Age of Empires II: HD Edition

 PC
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 20
  3. Negative: 1 out of 20
  1. Eurogamer Germany
    Apr 12, 2013
    70
    All in all, this is a disappointment. It sure is great to see this cornerstone of real-time strategy in higher resolution on a modern PC, and it certainly isn't less fun as it was all those years ago. Still, I would have expected more that slight visual adjustments, especially regarding the steep 18,99 euro price tag. If you're into the multiplayer side of AoE2, this might not really bother you, since, thanks to Steam, this remake has got you covered for months and years to come.
  2. Meristation
    Apr 10, 2013
    70
    It´s a great classic, it´s good to see it again and being able to buy it with the convenience of Steam, but it´s a bit pricey for what it offers and the first days have been problematic in the multiplayer. Good effort, but it could have been better.
  3. Gameplanet
    Apr 2, 2013
    70
    Age of Empires II: HD will scratch a nostalgic itch for some, but Hidden Path's update doesn't go far enough to bring new audiences to the series.
  5. PC Master (Greece)
    Jun 5, 2013
    65
    Mixed emotions, overall. On the one hand we have the same graphics, not at all improved. On the other, Steam offers functional multiplayer and workshop support, that breathe life into an old game. [May 2013]
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  6. Multiplayer.it
    Apr 13, 2013
    65
    A good graphic overhaul, but not much more unfortunately.
  7. Gamer.nl
    May 5, 2013
    60
    Unfortunately Age of Empires II HD isn't a very impressive update. It disappoints graphically and not much has been done to improve or modernize it. The gameplay is still strong though, and Age of Empires II still shows how balanced and detailed strategy games can be. With the addition of the Steam Workshop there's enough potential here for the game to be given a new look. Too bad this is left up to the players though.
  8. Eurogamer Sweden
    Apr 21, 2013
    60
    Though it's still the competent RTS game it has always been, it can’t be avoided that the age in Age of Empires II has become apparent. The HD edition shows once again why the game is a classic, but besides a functional multiplayer lobby it just doesn’t add enough to warrant the price tag.
  9. 4P.de
    Apr 11, 2013
    59
    You think you can ride with Age of Empires 2 into the high definition era? Think again. Instead of offering full social penetration with “like us”, “subscribe”, “watch” and “follow” the visuals should have gotten the attention this classic deserves. If you can live without online battles and the pseudo HD, here’s some advice: The gold edition from 2001 is a bargain…
  10. CD-Action
    May 13, 2013
    55
    Let me make a list of all the changes introduced in the HD version of Age of Empires II - higher resolution. [CD-Action 06/2013, p.77]
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  11. GameSpot
    Apr 16, 2013
    55
    This high-definition edition of the classic real-time strategy game adds little more than bugs.
  12. Eurogamer
    Apr 12, 2013
    50
    There is absolutely no reason to trade money like that for a game like this, for a mouldy time-capsule that will likely mar your memories of the original. This time, history needs to be left to rest.

Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
25
#25 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

User Reviews

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User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 688 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 495 out of 688
  2. Mixed: 120 out of 688
  3. Negative: 73 out of 688
  1. Pringled
    Apr 9, 2013
    10
    To start of this review, the score I would like to give is a 9. I give a 10 to compensate for people who judge before a game is even out. ForTo start of this review, the score I would like to give is a 9. I give a 10 to compensate for people who judge before a game is even out. For the HD part: they managed to up the resolution to max and also retexture a 14 year old engine, which is pretty impressive in my opinion. Regarding the framedrops: when we got the privilege to play the game before it is officially out doesn't mean they will have every bug fixed, otherwise they could just release it for everyone at that time. As soon as they heard about this problem the devs posted on multiple multimedia sites and their own site that they are working on the problem right now. The game has been out for a few minutes now while people know that the devs are doing their best to work on the issues, so please show some patience. The real addition of this however is the online. The servers for the original AOE II were pulled long ago, and now we have new servers to play this still awesome game online with friends. Oh, and did I mention steam workshop? This means that we will see a lot more mods to keep te game alive even longer. All in all, a great idea worked out great, with some bugs at the start. It's also a nice way to show that for some games it doesn't matter how old they are, it's all about the gameplay, just like how you don't care about graphics when playing a cardgame.… Full Review »
  2. 223kazin
    Apr 23, 2013
    4
    I love, love, LOVED AoE2 and have owned it almost since it's release all those years ago. I like the fact that they brought out the defib toI love, love, LOVED AoE2 and have owned it almost since it's release all those years ago. I like the fact that they brought out the defib to bring it back to life, but they really didn't do anything with it besides tack on a 20$ price tag. Everything the developers did with this release was already done with the Forgotten Empires mod, for free(Assuming you owned the original game). I can't in good faith give this game the 7+ rating I sincerely want to give it.

    What really irks me is that it's been completely stripped of LAN. AoE2 was /THE/ game to lan party it up. Anyone that played it when it was still fresh knows what I'm talking about. This reeks of sacrificing the game to hit piracy. Something pretty much everyone condemns EA and their ilk for. It's not even successful, the game is still piratable and pirates can still play with eachother.

    I really hope the developers at Hidden Path have more in store for us than what's been presented so far. Perhaps the Steam Workshop will kick the game into overdrive? It's always been an amazing game and still is an amazing game, it's just disappointing how they had so many opportunities to fix some of the problems with AoE2 but didn't capitalize on any of them, and instead just implemented the exact same changes already done in Forgotten Empires(Unit cap increase, higher resolution support, etc etc)    … Full Review »
  3. Smarticus
    Apr 15, 2013
    5
    I bought this game for nostalgia purposes. I loved AOE2 when it came out. Unfortunately, this is the exact same game and they didnt fine tuneI bought this game for nostalgia purposes. I loved AOE2 when it came out. Unfortunately, this is the exact same game and they didnt fine tune any gameplay mechanics at all. To me, it just seems like a lazy reboot of the series. The original was good, but it wasnt perfect. There was room to make this version better. Instead, all they did was update a few textures and integrate the Steam workshop. Within a few minutes of playing, I noticed a bunch of things that could very easily have been improved in the gameplay. Sadly, this re-release seems half-assed.… Full Review »
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