Patrician III: Rise of the Hanse

 PC
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. IGN
    91
    It's one of the few games where I've never felt my options were artificially limited by the developer within the environment, though obviously that's the case; and where every actions I took had a host of logical secondary choices attached to it. If you're into strategic trading simulations, it truly doesn't get any better than this.
  2. Worth Playing
    90
    You will find yourself wanting to come back and try different tactics for your rise to fame. There is also enough to learn that you will have an almost constant discovery of new ways to make it to the top. I should mention here that the average gamer will find this game somewhat overwhelming.
  3. Gamer's Hell
    80
    For those who are already fans of the series, you’ll find more of the same thing that you loved in Patrician II; the biggest addition probably being the online multiplayer component, but Patrician III is structured in such a way that it is very accessible to newcomers as well, so come one, come all.
  5. GameZone
    79
    A lot of fun and can grow extremely addicting very, very quickly due to the various things and ways you can play, plus these factors also help to extend replay value and longevity well beyond a month or two.

Awards & Rankings

81
#81 Best PC Game of 2003
66
#66 Most Discussed PC Game of 2003
78
#78 Most Shared PC Game of 2003

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 58 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 58
  3. Negative: 2 out of 58
  1. apaeth
    Jul 6, 2011
    10
    Even nearly 8 years after it's debut it still stands up as one of the most addictive and elaborate economic trading sims ever made. TheEven nearly 8 years after it's debut it still stands up as one of the most addictive and elaborate economic trading sims ever made. The economy is dialed in and the trading aspect is complex enough to keep you on your toes. The graphics have aged the sea battles are beyond lame and yet it beats out modern games in this genres by miles.… Full Review »
  2. Speedster09
    Aug 13, 2011
    10
    If you're into micromanaging and slow-paced strategy gaming, Patrician 3 is my personal #1. Why? Because it is so incredibly addictive due toIf you're into micromanaging and slow-paced strategy gaming, Patrician 3 is my personal #1. Why? Because it is so incredibly addictive due to its depth, long-term goals, and complexity that create an incredible feeling of accomplishment if you decide to stick with it. First off, there are different scenarios you can choose from , though I always immediately went for the infinite play. You can adjust several game settings before you start to make your rise to wealth and power slower or faster. But the fun really starts after that. Starting with limited resources (money & ships) you are eased into the gameplay by starting out with a buying and selling goods; incredibly handy is the option to assign a key to switch between time settings; that way you can greatly cut down on idle time in the beginning of the game (later you'll likely be way too busy to use anything but the slowest speed);
    but the real excitement is all the other stuff you can do: build more and better ships; construct buildings to collect rent, or to produce or process raw materials that can be sold to the people in different cities as finished products; all of this serves to not only increase your wealth but to also gain the favor of the citizens in order to achieve your ultimate goal: to become elderman of the Hanse; not to mention that on your path to this goal you can become mayor of a city and take on all kinds of responsibilities that come with this, such as fighting off invaders and expanding the city;
    and did I mention you can also explore the far reaches of the seas, i.e. discover ports all over the owrld and bring back rare goods? or that you can decide to engage in some less legal profiteering such as sending out your ships on pirate raids?

    A word of caution though (perhaps really 2 points of caution):
    1) if you get into this game and like it, prepare to spend countless hours doing so (for why, see below); perhaps the only other games I have ever spend more time on are Morrowind and GTR2; the first because the world it offers for explorations is just insanely huge; and the latter because it really is open-ended by design
    2) the game is SLOW; especially later in the game when you will be manage a huge network of trade and supply routes to keep your production going and the people in different cities happy, you will likely play at the slowest speed settings at which a single day takes around 15 minutes (if my memory serves me well); now, even constructing a simple apartment complex or basic manufacturing buildings take a month or more to finish; not to mention that should you want to claim the mayor's seat in a city of your choosing, it will take a full year for new elections to commence    … Full Review »
  3. CiceroC.
    Nov 9, 2006
    9
    The game is fantastic! You can change your goals while playing it. You start just willing to make money through trade, but when the game The game is fantastic! You can change your goals while playing it. You start just willing to make money through trade, but when the game advances, you want more power, be mayor, be alderman. Dozens of hours of fun, in every game you play.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »