The player is a political leader in the year 2001. The world is divided into 31 different states over 5 large countries. Their task is to become ruler of the world by the year 2500.[1]
The gameplay is similar to other 4X strategies like the Civilization series. The isometric world map is accurate to 2500 square kilometres.[2] The game is management first, and storyline second.[3]
The 3rd Millennium came out in France in 1997, and in early 1998 in the United States.
The representation of the game's elements is based on "actual census, socio-economic and ecological projections for the period 2000 to 2500".[2] While the game is serious and accurate in terms of data,[clarification needed] the developers added humour and political incorrectness to ensure the player did not take the game too seriously.[3][4] According to producer Stephan Ressot, there is no combat in the game because he didn't think conquering entire continents with military power was realistic in the modern world.[1]
PC Powerplay gave the game a rating of 52%.[5] PC Player gave it 38%.[6]
Cyro Interactive believes that the game failed to make an impact in Japan as the culture does not understand a "game of political intrigue with humour".[3] PC Zone felt that while the game's soundscape was "undeniably clever and surprisingly atmospheric", its gameplay was boring.[7] Avoc compared the title to Maxis' real-time strategy and management hybrid Sim City.[8]
^Wright, Andrew (13 August 2001). "The 3rd Millennium". PC Zone. ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Archived from the original on 13 November 2010. Retrieved 2018-08-31.
