Cossacks 3 - izigame

Game Info

Cossacks 3 is the third main game in the long-running historical real-time strategy series. This entry is described as a remake of the concept of the original games and it has a mix of different elements such as base building, resource gathering and the production of raw materials, a technology tree and a full economy, but also the large-scale battles with up to 10,000 units on a single battlefield in full 3D similar to the Total War series. Battle elements include a limited supply of weapons, the impact of the landscape, and the use of tactical formations. The game is based on history of the 17th and 18th century and contains twelve nations, 70 different unit types, more than 140 historical buildings and 100 research opportunities. Battles are done on land as well as on sea using a full armade of ships. The single-player portions consists of five campaigns and multiplayer is supported for up to eight players on a single map. Randomly generated maps can be used to challenge computer opponents.

Name

Cossacks 3

Companies

GSC Game World

Released

9/20/2016

Platforms

Linux, Mac, PC (Microsoft Windows)

Type

Real Time Strategy (RTS), Strategy

0

izigame

members favorited

Reviews

Tuesday, April 9, 2024 2:21:32 PM

4 Steam users votes up

excr

Steam user

See the screenshot with two massive armies facing each other with infantry squares and rows of line infantry? This game really is like that. Late game battles are truly epic in scale, with satisfying sound effects (the crackle of gunfire and thumping artillery) and nice graphics (muzzle flashes and musket smoke).
Three things I particularly love about Cossacks:
- Formations: you need an officer and a drummer to whip your infantry into shape, and different formations give combat bonuses, as well as making it easier to build satisfying armies, rather than the typical RTS blobs. You can also "refill" regiments with new units to replenish losses, which works a treat.
- The 17th and 18th century setting, which captures the transition from pike and shot armies to line infantry as each game progresses. The research tree is extensive, balanced and reflects the time period - the developers clearly loved their history. Also, the different factions' buildings are gorgeous.
- The economic side of the game & base building is important and much better than I'd expected. Artillery, muskets or ships use up iron and coal when they fire, and mercenaries, ships or 18th century armies cost lots of gold.
There are a few QoL nibbles such as finicky capture mechanics for civilian buildings (they tend to explode...) and no button to change formation size without disbanding & reforming, etc. There are some missed opportunities that I think would've elevated it from a great game to a masterpiece, such as voice acting, a few more unique units to increase faction differentiation, a castle / star fort building and an in-game encyclopedia. As it is, you'll want to check the top voted Steam guide, which outlines faction differences.
The UI doesn't scale brilliantly on resolutions above 1920x1080, it gets bigger and blurrier than necessary and I haven't found a way to fix this. It's not a dealbreaker but it's a shame as it makes it feel like an older game than it really is, especially since the graphics are still solid and the gameplay fun. It works on Windows 11 fine (some people seem to have issues with AMD graphic cards).