Age of Empires is a good quality RTS game that I found fairly entertaining. But in the end, the game did not provide any innovations or twists to the genre to make it stand out. Gameplay: 7/10 Like most games of its time, there is a fair amount of micromanagement. The queue system is particularly helpful so that units can end up in locations that you prefer them... rather than have them sit around doing nothing. There are many times however, that you have to keep track of every unit, causing the game to be a bit frantic in later stages. Graphics: 8/10 The graphics are rich in color and pretty detailed compared to other games released around the same time. And for Microsoft's first venture into the genre, there is pretty smooth animation without any glitches. The mapping is solid, as are the buildings and units. The most impressive are the larger units. Sound: 7/10 The sound quality is good, albiet a little repetitive. There is not a lot of variety in the ambient sounds. However, the sound is well produced... just not anything special. Reviewer's Tilt: 8/10 Overall it was a very enjoyable game. But it has finite replayability. Because there is nothing that stands out above the pack, this game losses its appeal once you have "beaten" it. Playing with other people can add some excitement. But there is too much manage, even in comparison to games of the same year.
I was out of gaming for over 10 years. A person at work had me download the trial for AoE and that is how I became addicted again. RTS games are away to create an environment that allow for people of all ages to enjoy ... Read Full Review
Microsoft has decided to make a game about something that they are experts on, the rise of an empire. At first glance, Age of Empires looks sort of like a cross between Civilization 2 and Warcraft II, and that is a fairl... Read Full Review
