Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

 PC
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 339 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 297 out of 339
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 339
  3. Negative: 24 out of 339

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  1. AdamP
    Feb 2, 2020
    9
    This is how your remaster a game! I hope you're listening Activision-Blizzard! WC3 - Reforged: Disastapiece

    Age of Empires II - Definitive Edition isn't just a simple remaster, the additions are great, quality of life improvements, nice visuals and sound design, all the civs from the HD expansions, regular fixes and patches (sadly it's necessary, there are still glitches). You know    This is how your remaster a game! I hope you're listening Activision-Blizzard! WC3 - Reforged: Disastapiece

    Age of Empires II - Definitive Edition isn't just a simple remaster, the additions are great, quality of life improvements, nice visuals and sound design, all the civs from the HD expansions, regular fixes and patches (sadly it's necessary, there are still glitches).
    You know it's a success when even the pro players started to play it after release. I personally expected the game to be decent but I thought pros will stay with HD. Thankfully it's so good they play it too.
    What I missed from the original are all in here. There are a few optimization issues too, hopefully it'll be fixed too.

    In overall: MASTAPIECE, above average price/value ratio    … Expand
  2. marcantoineg
    Dec 6, 2019
    10
    Everything you should expect from an AoEII remaster. Much improved graphics. New campaigns and civs. All previous dlcs. No complaint from me.
  3. findus2017
    Dec 15, 2019
    10
    AoE 2 was my first game ever bought in 1999. I played it to death, probably 2 000 hours. 20 years later we have the remake that everyone wanted.

    This time around I'm actually playing the new DLCs and they are amazing! Some of them even combine elements of AoE 1. I just can't stop playing, this game is an absolute masterpiece! 1 month after release and I'm 50+ hours into the game, only    AoE 2 was my first game ever bought in 1999. I played it to death, probably 2 000 hours. 20 years later we have the remake that everyone wanted.

    This time around I'm actually playing the new DLCs and they are amazing! Some of them even combine elements of AoE 1. I just can't stop playing, this game is an absolute masterpiece! 1 month after release and I'm 50+ hours into the game, only playing campaigns.

    The game is absolutely amazing, and the only version I will play from now on. I absolutely love this game! I won't say anything more, Age of Empires II Definitive Edition is an experience and cannot be told by words.

    10/10.    … Expand
  4. EmilF
    Feb 1, 2020
    10
    Did not cost much to buy
    Very impressive graphics
    Almost perfect stable online gameplay
    Very / No delay in online game
    So much content
    Developers care for user feedback
    They care for hotfixes and game balance
  5. Duck96
    Dec 21, 2019
    10
    Me first game I have ever played with beter graphics and more! Childhood with modern times! TY for this!
  6. Torkalna
    Feb 2, 2020
    10
    A very well done remake of a classic. Playing through campain missions, it all looked and played how I remembered. Truly the best version of this classic RTS.
  7. Jara0z
    Nov 27, 2019
    9
    Perfect game. good old days. Is the same game, but better quality and graphics, You should try it out if you never play it, is for all ages and everyone will enjoy it.
  8. JustPlayer
    Feb 3, 2020
    9
    Excellent games received an excellent remaster. The game has become more beautiful, it works quickly, stably, conveniently. The price is fair.
  9. Camlambelot
    Mar 6, 2022
    9
    It's simple; if you loved the original you will love this one. Many QOL improvements and better graphics and features etc.

    If you are new to this franchise or type of game, give it time and you will learn to love it. It's got great campaigns, history lessons and great gameplay solo and with friends, with or against A.I.
  10. ADeadDeath
    Dec 23, 2019
    9
    O jogo só não é perfeito por ser muito desbalanceado em algumas missões de campanha. É de longe um dos melhores jogos de estratégia que tem (pra muitos o melhor), mas pra mim ele ainda perde pra starcraft 2
  11. Lerickmmc
    Feb 5, 2020
    10
    Gracias por el juego, se nota el cambio y se agradece eternamente lo de las granjas automaticas.
  12. zereor
    Feb 3, 2020
    10
    Это гениально, лучше никто не смог, поменять графику, интерфейс, добавить новые расы, улучшить ИИ, голос диктора, саундтрек, и все сделать отлично и с любовью к деталям. Близардам бы поучится у вас делать ремастеры , а то рефордж полная шляпа.Это гениально, лучше никто не смог, поменять графику, интерфейс, добавить новые расы, улучшить ИИ, голос диктора, саундтрек, и все сделать отлично и с любовью к деталям. Близардам бы поучится у вас делать ремастеры , а то рефордж полная шляпа.
  13. Narkosis
    Feb 2, 2020
    10
    Nostalgia in HD. Game graphics are beautiful, new races are awesome, new multiplayer system is much better and game price is really cheap. Good job Microsoft remastering a classic game.
  14. Tanathos
    Feb 2, 2020
    10
    An excellent remaster to a classic. Improved graphics and models, and new quality of life improvements without losing the feel of the original game, and a dedicated developer team, that actively continues to improve the game with feedback from the community.
  15. Leato15
    Feb 5, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Estaba precioso el juego age of empires II DE mejores graficos se quedo espectacular… Expand
  16. Keimpe
    Nov 16, 2019
    10
    I had to make an account and talk about how terrific this game is.
    All the Campaigns of previous versions are there. The developers are tracking the little bugs that arose, the game gets almost daily updates.
    All civs feel genuine, exceptional units, deep immersive AI, Perfect package for a very low price, and you get a little history lesson on the side if desired. Perfect game, and it's    I had to make an account and talk about how terrific this game is.
    All the Campaigns of previous versions are there. The developers are tracking the little bugs that arose, the game gets almost daily updates.
    All civs feel genuine, exceptional units, deep immersive AI, Perfect package for a very low price, and you get a little history lesson on the side if desired. Perfect game, and it's only getting better with every update. Excellent.

    What bugs me is this review:

    "Sorry but: Bad performance, censorship with corpse and audio (especially women), glitches and bugs, campaigns deleted because some minorities believe is "bad" for this era, very bad online at the moment, extremely disk usage when game is opened with lot of freezing.""

    This all is utterly False!

    All campaigns of all the Expansions are just there. The 'death' sound is a bug which has been tracked by developers. How this is just women related, is just completely false.
    Yes there were some glitches, but with the daily patch all has been resolved for me. Even on my lower pc, everything runs smooth, if you cancel the fog of war animations.
    Online is working fine.

    It bugs me that some player gives a bad score based on assumptions. Which are not true at all or evn close to what the developers had in mind. There is no racism or deleting of campaigns at all. It's a historical game, with every expansion included, and even 4 more civs to accompany the many civs already present. And all feel genuine. So there you have it, the perfect historical RTS for the perfect price.    … Expand
  17. GutiOut
    Nov 21, 2019
    10
    Masterpiece! The best RTS of all times with a great graphic engine and dedicated servers for Multiplayer. Ridiculous amount of content for single player. Enjoy it forever.
    9/10 (Optimization)
  18. Nastynoob3
    Nov 16, 2019
    10
    Its amazing. Do not listen to the haters, buy the game, now, youre missing one of the best rts games of all time. IN HD.
  19. Theley
    Dec 5, 2019
    9
    Great game. I've never played the original one but I'm really digging this one. Co-op is good and has many custom maps and mods. Totally recommended.
  20. aok_oldschool
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    It’s all here. 35 civilizations, 25+ campaigns with 150+ hours of content, new multiplayer style training tutorials, a new game mode. Improved graphics, animations and sound. Server based multiplayer. Quality of life improvements. Reasonably priced. Pretty much everything you could hope for in a remaster. A lot of love went into this, it’s far superior to the HD edition.

    Pathfinding is    It’s all here. 35 civilizations, 25+ campaigns with 150+ hours of content, new multiplayer style training tutorials, a new game mode. Improved graphics, animations and sound. Server based multiplayer. Quality of life improvements. Reasonably priced. Pretty much everything you could hope for in a remaster. A lot of love went into this, it’s far superior to the HD edition.

    Pathfinding is still stuck in the 90s and potato pc players may struggle to run the game well before optimization is improved but everything else is glorious.    … Expand
  21. Peeto
    Nov 16, 2019
    10
    Excellent. Its everything old AoE2 fan was hoping for and even more. Best gameplay is remain with a lot quality of life improvements. Graphics and animations are amazing. Music is also very nice, I like it. There are all campaigns ever released, including new ones from hd remaster + completely new campaign and new civilisations. This beast is priced very low for what it can offer to old orExcellent. Its everything old AoE2 fan was hoping for and even more. Best gameplay is remain with a lot quality of life improvements. Graphics and animations are amazing. Music is also very nice, I like it. There are all campaigns ever released, including new ones from hd remaster + completely new campaign and new civilisations. This beast is priced very low for what it can offer to old or new players. Just grab it now. I have potato pc and it still plays very well around 100fps with ultra hd textures and everything maxed out. Just turn off vsync, it will triple your fps. enjoy the briliant game.… Expand
  22. mAs7eRa
    Nov 25, 2019
    10
    Great game! One of the main reasons I give high score is because Both community and developer are still working hard for this game, despite the 20 years release of the initial game. Yes, for some people might not run very smooth (with 7+ years old pc) and yes, it does require some money even if u have all the editions till now. But the game is STILL alive, and what I love is - that theyGreat game! One of the main reasons I give high score is because Both community and developer are still working hard for this game, despite the 20 years release of the initial game. Yes, for some people might not run very smooth (with 7+ years old pc) and yes, it does require some money even if u have all the editions till now. But the game is STILL alive, and what I love is - that they let MODS work, they continue to improve the performance and will release more and more patches. Good job to the developers and community! Both are key-elements in the success of the game!… Expand
  23. Admer
    Nov 26, 2019
    9
    This is one of the best remastered I've seen of all the games. Beautiful picture and a lot of small changes
  24. marses
    Nov 20, 2019
    10
    The best version of AoE2! Buy it and no hesitate any moment. If you are a fan of previous editions it is an obligatory purchase.
  25. KorPassionist
    Dec 8, 2019
    10
    Yes! I've been waiting for this game! This is the best game i have ever played. I still remember 1999 when I first played this game. I'm very happy to recall the memory of that time.
  26. Audio_Hooligan
    Dec 20, 2019
    10
    Best Age of Empires for the money. Played for many hours and never experienced any crashes. Loved this game as a kid and still play it to this day. This game is a gem, a classic.
  27. theking104
    Dec 24, 2019
    10
    Ein würdige Definitive Edition!!
    Patches werden gross nach gereicht und auf die Community wird gehört, eines der besten Spiele das sehr gut gealtert ist.
  28. KoopaTropa
    Dec 27, 2019
    9
    Well, the game is an improved graphics version of the same age of empires that we have always had, nothing as impressive as the third game with new mechanics and graphics superior to the old games.
  29. Ben_Arhangel
    Mar 9, 2022
    0
    Пишу рецензию т.к. подгорело от политики майков. Блокировать игру обычным работягам за то, чего они не делали равносильно грабежу т.к. за игру уплачено. Позиция компании о том, что это будет мотивировать людей менять политическую ситуацию ущербна, по их логике я причастен к данной ситуации только потому, что я родился в определенной стране.Пишу рецензию т.к. подгорело от политики майков. Блокировать игру обычным работягам за то, чего они не делали равносильно грабежу т.к. за игру уплачено. Позиция компании о том, что это будет мотивировать людей менять политическую ситуацию ущербна, по их логике я причастен к данной ситуации только потому, что я родился в определенной стране. И я прекрасно понимаю что не сделав то, что делают все остальные компании сейчас на майкрософт полились бы помои, но я также понимаю что они делают это отнюдь не из-за своих убеждений, а только исходя из коммерческой выгоды. И это совершенно нормально для такой корпорации, но как быть заплатившим за данный продукт уже не их дело.
    Хочу добавить что сама игра шедевральна (не зря я отыграл около около 240 часов) и поиграть в нее рекомендую, но людей оставили без денег и без возможности играть. ВЕРНИТЕ ЛЮДЯМ ИГРУ!!!    … Expand
  30. Aleksei_Krolev
    Mar 9, 2022
    0
    В связи с сложившейся ситуацией на Украине, для жителей Российской Федерации Майкрософт ввели санкции на игру, у меня вопрос к здравомыслящим людям, при чем тут обычные жители, которые хотят провести свободное время за любимой игрой. Сама игра хорошая, но политика компании оставляет желать лучшего.В связи с сложившейся ситуацией на Украине, для жителей Российской Федерации Майкрософт ввели санкции на игру, у меня вопрос к здравомыслящим людям, при чем тут обычные жители, которые хотят провести свободное время за любимой игрой. Сама игра хорошая, но политика компании оставляет желать лучшего.
  31. DrToenail
    Jun 28, 2020
    10
    The regular price is just $20 but honestly I'd buy it twice at $60 and still feel like I got my money's worth. Forgotten Empires worked hard and did an amazing job remastering an already masterpiece to somehow make it even better.

    You should get it if any ONE (1) of the following are true: *You were a fan of the original *You like any type of RTS games *You like games with an absurd    The regular price is just $20 but honestly I'd buy it twice at $60 and still feel like I got my money's worth. Forgotten Empires worked hard and did an amazing job remastering an already masterpiece to somehow make it even better.

    You should get it if any ONE (1) of the following are true:
    *You were a fan of the original
    *You like any type of RTS games
    *You like games with an absurd amount of single player content (130+ hours to finish all the campaigns)
    *You like chilling and making nice looking cities against easy AI
    *You like playing fun casual matches with friends and doing ridiculous things
    *You like games with good mods and community support
    *You like games with competitive multiplayer
    *You like games where you can make your own custom games within the game

    It has something for everyone, maybe too much content even if you like more than two of those criteria, and the kicker is that the devs even care enough to patch the game monthly, adding events and balance changes. The game is thriving, and will continue to be for many years to come.    … Expand
  32. Krazykov
    Feb 8, 2020
    10
    Age of empires was a big part of my childhood growing up in late 90's and early 2000's. When you hear a classic game being remade its always a mixed bag of emotions, yay another reason to get into it again and oh no what if they mess it up (cough blizzard cough). But I have to say Microsoft did an awesome job, this still feels exactly like AoE2 as I remember it only better.
  33. nobody_b
    Nov 27, 2021
    10
    I simply love Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition! The campaings and multiplayer will keep you bussy very many hours!
  34. gabrielhahn
    Feb 10, 2021
    10
    It exceeded my expectations, never thought it could be better than the classic version.
  35. EuropeXIII
    Mar 11, 2021
    10
    Best medieval real time strategy game ever made.
    10/10 Graphics
    10/10 Sound + Music
    10/10 Campaigns
    10/10 Multiplayer with dedicated server and modern ranked system.
    500% more content then any other RTS ever made.
  36. BobTheViking
    Feb 10, 2020
    10
    This is how you remaster an RTS! Not only is it a great nostalgia trip for those who loved it before, but its great for people who never got into Age back in the day but would like to experience it now!
  37. yunlu18
    Feb 6, 2020
    10
    FIrst review on metacritics.This game is a masterpiece! You wont get that much history and campain and civs in this price nowadays compared to other games. And this game defined what is definitive.Not reforged!
  38. Borabeauty
    Feb 6, 2020
    9
    It’s good, but have some bugs.
    Like cannot count the unit kill.
    And the art of war have bug, make me cannot finish
  39. godi
    Feb 7, 2020
    10
    Really masterpiece.Best remastered game ever.Just look at Warcraft 3:Reforged and you'll understand me.This game bringing a really feeling of medieval times,many civilizations and other distinctive solutions.
  40. 3mcd
    Jun 2, 2020
    10
    Excelente remaster
    El juego se ha vuelto más hermoso, realmente esta genial el apartado grafico, la mejora notable en lo de las granjas
  41. Boidpro
    May 26, 2020
    10
    After having played for more than 100 hours I can finally write a review, I have read reviews that say it crashes or does not open, I had no problems in the more than 100 hours played, regarding the game itself I am going to say that simply It is spectacular. It has the same gameplay as the previous ones but the graphics are beautiful, the music is spectacular, the new animations are greatAfter having played for more than 100 hours I can finally write a review, I have read reviews that say it crashes or does not open, I had no problems in the more than 100 hours played, regarding the game itself I am going to say that simply It is spectacular. It has the same gameplay as the previous ones but the graphics are beautiful, the music is spectacular, the new animations are great and the new remastered sounds are incredible. I far exceed my expectations ... in addition to that The Forgotten's campaigns were re-launched and now they also have dialogues.
    Also if you don't like the new AI you can change it for any of the previous games.
    Finally (I don't know if this was implemented in Age HD) the fact that two people control the same civ in the same game was in spectacular detail and rare to experience.
    I just take off my hat before this final edition just great.    … Expand
  42. Manja_
    Oct 30, 2021
    9
    Amazing game, many childhood memories and with improved visuals, if you like rts play it
  43. hepal
    Jun 20, 2020
    10
    Great game, a true remaster. A lot of civilizations, competitive multiplayer.
  44. robotchipmunk
    Jul 2, 2020
    9
    For fans of AOE2, this game is a dream come true. The graphics are greatly improved, and the quality of life improvements are very nice (farm auto reseeding, waypoints). The main thing that I think should have been fixed that wasn't was civ balancing.
  45. EmirD00
    Jul 21, 2020
    10
    Years later, with the same excitement, Age of Empires 2.
    Gameplay does not different much from the old game. And the game doesn't need it. The gameplay is already great.
    Graphics and interface have been developed and adapted to the present day. The online system has been improved and the ranked match mode has been introduced. There is also an increase in the number of maps and    Years later, with the same excitement, Age of Empires 2.
    Gameplay does not different much from the old game. And the game doesn't need it. The gameplay is already great.
    Graphics and interface have been developed and adapted to the present day.
    The online system has been improved and the ranked match mode has been introduced.
    There is also an increase in the number of maps and nationalities.
    And some new languages ​​have been added to the game.
    I got the same pleasure from Aoe2 again. Thank you ...    … Expand
  46. Jack725
    Oct 12, 2020
    10
    Such a wonderful game, remastered and improved. This is the perfect RTS, 1000s of hours of entertainment.

    I'm not even good at the game but I love it!
  47. Kreys89
    Dec 28, 2020
    10
    Wonderful remake of a brilliant game. It looks exactly how I remembered this game, however, running the old one again shows how much work have been done here:
    - beautiful, high res 4k graphics
    - super smooth units animations - no idea how many frames they had before, but now they're beautiful - a lot of user experience and controls improvements, making the game much more easy and    Wonderful remake of a brilliant game. It looks exactly how I remembered this game, however, running the old one again shows how much work have been done here:
    - beautiful, high res 4k graphics
    - super smooth units animations - no idea how many frames they had before, but now they're beautiful
    - a lot of user experience and controls improvements, making the game much more easy and pleasant to play
    - new civilizations, new campaigns
    - new multi with nice ranked elo based games
    - Art of War tutorials - excellent for mastering basics for competitive multiplayer gaming

    To sum up: wonderful, complete and epic RTS game. If you liked original - then you have to play this version. If not and you want to play some complex, beautiful 2D strategy game - then you won't regret this.    … Expand
  48. IamDalv
    Nov 11, 2021
    10
    A perfect example of a remaster done right to one of the best RTS games of all times. Lots of quality of life improvements, new graphics, while keeping the same style of the original AoE2 from 1999, and at the same time there is new content as well, with new civilizations and campaigns. Whether you are into competitive multiplayer, or casual multiplayer with friends, or coop campaigns orA perfect example of a remaster done right to one of the best RTS games of all times. Lots of quality of life improvements, new graphics, while keeping the same style of the original AoE2 from 1999, and at the same time there is new content as well, with new civilizations and campaigns. Whether you are into competitive multiplayer, or casual multiplayer with friends, or coop campaigns or solo campaigns, it's all there. It is really cheap priced for the huge amount of content it offers, you should buy it now, and if you are an RTS fan it's totally a no brainer!… Expand
  49. heisenberg_88
    Nov 24, 2021
    10
    Best RTS game with improved graphics.
    This game is a masterpiece . I enjoy each and every gameplay as i can create countless possible strategies to play the game and win . This is a MUST play game .
  50. vare_babhta
    Dec 16, 2021
    10
    The goat of rts is here the best of the old school game with better graphics and playmode 10/10
  51. Jorchking
    Nov 15, 2019
    4
    Sorry but: Bad performance, censorship with corpse and audio (especially women), glitches and bugs, campaigns deleted because some minorities believe is "bad" for this era, very bad online at the moment, extremely disk usage when game is opened with lot of freezing.
  52. ShaMana
    Nov 16, 2019
    10
    The game is a phenomenal refresh. Amazing audio, new civilizations, all existing content in a new package with some new one on top. It looks and feels like the classic title but it's better in all respects.

    Only negative, at the time of writing, it suffers from some performance issues if your hardware is on the down side, but still remains playable at lower settings and hopefully a    The game is a phenomenal refresh. Amazing audio, new civilizations, all existing content in a new package with some new one on top. It looks and feels like the classic title but it's better in all respects.

    Only negative, at the time of writing, it suffers from some performance issues if your hardware is on the down side, but still remains playable at lower settings and hopefully a patch will come out soon.    … Expand
  53. Mark8787
    Jan 31, 2020
    10
    Great game but you need good machine to run it. You will need a lot of RAM, VRAM or virtual memory. There is some bugs but they are releasing patches constantly to fix it. The graphics are awesome and gameplay much better
  54. rafhaeus
    Jan 9, 2020
    4
    The game disconnects constantly in all online matches. It is frustrating not being able to play. The team does not solve the problem.
  55. D4vid
    Jun 11, 2021
    0
    I honestly wonder how can people play this game today. I mean: it’s a trip in the early 2000, so i get that many players would love the nostalgia. But it is unplayable today. Super old: no great graphic improvements, animations are still very dated, battle mechanics are simply from another millenium.
  56. clem666
    Mar 31, 2021
    6
    No doubt about it: 'Age of Empires II' is an excellent game. It is iconic, it has rocked many generations of players around the world, it had some genius ideas and its graphics were pretty impressive at that time. But now we are speaking of the Definitive Edition which compiles all DLCs and offers '4K ultra HD remastered graphics'.

    First, none of these two last informations appear to be    No doubt about it: 'Age of Empires II' is an excellent game. It is iconic, it has rocked many generations of players around the world, it had some genius ideas and its graphics were pretty impressive at that time. But now we are speaking of the Definitive Edition which compiles all DLCs and offers '4K ultra HD remastered graphics'.

    First, none of these two last informations appear to be true. Graphics are far from being '4K ultra HD' even if you activate the 'Enhanced Graphics Pack' because yes, it isn't included in the main pack game on Steam, you have to 'manually' activate it as you do it for regular add-ons. Just zoom a bit on characters and you will quickly see what an awful bunch of pixels looks like. Furthermore they released a new DLC in January 'Lord of the West'. It costs 10€ in addition to the 20 that the game already demands. Just indecent. Plus can somebody explain me what is the point of releasing a 'Definitive Edition' if you add some more content right after? Plus this game originally came out in 1999 on PC and 2001 on PS2, don't you think it is time to let it go? They already made a 'HD Edition' back in 2013! That's enough! The last DLC only includes two new civilizations and three solo missions, come on! Can you please let this game live without asking money for each and every detail you add ? Can't you fix long-term flaws like the poor pathfinding or the many reported bugs ?

    Anyway I have to admit that the few added animations like the buildings falling apart while being destroyed is great. But it is nothing compared to what the game truly needs in order to be perfect. The nostalgia is definitely here but yeah, play it for some hours and you will quickly discover that this game truly is more than 20 years old.
    I truly love it but I can't stand the way players are treated here. Does this nostalgia approach truly needs to be that glitchy and greedy? It's just sad.    … Expand
  57. kvitek
    Mar 21, 2020
    3
    Stunning variety of game crashing bugs, unreliable servers and somehow even worse pathfinding than in HD makes for a spectacular experience.
  58. KaMaeLz
    Mar 5, 2022
    6
    Games outside politics. Such actions will not be forgotten by the players!
  59. Caveat
    Dec 22, 2020
    2
    What started out as a welcome re-release, with updated graphics and a well performing engine (even at the largest of scenarios /skirmish maps), quickly snowballed into just another game that has been ruined with forced online content and constant updates that at best are just ADD candy, and at worst make changes that ruin the experience all together.

    Most recently these rolling updates    What started out as a welcome re-release, with updated graphics and a well performing engine (even at the largest of scenarios /skirmish maps), quickly snowballed into just another game that has been ruined with forced online content and constant updates that at best are just ADD candy, and at worst make changes that ruin the experience all together.

    Most recently these rolling updates have not only changed the menu system without warning or option to revert, but it also has rendered the game engine very sluggish (and nearly catatonic) in the largest of scenarios /skirmishes, with the worst AI control and pathing I have seen yet.

    Where my own rating on this title started with a solid 10+, the update trend had it rapidly sliding down to a 2, and as of now am not likely to revisit it many more times (if ever again).    … Expand
  60. dangerzoneph
    Nov 15, 2019
    6
    Well, many of us were waiting for this game. But the start isn't without issues. Firstly the 16 GB graphics mod to be downloaded as extra for "trailer like" look. Secondly, the multiplayer is currently very bad. Freezing games, fast impossible to play. The players were told, that multi will be in focus. But it does not seem like that. Many improvenets are necessary. I just hope we will getWell, many of us were waiting for this game. But the start isn't without issues. Firstly the 16 GB graphics mod to be downloaded as extra for "trailer like" look. Secondly, the multiplayer is currently very bad. Freezing games, fast impossible to play. The players were told, that multi will be in focus. But it does not seem like that. Many improvenets are necessary. I just hope we will get those quick, or at least sometime.
    With some bug improvement it can reach 8/10, without it just remains at 6.    … Expand
  61. Tornan
    Nov 19, 2019
    0
    Bad performance, too much bugs and crushes and Windows 10 (which is worst IMO) only.
  62. CastleGoat
    Jan 9, 2020
    3
    I have been playing Age of Empires 2 since 1999. I loved the original game. I moved on to the HD edition. And wanted to love the definite edition.

    While the game in 1998 was perfectly finished without mayor bugs. This changed with 2013 and is even worse in the definite Edition. They have adopted a model of rush out the game and fix it later - if ever. You can expect a multiplayer,    I have been playing Age of Empires 2 since 1999. I loved the original game. I moved on to the HD edition. And wanted to love the definite edition.

    While the game in 1998 was perfectly finished without mayor bugs. This changed with 2013 and is even worse in the definite Edition. They have adopted a model of rush out the game and fix it later - if ever.

    You can expect a multiplayer, where constantly player are going to drop out. For serious fans the multiplayer is what counts. I have played multiplayer for a couple of thousand hours in the different versions and a bugged multiplayer is an absolute NoNo....

    The grafic and sound is redone. Most veteran players do not like it at all. I really hated it. It is made for 13yo kidds who like it blurry and candylike. The animations may be more detailed and better, but a good game needs solid mechanics and to be bugfree.

    I will check in four years if the game has been fixed. But I do not expect too much as Microsoft has not fixed all bugs in the 2013 editon after 7 years! And it does not look like, that they take any efford in doing so as long as people buy crap anyway.

    Get the original one and play on voobly or the HD editon. The new one is not worth it for now.

    The game mechanics of Age of Empires as such are some of the best ever made and timeless. And thus the game of course has potential to became a good one. But I can not give a good mark for an unfinished buggy product rushed out by some sale people with a lot PR (Propaganda, payed reviewed, pushing influencers) and the usual stuff.

    By the way it is very telling that companies like Microsoft sell basically the same game for the third time instead of make somewhat innovative and new. Greed has killed creativity.

    The game engine has not been reworked and made fit for the modern multicore CPU but runs on one core as in 1998 and delivers very bad performance taking into account, what hardware is actually needed to run the same game in the original version.

    We can be glad, that there are no microtransaction or pay to win content, yet.    … Expand
  63. Vancor
    May 28, 2020
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. At first this game looks good but when you bought this game via Windowsstore and you're a veteran AOE II user, modder or campaign/scenario-designer there is not much for you. The game is completly locked, new AI's don't install, the game crashes permanently.
    I think Microsoft used the success of the original AOEII, gave it a bit of a facelift, made some quick money and didn't really care for the rest.    … Expand
  64. chrissyboi85
    Nov 12, 2021
    0
    This game was created by Ensemble Studios, not the current developer. The current developer has essentially taken credit for everything ensemble built and has tried to erase history of ensemble. Do not trust the reviews on steam, they are fake. Age of empires 2, definitive edition doesnt deserve your money.

    We must fight the fake reviews on steam. Unfortunately you have to buy the game    This game was created by Ensemble Studios, not the current developer. The current developer has essentially taken credit for everything ensemble built and has tried to erase history of ensemble. Do not trust the reviews on steam, they are fake. Age of empires 2, definitive edition doesnt deserve your money.

    We must fight the fake reviews on steam. Unfortunately you have to buy the game on steam to review on steam which doesnt make sense if you dont support the current developer.    … Expand
  65. patriarchy
    Nov 25, 2019
    0
    It's the same Age of Empires 2 game that have been released numerous times but with some real nice visuals and somehow worse UI. It's the same game that was already released few times. Wanted to give it a 5/10 but can't even finish campaign because of crashes.
  66. Roberto15
    Jan 30, 2020
    2
    Una gran decepción el juego, dividió la comunidad, está lleno de bugs, y Microsoft se lavó las manos. No puede ser que una compañia tan grande entregue un juego tan mierda, nadie opina sinceramente por el esfuerzo que realizaron, pero realmente el producto final es un aporqueria habiéndolo jugado desde que salió.
  67. joenans
    Nov 24, 2019
    1
    i wannat de pews but the pews where non existance in dis here game. call of dookie is muntch bester
  68. Ulthos
    Jan 31, 2020
    0
    Buggy mess, terrible pathfinding, game design and multiplayer. Just a nostalgia cash grab.
  69. wolfaust
    Jul 14, 2021
    8
    I highly recommend this game both for old-school and the new Age of Empires players. The balance of the units and the resources are very good.

    Still, it needs some fixes for the AI actions. The AI somehow finds a way to breach into your lands, even if you close any quarter. I think there are some exploits on the maps. And some of the maps are unbalanced for their wildlife. For example,    I highly recommend this game both for old-school and the new Age of Empires players. The balance of the units and the resources are very good.

    Still, it needs some fixes for the AI actions. The AI somehow finds a way to breach into your lands, even if you close any quarter. I think there are some exploits on the maps. And some of the maps are unbalanced for their wildlife. For example, sometimes the Black Forest has lots of leopards in packs. You need to send guards with your villagers if you want to send your villagers far away from your town centre.

    I can say that in conclusion, the game is still can playable, but AI bugs sometimes being annoying. Also, they should fix some of the economic balances in the maps.

    There is still a bug in the game, and it is there since the beginning of the time; villagers highly tend to stuck themselves between buildings.    … Expand
  70. Dco326
    Feb 27, 2022
    8
    Jedine stvari koje mi se ne svidjaju sto realno postane jako repetativno, nadjes najbolje jedinice i u globalu svaka misija pocne da izgleda isto na kraju to me samo smara inace jedna od naj igrica nema tu sta. Ali jbg vec je matora itd ali realno sam se zabavio igrajuci.
  71. kriot
    Jan 13, 2023
    10
    The best real time strategy I've ever played. Thanks to Microsoft for regular updating of this game.
  72. Bloodnes
    Oct 8, 2020
    8
    Эпичная игра как в старые добрые времена, графика порадовала, все красиво и красочно, фанаты залипнут не на один день, поиграть стоит, так как ничего подобного уже нет много лет. Классика жанра 8/10
  73. GabFire
    Aug 10, 2020
    8
    Jogo de estratégia como eu sempre gosto, sempre amei essa franquia, só acho que deveria ter uma versão bem adaptada para Xbox One.
  74. buggy86
    May 18, 2020
    8
    This is what war 3 remaster should have been, remade the same mechanics but with everything enhanced. Constant patches to the game so far, there are good tournaments going on too and seems like a small scene is shaping up.

    the only gripe is the netcode seems abit poor for a game that is RTS focused
  75. Sublimino
    Jun 16, 2020
    10
    Still loving this masterpiece 25 years later. And it’s better than ever. Great campaigns, but even greater online play!
  76. carloscampo5200
    Oct 15, 2020
    10
    One of the best RTS games of all time, addictive beyond belief. This game launched 20 years ago and still tops the RTS charts on Steam.
  77. elefsar
    Apr 22, 2021
    8
    Good version of age of empires 2. Graphics are ok, game play is like you know. d
  78. Misterdiony
    May 17, 2021
    9
    The definite edition scores a lot better than the HD edition to me. It performs, at least for me, a lot better and offers great quality of life additions, amazing sound and visuals combined with regular support.
  79. iGalaxy
    Jul 30, 2021
    10
    Fairly high-quality remaster of the legendary game. High-quality redrawn textures, support for modern systems, new features, factions
  80. Woolee
    Sep 29, 2021
    8
    This is how your remaster a game! I hope you're listening Activision-Blizzard! WC3 - Reforged: Disastapiece

    Age of Empires II - Definitive Edition isn't just a simple remaster, the additions are great, quality of life improvements, nice visuals and sound design, all the civs from the HD expans
  81. tututdyure
    Jan 2, 2022
    9
    This is the first game i met which is entitled age of empires 2 Age Of Kings and now has a Definitive Edition Version. I think this is the best game among age of empires universe.
  82. johnny__a
    Nov 22, 2021
    10
    The truly definitive edition of the IMHO greatest RTS game of all time. And the developers are still frequently dropping new content. Well done.
  83. H4z3P0v3R
    Mar 15, 2022
    9
    Wo fange ich an? So geht ein Remaster und nicht anders. Ich finde das Remaster sogar besser als das Original Game. der einzige kritische punkt bei mir ist der soundtrack.
  84. baristezd
    Apr 8, 2022
    10
    One of the best strategy game I ever played or the best. If I had to explain it with 1 word I'd say fantastic
  85. renyw
    Dec 19, 2022
    8
    great great great great great great great great great great great great great
  86. pc_gamer_87
    Jan 22, 2023
    10
    I used to play this game with my friends on multiplayer when we were young ones. We still play it (mostly out of nostalgia) and we love that it has evolved so much. In this DE edition, you have more control over your civilization and with new and fresh content, mods, campaigns and a much better AI, you can have hours of fun. It's very important for me that the community is very friendlyI used to play this game with my friends on multiplayer when we were young ones. We still play it (mostly out of nostalgia) and we love that it has evolved so much. In this DE edition, you have more control over your civilization and with new and fresh content, mods, campaigns and a much better AI, you can have hours of fun. It's very important for me that the community is very friendly and it's a fine game to play solo, with friends or online.… Expand
  87. pajgaj
    Mar 14, 2023
    10
    Phenomenal RTS, complete. This game lacks nothing, in addition, the DE version has wonderful graphics and a great multiplayer scene. I've already played over 1000+ hours and I don't think I'll ever get bored of it. Who hasn't tried it, I recommend it.
  88. NoneAvailable
    Apr 30, 2023
    4
    The AI is so good that, to be honest, gamers are busier than in previous versions. This is a plus, but they haven't capitalized on it.

    The problem is the campaigns. The AI in the campaign is split between stupid and very good. There's no decent difficulty level, and the resource gathering and defense leaves no room for historical fun. Gamers who are good at custom games and    The AI is so good that, to be honest, gamers are busier than in previous versions. This is a plus, but they haven't capitalized on it.

    The problem is the campaigns. The AI in the campaign is split between stupid and very good. There's no decent difficulty level, and the resource gathering and defense leaves no room for historical fun.

    Gamers who are good at custom games and multiplayer will have no problem with this, but for a campaign-oriented gamer like me, it's not even enjoyable, which is why I gave it a low score. I'll be putting it away to wait for a mod with campaign tweaks or a long wait for a patch.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Best PC Game of 2019
46
#46 Most Discussed PC Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. Worth Playing
    Mar 5, 2020
    85
    At the end of the day, I'm not sure what else you could expect from a remaster of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. It was a great game in 1999, and it's aged better than most in its class. If you're looking for some solid RTS gameplay, single-player or multiplayer, look no further than Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.
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  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 28, 2020
    100
    Only few creators can show off with such a good remaster as the creators of Age of Empires. The second instalment almost didn’t age, and its already great gameplay was perfected. [Issue#301]
  3. CD-Action
    Jan 10, 2020
    90
    As a person who was raised on Age of Empires I was satisfied with every aspect of the remake. Small missteps didn’t spoil the fun and the addition of new nations only deepened my love for the series. [01/2020, p.82]
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