Age of Empires II: HD Edition

 PC
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

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Mandala
    Dec 6, 2016
    10
    AoE II HD is a remaster of the original game, which itself is possibly the greatest RTS made, still to this day.

    My initial review of AoE II HD gave the remaster a middling score, and was critical of some horrendous artwork that replaced the better original artwork, but those things have mostly been long-since restored by the 2nd developer to work on AoE II HD, after the original    AoE II HD is a remaster of the original game, which itself is possibly the greatest RTS made, still to this day.

    My initial review of AoE II HD gave the remaster a middling score, and was critical of some horrendous artwork that replaced the better original artwork, but those things have mostly been long-since restored by the 2nd developer to work on AoE II HD, after the original developer moved on to other projects.

    AoE II HD has received dedicated updating since its release, and has come a very long way in improvements to its functionality and presentation. As it currently stands, AoE II HD is a remaster worthy of a king.

    As for the game itself, beyond the remaster's quality, AoE II (AoK) is an expansive game with gorgeous humongous (or tiny, if preferred) environments, sprawling tech trees, long and numerous story-driver single-player campaigns in addition to an excellent random map-generator. There are many civilizations to choose to play as, each with unique traits and special tech or units. There is a significant focus on city-building, and resource gathering.    … Expand
  2. Mittsies
    Apr 24, 2013
    10
    Age of Empires II was and still is easily one of the best RTS titles of its time, rivaled only by Starcraft. Even after 14 long years, AoE II is still very playable. HD Edition offers nothing more than a way for Windows 7 users to play the game in full 1080p+ without visual glitches and uses steam integration to make connecting to other players easier. I enjoy the fact the title wasAge of Empires II was and still is easily one of the best RTS titles of its time, rivaled only by Starcraft. Even after 14 long years, AoE II is still very playable. HD Edition offers nothing more than a way for Windows 7 users to play the game in full 1080p+ without visual glitches and uses steam integration to make connecting to other players easier. I enjoy the fact the title was untouched gameplay-wise, because I felt the original game was already very complete and well-rounded.

    There was definitely some missed potential here... but that's not what I expected anyways. I just wanted a 1080p version of my favorite RTS game. Worth every penny.    … Expand
  3. Detinator73
    Apr 10, 2013
    10
    Well This game deserves to be a 9/10. Why? Lets go over with the basics: Age of Empires II was at a score of 92% while the Conquerors expansion is about 88% in total reviews. This game includes the actual Ages of Kings as well as the Conquerors. The gameplay in fact is the same as having those two games (nothing new except for the 500 population cap, widescreen support, Steam Workshop,Well This game deserves to be a 9/10. Why? Lets go over with the basics: Age of Empires II was at a score of 92% while the Conquerors expansion is about 88% in total reviews. This game includes the actual Ages of Kings as well as the Conquerors. The gameplay in fact is the same as having those two games (nothing new except for the 500 population cap, widescreen support, Steam Workshop, Steam servers and leaderboard). The water, fire, cliffs, trees and effects have changed in order to make the game more HD. Single player is still the same but for the multiplayer, it was fixed before (last time, the players were out of sync). Well, this game deserves a gold.… Expand
  4. SalaciousCrumb
    Aug 23, 2013
    10
    Now most of the bugs have been fixed, this is a very good game, definitely worth the money. Compared to the original, it has some nicer textures (e.g. fog of war, water), Steam leaderboards, achievement, and a good multiplayer community. Patches are still being released, so I recommend it;.
  5. Parab0la
    Apr 15, 2013
    10
    Age of Empires 2 was my favorite game growing up as a kid. I was so excited when I heard that it was coming to Steam with modern resolution support, matchmaking multiplayer, and steam achievements. $20 may seem like a lot because the game came out a long time ago, but it was updated and had a lot of work done to work on modern computers. $20 is nothing and seems like a fair price. I loveAge of Empires 2 was my favorite game growing up as a kid. I was so excited when I heard that it was coming to Steam with modern resolution support, matchmaking multiplayer, and steam achievements. $20 may seem like a lot because the game came out a long time ago, but it was updated and had a lot of work done to work on modern computers. $20 is nothing and seems like a fair price. I love this game, already dumped 50+ hours into it in the last 2-3 weeks.… Expand
  6. mAs7eRa
    May 10, 2013
    10
    This is a great game! My favorite strategy of all time! I can't understand how many people speak against it... Some saying it's the same game, well what did you expect? It's written in a ancient program language, it was so hard for the developers to even do what they did and make it compatible with all the windows versions. Second of all, if it was changed, the same people would have beenThis is a great game! My favorite strategy of all time! I can't understand how many people speak against it... Some saying it's the same game, well what did you expect? It's written in a ancient program language, it was so hard for the developers to even do what they did and make it compatible with all the windows versions. Second of all, if it was changed, the same people would have been saying "ah it's not the same, they ruined it"... just the common trolls in the internet.. I am really happy that they did not change this classic in the strategy genre. For me the expansion The conquerors changed the original age of empires game too much and I was not happy with this, but I accepted it, and I'm really happy they did not do this again. For everyone who loves age of empires, and want to play it with players, I recommend buying it. It has 4-5k players in steam all the time, and it's great! it has a workshop, where you can change some of the skins like farms, mines, terrain, etc. Thank you for bringing my favorite strategy back to life!!!! Full respect!!!… Expand
  7. Claytality
    Jan 23, 2014
    10
    Still one of the best PC games in the world. Might be the best RTS of all time. People are crying about the HD upgrade because they don't understand that its simply a small graphical update so it can play on today's larger computer monitors. The game will NOT look better than it did 10 years ago, but games like this stand the test of time regardless of graphics.

    Sooo much better than    Still one of the best PC games in the world. Might be the best RTS of all time. People are crying about the HD upgrade because they don't understand that its simply a small graphical update so it can play on today's larger computer monitors. The game will NOT look better than it did 10 years ago, but games like this stand the test of time regardless of graphics.

    Sooo much better than Starcraft. This game requires strategy, while Starcraft is just a real time mass (whatever unit).    … Expand
  8. Wilbur
    Oct 19, 2016
    10
    The best RTS ever made. I don't even play that much multiplayer games in general but AoE2HD has won me over. The learning curve in multiplayer is quite steep since there are a lot of really good player but it's definitely worth it. If multiplayer is not your thing the single player campaigns are solid too and offer a reasonable challenge (you can also pick a difficulty level).
  9. nikashengelia
    Dec 30, 2013
    10
    I played Age of Empires II last time, few years ago. What changed in HD Edition? Almost, nothing! Graphics, is not main thing in strategy games, but now, it became better. Only 4 resource icons became little bit unusual. I loved this game when played it first time, and now I feel the same, playing Age of Empires II: HD Edition! In map editor, nothing changed, still good for creating maps.I played Age of Empires II last time, few years ago. What changed in HD Edition? Almost, nothing! Graphics, is not main thing in strategy games, but now, it became better. Only 4 resource icons became little bit unusual. I loved this game when played it first time, and now I feel the same, playing Age of Empires II: HD Edition! In map editor, nothing changed, still good for creating maps. Online gameplay still not good, always playing with: rushers, destroyers and as always, people with high ping... Main thing that I love in this game is: Nothing changed, only textures, added good soundtrack. Everyone wants same game with better textures: here it is! I love this game, playing for days!… Expand
  10. fastbot
    Dec 5, 2018
    10
    Best rts 10/10 Age of Empires II HD is a fantastic game.Nice HD version of one of the best games ever.
  11. 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. 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 meanTo 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.… Expand
  12. endriofelipe
    Apr 9, 2013
    10
    Great game since 1999. ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
  13. dustyogd
    Apr 30, 2013
    10
    This is a great Strategy game just for $20 dollar's and if you are a long time fan of the game then i recommend because the game is really fun and feels just like AoE2 just like back then. And with gamesworkshop you can even get new maps new game modes and texture packs.
  14. Mandula
    Jun 9, 2013
    10
    Nostalgia I always loved AoE II back in time. I think this AoE II HD Edition is a great rework of that great game. Why did you (people) judged the game before it was out? I had no problems with it, I loved it. Steam Workshop, better Multiplayer (The ranking system could be better, they are working on it!), remastered textures, more beautiful water (I liked that, my favourite improvementNostalgia I always loved AoE II back in time. I think this AoE II HD Edition is a great rework of that great game. Why did you (people) judged the game before it was out? I had no problems with it, I loved it. Steam Workshop, better Multiplayer (The ranking system could be better, they are working on it!), remastered textures, more beautiful water (I liked that, my favourite improvement :D), resolution support to very high (I've seen someone who played it on 5 monitors), Steam Achievements. Others said it's full of bugs. But it isn't!!! I bought the game yesterday, no bugs or any problems at all so far (I played Singleplayer and Multiplayer, not for a single time). I think the 68 Metascore is too severe. It's much better than that. And the most important thing: THEY ARE WORKING ON IT! It's version 2.3, 2.4 is on the way, it will come out in 2-3 days. I recommend this game to anyone who played AoE 10-15 years ago!… Expand
  15. Darkrider
    Jul 14, 2013
    10
    Age of Empires HD is great because it is now on steam which makes it easyier to play multi-player and still experience the classic original components of the game which make it so worth while. BTW do any of you have a monk.. need a monk, rogan. LOL it still cracks me up yer way you should see the other guy".
  16. jesus_vw
    Jul 27, 2013
    10
    excellent game, i appreciate that it was relaunched in hd so i can revive the moments playing on line. the only thing i dont like too much is that the LAN was eliminated and you need to purchase a game for any of your LAN friends, but that is normal this days...
  17. TheMetalfreak
    Oct 28, 2013
    10
    Of course the game is don't have that much new in it, it is called "AOE2HD Edition" because it is just HD of AOE2. But think about what the game have, much better matchmaking, so that people can play online without a worry in the world. And that is something I personally are very glad for, since I don't want to experience something like Crusader Kings 2 matchmaking/creating games onlineOf course the game is don't have that much new in it, it is called "AOE2HD Edition" because it is just HD of AOE2. But think about what the game have, much better matchmaking, so that people can play online without a worry in the world. And that is something I personally are very glad for, since I don't want to experience something like Crusader Kings 2 matchmaking/creating games online again. And we got the workshop, which have made people making mods again for the game, making the game better or just simply more fun with taunt packs. It is very well made, and I am glad that they didn't change much. It was good as it is. And now they are even giving out the "Forgotten Empires" expansion pack. Which is even more great news, since that just shows that they are continuing to improve the game. Just like the patches that we have gotten lately.… Expand
  18. debigman
    May 16, 2014
    10
    An epic collection of epicness. PLAY THIS GAME! It has everything the first one did, along with some glitch fixes and improved AI. Most of the ppl who rate this game poorly did so before the game left Beta.
  19. HouseClarkzonia
    Jan 15, 2014
    10
    Age of Empires II: HD brings back a heap of Nostalgia to me, playing this game reminds me of the days when graphics wasn't an issue, i like how they have kept the sprite style, some people are against that I know, some think it's for the better that they left it, others despise it probably just to try and get a tear-jerk'er, who knows, I don't care the game in my book is still 100% amazing.
  20. JonTheMediocre
    Dec 4, 2013
    10
    An excellent game! I can't really add to what some of the other positive reviews are saying: It's classic, endless playability, yet quickly becomes familiar and easy to improve your performance. It's an incredibly satisfying game to play, and the option of allying with other players and combining your empires, armies and tactics is so fun. The random maps are all unique and cool to exploreAn excellent game! I can't really add to what some of the other positive reviews are saying: It's classic, endless playability, yet quickly becomes familiar and easy to improve your performance. It's an incredibly satisfying game to play, and the option of allying with other players and combining your empires, armies and tactics is so fun. The random maps are all unique and cool to explore and use geography to your advantage. The economy military balance is extremely intriguing as well.

    If you've played the original, it is not any different except some of the graphics are smoother, the max pop cap is at 500, and there is support for online multiplayer and a thriving community both in-game and in steam workshop.

    Cons: There is an annoying unit selection limit, (like 30 units?) and the continuity when playing multiplayer online is dependent on everyone having a fast connection. If even one player has a slow connection or slow computer, the game will lag very badly, especially when many units are on the map. Even with adequate connection speeds, I wouldn't recommend setting the pop cap much over 300 in a 6 to 8 player game.

    Redeeming fact: They are working on patches and continuing support for the game. Playability and technical issues have been improved and will hopefully continue to improve.    … Expand
  21. leaf68
    Dec 6, 2013
    10
    Hidden Path has done an excellent job bringing an approx. 15 year old game engine up to date. The game is very stable and is being updated regularly. Excellent choice, especially considering the price.
  22. IAmTudor
    Dec 12, 2013
    10
    Even after a decade this game is a master piece.I recommend it to anyone who loves RTS games.As for the hd version,it's not much of a difference except the fact that structures has been redesigned to look better.Anyway if you ask me the game is worth it and I think you should buy it.
  23. MusashiKono
    Jan 6, 2014
    10
    This game is a must-have for RTS players. It is a very well made strategy game which is pretty much the same as the older version.
    I don't understand the ratings saying that nothing was changed, when if there were changes there would be hate on that. The reason why this game came out with a HD version was because a lot of people loved the game. Not for there to be changes.
    10/10
  24. Davoud84
    Feb 18, 2014
    10
    Awesome game, being away from it for sometime one forget how great it is. I will continue playing this for years once again. There is only one real competitor for this game and thats Starcraft. Both are great but in different ways.
  25. KGB_Crazy
    Mar 10, 2014
    10
    Age of Empires is the best game i have played so far. Why ? The replay value is almost unlimited. I've been playing on and off since 1999 and i still learn new tricks after all those years. In random map match there are many ways to play, every game feels diferent, specially in team games (team games demand so much strategy), if you like single player, the campaigns are great. I understandAge of Empires is the best game i have played so far. Why ? The replay value is almost unlimited. I've been playing on and off since 1999 and i still learn new tricks after all those years. In random map match there are many ways to play, every game feels diferent, specially in team games (team games demand so much strategy), if you like single player, the campaigns are great. I understand some players don't like AOE. It's easy to learn and very hard to master. Some people think its slow because they don't know how to take advantage of each second of the game (exploring, scouting, balancing economy, planning strategys, placing buildings in the best way possible, micromanagementing economy and army). StarCraft is more like Checkers, Age of Empires is more like Chess. AOE focus a lot more on strategy. I like the first AOE a lot. AOE 2 (AOC) fixed lot of bugs and added cool recorded game option. in 2008 AoE 2 lost official multiplayer support, AoE 2 HD is the chance to revival this great game with a new multiplayer support and some new fixes. If you are a RTS fan you can't miss this game.… Expand
  26. ql1m4x
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    Age of Empires II HD is a fantastic game. The best RTS ever created. I give 10 for graphics 10 for gameplay 10 for fun. I love this game ...............................................................................................................................................................................................
  27. DrToenail
    Mar 13, 2014
    10
    I don't know what people were expecting. It's an HD port of the greatest game of all time. They didn't add anything new (initially) because there was nothing that had to be added. With the Forgotten, easier matchmaking, and wider screen sizes: the game has surpassed its original. Now that we're a year past the release, they've fixed virtually every crippling bug and even released anI don't know what people were expecting. It's an HD port of the greatest game of all time. They didn't add anything new (initially) because there was nothing that had to be added. With the Forgotten, easier matchmaking, and wider screen sizes: the game has surpassed its original. Now that we're a year past the release, they've fixed virtually every crippling bug and even released an exclusive scenario.

    I can understand the metacritic rating at the terrible half-assed release, but the team has fixed all those errors at this point. AoE2 has truly aged like fine wine. And with beautiful 2D graphics, a top tier soundtrack, a wonderful comfy feel, and infinite replayability: Even the HD version can't ruin the king's spot at the top of all games.    … Expand
  28. TheSwagMaster
    Apr 9, 2014
    10
    Despite how bad of a Metascore this got, great game. Great game indeed. The new textures are nice, and its so much easier to play with your friends now, with the old website being down and all. I absolutely LOVED the original, and I think this is a very good 'remake', if that's what I should call it. Good job, developers; go get yourselves a cold beer and pat yourselves on the back. YouDespite how bad of a Metascore this got, great game. Great game indeed. The new textures are nice, and its so much easier to play with your friends now, with the old website being down and all. I absolutely LOVED the original, and I think this is a very good 'remake', if that's what I should call it. Good job, developers; go get yourselves a cold beer and pat yourselves on the back. You deserve it.… Expand
  29. iBroTuber
    May 17, 2014
    10
    I loved this game since I started playing it like 11 years ago.
    I used to play it online with friends and we had a lot of fun.
    Now it's easier than ever to play online + Workshop with endless stuff to add + HD Textures + New campaigns
  30. HewFoE
    May 31, 2014
    10
    It is AoE2.. so it gets a 10. The price tag is not crazy... you are basically paying for ease of service for Multiplayer. Those complaining about no LAN can just purchase a cheap copy of the original game to use. People pay a monthly service fee for this kind of service for other platforms/games.

    AoE2 is what RTS should be and is. New RTS games are so simplistic with no real micro/macro    It is AoE2.. so it gets a 10. The price tag is not crazy... you are basically paying for ease of service for Multiplayer. Those complaining about no LAN can just purchase a cheap copy of the original game to use. People pay a monthly service fee for this kind of service for other platforms/games.

    AoE2 is what RTS should be and is. New RTS games are so simplistic with no real micro/macro skills required. I am ecstatic that they put this on steam to allow easy multiplayer games a reality once again.

    The expansion that came from a modding community is nothing new. I am not sure why people are shocked/upset.    … Expand
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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. 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]
  2. 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]
  3. 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.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »