A game that conquered the PC............
Let's start with what The Conquerors brings to the table. There are five new civilizations: the Aztecs, the Mayans, the Spaniards, the Huns, and the Koreans. The Aztecs and Mayans are fascinating in that they bring an entirely new type of civilization to the table. While the Mesoamerican peoples are at a handicap without horses or exclusive Old World materials, they make up for that with fast, strong, and productive units.
The gameplay has not changed much. Some units have been strengthened while others have ben weakend to add equalibrium to the battefield. There are new campaigns featuring the exploits of El Cid and Attila the Hun. There is also a campaign path focusing on historical battles instead of a long journey surrounding one character.
There are some new modes and stages included in the Random Map section. The new additions provide extra incentive to stick to the random maps or edit your own, if you choose. It would have been welcome if there was a campaign editing option. Sadly, gamers will have to stick with what's there and that should be ample enough. From a technical standpoint, The Conquerors isn't a big step ahead. You can beef up the resolution now, but for those waiting for 3D to make it in, you'd better wait for Age of Empires III.
There isn't a whole lot to say about The Conquerors. It is a fine continuation of AOE II. Some of the tweaks are uncalled for, but the enhancements and additions make up for that. It would be foolish for RTS fans to miss out on this. Age of Empires II should only be played with The Conquerors if you want to experience the full pleasure it has to offer.