Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

every update makes pathing worse and all the new civs do not fit in the gameplay. devs keep adding silly units and ruining the core gameplay loops

I write this review for people that are deciding whether to buy the game or not. The way i see it, its one of the most balanced and lasting RTS games i played. It does have it's downsides alongside with more advantages. To the former there is: - Lack of significant punishment for players leaving mid game - the second some random loser sees he lost 2 units, he quits the game and leaves the rest of the team lacking a teammate, wasting everyones time, cause you usually lose 3v4 for example. The only punishment for that is, if you leave such game before 5 mins in game passes, u get 5 min ban. - Inability to rejoin game after internet crashes - its self explanatory - Lack of chat in lobby searching for game (it does have in game chat when game starts tho) - No significant rewards for doing stuff in game - some games have tidal awards for completing a random target, this game limits itself to giving profile avatars. This might be good or bad depending on how much motivation you need to play - Old goddamn community - average player in this game is a 30-40 yo latino dude with 4 kids disturbing his game while he rushes. If you ask why is it a problem, its because those guys dont even feel engaged in game and dont see any problem leaving it after minor inconvenience, cause they "dont have time" to rebuild (their wife will kill them for playing late and kids wont hear a lullaby I guess [average game takes 30 mins]). Plusses of AoE II are: - Balanced mechanics - every unit is being countered by something - Good modding system - you can customize both multiplayer unranked lobby and singleplayer match in various ways such as visuals, new buildings and mechanics like Castle Blood. Ranked game you can easily customize only visual way of course but its not always the case in RTS games so its cool - Continuous support for the game - AoE still has decent player base so I guess Microsoft sees profit in releasing DLCs and updates to the game. In my opinion those stuff are done well and are enriching it - Rich single and multiplayer service - singleplayer enjoyer has few options to pick from and these usually are skirmish or campaign. The latter offers gameplay of almost every faction in game (45 factions). Multiplayer is classic but due to the amount of nations to play as, the same map can be played in many different ways depending on the faction - Non childish graphics - I must admit these are old and all but if you are not 5 yo, you wont complain about AoE being designed for kids (and thus simplistic) in any way - Cool looking unit massing - its less objective but I personally like how massed unit of paladins, archer or meatgrinder in choke points look like Thats all i can think of. I hope it is helpful to someone in case they want to decide to play this game or not. I'd say myself its worth it. Downsides might be the same number as upsides but it doesnt mean the latter doesnt outweight the former.

Classic and still great and balanced RTS game!

Only RTS I ever spent much time with is Warcraft II back in the day. Age of Empires II is better in almost every way. Only thing I liked more about Warcraft II was the music and sound effects. But AoE2 adds a little bit of complexity, but doesn't overdo it. It's just the right amount. Things seem really balanced. And the art is gorgeous throughout. Watching the armies fight is sooooo awesome.

Fantastic value at only $20 or $15 for HD owners. This is a full-fledged remaster with a lot of love put into it, far superior to the AOE 2 HD offering. If you're interested in playing AOE2, this is the version you should be playing. Pros: + Classic and great AOE2 gameplay + Fresh new graphics and animations + Packed with content. Includes ALL prior expansions and a new expansion campaign + 4 entirely new civilizations, which roughly doubles the content, civilizations, etc. from the original release and expansion. Tons of campaign content (150+ hours). 35 civs total, more than two dozen campaigns, numerous historical battles, etc. + Lots of quality of life improvements including on-screen control groups, default QWERTY-grid hotkeys (can toggle to classic), auto-reseeding farms, improvements to queues, numbers telling you how many villagers are gathering each resource, and more - but nothing that feels like it's dumbing the game down. + Revamped campaigns with new voice acting and thematic polish + Updated music and sounds + Camera zoom + Server based multiplayer instead of terrible P2P connections (a bit rough at launch, have patience people) + Improved AI + New official tutorials to help people ease into online and competitive play + New "Empires War" game mode allows for Random Map style games without the first 7-10 minutes of monotonous sheep herding/scouting and boar luring. Of course, RM is still there for the purists. Cons: - Optimization isn't great and hopefully will be improved. It runs completely fine for me on a Ryzen 7 and a 1060 GB, but a lot of AOE 2 players have potato PCs. Judging from other reviews, if you have a potato PC this release may frustrate you. - Multiplayer was rough at launch but has been rapidly improving. I hear there are crossplay issues still but it's been very smooth for me, especially in ranked. - Pathfinding could have been improved more.

its a fun easy no time consuming game, don't need high graphics and a tactical game. Its been around for many many years but still fun to play. Strategy games are like chess its not demanding but persuasive its a lot of fun game.

Online gaming community is very toxic; beware. Most are not good sports. They ruin the game. Just play the computer.

The game itself is actually great, well, the parts of it that work, quite a few of the random maps simply don't work at all, or aren't compatible with the AI, hell, let's talk about the AI for a second. I play the game casually and typically Co Op with my sister, so I can't exactly speak on high level play, but the difficulty steps between AI are devoid of nuance, and only allow you to play the game in one specific way. As for the older AIs (from my childhood, that's the Conquerors edition), those simply don't function in the slightest either.

We need more players, this takes some time to get onboarded but once you get your hands on it, it's super fun. The game is crazy balanced and you will enjoy it!

Great classic game that has improved massively with the DE remaster. New campaigns and maps are awesome and a super fun time playing

Absolutely love it. If you are a fan of the series or just RTS in general this is a must buy. Some of the DLC isn't the best (sternly looking at you 3 Kingdoms -.-), but the fact we are still getting new DLCs for a game that's 25 years old is testament to it's quality & popularity. The design, the soundtrack, the huge variety of civilisations to play as, the modern take on a blast of nostalgia - it's the full package. Simply put this game has been my favourite game since I first discovered it on it's release as a 10 year old, It's awesome!

This will go down as the greatest game pre-singularity. Everyone should experience the majesty of AoE2!

Exactly the old version but runs more smoothly and less crashes. A lot of variable settings make for a lot of quality of life improvements regardless of playing campaigns, skirmish or online. Still awesome.

Best empire based game. with great stratagy and team game play mechanics.

Great game. Build your colony and dominate the map. The unique units for each different civilization are cool.

I've played this game since my childhood, many years ago. I have always recommended this to anyone who would be interested.

You already know what this is. You've likely already spent over a thousand hours on it in your lifetime. But there is one thing you don't know yet. The Chronicles of Greece DLC campaign is an absolute masterpiece. The level design for each of these missions is lightyears ahead of the original campaigns. Everything outside of this DLC is pretty much the same, but this one is different. You get 21 missions and each and every one of them is legendary. Now I'm done. Deleting this game and putting Age of Empires behind me for good. Sayonara.

I've been playing this game since I was about 12 years old. Call me nostalgic, but I keep coming back to it. It's so fun and relaxing to play. There's so many options for single or cooperative play. This was (and probably still is) the classic LAN Party game, and is in my humble opinion the best RTS every made. The upgraded graphics and new civs are both fun and true to the original game. Is it bad I can hear the sound effects in my sleep lol? So many good memories playing this game. It's a classic I think every RTS lover should have in their collection. I've probably clocked well over a 1000 hrs over the years between my different accounts.

A good RTS classic that have proved to be really entertaining and balanced so the pleasure is always there

you cannot turn off the DLC you do not have in multiplayer. besides, just by looking at the UI i know where this game is going, it isn't a good place.

amazing game, I had been playing this for the past 10 years and never felt bored

I haven't played much of it kinda pushed it away to play other stuff but I really like it the gameplay is pretty good and the graphics are not that bad. The only problem is that I suck at rts games lol

Still one of the best. Ladder and tournament scene is still popping, even at lower MMR. Always a good game to get into imo, even if you are new to the genre!

Loads of fun especially if you have the nostalgia of the original. Love the new Greek DLC, especially. I hope they add more Ancient Civs like the Egyptians and the Carthaginians like from the first game.

I never thought I would one day play an RTS game. It was difficult and painful for me when I first started, but no pain, no gain. I've learned many things from this game, patience, strategic planning, tactics, and even how to read the psychological state of other players. It's a must-play game.

Its AoE2, its good. Its great. Get it. Endless fun and if you like history, its a no-brainer

Tone of fun, many different campaigns, a blast of nostalgia.

Solid gameplay. Doesn't require long grinds to play. Near infinite variety of game play. Competitive and Casual play is possible.

It's good ol' Age2, its fun, it's really balanced! there's a great community behind it (Youtube: T90 (caster), Spirit of the Law (Analyzer), Hera/Viper (Top 2 players)

Absolutely love this game. It is by far one of the greatest RTS games out there. AoE is extremely well balanced, contains tons of depth and if so much fun to play. You can easily enjoy multiplayer endlessly or complete the campaigns which also throw some history lessons at you. Graphics are great for what this game is with tons of details and decent music along with it, the game is smooth & responsive which I love. The only down down side for me is some of the sound effects are are repetitive but you don't notice it to much when things are moving along. AoE has been around for over 25 years that itself speaks volumes of how good this game is! Its great fun which you can load up anytime over and over and have a battle or two to let of some steam.

Always will be one of the best games ever to have been made and sustained since launch ! 15/10 experience.

Ive loved this game ever since I was a kid. Love the fact theyre still making DLCs and updates!

One of my favorite games since early childhood, now definitive! Great strategy game! :)

WOLOLO Probably have more then 3000 hrs on this one and I still feel as a newbie Played this game since 2000, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, when I didnt even own a PC, used to spend hours playing with random ppl that became friends soon, every monitor had this game on at that time! Still cant believe this game is more alive now then ever and it progressed so much Great solo content, campaigns, scenarios Crazy multiplayer lobbies, mods, options so much to explore, just the best experience you can ask as a strategy lover! This game made me love rts games, I recommended and brought so many friends to play it that we play it to this day! Hope this game keeps progressing and to show it to my future generations

i have been playing this game since its release and in my opinion it is the best game in its genre. I love this game and no matter what other games come out this one is still my go to game.

Never played before, got hooked in immediately. Steep learning curve, but very rewarding and fun, especially with friends.

doing co op campaign. it's good. Unlike age of mythology retold, I notice almost no quality of life adjustments, but it's true to the original and has good content

What can I say, this game is a classic and its more fun than ever to play. This game can be incredibly competitive in ranked and offers a challenge for any skill level. The campaigns are pretty fun too and overall just a great game.

One of the classic RTS's. The best in it's series. if you like star craft war craft command and conquer and others. this is a must buy. don't bother with the other three unless that one was the one you grew up playing. which to be honest this is the one i grew up with but i played the first one too. I think it's well known that this was the favorite.

i have played this game for hundreds of hours over the years and still love it.

I treat this game as a Sandcastle building simulator: I can make a wonderful civilization that flourishes in peace, and then my friends come in and smash it all to pieces because my brain can't handle the tactics and micromanagement necessary to win. Good fun regardless!

One of the best RTS games ever made; still updated with new content 26 years after its original release. 10/10 would recommend. Even better with friends.

Coming from AOE3, I’ve loved how AOE2 focuses on clean mechanics and pure strategy. After 35 hours, it's clear: less complexity, more depth. A classic that still delivers.

This is a timeless classic title. I'm incredibly pleased that the game has been repeatedly updated to keep it relevant.

My dad does not like to play this version as much as the 2013 HD edition, because the troops are a little harder for him to see vs. the background, and they made the AI smarter so you can't cheese them as easily. There is a setting to revert it to the original base-game AI, though, so this still gets a recommendation from me.

this game stole my tumor collection and also my dad (collection) turns out tumors are bad for you-- dads hahahahahahaha funny

its a great game and been playing for years, never gets tired of it.

legendary, and historical, and fun

Pathfinding sucks. The ai can be really fucking annoying with how it micros archers away from your units, chases villagers to the ends of the earth and trickles soldiers at you when being attacked (aggroing your units into tower or castle fire). Casual multiplayer is fun but usually boils down to a late game unit spam slog, and competitive multiplayer is stressful and sweaty. But damn when it's fun it's really fun. I keep coming back for more even 20 years later and despite my issues with it I still highly recommend it for anyone even remotely interested in this kind of game. If you want to know all the reasons why it's great, there's endless videos about it, which is why I felt the need to point out the flaws despite my recommendation.

It is a fantastic game that I have fond memories playing as a little kid. The only thing I want to point out as something that I personally dont like that much, is that it is very much a fast paced game. I still love it though XD