Game Review: Age of the Empires II: HD
Apr 24 2013.
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Age of the Empires II (AOEII) is still a much loved game. Despite the fact that it has been around for more than a decade, the game has a modest following. The multiplayer system is particularly popular during impromptu LAN parties in office after work. Since the system requirements are extremely low, players don’t need a fully-powered PC to get the best out of the game (unlike RTS games like Total War, Supreme Commander, etc). The downside was that the look and feel of the game seems completely obsolete.
Thus, it is nice to know that AOEII has got a much needed facelift with HD quality. Rebooting the original game with better audio-visuals is not entirely new, Halo: Combat Evolved was recently released with a more advanced graphics engine. If at all, this is a testament to the almost cult-like status of the particular game.
Gameplay
The single player campaigns, which hardly anyone plays these days, is still something that I fondly remember. There are nine campaigns, each featuring about six scenarios. Casually, this should provide a few good days of solid gameplay. Everything works just fine and even after so many years I still get a feeling deja-vu.
The rest of the game is pretty interesting too. As you start playing, the basic logic behind the game becomes familiar. Players need to exploit natural resources, build their defences, marshall their armies and advance into the next great age. Depending on the type of player, game mode and opponents on the map, strategies will change but the fundamental logic is something like rock-paper-scissors: every unit has its unique strengths and weaknesses.
There are 18 total playable nations in the game and each civilsation has its own advantages. Depending on the game, players could also customise the requirements for victory - conquest, building a wonder, resource collection, etc. The customisation options are virtually limitless.
One of the only noticeable change to the game is the increase in the population limit from 200 to 500. Unfortunately, the new version of the game still includes some of the most frustrating gameplay mechanisms that plagued the original version. For example, mass selection is a mess when the units are mix of soldiers and villagers, it’s impossible to queue a combination of research and recruitment, and there are basic AI problems with movement and pathfinding. Understandably, these annoying flaws also contribute to the authenticity of the enhanced version. Personally, fixing these few issues wouldn’t change the game beyond recognition.
Unfortunately, the smooth gameplay in the single player campaign is absent from the mulitplayer system because it is quite buggy. Other annoying features in the game cause a lot of frustration. For instance, when a player leaves the game, other players are required to vote if the game is going on. Not only is this annoying (especially when people are AFK) but the system doesn’t respond properly to the votes (even if everyone agrees to keep playing, the game doesn’t resume sometimes). Hopefully, the new patches will fix some of those annoying bugs.
Verdict
All said, AOEII:HD is still an amazing game. There are virtually no changes to the gameplay mechanics apart from the increased population limit but admittedly its similarity to the original is what gives this game its character and makes it so familiar. Ultimately, I’m guessing no one really plays AOEII to get the latest and greatest in RTS action. Instead, most of us play the game because it still has a vintage appeal and that is quite rare for a game. It is and always will be one of my favourite RTS classics.
By Navam Niles
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