- Stuck and searching for some Age of Empires 2 cheats? This page has you covered with a list of cheats, codes, Easter eggs, tips, and other secrets for Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings for PC.
- Karambolage achievement in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (Win 10): You spammed the enemy with 500 Karambit Warriors in a single game - worth 10 Gamerscore.
We've started 2020 by playing 20 years old Real-Time Strategy which gotsignificant new (re)release called Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition.
While previous AoE2 HD edition was basically an update for modern systems,Definitive Edition brings significant and much needed improvements which makethe two-decades-old game more playable and enjoyable, most notably:
Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is available now at the Microsoft Store on Windows 10. We are so excited for you to experience all the new features that we’ve brought to this classic RTS. Beyond the upscaled 4k visuals and remastered soundtrack, we’ve found that these quality-of-life gameplay improvements sometimes feel like such a core.
- farms and fish traps can be automatically renewed ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
- improved UI shows amounts of villagers assigned to individual resources
- improved command, building, and waypoint queues
- new AI (daaayum it's good)
- new civilizations (35 total)
- fabulous updated HD (and even Ultra HD with optional free DLC) graphics including building destruction simulation
- Art of War challenges provide a tool for noobs to to learn and train game essentials
- ranked matchmaking
- cross-play (yes, people play AoE2 on xbox :-O)
- more quality of life improvements like zoom, grid, research indication, improved saves & replays, achievements, Empires War mode, ...
- integrated mod support
The game is really great on its own, but the search for perfection never endsand there is integrated mod support, so let's talk about few essential modsthat improve the game even further!
All these mods are UI/graphics/sounds utility mods or scenarios that don'tinterfere with game data so you can safely use them in online matchesincluding ranked and they're easily available from the in-game mod browser.
What did the monk say?
First and foremost, let's talk about the game's most distincive if notsignature unit - the monk.
I don't think I need to explain what WOLOLO means. In fact, it's a toptier meme that's still strong after two decades and I never quite understoodwhy AoE 2 replaced the legendary conversion sound with a boring and generic'holy sound'.
Modding community provided fixes for this critical regression in the past likeWololo Monks modfor AoE2 HD, but Definitive Edition changed sound engine so old sound modsdon't work.
This was the only mod I was really missing to complete my AoE experience soI wrote it myself and uploaded to the in-game mod browser:
Now you can WOLOLO like any self-respecting person would, courtesy oftexnoforge ;)
Taming the Trees
The new graphics are nice, but trees are so big they sometimes make selection,commands, and building placement more difficult than it needs to be.
There are several options to make trees smaller, pick one:
- Improved Small Trees
- Bamboo Only (Small Trees)
- CubeTrees
If you happen to actually like CubeTrees, you can convert all resources tocubes using the infamousAge of Cubes mod ¯_(ツ)_/¯
git gud
I really like the Art of War series of tutorials/challenges that explainand let players train essential aspects of the game. If you'd like to improveyour opening and individual build orders even more, there's a great modwhich works much like the Art of War but includes 10 different buildorders to train with A-F rating for you to improve on.Activate through Game Mode -> Custom Scenario.
- Interactive Build Order Guide
You can also train hotkeys to construct various building quickly and reliably,giving you more time to focus on important things and less rage overthat lumber camp on gold that should've been mining camp.Activate through Game Mode -> Custom Scenario.
Unless you remember details of all 35 civs, consider displaying condensedversion of tech tree of your current civ at all times, which is especiallyuseful when playing random.
- Improved Tech Tree UI Mod
Blood for the Blood God
By default, dead bodies of units disappear quite fast and no skeletons are leftbehind in DE. And thus my final reccomendation adds blood to the game which stays for quitesome time. Aside from the obvious visual pleasure of good slaughter, itprovides utility of marking the spots of battle for quite some time.
- Crimson Blood
Good Luck & Have Fun!
| Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Forgotten Empires[a] |
| Publisher(s) | Xbox Game Studios |
| Director(s) | Adam Isgreen |
| Designer(s) | Bert Beeckman |
| Series | Age of Empires |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | November 14, 2019 |
| Genre(s) | Real-time strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is a real-time strategy video game developed by Forgotten Empires and published by Xbox Game Studios.[1] It is a remaster of the original game Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the original. It features significantly improved visuals, supports 4K resolution, and 'The Last Khans', an expansion that adds four new civilizations based on Central Asia and Eastern Europe, and four new campaigns.[2] It includes all previous expansions from the original and HD Edition. It was released on November 14, 2019.[3]
Buy Age Of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Microsoft Store
Gameplay[edit]
The core gameplay elements are shared heavily with the original but Definitive Edition builds upon it. The remaster includes new 4K graphics, new improved visuals for troops and buildings, the ability to zoom in and further out and a new spectator mode. It features a new campaign called The Last Khans and includes four new civilizations: Bulgarians, Cumans, Lithuanians and Tatars. Four new campaigns were added for the new civilisations: Ivaylo, Kotyan Khan, Tamerlane and Pachacuti which is about the Inca civilisation and replaces El Dorado from the HD Edition (Lithuanians do not appear as a playable civilization in any campaign; however, they represent Poles in the Ivaylo campaign).[2][4] It includes all previous expansions from the original (The Conquerors) and HD edition (The Forgotten, The African Kingdoms, Rise of the Rajas).[2][5]
Players can choose between the original AI, the updated HD Edition AI that was added alongside the HD Edition of the game, and a newer AI developed for the Definitive Edition.[6] The original AI had to cheat to be competitive, while the new AI is advanced enough to not require any cheating. When the old and new AIs were pitted against each other in a test, the new one easily defeated the old one.[7] Unit pathfinding is also supposedly improved upon.[8] Players can shift-queue villager tasks.[9]Farms now have the option to be replenished automatically.[10] A further expansion pack, Lords of the West, was announced on December 15, 2020 and is due for release on January 26, 2021. The Lords of the West will introduce two further civilisations, the Burgundians and the Sicilians, as well as three new campaigns, featuring Edward Longshanks, the Dukes of Burgundy and the Hautevilles.[11]
Release[edit]
On August 21, 2017 at Gamescom, Microsoft announced Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition was in development by Forgotten Empires, Tantalus Media and Wicked Witch Software.[12] On June 9, 2019, Microsoft revealed the gameplay trailer at Xbox E3 2019.[13] It released on the Xbox Game Pass in addition to Steam and the Windows Store on November 14, 2019.[5][14]
Reception[edit]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 84/100[15] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| PC Gamer (UK) | 78/100[16] |
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition received 'generally favorable' reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic with a score of 84/100 from 32 reviews.[15]Windows Central's Cale Hunt praised the improved artwork, animations and quality of life additions but criticized the AIpath finding and pointed out a need for further balancing.[17]
Notes[edit]
- ^Additional work by Tantalus Media and Wicked Witch[1][2]
References[edit]
- ^ abWright, Steve (June 19, 2019). 'Aussie devs Wicked Witch, Tantalus working on Age of Empires 2'. Stevivor. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ abcdIsgreen, Adam; Empires, Franchise Creative Director for Age of (June 9, 2019). 'E3 2019: Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Launching Fall 2019, Beta Coming Soon'. Xbox Wire. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^Moore, Ewan (August 19, 2019). 'Age Of Empires 2: Definitive Edition Release Date Confirmed'. UNILAD. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
- ^'Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition will release this fall'. PCGamesN. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
- ^ abJune 14, Marshall Honorof |; Pm, 2019 05:50. 'Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Lives Up to Its Name at E3 2019'. www.laptopmag.com. Retrieved September 1, 2019.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
- ^White, Sam (November 12, 2019). 'Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition review – reverent treatment'. pcgamesn.com. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- ^Shea, Brian. 'How Age Of Empires II: Definitive Edition Hopes It Is Living Up To Its Name'. Game Informer. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^Calvin, Alex. 'Why Microsoft is investing so heavily in the Age of Empires series'. PC Games Insider. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
- ^Ray, Bodhisatwa (November 21, 2019). 'Age of Empires II Definitive Edition Review: Price in India and review'. BGR India.
- ^'Review: Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition'. Hardcore Gamer. December 12, 2019.
- ^'Pre-Order Age of Empires II: DE – Lords of the West, coming January 26th!' (in Lithuanian). Forgotten Empires. December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
- ^Knezevic, Kevin (August 21, 2017). 'Age Of Empires 2 And 3 Remasters Announced'. GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^Giret, Laurent (August 19, 2019). 'Age of Empires: DE launches on Steam with cross play support, Age of Empires II DE also coming on November 14'. OnMSFT.com. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^'Pre-purchase Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition on Steam'. store.steampowered.com. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
- ^ ab'Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition for PC Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- ^Brown, Fraser (November 12, 2019). 'Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition review'. PC Gamer. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
- ^'Review — Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is a remake true to its past'. Windows Central. November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.