A stalwart one third of the RTS 'pedigree'
User Rating: 8.5 | Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings PC
Ensemble's entry into the RTS genre, the game has defined the studio's unique brand of approach to the genre and its renovations and innovations have served to be templates for many of the successful RTS titles to follow, including its own Ages spinoff 'Age of Mythology' to Gamespot's 2003 Game of the Year 'Rise of the Nations'. I would not rate the game as being a significant departure from elements such as conventional resource gathering to typical formation schemes that are synonymous with the RTS genre. Some new innovative elements introduced by this game that I can recall is the revamping of the economy model, which introduces what I can describe is a trade function to compensate for the lack of certain resources during the game. The wide variety of available 'nations' to choose from was also introduced to the genre through this game, although the difference at first between them were scant, the units available being similar for all nations only with different graphics and names (alleviated somewhat by the inclusion of elite units particular to the nation). The game also featured the recording option that allows one to record a match in its entirety. It has since developed into an indispensible tool within the competitive online fan communities of many RTS games, and allowed other players to learn possible tactics and adjust their playing styles from viewing these shared pool of recorded matches. Mission editor was also shipped with the game, thereby increasing the already substantial value of the game to tide over players until the next batch of updates in its expansion pack was released. The graphics are rather sparse and pedestrian, but for once, Ensemble seemed to have strived to get the proportion between the structures and the units in the game fairly realistic! The different epochs, accompanied with a different set of options and graphics reflecting the appropriate advances, added another dimension to the overall upgrade path; it was another novel touch to the competitive nature of the gameplay, and ended up radiating that bit of historical relevance too, which was nice. The inclusion of naval units and another level of transportation afforded by waterways were refreshing, having been dismayed by other RTS that neglected it. Multiplayer is relatively bug free and lag free, although I had to contend with a rather cumbersome out of the game Microsoft Zone experience. The game is well balanced for the multiplayer gameplay, and there are a variety of interesting playing modes (one of the modes could have in fact inspired the hybrid gameplay between RPG and RTS that became rather popular in later games). Skirmishes with computer AI and the rather paltry single player (only truly disappointing aspect of the game) round out the tutorial portion of the game to hone your skills or blow off some steam. The only little nitpick I can bring up is the dearth of options that were only introduced later in the RTS titles that followed, such as player match services and a practical ranking system. In the introduction video of the game, there are two competing players, full in medieval regalia, duking it out against each other in what else, a chess game portrayed as intense as chess can possibly get. Castles are burnt, casualties mount, but the victory, when achieved, is clear as day and absolute. In Age of Empires II, units are essentially chess pieces, having its strengths and weakness, every little element (even the lowly foot soldier) serving its purpose and contributing to the grand strategy. Like chess, this game accomodates different strategies and encourage gamers to utilize their strengths (a particular nation's attributes) to maximum. Augment that solid basis of gameplay with serviceable yet attractive visuals, engaging music, nicely packaged historical theme cutting across many of humanity's greatest civilizations, then you have Ages of Empires II. And just like chess, it allows one to bow out of the game with as much elegance as toppling the king piece thereby admitting final defeat. Checkmate has never been sweeter.
