Indian war elephants steamrolling over Aztec warriors - sounds great right? Well thanks to Age of Empires III's latest expansion The Asian Dynasties, outrageous battle scenarios like that are now possible with the introduction of three new factions to the game. You'll also find some great gameplay tweaks, returning staples, and new multiplayer possibilities. What does all of that mean? It means that Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties is a must-buy game for series fans, but if you're still on the fence, let's take a look at what this expansion in greater detail.

Obviously the biggest addition to AOE 3 with Asian Dynasties are the three new playable countries: Japan, China, and India. Big Huge Games did a great job of making all three factions look and play unique while making some much needed changes to the core gameplay. Wait - Big Huge Games? The Rise of Nations guys? What happened to Ensemble Studios? My guess is they're too busy working on a little game called Halo Wars to contribute to an AOE expansion, but handing the series off to a new developer looks like it provided a necessary shot in the arm.

In addition to the new factions to mix things up, several new gameplay changes have been introduced that will definitely interest AOE fans. First up, Wonders are back. You might remember Wonders if you played AOE 1 or 2, but they were surprisingly absent from Age of Empires III. Each new faction gets five different Wonders to choose from that provide unique abilities, some almost God-like. You might find yourself thinking that you're playing Age of Mythology before too long. Besides Wonders, another key change for the Asian countries is the introduction of a fourth resource called tribute, which is similar to an adjustable tax. So what does your tribute get spent on? Backup. Asian countries have the ability to ally themselves with European nations and buy reinforcements the can completely change the outcome of a conflict.

The single player campaign for all three factions is generally well done, providing a variety of objectives, but many of them give you only one path to complete them. While the mixed up missions fun to play, you won't get a lot of mileage out of playing them again with different strategies. On the multiplayer side, the big new attraction is King of the Hill, which plays like just about any other KotH game you've played. That said, it's an absolute blast in The Asian Dynasties and does a great job of keeping the multiplayer offering fresh.

Despite being a two year old engine, Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties still looks really sharp. It helps that AOE 3 was a cutting edge game at release, but the art style of The Asian Dynasties is extremely attractive. The artists at Big Huge Games did a great job of capturing the unique building structures and military units for the new factions. There might be some more technically advanced RTS games out there, but you'll have a hard time finding any as appealing to look at as The Asian Dynasties.

While The Asian Dynasties probably won't manage to suck any new fans in (unless you've got a ninja or samurai obsession), it's a solid expansion pack that manages to deviate from its predecessors just enough to feel unique.