Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings

 PC
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 1409 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,278 out of 1409
  2. Mixed: 98 out of 1409
  3. Negative: 33 out of 1409
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  1. angelss_13
    Apr 12, 2017
    8
    Un clásico de la estrategia en tiempo real. Excelente jugabilidad, buenos gráficos, buen apartado artístico, variabilidad de civilizaciones y un nivel estratégico modesto, pero adictivo. El único defecto serio que le encuentro es la IA (que en dificultad máxima se reduce a enviarte hordas de enemigos con un elemento estratégico del todo ausente) pero en su época era más que aceptable.
  2. NZAnimeManga
    Apr 13, 2017
    9
    Brilliant RTS, and to my amazement, it is still being played. This game was my second childhood leap into PC gaming (after AoE 1), and boy, did this blow my little mind! Stellar game!
  3. GeriGeriGaming
    Jul 31, 2017
    10
    It's just a good game in general. I have nothing else to say. I especially liked the campaign the best.And i have actually learned something from a game this time.
    :)
  4. dlcatalin
    Jul 12, 2020
    9
    I played this game over and over for years. Replayed the campaigns so many times, made my own scenarios. Loved it
  5. UncleEd
    Jul 1, 2019
    9
    Note: This is a review of Age of Empires 2 Age of Kings single player campaign. I am aware that the multiplayer is where Age of Empires is at its strongest and this review does not cover the multiplayer experience.

    Age of Empires was released at a time when RTS genre was considered one of the most popular ones. From Command and Conquer to Starcraft, from Dune to Warcraft, there was    Note: This is a review of Age of Empires 2 Age of Kings single player campaign. I am aware that the multiplayer is where Age of Empires is at its strongest and this review does not cover the multiplayer experience.

    Age of Empires was released at a time when RTS genre was considered one of the most popular ones. From Command and Conquer to Starcraft, from Dune to Warcraft, there was fierce competition. It was not hard for Age of Empires to build a fan base with major selling points such as bringing real history with real heroes into our PCs and a ton of nations to play with.

    The Age of Kings have campaigns that could make someone who has any interest in history salivate: William Wallace, Joan of Arc, Saladin, Ghenghis Khan and Barbarossa. William Wallace serves as a tutorial campaign and each campaign offers a pretty unique experience with a standalone storyline and units particular to that nation. The game requires good micromanagement skills with its more sophisticated economy system, at least compared to other games of that era. In the Age of Kings, you don’t harvest just one resource e.g. spice, tiberium, crystal… You need to make sure to harvest wood, food, stone and gold in a balanced fashion in order to succeed. Food comes from various sources. You can fish from the lakes, you can farm, hunt animals, collect fruits etc. Hunting animals would give you a food boost, but you will soon run out of animals. Farming could give you a steadier income of food, but you will have to spend wood to build farms. Each strategic decision has consequences. This applies to the whole game, whether it is economy, expanding your base, building armies or waging wars. Keeping in mind every nation / faction has their own strengths and weaknesses, on top of the more sophisticated economy and requirement to micromanage, it is safe to say that the Age of Kings is more on the difficult side, especially when compared to other popular real time strategy series of that time. On the other hand, micromanaging in Age of Kings for some reason (whether it is the music or the color palette) is often relaxing rather than stressful.

    The campaigns never get boring and there is even educational value with all the historically accurate information in your missions or cutscenes. My main criticism to the Age of Kings campaigns, however, is being too formulaic. My experience with the majority of the campaigns was the following. I start a campaign. Build my base (unless the hints suggest otherwise), enemy attacks my base, I lose the game. I restart, this time knowing when, from which direction and with which units the enemy will launch their attack and I prepare myself accordingly. More often than not, this involves collecting enough stones and building a castle to the other side of a crossing and walling up the other areas to my base. The sense of playing a linear formulaic experience was much stronger when I played the Age of Kings campaign, in comparison to titles such as C&C or Starcraft.

    That being said, my only major criticism is something that only applies to the single player campaign. Playing against a friend with more or less even skills, is where the Age of Kings shines. As a more complex RTS, Age of Kings in multiplayer would undeniably be one of the best RTS games ever made, assuming you do indeed have a suitable opponent who matches your skills.

    8.5/10    … Expand
  6. RafaelBarrera
    Feb 21, 2019
    10
    The best RTS ever made, it was mad then, it is mad nowadays, what are you waiting for !?
  7. MatikTheSeventh
    Oct 10, 2020
    10
    This is easily one of the best RTS I have ever seen. I have played it since my childhood all the way until the remasters came out. It is well-balanced and the history campaigns are fun, diverse and historically correct.
  8. Amorph0us
    Dec 9, 2021
    10
    I remember this being the reason to buy my first pc. It was always for me the reference point for strategy games.
  9. SilverOrlov
    Sep 25, 2019
    10
    At the time of it's release, and a few years after - this game was my standard of real time strategy. And the surroundings, and game-play and the setting of the Middle Ages were excellently made and interesting in walk-through.
  10. sebastianali
    Jul 21, 2019
    8
    Un juego bastante divertido, adictivo y posiblemente el mejor juego de estrategia de todos. Me encanta también la música y el hecho de que puedas aprender un poco de historia también. Sin embargo, no me gusta para nada los tutoriales y la curva de dificultad especialmente al hablar del modo campaña
  11. MikaMikes
    Feb 5, 2019
    9
    It might not be the ultra competitive slugfest that some RTS games are, but it is easily the most fun and playable one around. After well over a decade, I still find myself coming back to this near masterpiece. The voices and soundbites are iconic to this day.
  12. Zeratex
    Feb 11, 2019
    8
    One of the great RTS games, its a bit outdated but i say its still fun to play, the campaign mode is a nice historical education and motivated me to learn more about the history of the world, the strategy is deep and fun as well, the graphics are outdated but they are enough to enjoy the game.

    Its the best AoE game, give it a try if you are a fan of strategy games.

    8.5/10
  13. Vanco
    Jun 4, 2019
    7
    Good game with fun single player campaigns. Civilizations play very similarly though.
  14. Tiago_Voltaire
    Sep 29, 2019
    8
    Junto com Europa Universalis III, AoE II foi parte do dourado ano de 2010. Amante desde novinho de História, foi também amor à primeira vista poder jogar um RTS baseado na Idade Média, com personagens históricas cujas vidas eu conhecia, até então, apenas pelos livros que li. Por que não dou dez? Bom, por causa da minha experiência à época: o jogo carecia de tradução para português e asJunto com Europa Universalis III, AoE II foi parte do dourado ano de 2010. Amante desde novinho de História, foi também amor à primeira vista poder jogar um RTS baseado na Idade Média, com personagens históricas cujas vidas eu conhecia, até então, apenas pelos livros que li. Por que não dou dez? Bom, por causa da minha experiência à época: o jogo carecia de tradução para português e as campanhas não eram tão boas para mim. Os gráficos podem parecer datados hoje, mas em 2010 me pareciam muito bonitos, além da nostalgia dos anos 1990. Sim, um clássico eterno!… Expand
  15. kiterio21
    Oct 6, 2019
    10
    Uno de los mejores juegos de estrategia de la historia. Aunque pasen los años siempre cae alguna partida.
  16. joel_tdl
    Dec 25, 2019
    10
    La siguiete reseña fue publicada originalmente en 3djuegos:

    El "Antes", y el "Después" JUGABILIDAD: Uno de los mejores juegos que he jugado en mi vida, el mejor RTS, y al videojuego que le he puesto más horas. Lo llevo jugando 14 años y sé que lo seguiré haciendo, pues no es posible parar una vez que se empieza. Una buena variedad de civilizaciones (que se ampliaron año tras año    La siguiete reseña fue publicada originalmente en 3djuegos:

    El "Antes", y el "Después"

    JUGABILIDAD:
    Uno de los mejores juegos que he jugado en mi vida, el mejor RTS, y al videojuego que le he puesto más horas. Lo llevo jugando 14 años y sé que lo seguiré haciendo, pues no es posible parar una vez que se empieza.

    Una buena variedad de civilizaciones (que se ampliaron año tras año con los DLC), una gran cantidad de edificios, una abrumadora cantidad de unidades. Todo englobado en un equilibro perfecto para evitar que una civilización destruya fácilmente a otra.

    Varios modos de juego, y varios modos de Historia que, con su gran narrativa, no te dejan indiferente,. La recolección de recursos y la administración de los mismos es excelente, y las batallas son memorables.

    Fue un Must-Play hace 20 años. Es un Must-Play ahora. Será un Must-Play en otros 20.

    GRÁFICOS:
    En este tipo de juegos los gráficos no juegan un papel importante, puesto que no pretende lucir realista. Empero, la verdad el diseño de los edificios y unidades está muy bien logrado.

    SONIDO:
    Épico.
    No solo el soundtrack tan memorable sino los efectos especiales, así como el doblaje.

    INNOVACIÓN:
    AoE2 fue una pieza clave en dividir lo que eran los RTS y en lo que se convertirían los RTS. Aquel que piense lo contrario está muy cegado.    … Expand
  17. Bloodnes
    Sep 13, 2020
    10
    Лучшая и образцовая игра среди стратегий, игра, которая внесла свою лепту почти во все игры данного жанра. Играть и наслаждаться классикой всем! 10/10 Шедевр!
  18. fireman142
    Feb 29, 2020
    10
    I just loved it. with warcraft 2, best realtime strategy ever. The 2D graphics looked much better then 3D in that time and even longer. Good campaings and great multiplayer on local network.
  19. ChesterField
    May 1, 2020
    10
    Along with its first installment, the best 2D strategy games I've ever played in my life. For some reason, I do not know if due to age or the novelty of the genre at the time, none has impacted me as much as these. Without a doubt, a game that has marked an era and that most games of this style try to take as a reference. Although they only try. Impressive in its gameplay. 10/10 fully recommended.
  20. silver-boy
    Jun 19, 2020
    9
    Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings is an amazing historical RTS. So many good thing can be said about this game but the players will know this is a legend among it's genre and an indisputable wonderful classic.
  21. Rodrigo_
    Jun 22, 2020
    9
    A very good strategy game, I highly recommend it, especially to play with friends.
  22. Onlyclassicvg1
    Feb 1, 2021
    10
    ¿Cómo funciona este collar de perro automático?
    Un micrófono interno capta el sonido de la corteza y el collar del perro se activa automáticamente
    El collar del perro comienza emitiendo un pitido de 1 segundo como advertencia en la primera barca En el segundo ladrido, el collar del perro emite un pitido de advertencia de 2 segundos Desde la tercera corteza, el collar del perro emite un    ¿Cómo funciona este collar de perro automático?
    Un micrófono interno capta el sonido de la corteza y el collar del perro se activa automáticamente
    El collar del perro comienza emitiendo un pitido de 1 segundo como advertencia en la primera barca
    En el segundo ladrido, el collar del perro emite un pitido de advertencia de 2 segundos
    Desde la tercera corteza, el collar del perro emite un sonido de advertencia de 3 segundos junto con una descarga.
    Si su perro no se detiene, tanto el tono como la descarga del collar serán más intensos.
    Este patrón se repite a través de cinco niveles de corrección si su perro continúa ladrando. A través de los cinco niveles, el sonido y la vibración más intensos se aplican después de cada ladrido.
    Si el perro permanece quieto durante 30 segundo    … Expand
  23. MrAndyARG
    Jun 28, 2020
    10
    El mejor RTS de todos los tiempos. El juego que marco la infancia de muchos, con campañas historias y personajes reales de la edad media.
  24. EmirD00
    Jul 21, 2020
    10
    Hail to the best strategy game in history. I still play with the same pleasure. Thanks to everyone who thinks, designs and creates.
  25. storygamer
    Sep 24, 2020
    9
    There isn´t much to say in terms of Age Of Empires II: The Age Of Kings. It is the best RTS game to date and has its fanbase since 1999. Everything about this game is just perfect and iconic. An inspiration for all the real time strategy follow ups. A must have!
  26. Oshiri_Maeda
    Nov 17, 2020
    7
    Good Ol AoE 2. Memory is much better than the game itself though. Only for RTS fans
  27. cezar88augusto
    Sep 26, 2020
    10
    The Age of Kings version was a very big improvement over the first AOE. Significant improvement in game mechanics, gameplay and resource management.
  28. nathien
    Aug 30, 2020
    8
    Great game. Just unfortunate that it hasn't become evergreen and turned into a competitive game franchise like League of Legends or World of Warcraft. At least not yet.
  29. kimi1775
    Nov 9, 2020
    10
    ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎
  30. FadedInMN
    Dec 16, 2020
    8
    One of the first games I ever loved, a true classic and still fun to this day.
  31. Mazma
    Dec 25, 2020
    10
    Il re dei RTS, puo' avere 1000 difetti, ma ancora devo trovare un cosi ottimo bilanciamento tra competitivita' e divertimento. Complesso al punto giusto e graficamente ancora accettabile
  32. WakyEggs
    Feb 27, 2021
    9
    Spend so many hours playing this game. Still remember learning to go online with a 56k to look at the official website for the things you could expect in the game when it would release. Timeless graphics and sounds. Also liked the map editor that came with it. Happy there is still an active online community.
  33. Zeyon88
    Apr 13, 2021
    9
    Story: 8/10 (Campaigns)
    The Way story is given: 18/20
    Gameplay: 28/30
    Design: 10/10
    Feelings left after playing: 19/20
    Playability(Bugs and optimization): 9/10

    AVARAGE: 92/100
  34. tufekciero
    Mar 12, 2021
    9
    ALTIN zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
  35. kndr
    May 23, 2021
    3
    What I said for first aoe still counts here. It feels like a chore and I really don't find this enjoyable.
  36. Misterdiony
    May 17, 2021
    10
    One of the few games that really deserve the naming as a masterpiece. I enjoyed AoE 1, but I cant even guess how many hours I have played 2. It is both equally good for RTS veterans and players that are new to the genre. The story offers a lot, the game is well balanced and is simply a stunning classic.
  37. Woolee
    Sep 28, 2021
    10
    Best RTS game of all time. Period. ;) Seriously this game has everything you ever wanted in an RTS game. The graphics may not be up to date anymore but since it's 2D it doesn't grow old as fast as 3D titles do. (look at 3D games of that time and you know what I mean ...) The gameplay is just awesome, because it has
  38. IamDalv
    Sep 27, 2021
    10
    Probably the best RTS ever made. They really caught thunder in a bottle with this RTS. Everything is just designed perfectly, I would still continue playing it in multiplayer to this day, if it wasn;t for the remasters. What a game from the golden era of PC games, they don't make them like this anymore!
  39. AnimalMango
    Nov 3, 2021
    10
    Best RTS around, full immersive, great graphisc and innovation with a dynamic sound
  40. titoim
    Jan 18, 2022
    10
    One of the best RTS games. Economy-based strategy, incredible single-player modes, campaign, and a exciting multiplayer. Lots of maps and scenarios to have fun.
  41. jorge1102
    Feb 24, 2022
    9
    20 years of strategy games

    There are many civilizations, various types of arms, and high tactical strategy
  42. Uarabei
    Feb 21, 2022
    10
    One of the best games in my life. How much time I spent in it - just do not count.

    It still remains the standard of the genre for me.
  43. kadzuso
    Mar 7, 2022
    0
    Games out of politics! It's racism to take away games based on nationality!
  44. Raiipin
    Mar 25, 2022
    10
    O que dizer de um jogo que fez parte da minha infância? Joguei muito com meus primos e atualmente jogo com meus amigos.
    É um ótimo jogo para você dar aquela relaxada coletando recursos e montando seu reino, ou então detonar qualquer jogador que vier pela frente com um exército imparável, você decide o que fazer.
    Esse é definitivamente um dos jogos que ainda irei jogar muito na minha    O que dizer de um jogo que fez parte da minha infância? Joguei muito com meus primos e atualmente jogo com meus amigos.
    É um ótimo jogo para você dar aquela relaxada coletando recursos e montando seu reino, ou então detonar qualquer jogador que vier pela frente com um exército imparável, você decide o que fazer.
    Esse é definitivamente um dos jogos que ainda irei jogar muito na minha vida, pois além de ótimas memórias, eu não me canso da gameplay dele.    … Expand
  45. nfs7379
    Sep 4, 2022
    10
    10/10.......................................................................
  46. hyrts
    Jun 4, 2022
    10
    This game is a legend. We've all had our fun in the world playing kings, fighting other kingdoms and doing goofy stuff.
  47. krlwarkrl
    Jul 16, 2022
    9
    9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 point !
  48. Raziel72
    Aug 7, 2022
    9
    Игра хороша, в юношестве очень много в нее играл. Переход между эпохами очень интересен.
  49. dr-kenobi
    Sep 6, 2022
    10
    This very game is still pretty much playable 23 years after its release. Find me a game that could boast the same. Simple, but amazing strategy
  50. SauceBox6
    Nov 26, 2022
    9
    10 - Masterpiece
    9 - Amazing
    8 - Great
    7 - Good
    6 - Okay
    5 - Mediocre
    4 - Bad
    3 - Awful
    2 - Painful
    1 - Unbearable
  51. Crazygame
    Jan 16, 2023
    10
    It's my favorite strategy game. It's best real time strategy game..........
  52. ReviewsAreBS
    Feb 17, 2023
    9
    One of the greatest games of all time. Does pretty much everything right, though I like the campaign of AoM a lot more.
  53. bruhmoment34
    Apr 6, 2023
    7
    Actually abysmal game, which was only popular because of the absurdly high amount of sweaty gamers of the mid 2000's, when the average monitor had no more than 5 pixels and weighed 30lbs. Only in that era these kind of graphics and shallow strategy would be kind of acceptable. The fact that this game is now considered a "classic" is an absolute marvel of marketing and business strategy.Actually abysmal game, which was only popular because of the absurdly high amount of sweaty gamers of the mid 2000's, when the average monitor had no more than 5 pixels and weighed 30lbs. Only in that era these kind of graphics and shallow strategy would be kind of acceptable. The fact that this game is now considered a "classic" is an absolute marvel of marketing and business strategy. The only two positive marks that this game had in gaming culture is the "Wololo" voiceline and the sheep (even though there should've been more of them).… Expand
  54. chosenam
    May 29, 2023
    8
    The first game I played in the game room with my friend. From then on, I became fond of the medieval style.
  55. nikos3194
    Jul 24, 2023
    10
    My childhood in a nutshell. Even today, more than 20 years after its release, I can say that it is one of the best games I have played in my life.
  56. VLG
    Aug 23, 2023
    9
    I spent many, many hours playing this game as a child. I was so young when i first played it that i didnt even know what i was supposed to do, and i just collected materials and builded a nice city lol Many years later, i would play online regularly, and discovered that i suck at the game, and then abandoned it.
  57. Keron_Heruman
    Aug 28, 2023
    9
    The best RTS game. I'm not fun of the genre but this game is fan and not boring late game as the most of RTS games
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best PC Game of 1999
2
#2 Most Discussed PC Game of 1999
4
#4 Most Shared PC Game of 1999

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. GameZone
    81
    Simply an awesome game - great in historical imagery, solid in sound and game play, and a lot of fun to play. The Age of Kings deserves its title.
    Read full review
  2. Game Over Online
    87
    It’s not a significant improvement as far as gameplay and graphics, but it does help further the claim of AOE as a solid gaming title and a quality multiplayer game. The originality may be gone, but the idea lives on.
    Read full review
  3. Eurogamer
    90
    I never got into the original game, yet I find AoE II enchanting. The sheer depth of the technology tree and evolution of the civilisation are always a surprise. I particularly like the intuitive logic that makes battles more tactical.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »