Cossacks 3 does not have a single, linear story, but rather features a collection of historical campaigns and scenarios centered on 17th–18th century European conflicts, emphasizing authentic military encounters over a character-driven narrative.

These focus on pivotal moments like the English Civil War (Roundheads vs. Cavaliers), Polish conflicts, and Russian expansion, offering 5-6 missions each.

The game functions primarily as a remake of Cossacks: Back to War , offering updated graphics to replay those historical scenarios, as noted on the Cossacks 3 Wiki .

Many players prefer these for creating custom battles on random maps, which better captures the chaotic, large-scale feel of the era, according to user reviews on YouTube .