Originally published in the May 2007 issue of Military History. The Aztec Empire is only available in multiplayer mode. Joining his Iroquois allies, Nathaniel fights in the American Revolution, while Chayton fights alongside the Sioux Nation in the Sioux Wars during the latter half of the 19th century. The storyline of the single-player campaign follows the fictional Nathaniel Black and his son Chayton. Here, the Aztecs use the spear and atlatl-a spear-throwing shaft greatly feared by Spanish conquistadors. Stretching from about 1325 to 1521, the Aztec Empire saw little European influence and relied on large infantry forces.
The Sioux led a nomadic lifestyle transformed by the Spanish introduction of horses to the Great Plains in the 15th century. Historically, the Iroquois adapted steel and gunpowder from European colonists, thus the virtual Iroquois boast a strong infantry and cavalry with rifles and cannons. What makes the game great from a historical standpoint is how gameplay differs between each culture. Each player now controls one of three Native American civilizations: the Iroquois Confederacy, the Sioux Nation or the Aztec Empire. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with Age of Empires. The game mechanics are still well balanced with the new races, although the battles never reach the drama of the dynamic skirmishes of a Dawn of War. Ensemble Studios remedies this in the expansion pack Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs. Neither Age of Empires 3 nor the Warchiefs add-on can compete with the graphics of highlights such as Paraworld or Company of Heroes. In the original Age of Empires III, Native American cultures made cameos, but weren’t included as playable civilizations.
