p.84]

PC Gamer UK

Throw in flaky pathfinding and a frustratingly close-up camera and EE3 took me dangerously close to angry letter-writing. [Jan 2008, p.78]

Pelit (Finland)

I like Globe Domination campaign better than the old storyline driven system and I like the streamlined resource management. Unfortunately, with so many excellent RTS games (SC, CoH, WiC) on the market now EE3 can not compete. [Jan 2008]

Strategy Informer

I loved Empire Earth and still do to this day, but Empire Earth III is literally in a universe of its own. It barely takes anything of worth from its root and instead we are left with an unremarkable real-time strategy.

Read Full Review >

GamingTrend

If you don't care about details like the Chinese camping out in Africa, the gamebreaking units, the really bad AI, the even worse pathing logic, and the fact that you can't play the game on hardware more than 2 years old then you may enjoy this.

Read Full Review >

ActionTrip

With nothing to play aside from the unexciting World Domination and Skirmish modes, I honestly cannot say this game is worth your time and money.

Read Full Review >

GameZone

I am really disappointed with the final product as it is really buggy.

Read Full Review >

Game Chronicles

The game does offer some old school RTS fun, but then technical glitches get in the way. The Empire Earth devs aimed for the lowest common denominator, somehow not realizing that simple and easy doesn't always equal fun.

Read Full Review >

Gameplanet

It's the previous two iterations simplified, with a world conquest mode added. It's flawed, yes, but also fast-paced and believable. Doesn't quite capture the magic of the original though, nor does it reach its own potential.

Read Full Review >

IGN

Fans of the series will be sad to see that this version of Empire Earth has been stripped of the depth and detail that made the first two games so attractive. I mean, it's not as if there's a shortage of shallow RTS games already, so seeing one of our favorite series effectively lobotomized is a real shock.

Read Full Review >

Play.tm

Unfortunately for Empire Earth III, some very bad AI coupled with terrible path finding, a watered down experience, frustrating battles and terrible use of character speech leads me to suggest that you spend your hard earned cash on one of the finer genre examples of late, such as "Age of Empires 3" or "Supreme Commander."

Read Full Review >

IC-Games

Overall the Empire Earth series has been a solid strategy title, but Mad Doc have tried to simplify things and have taken it far too far and perhaps destroyed what people wanted in their RTS title.

Read Full Review >

Worth Playing

For a franchise that started out by redefining the RTS genre, Empire Earth III has sadly taken a serious turn for the worse, and in this incarnation, you'll find very little of what made the original Empire Earth great.

Read Full Review >

GotNext

Overall, Empire Earth III just feels cheap. Poor visuals, poorly thought out design choices, a completely lack of originality.

Read Full Review >

1UP

This one-note sex queen takes the series down a peg. Rick Goodman (creator of Empire Earth) is probably rolling over in his grave.

Read Full Review >

GameDaily

Units get stuck on the map, breaking armies apart, and unit responses are downright annoying. The trek from the Stone Age to the future is a painful one, and all players can do is wish for it to stop.

Read Full Review >

PC PowerPlay

Empire Earth is a disappointment; a title that snubs its core audience only to ineptly target a new one. [Jan 2008, p.57]

YouGamers

In a year of excellent RTS titles, Empire Earth 3 has nothing to offer. In an effort to garner mass appeal, the game has been dumbed down to the point of irrelevancy.

Read Full Review >

Gamers' Temple

The Empire Earth series may just end with this whimper of a game.

Read Full Review >

Games Master UK

In an attempt to be a game for all, it turned into a game for no one. [Jan 2008, p.78]

PALGN

Empire Earth III ultimately proves to be a predictable, tired, uninspired lump of a game.

Read Full Review >

Jolt Online Gaming UK

Removing micromanagement is one thing, but when the gameplay goes out of the door with it, it becomes a serious case of throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Read Full Review >

GamerNode

The game tries to reach out to more gamers but fails completely. AI pathfinding is broken, gameplay aspects are barely implemented and performance is a stinker. Stay away from this game.

Read Full Review >

Gamer 2.0

Empire Earth III isn’t an abomination to RTS gaming, but it certainly doesn’t begin to approach recommendable.

Read Full Review >

Eurogamer

Empire Earth 3 simply tries too hard to be popular. In doing so, it strips out everything that made it good in the first place and forgets to replace it with something equally worthwhile.

Read Full Review >

GameSpy

PC strategy gamers have a lot to choose from on store shelves these days, and bugs, muddled combat, or weak AI aren't things that strategy fans have to live with. It pains us to admit it as fans of the franchise, but this Empire is definitely in decline.

Read Full Review >

Thunderbolt

Quite simply Empire Earth III is a game you should never play in your life. It’s boring, it’s structured as well as the leaning tower of Pisa and in one of the best seasons gaming has ever seen, it really shouldn’t be on the shelves.

Read Full Review >

Armchair Empire

I can understand a game being derivative, but only so long as it adds something good to the mix. Empire Earth III fails to meet up to the standards of the games that came before it. It has failed to learn from its own history.

Read Full Review >

Game Almighty

Empire Earth III doesn’t live up to the scope and complexity of its predecessors, and if anything, shames the previously good name of Empire Earth.

Read Full Review >

GameSpot

While it may be a lot smoother and simpler than its predecessors, Empire Earth III has been dumbed down to the point of irrelevance.

Read Full Review >

GameShark

Add in gameplay flaws and a shallow experience, and this game is sure to turn off even some of the biggest Empire Earth fans.

Read Full Review >

GamingExcellence

It’s just simply not fun to play.

Read Full Review >

GameTap

It's definitely not a sequel for EE fans, as its massive reduction is, quite frankly, insulting to anyone who liked the previous games.

Read Full Review >

Gamer.nl

Even if you would get this game for free I advice you not to play it. The game lacks any depth and it has the crappiest voices ever.

Read Full Review >

Game Revolution

Honestly, if the game didn't try to make you hate it, it would be perfectly tolerable, maybe even enjoyable.

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 3.1 (out of 10) based on 29 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Robert S. gave it a0:
Got this for christmas, it was the worst gift I have ever recieved and will be selling it to who ever is stupid enough to buy it. Laggy, glitchy, crashy, stupid speaking phrases, everything about this game that can be bad, IS bad. Not worth your money, let alone time and hard drive space.

Kyle H. gave it a1:
The Empire Earth series declined a bunch. This piece of trash is a never buy. Crashes after every 15 minutes, awfully optimized, barely any units, lame animations, unfunny dialogue and nothing new to an rts ever.

C J gave it a0:
JS must work for Sierra, to say the "Tech tree is so deep" There's NOTHING to the tech tree, there's hardly any units to build once you reach the Future Age. There's virtually nothing to do in the game. Here's how to win. 1. You can reach the future Epoch in 30 minutes 2. build about 40 Bio Soldiers 3. put them all on "Search and Destroy" mode. 4. go have a sandwich or watch a movie, while your soldiers win the game for you.

Mobius gave it a4:
My Rig is a Quad core 2 gig ram and a 8800 ultra card and for some reason the game still looks choppy, for starters the First Empire Earth Was great because of its size and its simple idea that you have a huge map you have armies and they fight until the last man is standing. games could go on for days, well mine did anyway. then empire earth 2 came out. ok they screwed it up by changing what made the first game great. but it looked ok but to be honest I still prefered the first game. then EE3 comes along. the only positive things i can say about Empire Earth 3 is that the box Art is nice and that the Disk inside the box is round and thats me being kind. my advice is to pick up the original on budget.

Novahawk gave it a1:
1 for trying to stay alive -9 for trying to take us down with this POS (forgive my french). First, I'd like to point out that whoever stuck us with that "italian" voiceover should rather stick with scrubbing toilets. It would match JajaGabor repeating over and over the same POS comments just to drive you beyond insane. Second, pathfinding and the graphic bugs keep coming left and right. Third, the graphics even at the highest lvls bring you at closer look the kind you get playing an old game back in 1999 quality. It's like painting your running shoes white so no one notice how dirty they are (seen that one kid did that back when I was in high school!!). Definitely, a dying game. Stay away from this black hole until they come to their senses and give you a huge patch to fix all the damages this beast unleashed can do to your well being.

Phil H. gave it a1:
This game is just awful. Corny lines help nothing everything has been generalized, let stainless steel productions make it. Mad doc has really ruined the series. If you are a fan of this game don't buy it.

Phil R. gave it a0:
Terrible. They stripped the game of everything that made the series excellent. Sadly, the only thing I did like was their resource gathering model. Only 3 factions, 5 eras (you move from Medieval, to WW1, to Mechs?!), and a host of other issues... Stay away at all costs.

Games

Sony

Microsoft

Nintendo

Other Platforms

Upcoming &Recent Releases

Empire Earth III

Game Info

Summary

Also On Metacritic

What The Critics Said

What Our Users Said

Upcoming &
Recent Releases