Age II: The Conquerors - The Koreans Showcase

By Elliott Chin, GameSpotPosted Jul 26, 2000 9:39 pm PT

The fifth and last installment of our Age II: Conquerors civilization showcase looks at the game's only Asian race: the Koreans.

The Koreans Showcase

The Korean wonder

This civilization showcase marks the end of our ongoing look at the new civs in the Age of Empires II expansion pack, The Conquerors. The expansion pack's theme is famous civilizations marked by great conquests. Both prosecutors of conquest, like the Huns and Spanish, or victims of conquest, such as the Aztecs, are depicted in this expansion. Today, we look at the fifth and final side of the expansion set: the Koreans.

The Koreans were in the original Age of Empires pack, with strong infantry and enhanced priests. However, in Age II, the Koreans were one of many civilizations that didn't make the cut. That omission is now remedied, as Ensemble has decided to add another civilization to the thin Asian side of Age II.

Koreans are good defenders and competent aggresors.

"With all the civilizations to choose from, why the Koreans? This is a question that might be asked by some American and European fans but not by anyone familiar with Asian history. The Koreans were major powerbrokers in the Far East. They interacted with and sometimes fought the Chinese and Japanese on numerous occasions. In addition, the Koreans are responsible for one of the coolest military units ever: the turtle ship. Since we only had three Asian civilizations in Age of Kings, the Koreans seemed like an obvious choice for inclusion in the Conquerors expansion," says Greg Street, the game's designer.

There is much to recommend the Koreans in Age II: The Conquerors. Like the Vikings, they have two unique units, a sea unit and a land unit. The Koreans also have strong defenses, with a tower bonus, and a good economic bonus to support such defenses.

In the coming weeks, we will offer a preview of The Conquerors, looking at the new features and the upgrades to the preexisting civilizations. For now, though, we'll take a brief look at the Koreans' history and show their unique bonuses, units, and strategies.

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1 Comments

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jakeboudville
Posted Sep 8, 2006 4:03 am PT

kinda impressive
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