Age of Empires Online

 PC
User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 189 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 189
  2. Mixed: 57 out of 189
  3. Negative: 67 out of 189
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  1. Adrianor
    Nov 29, 2011
    7
    As others have said, I was rather skeptical with the cartoon style of AoEO. However, I gave it a try and it was decent. But the more I played, I noticed a lot of aspects of the game were missing. How to get them? Paying. Unless you were expecting to get the whole game for free, it'll satisfy any AoE fan out there for a while.
  2. Betazero
    Nov 8, 2012
    9
    Giving this game a zero is just wrong. Yes maybe it is more fun against the computer than competitively but it is a much better experience than Starcraft 2. I play Starcraft 2 until the end and yes that was fun but then thats it. I don't like to play against Koreans online so in one month the game is over. Age of Empires is fun for the whole family and various difficulties. It needs twoGiving this game a zero is just wrong. Yes maybe it is more fun against the computer than competitively but it is a much better experience than Starcraft 2. I play Starcraft 2 until the end and yes that was fun but then thats it. I don't like to play against Koreans online so in one month the game is over. Age of Empires is fun for the whole family and various difficulties. It needs two things. Heroes like Warcraft 3. And a better level 40 experience. It is very hard to get the gear that is strong enough for the legendary and level 40 missions. Other than that it is my favorite RTS since Warcraft 3. In ways it is much better. You feel a connection to each empire.… Expand
  3. Mugorn
    Feb 15, 2013
    8
    I decided to wait a while to play this game after reading the initial reviews. I wanted to wait until the DLC stuff became cheaper.

    Been playing it now for a month and it is actually really fun. It’s no worse or better than SC2 or any other RTS out there. On steam right now, you can purchase your race upgrade for $10.00 and the skirmish pack for $5.00. And with those two options you    I decided to wait a while to play this game after reading the initial reviews. I wanted to wait until the DLC stuff became cheaper.

    Been playing it now for a month and it is actually really fun. It’s no worse or better than SC2 or any other RTS out there.

    On steam right now, you can purchase your race upgrade for $10.00 and the skirmish pack for $5.00. And with those two options you have tones of quests and skirmish games ahead. So basically you can have hours of fun for just $15.00.

    The game combines city building, mmo style level/gearing and of course, RTS. It doesn’t take itself so seriously and is really amusing to play.

    I understand the low scores at initial release, but right now I would recommend it.

    Oh, and some people complain about the Games for Window login. I just don’t get it. It took a whole of “count to thirty” to figure out I had to make an GWFL account and figure out how to log in.    … Expand
  4. pmroks4life
    Mar 1, 2013
    10
    Absolute awesomeness! The only drawback is that to unlock everything you must spend a little bit of money. Other than that this game is amazing! That's all I have to say about this game.
  5. TeddyAngWX
    Jul 27, 2013
    8
    Yes, this game requires payment to fully unlock civs ($10 per civ), thus allowing better gears to be equipped. However, if you play this game patiently, you could do many daily repeatable quests and non-combat quests to get to level 40. Then join the alliance wars, and just either donate materials or do some of the easy alliance quests to get alliance points. It will convert into EmpireYes, this game requires payment to fully unlock civs ($10 per civ), thus allowing better gears to be equipped. However, if you play this game patiently, you could do many daily repeatable quests and non-combat quests to get to level 40. Then join the alliance wars, and just either donate materials or do some of the easy alliance quests to get alliance points. It will convert into Empire Points every 24hours, as well as accumilative 7 days and 30 days. Within a month, you would be able buy premium content with the "farmed" Empire Points. After I bought my first premium civ using EP, I was able to create a lot more materials at a time, and from then on, all i did was collect the mats and donate them for points everyday. Sometimes I cbf, but either way, I've "farmed" at least $50 of EP just by doing that. Then yes, unlock more premium civs more mats more donation to npc more EP. It's like a business, starting out small and becoming successful. Isn't that the most satisfying thing in any game?
    Now, I don't know what to do with my over-abundance of EP... awks.. lol i started buying vanity :/
    P.S On average, it should only take about 1.5 to 2 months to farm that 900 EP to unlock a civ. From then on, it takes far less and so on.

    Gameplay wise, the sound effects are great, combat is pretty okay, love the versatility of the skirmish room, but i wish there could be more than just 4v4. Defence of Crete is BEAST. And yes, gotta unlock all that with EP ^.^

    This game gets an 8 because of the "long" initial phase of getting a premium civ. Everything else is awesome     … Expand
  6. billie1019
    Aug 14, 2013
    10
    I have to say that the concept of MMO+RTS becomes highly enjoyable in this game. In early game, you can do simple tasks to learn the basis, upgrade and loot some start-up gear. While reaching lv15, you'd get access to all the four ages and many useful upgrades in the tech tree. Slowly after lv30, challenging tasks are out there for you to conquer.
    Now you're at lv40 and you'd realise the    I have to say that the concept of MMO+RTS becomes highly enjoyable in this game. In early game, you can do simple tasks to learn the basis, upgrade and loot some start-up gear. While reaching lv15, you'd get access to all the four ages and many useful upgrades in the tech tree. Slowly after lv30, challenging tasks are out there for you to conquer.
    Now you're at lv40 and you'd realise the fun has just begun. You could choose to join any of the three alliance to do even more interesting and challenging quests with other online players, earn large amount of gold and empire points, and loot amazing gears to power up your civ. The legendary gears sold in stores are very useful too as long as you earn sufficient golds. The late game never ends so long as you are still anxious to improve your gear to the ultimate.
    Yes you may need to pay at least 10 bucks to your first civ, but after fully upgrade it to lv40 and start the alliance war, reward can be fairly satisfactory. After some while you can totally afford the other contents that need purchase. Believe me there's tons of fun in this game, skirmish, legendary quests, defend of Crete, interaction with other players, etc. You can't find them all in any of the other existing games.    … Expand
  7. jadeia
    Aug 20, 2011
    5
    AoE online is an okay RTS. The problem is, it's the most expensive okay RTS out there. Be warned if you're playing on an internet connection that isn't 100% stable too - as this game will boot you to the menu screen as soon as you experience even the slightest drop out.
  8. IhlinaFrost
    Aug 28, 2011
    5
    "Meh" is the word that best summarises my experience with Age of Empires Online. The game essentially feels as if the developers took Age of Mythology (minus the Norse), took out all of the interesting differences within the civilisations, chopped the tech tree up into segments that require levels and talent points to unlock and "updated" the graphics style. The quests consist of playing"Meh" is the word that best summarises my experience with Age of Empires Online. The game essentially feels as if the developers took Age of Mythology (minus the Norse), took out all of the interesting differences within the civilisations, chopped the tech tree up into segments that require levels and talent points to unlock and "updated" the graphics style. The quests consist of playing small mission-based maps in lieu of an actual campaign which tend to be fairly droll and repetitive; especially since you'll have all of your tech limited due to level constraints. I've not touched the PvP but I do know it's limited to 1v1 and 2v2; fairly restrictive for an RTS. The biggest positive is that this is all, of course, free, but be prepared for constant bombardments of reminders to visit their RMT store, and unless you spend at least $20 for a Premium Civ unlock ($20 per, mind you) you'll be fairly limited in what units you can build or items you can use.… Expand
  9. Bluey
    Aug 21, 2011
    3
    AOE: Online is one of those games that deserves 2 scores in a review. One for what it sets out to do, and one for what it does. At the core of the experience is a highly addictive, fun and competitive online RTS game. Mixed into it are RPG elements such as quests, loot, upgrades and epic items. These let you customize your army to your hearts extent. The upgrades are significant, able toAOE: Online is one of those games that deserves 2 scores in a review. One for what it sets out to do, and one for what it does. At the core of the experience is a highly addictive, fun and competitive online RTS game. Mixed into it are RPG elements such as quests, loot, upgrades and epic items. These let you customize your army to your hearts extent. The upgrades are significant, able to buff the strength of a unit by more than 50%. It makes every match different as you'll encounter players with different items and units at their disposal. While there are still the expected balance issues, it's a fantastic experience.

    But there are negatives to this game, unfortunately a lot of them. The main problem is it's payment model. It claims to be a micro-transaction game but nothing could be less true. The cheapest items you'll find are $7.50 each, and consist of a pack of trees or statues to place in your capital for decoration. Seems pricey? Wait until you see the rest. A premium Civilization will set you back $20 for each one you buy. If you want to purchase everything there is for the next six months, it'll cost you $100. But it's free to play right? No. Unlike other similar F2P Microtransaction titles, Age of Empires cripples its free players. If you don't pay, you have no Advisors (which buff your units), you cannot get equip rare or epic items, and some units will simply be locked out entirely. The power of the locked out units is far greater than the default ones, as demonstrated early on when the game gives you a few of them to mess around with in a PvE scenario. Lacking units plus loot, a free player will NEVER be able to beat a paid subscriber who knows what he's doing. The advantage is just too big, meaning it's pay2win.

    That set aside, there are plenty of issues with the game balance itself as well. For starters, matchmaking is downright broken. When you first set foot in PvP, you'll be level 6. Without hesitating, the game will match you against level 20+ players time and time again. Not only will their identical units be twice as powerful as yours, they'll be able to tech up to an age you don't have access to. You'll be pounding his Tier 3 reinforced stone fortress to no avail with your Tier 1 Spearman as you realize that no matter how many units you produce, you have no way of winning. The RTS games themselves are slowpaced. Your Town Hall, the village-producing default building, comes with a free turret inside it and a crapload of health. Rushing and harassing is impossible here as it chews up tier 1 units and puts the hurt on tier 2 as well. That means the first 5 minutes of every match are the same. Make villagers, get resources, tech up and build units. It becomes tedious fast. Unlock more modern RTSes, there's no constant back and forth here. You want a surefire way to win? Keep your army in 1 place, wait until your ready and storm the opposing army. Expanding beyond your main base is unneccessary and pointless the first 40 minutes and will rarely come into play.

    The PvE factor, the only content available for free players, is downright boring. The first 4-5 hours consist of only tutorial missions. There's no story here, no voice acting or cutscenes. It's build your base and destroy the opposing base. It wouldn't be so bad if the AI gave you any resistance at all, but it doesn't. They send the same 4-5 men to your base every 5 minutes, and your town hall alone is usually sufficient to fend them off. These missions would be over in minutes were it not for the enemy towers placed everywhere that chew up your units. Again, boring, and repetitive.

    It all adds up to a very flawed experience. There's some great fun here. The loot system is unique and addictive. The PvP can be very satisfying, and CooP PvE is still fun as always. The horde-like Crete addon you can purchase is engaging and challenging. But the payment model is unfair to freeloaders. Without those, your community will crumble due to the lack of players. Microsoft has overpriced their content by at least 50% here and made some very poor choices as to what to give to free players. Make no mistake, this game is not free to play. You get a stripped down demo as a free player and have no chance to win. It's a business model that leaves a very sour taste, and I hope that the game fails miserably because of it. So in what it tries to do, I'll give it a 9/10. It's addictive and can be great fun.
    But for what it accomplishes, a 3/10 is generous, and I'm feeling generous today.    … Expand
  10. Adalonus
    Aug 24, 2011
    3
    First off, I'm pretty sure the concept of Free to Play and Micro-transaction games have been lost. Free to Play means exactly what it sounds like. FREE. Full content available to you for the low price of $0. Micro-transaction means the full game is available, but different things are available to individuals for a dollar or two. Different models and skins are available to buy along withFirst off, I'm pretty sure the concept of Free to Play and Micro-transaction games have been lost. Free to Play means exactly what it sounds like. FREE. Full content available to you for the low price of $0. Micro-transaction means the full game is available, but different things are available to individuals for a dollar or two. Different models and skins are available to buy along with experience boosters and cash to in-game money transactions are allowed as well for the more casual gamer who wants to be on equal footing as the more hardcore gamer without putting in equal time. In no way should this give someone a competitive advantage who would normally be on equal footing with someone else. Age of Empires Online misses this. The game is incomplete unless you start handing your paycheck over to Microsoft.

    Now for the actual game (or at least what's available). There's nothing wrong with cartoony graphics on a "Free to Play" game. The missions are mind-numbingly repetitive and the MMO aspect is a far stretch. The idea to try to mix an RTS with the permanent aspect of an MMO is brilliant, but AoE:O only succeeds in adding items and a chat box.

    To sum up my feelings on this game: Brilliantly incomplete. I'll give half the score they could have had for half the game they gave me minus a point for lying about it being F2P/Micro-transaction. (8/2)-1= 3    … Expand
  11. paketep
    Sep 1, 2011
    0
    I have bought every Age of xx game there have been up to now. This is not one. This is a sad sad farmvillized clone perpetrated by the suits of Microsoft that tries to dime and nickle you into boredom. Don't bother, there are so much better RTSs out there. I just wish they hadn't pissed all over the name of this once great franchise.
  12. HighwayUK
    Sep 5, 2011
    5
    It seems like a nice update on the originals but having to folk out well over £70 to unlock all the tribes is beyond a joke... no thanks, can buy all the originals and save £50
  13. Extreme74
    Aug 29, 2011
    1
    Well I was looking forward to this game. I downloaded it the first day and decided after the first day to get the $40 content DLC. Well I was fighting random game crash after game crash since i started. I decided to reinstall the game to hopefully fix the problem. And now I can't even start the game up. So the time I did get to play it was a good game but again the word is "get toWell I was looking forward to this game. I downloaded it the first day and decided after the first day to get the $40 content DLC. Well I was fighting random game crash after game crash since i started. I decided to reinstall the game to hopefully fix the problem. And now I can't even start the game up. So the time I did get to play it was a good game but again the word is "get to play" Going to try and get a refund but i am not holding my breath and then wait until they fix the bugs (if they do) not really seeing a lot of info on Microsoft side on the forums. Good luck with the game.… Expand
  14. Chapy
    Aug 18, 2011
    4
    Competitive player review incoming. First things first, let's get 'free' out of the way. This game is not free. The DEMO is free, that is, the two somewhat playable races are free, the two lowest level gear tiers are free (common/uncommon), and mind numbing PvE is free. This game does do what it sets out to do, however. It was designed to be casual, to be easy and thoughtless and to make aCompetitive player review incoming. First things first, let's get 'free' out of the way. This game is not free. The DEMO is free, that is, the two somewhat playable races are free, the two lowest level gear tiers are free (common/uncommon), and mind numbing PvE is free. This game does do what it sets out to do, however. It was designed to be casual, to be easy and thoughtless and to make a ton of money, and it will likely succeed in all areas. It's not a 'free' game for anyone who enjoys PvP or balance for that matter. It's not a game for anyone who LIKES MONEY, since each race costs what the price of the entire game should be, $20 dollars. Worse yet, unless I am missing something while I painstakingly searched all the controls and settings, they don't even provide hotkeys outside of opening up the settings and controls and digging around for them. No, that barracks you want to build, there is a hotkey but you're too stupid to be told what it is, just click on it. That is the tone of the entire game, a casual, boring, anti-competitive money sink. Cannot recommend this to like-minded tryhards like myself, or anyone who enjoys a challenge for that matter.… Expand
  15. Dalzk
    Aug 19, 2011
    10
    The PvP in this AoE series is by far the best. The customizable tech tree means you essentially can make your own civ and it is the most fast paced AoE series out there (which imo is good thing). The two civs are also totally unique which is a nice take on the series (instead of having dozens of identical civs), and they have already confirmed 2 more civs this holiday + more to come after.The PvP in this AoE series is by far the best. The customizable tech tree means you essentially can make your own civ and it is the most fast paced AoE series out there (which imo is good thing). The two civs are also totally unique which is a nice take on the series (instead of having dozens of identical civs), and they have already confirmed 2 more civs this holiday + more to come after. Lastly, the fact this game is an evergreen model means it is just going to grow with more and more features being added - the game is still young at the moment with a development cycle of only 1-2 years. There is one negative however, which is that the "PvE" (single player) part of the game is rather boring (for me personally). However you only need to get to level 5 to PvP ,and then you can bypass that whole section. Give it a try

    P.S - @Chapy, the guy who spent half the time complaining at how you cant change the hotkeys. If you go to options there is a huge button which is labelled hotkeys. You might want to click it.    … Expand
  16. DrIron
    Sep 1, 2011
    0
    This may just be the worst MMO I've ever seen in my life. $20 per civ, a pay-to-win system, and wonky gameplay compared to previous Age of Empires games are signs that this game won't survive long. I find it hard to believe this was even meant to be a serious game and not an attempt to just see how far you could take microtransactions, and how much you could charge for them. A season passThis may just be the worst MMO I've ever seen in my life. $20 per civ, a pay-to-win system, and wonky gameplay compared to previous Age of Empires games are signs that this game won't survive long. I find it hard to believe this was even meant to be a serious game and not an attempt to just see how far you could take microtransactions, and how much you could charge for them. A season pass alone is $100.… Expand
  17. ImmoralAtheist
    Aug 18, 2011
    3
    Microtransaction model ruins balance, and has changed the gameplay mechanics into something worse.
    It's supposed to be a strategy game, but this economic model seems to have greatly harmed that.
    Crappy AI, especially on water maps. Very generic quests. No MMO. It's a multiplayer game, with global chat possibilities, and other players can see your home town. That graphics themselves aren't    Microtransaction model ruins balance, and has changed the gameplay mechanics into something worse.
    It's supposed to be a strategy game, but this economic model seems to have greatly harmed that.
    Crappy AI, especially on water maps.
    Very generic quests.
    No MMO. It's a multiplayer game, with global chat possibilities, and other players can see your home town.
    That graphics themselves aren't that big of an issue. What I don't like though, is that combat lacks any sense of fierceness. It feels just as cartoonish as the graphics. It kinda sounds like they're fighting with training weapons.    … Expand
  18. Rebun
    Aug 26, 2011
    9
    Fantastic and enjoyable MMO/RTS. I've been waiting for an MMORTS game like to come out for a very long time and it doesnt dissapoint. The game sticks true to the series and it very much feels like an age of empires game. Building up your capital city is also very enjoyable and definitely has an effect on questing (the traditional RTS side). My only gripe with the game is that its dependantFantastic and enjoyable MMO/RTS. I've been waiting for an MMORTS game like to come out for a very long time and it doesnt dissapoint. The game sticks true to the series and it very much feels like an age of empires game. Building up your capital city is also very enjoyable and definitely has an effect on questing (the traditional RTS side). My only gripe with the game is that its dependant on Games for Windows Live and has caused alot of confusion and network errors when trying to connect to my PC that took a while to fix. Otherwise, an excellent game.… Expand
  19. lordjrs
    Oct 2, 2011
    0
    I loved AoE 1 and AoE 2, and also i loved Microsoft for making one of the greatest RTS in history. No More. This game is a demo, because you can only play with 2 races. You must pay to gain access to the other races that are more OP than the free races. So basically this game is another attempt to gain money squeezing a good franchise. Don't even play it, please.
  20. MaximusG
    Sep 6, 2011
    10
    10/10.

    As an old AoE player I was skeptical about this release, but actually this is one of the best games I've played in a while. If you enjoyed AoM, you'll like this game. It's not overly ambitious with the MMO stuff, but there's enough to make it interesting. People complaining that the game isn't 100% free should stop trolling; you really thought they'd just give you a free game?    10/10.

    As an old AoE player I was skeptical about this release, but actually this is one of the best games I've played in a while.
    If you enjoyed AoM, you'll like this game. It's not overly ambitious with the MMO stuff, but there's enough to make it interesting.

    People complaining that the game isn't 100% free should stop trolling; you really thought they'd just give you a free game? There is lots of content available without spending a cent.

    Are you telling me you think $20 for a civilization - (so... $20 + $20 + $10 + $10 = $60 for the two civs and the two bonus gameplay modes) is too expensive? Compared with the price of other MMO games this is cheap; and compared with Starcraft 2 it's a bargain.    … Expand
  21. CivforBrains
    Oct 23, 2011
    7
    I have been playing for free so far and I admit it has been fun. I don't know whether paying for things will be worth it or not. Time will tell I guess. Looking forward to the Celts. :)
  22. Makavelis7days
    Aug 29, 2011
    6
    I have spent several hours with this game and find it to be a wonderful "free" game. The basics are all there for all to play and the game teaches you how to be competitive and shows you units through a forced story mode. The leveling system is interesting and reminds me of the Total War series research, but over a long period of time.
    Honestly the best part of this game is the pay    I have spent several hours with this game and find it to be a wonderful "free" game. The basics are all there for all to play and the game teaches you how to be competitive and shows you units through a forced story mode. The leveling system is interesting and reminds me of the Total War series research, but over a long period of time.
    Honestly the best part of this game is the pay system IMHO. It allows you to play for free vs other people in NON-ranked modes, but if you pay ~$20-$40 (in microsoft points... BLEH) you can play this game ranked against other people. As you play you get items you can equip onto your units that make them have bonus % to different areas of there game, this allows for variability other RTS games don't provide.
    Overall this game is fun, I mean lets be honest here, its Age of Empires! But personally I don't see myself dropping money into this game with competition like the super well made Starcraft 2 already bought.    … Expand
  23. bcastl
    Sep 29, 2011
    8
    I am an RTS fan in general, and have fond memories of playing Age Of Empires and Age of Empires 2 as a kid. In my humble opinion, this is a good game. The in-game gameplay is what we have come to expect from an Age of Empires title, given a unique graphical update that I find fun and refreshing.
  24. KazMx
    Oct 21, 2011
    10
    To be honest when the game came out back in August it seems that a lot of bad decisions were made and the game itself was incomplete but the modifications that are being made gave a breath of air. And the following patches will be crucial because they contain a mode that will please a lot of users.
  25. Skilgannon
    Nov 17, 2011
    8
    I have played all the AOE games and this one is uniquely different in that it is purely online, partly RTS and part MMMO. It can be F2P but I have not played it that way because I really beieve you get what you pay for in the end. I call this a flawed gem of a game. I have enjoyed the first 3 months but is has also been frustrating. The PvP experience at present has been poor but I haveI have played all the AOE games and this one is uniquely different in that it is purely online, partly RTS and part MMMO. It can be F2P but I have not played it that way because I really beieve you get what you pay for in the end. I call this a flawed gem of a game. I have enjoyed the first 3 months but is has also been frustrating. The PvP experience at present has been poor but I have enjoyed the questing, trading and even haven't minded the grinding.
    Today they patch the PvP side which will improve that experience. Each month they have been patching, adding new content and generally improving the game. If this continues and it should because the Celts and Skirmish mode have been promised for December, this game will start to reach its full potential and become as good (I believeit has the potential to be better than the previous games) as its predecessors.    … Expand
  26. jim109109
    Jun 4, 2012
    5
    This is a clone of AoE 2, adapted in a way to earn the developers tons of cash. You gain every upgrade, and by upgrade I mean the sames as AoE 2, and very few, for your civilization one by one through endless quests giving you endless missions which are all really easy and pointless. Through this you gain a sense of progression and get brainwashed to play more. when you get a good item,This is a clone of AoE 2, adapted in a way to earn the developers tons of cash. You gain every upgrade, and by upgrade I mean the sames as AoE 2, and very few, for your civilization one by one through endless quests giving you endless missions which are all really easy and pointless. Through this you gain a sense of progression and get brainwashed to play more. when you get a good item, you need to pay real cash to unlock the ability to use it. Despite the fact that the item is useless in a gameplay stand point if you want to play multiplayer you'll have to unlock it or else get raped by those who have it. To gain full access to most civilizations, you have to once again pay. Do yourself a favor and buy Age of Empires 2 for 5$, if it's even sold anymore, and get a better experience than this. The actual gameplay and game itself is equally good than AoE 2, so therefore it's good..I can't deny it. But it's still the same game adapted to be a money vortex.… Expand
  27. viv_jen
    Nov 25, 2012
    10
    having played all the AOE series
    il say this is the best
    top graphics , quests ,pvp all in one
    there are some issues for few peeps with online pvp connections etc but
    thats to be expected
  28. Qwik
    Aug 16, 2011
    9
    Age of Empires is a great RTS that I remember playing 10+ years ago. Age of Empires Online offers essentially a free game experience that users can test out and then decide if they like it and purchase components rather than the full box. I really like the RTS/MMO elements of gearing up your civilization and going to battle. Ranked PvP boards are nice as well. Graphics are veryAge of Empires is a great RTS that I remember playing 10+ years ago. Age of Empires Online offers essentially a free game experience that users can test out and then decide if they like it and purchase components rather than the full box. I really like the RTS/MMO elements of gearing up your civilization and going to battle. Ranked PvP boards are nice as well. Graphics are very detailed and fun. Defense of Crete booster pack offers a different type of game play where people partner (or go solo) and defend their city for as long as possible through waves of enemies - lots of different levels. Pretty innovative for the RTS genre which is lacking lately.

    Lots of future content coming and booster packs - should be interesting to see how it goes.    … Expand
  29. MaDaStar
    Aug 17, 2011
    9
    The best part of Age of Empires Online is that it feels like an Age of Empires game. Fans of the series know what I mean by that. There is just something about the overall feel when you start your very first quest, you know you're playing Age of Empires. I've played the beta and early release, and have been enjoying the game a great deal. Now that my friends have joined me, it's evenThe best part of Age of Empires Online is that it feels like an Age of Empires game. Fans of the series know what I mean by that. There is just something about the overall feel when you start your very first quest, you know you're playing Age of Empires. I've played the beta and early release, and have been enjoying the game a great deal. Now that my friends have joined me, it's even better. While the art style first had me wondering what the hell the developers were thinking, it now seems like the obvious choice. I initially thought that graphics along the lines of Medieval II would have been better, but with the community of the MMO portion of the game, Iâ… Expand
  30. Seibab
    Aug 18, 2011
    5
    I was very impressed with Age of Empires Online. I was skeptical when I first saw its visually cartoony style, but I'm glad to say that the core Age of Empires formula that I love dearly is still there. Seeing that it's for free at the start, I thought it was a deal too good to be true, and unfortunately it is. You only get two civilizations (Greece, Egypt) without paying, which is fine,I was very impressed with Age of Empires Online. I was skeptical when I first saw its visually cartoony style, but I'm glad to say that the core Age of Empires formula that I love dearly is still there. Seeing that it's for free at the start, I thought it was a deal too good to be true, and unfortunately it is. You only get two civilizations (Greece, Egypt) without paying, which is fine, but only a fraction of them is given if you choose not to pay (units, missions, buildings are missing). Again, fine, I wouldn't mind paying a little for the full experience, BUT, it's $20 a piece! Just to complete the other half of a civilization. That means to get both Egypt and Greece fully would be $40! That's almost the price of a full retail game, but only with 2 civilizations! Nothing compared to past AoE games. That's not including the Crete Booster Pack or the upcoming civilizations. There is an option to buy a full season1 pass, that includes all features and those upcoming for 30% off, but again, it's $99! Seriously, I could buy two brand new PC games for that price, and, only for 4 civilizations (Greece, Egypt, Persia, Celts). I would still recommend this game if the free version was outstanding, and while the mechanics of the game are great, the free part of the game is only a glorified 'demo', which doesn't allow one to initiate online matches or advance past a certain part of the main game. I'm highly disappointed, the Age of Empires series is my favorite on the PC.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

69
#69 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 44 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 44
  3. Negative: 0 out of 44
  1. MMORPG.com
    Mar 9, 2012
    67
    In the end, Age of Empires Online works well as a demo rather than a F2P game. There just doesn't seem to have been enough thought about what each element from the MMO and RTS genres bring to the party. Instead, they've just been thrown together.
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  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 20, 2012
    70
    Online sequel to the legendary strategic series focuses on a different target group than its predecessors and promises to become a global phenomenon. [Dec 2011]
  3. CD-Action
    Nov 9, 2011
    60
    To use its whole potential you have to dig deep into your pockets to unlock premium content. The only thing left for the fans of the series is to hope for Age of Empires IV. [November 2011, p.80]
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