Brilliant! One of the first games of Microsoft I have ever liked! History RTS at it's best.
Ah, campaigns. The vital part of this game. It has a storyline with really well built scenarios. Joan of Arc, Barbarossa, Genghis Khan and Saladin are the four campaigners. The music that plays on while you create plots enthrall you. There are even taunts mostly for multiplayer which are really comical like My Granny can beat you or Oh no! A wonder!. Graphics were theworst part of the first game in AOE but Age of Kings show true detail stuff and there are lot of changes in the environment and units as well. Worth the value certainly as except the campaigns you can create your own scenarios and campaigns. And there are always the Random Map, Death Match with their different winning conditions.
The one addition in game modes is Regicide. Here you will be provided with a king(yes finally!). You have to save your king and kill the enemy's king. Unfortunately the king is a NAU(Non-Attacking Unit) and is pretty all much useless. Also I have noticed many times in Regicide that if you have multiple opponents you have a collapse of AI. The oppenent's never advance beyond Dark Age(the most primitive one) and gather all resources for none. We can easily climb on to Imperial Age and make mincemeat out of them.
It is of value because this game unlike the first is not hellbent on defeating players at Easiest Levels. A must-buy for any strategy fan as this is one of the best in Historic RTS. Best in the series!