Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings

1. ZuffuluZT.

   May 1, 2008

   10

   Best RTS game of all time. Period. ;) Seriously this game has everything you ever wanted in an RTS game. The graphics may not be up to date Best RTS game of all time. Period. ;) Seriously this game has everything you ever wanted in an RTS game. The graphics may not be up to date anymore but since it's 2D it doesn't grow old as fast as 3D titles do. (look at 3D games of that time and you know what I mean ...) The gameplay is just awesome, because it has such a great balance between economy and warfare, which allows you to build huge cities and train enormous armies to besiege them. Besides that there is just an endless amount of stuff to do in this game, because there are so many different factions, units, strategies, campaigns, scenarios and probably the most easy to use map editor of all time. It is already 9 years old and I am still playing it every now and then, because it just has so much more to offer than all the other RTS games that were released since then, especially AOE3, which was really disappointing to me. There has never been such an addicting RTS game out there, so if you still don't own it, buy it! It is more than worth it. And if you already have it, go and play it again! It is really so much more enjoying than all the modern RTS games with fancy graphics but no substance.… Expand

   • 21 of 22 users found this helpful
2. KevinB.

   Sep 19, 2008

   10

   One of the best RTS's of all time, if not the best. Absolutely perfect. Extremely replayable (I still play a couple hours a week almost One of the best RTS's of all time, if not the best. Absolutely perfect. Extremely replayable (I still play a couple hours a week almost 10 years later), very addictive. The only downside is that Microsoft no longer provides online services, and I can never seem to get one of the new clients (such as IGZones) to work, but that doesn't take away from the fact that this is an amazing game.… Expand

   • 1 of 2 users found this helpful
4. Austria

   Jan 30, 2018

   10

   It's an RTS classic. I still enjoy this game, and that's why I will always continue with this franchise.

   • 0 of 1 users found this helpful
5. Mikester7

   Dec 22, 2010

   10

   The greatest RTS game ever made, by far. The game play is excellent and it fails to make me bored of it. This is a game that must be played byThe greatest RTS game ever made, by far. The game play is excellent and it fails to make me bored of it. This is a game that must be played by anyone who enjoys RTS games. Graphics do not mean anything in a game, however for its time the graphics are nice and are fine even for this day and age. If the random map games get boring for some strange reason, there is also a very large amount of campaigns between AoK and the expansion to keep you occupied.… Expand

   • 3 of 4 users found this helpful
6. UncleEd

   Jul 1, 2019

   9

   Note: This is a review of Age of Empires 2 Age of Kings single player campaign. I am aware that the multiplayer is where Age of Empires is atNote: This is a review of Age of Empires 2 Age of Kings single player campaign. I am aware that the multiplayer is where Age of Empires is at its strongest and this review does not cover the multiplayer experience.
   
   Age of Empires was released at a time when RTS genre was considered one of the most popular ones. From Command and Conquer to Starcraft, from Dune to Warcraft, there was fierce competition. It was not hard for Age of Empires to build a fan base with major selling points such as bringing real history with real heroes into our PCs and a ton of nations to play with.
   
   The Age of Kings have campaigns that could make someone who has any interest in history salivate: William Wallace, Joan of Arc, Saladin, Ghenghis Khan and Barbarossa. William Wallace serves as a tutorial campaign and each campaign offers a pretty unique experience with a standalone storyline and units particular to that nation. The game requires good micromanagement skills with its more sophisticated economy system, at least compared to other games of that era. In the Age of Kings, you don’t harvest just one resource e.g. spice, tiberium, crystal… You need to make sure to harvest wood, food, stone and gold in a balanced fashion in order to succeed. Food comes from various sources. You can fish from the lakes, you can farm, hunt animals, collect fruits etc. Hunting animals would give you a food boost, but you will soon run out of animals. Farming could give you a steadier income of food, but you will have to spend wood to build farms. Each strategic decision has consequences. This applies to the whole game, whether it is economy, expanding your base, building armies or waging wars. Keeping in mind every nation / faction has their own strengths and weaknesses, on top of the more sophisticated economy and requirement to micromanage, it is safe to say that the Age of Kings is more on the difficult side, especially when compared to other popular real time strategy series of that time. On the other hand, micromanaging in Age of Kings for some reason (whether it is the music or the color palette) is often relaxing rather than stressful.
   
   The campaigns never get boring and there is even educational value with all the historically accurate information in your missions or cutscenes. My main criticism to the Age of Kings campaigns, however, is being too formulaic. My experience with the majority of the campaigns was the following. I start a campaign. Build my base (unless the hints suggest otherwise), enemy attacks my base, I lose the game. I restart, this time knowing when, from which direction and with which units the enemy will launch their attack and I prepare myself accordingly. More often than not, this involves collecting enough stones and building a castle to the other side of a crossing and walling up the other areas to my base. The sense of playing a linear formulaic experience was much stronger when I played the Age of Kings campaign, in comparison to titles such as C&C or Starcraft.
   
   That being said, my only major criticism is something that only applies to the single player campaign. Playing against a friend with more or less even skills, is where the Age of Kings shines. As a more complex RTS, Age of Kings in multiplayer would undeniably be one of the best RTS games ever made, assuming you do indeed have a suitable opponent who matches your skills.
   
   8.5/10… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
7. Gregon

   Nov 20, 2014

   9

   This game is the gold standard for historical real time strategy (RTS) games. I best remember it for its competitive multiplayer andThis game is the gold standard for historical real time strategy (RTS) games. I best remember it for its competitive multiplayer and elaborate defenses/sieges. Well-balanced, fun, and colorful.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
8. SUR0

   Apr 23, 2020

   0

   Dynosaur game. Вinosaurs became extinct and she is not!!! Very worry game. Dont play this game ever

   • 0 of 2 users found this helpful

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