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Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition | Review Thread

OP
OP

Jimmy1984

Banned
May 19, 2018
1,284
To moderators: i know There are different threads but could we open a official One for Entire franchise? Thanks a lot.
 
OP
OP

Jimmy1984

Banned
May 19, 2018
1,284
Queen__ofhyrule said:
What kind of specs are needed to run this on highest?
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I played beta so much so i can Say you that There are some FPS problems for some players but in the last beta version i've been ok with performance. Upcoming patch Will improved it. At least this game offers a lot of improvements but on old engine (the same of aoe2).
 
Axe

Axe

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,757
United Kingdom
I gotta say, I really enjoyed the beta apart from some occasional crashes. The changes are nice for the most part. The new music and animations make a world of difference to the feel of the game. Makes it feel kinda new, but still familiar. Can't really describe the feeling it gave me.

That being said, I didn't like the initial UI settings. Luckily there are lots of options to tweak it. Most importantly for purists, you can make the UI look very much like the original game if you want it to, thankfully.
 

Deleted member 20831

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
1,951
Thanks for the reviews, the game seems really faithful and I seriously cannot wait to play it.

Got the preload on XGP-PC, but I purchased it on Steam too.
Totally hyped..
 
cartoon_soldier

cartoon_soldier

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,632
The World
YESSS ONLY 2 DAYS LEFT. Back to Heavengames I will have to go for this!

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Windu

Windu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,630
Already have it preloaded. I keep on clicking on the game icon. always ends in disappointment.
 
Rodelero

Rodelero

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,536
Bit alarming that they mention pathing issues. The pathfinding AI was really quite broken in my experience with AoE: DE.
 

Terin

Member
Oct 31, 2017
372
Glad this doesn't seem 16 gigs of RAM for the max-res textures, like the AOE1DE needed. That was a bit excessive. Looking forward to giving this a try via game pass, and catching up on all the civs that were added in the recent expansions.
 
Glass

Glass

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,244
Can't wait for this, I'm new to AoE2 after playing it an a lan earlier this year, got absorbed into a 5 hour game and can't get enough now, this DE is perfectly timed
 
sibarraz

sibarraz

Prophet of Regret - One Winged Slayer
Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
18,108
I hope that this doesnt require a very powerful machine to play
 
fivestarman

fivestarman

Member
Oct 28, 2017
376
God damn GamePass - it has the 'Play' button available, just to get your hopes up. You click it, then as you'd expect the game to launch its like NOPE!
 

Deleted member 10737

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
49,774
i was making a review thread then i saw this thread already exists :)
here are the reviews that are out, Jimmy1984 you can add them to the OP and change the thread title.

Metacritic (80)
OpenCritic (84)

Vida Extra (essential, review in spanish):
In short, anecdote with the language apart, we are really facing the final edition of Age of Empires II. Anyone looking for the most complete lot and with the greatest number of improvements, will not have to look any further. The 1999 classic is more fit than ever. WOLOLO!
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Wccftech (9/10):
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition offers an overwhelming wealth of content through hundreds of hours of campaigns to play through, refined to make them more entertaining. With an improved AI offering more engaging battles (although it still doesn't understand the concept of diplomacy or trade) as well as improved visuals and audio, drawing you right into them, you'll not find yourself bored at all and will no doubt keep returning to the skirmish modes. At a cheap price and offering so much, it's impossible not to recommend the game. This is what the original Age of Empires: Definitive Edition could have been. As a standalone title, it's fantastic and one that I'd recommend to anybody and everybody.
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WayTooManyGames (9/10):
Small issues aside, I can't deny I love Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. This is one of the most impressive remasters I've seen in years. Not only has the original game aged like a fine Cabernet Sauvignon, but its sheer amount of content and overall improvements to its visuals and gameplay are more than enough to make want to play this for dozens of hours in a row. RTS fans and history buffs, unite! The game you've been waiting for has finally arrived!
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Windows Central (4.5/5):
Yes, there are some issues with the game — especially when it comes to performance — so those lacking modern gaming hardware will likely need to test things out to see if it can run at an acceptable framerate. And hopefully, the game will be further optimized in the future for those of us still struggling with what should be adequate hardware.

Even with the issues I mentioned at the top of mind, I can't wait to jump back into Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and continue uncovering the smaller changes that I've yet to see. It's a true update to one of the greatest RTS games ever made, and it's never been more enjoyable to play.
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HobbyConsolas (88/100, review in spanish):
Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition is updating a classic. It wasn't easy, but the Forgotten Empires studio has hit the spot with lots of playable changes and lots of new content. AI sometimes fails and new voices will not please anyone, but together it is a great real-time strategy game.
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The Games Machine (8.6/10, review in italian):
It is the best version of an epic game that has made the history of RTS and the worthy celebration of its twentieth anniversary.
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Gamersky (8.5/10, review in chinese):
It is pretty obvious that AoE II definitive edition shows more respect to players than the HD edition. Even though new AI still has some logical problem, the new contents and multiplayer lobby are interesting, and the upgraded graphic textures look impressive with 4K resolution. You will find both memories and future here.
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PCGamesN (8/10):
With new official DLC, a glorious audiovisual overhaul and a touch of modern quality-of-life polish, this is now the best way to play Age 2 - though it'll take a while to match the HD edition's user content.
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NWTV (4/5, review in dutch):
It's extras like these that make Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition not simply an old game with better lighting, as we often see. For a price of €19.99 this is a great deal. Quality of life changes, a nice graphic update, a new soundtrack and the smart "The Art of War" mode ensure that this classic can keep up with the times.
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IGN Italy (8/10, review in italian):
Age of Empires II is twenty years old, and although it may not have the same impact it had then on the videogames world today, its formula remains very entertaining and rewarding, and there are not so many games so old that they can boast about it. If the foundations laid by Ensemble Studios are very solid, the remastering work is good and the many improvements of the Definitive Edition make it the best existing version on the market, but at the same time you could do something more: there are some imperfections and the system technician is not impeccable, but the nostalgia operation can still be said to be successful.
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PC Gamer (78/100):
While this undoubtedly goes several steps further than the HD version and the first Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, it also makes me even more eager for a dramatically different take on Age of Empires 2. You won't find that here. This isn't for people looking for something new; it's for people who are already enamoured with the original game, who I still count myself among, and for fans it's the best version of the best Age of Empires game by a wide margin.
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PC Invasion (6/10):
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition has the content to keep you entertained for a time. Unfortunately, the visuals and core mechanics are woefully behind 20 years after its initial release. It's a nostalgia trip for fans given the low price, but it's lacking in this new age of strategy games.
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OP
OP

Jimmy1984

Banned
May 19, 2018
1,284
mazi said:
i was making a review thread then i saw this thread already exists :)
here are the reviews that are out, Jimmy1984 you can add them to the OP and change the thread title.

Metacritic (??)
OpenCritic (86)

Vida Extra (essential, review in spanish):



Wccftech (9/10):



Windows Central (4.5/5):



The Games Machine (8.6/10, review in italian):



Gamersky (8.5/10, review in chinese):



PCGamesN (8/10):



NWTV (4/5, review in dutch):



IGN Italy (8/10, review in italian):



PC Gamer (78/100):



PC Invasion (6/10):
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No problem for me but how can i edit the main title? I don't see any option
 
Mentalist

Mentalist

Member
Mar 14, 2019
18,025
There were always gonna be only 2 questions when it comes to DE

1) will the game finally take advantage of multi-core CPUs, so that the lag doesn't get insane on busier maps?

2) Will the scenario editor become as robust as UserPatch?

Not sure about either. I'll grab the double-DE pack this week on Steam, but I don't think I'll try playing until I get a new CPU, since my FX 8350 struggled with HD at times, despite me putting over 1300 hours into its campaigns and custom content.
 
Bonejack

Bonejack

Member
Oct 27, 2017
16,654
Any chance this will run somehow decently on a toaster? Everything turned down/off of course.
 
Mentalist

Mentalist

Member
Mar 14, 2019
18,025
johancruijff said:
What is PC Invasion saying?
Did i miss a new age of strategy titles?
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Oh yeah. StarCraft Remastered, WarCraft III Reforged, AoE II DE, Command & Conquer Remaster, Homeworld: Remastered Collection... a second Golden Age is here.

But seriously, there's a bunch of stuff on the horizon, like Iron Harvest to look forward to.
 
storaføtter

storaføtter

Member
Oct 26, 2017
952
sibarraz said:
I hope that this doesnt require a very powerful machine to play
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The first game played fine for me in 4K on a laptop (quad core i7) with a dedicated gpu (much weaker than 950). However I did not play it ultra zoomed out. Hope I can do the same in this one. My gaming pc is hooked to the TV without wireless mouse connectivity which would be less ideal for RTS.
 
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TheTrain

Member
Oct 27, 2017
610
Can't wait to dive in, I wanna try to play a lot more online with the new network of the DE. I always hated the P2P of the original and the HD edition.
 
Shelbyville Milhouse

Shelbyville Milhouse

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,378
I can't look right now, but obviously the most important question is: Do they still have they completely and utterly insane achievements from the HD version?
 

TheTrain

Member
Oct 27, 2017
610
Mentalist said:
Oh yeah. StarCraft Remastered, WarCraft III Reforged, AoE II DE, Command & Conquer Remaster, Homeworld: Remastered Collection... a second Golden Age is here.

But seriously, there's a bunch of stuff on the horizon, like Iron Harvest to look forward to.
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There is also the Daedalic take on the genre, A Year of Rain has been released on Early Access a couple of days ago and looks really interesting:



Rough around the edge but promising.
 
degauss

degauss

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
4,631
"Yes, there are some issues with the game — especially when it comes to performance — so those lacking modern gaming hardware will likely need to test things out to see if it can run at an acceptable framerate. "

Make sure you have an i9 CPU on your giant honking desktop computer to play this 2D game from 1999?
 
exodus

exodus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,951
Is there a reasonable explanation for why this would take exceedingly powerful hardware to run this properly?
 
MouldyK

MouldyK

Prophet of Truth
Banned
Nov 1, 2017
10,118
johancruijff said:
What is PC Invasion saying?
Did i miss a new age of strategy titles?
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Here is what they mentioned:

Although I can appreciate all the content included in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, I still feel that it comes far too late. The strategy genre remains vibrant with many die-hard supporters. We've seen what other strategy games brought to the table from Civilization VI, Company of Heroes, and Age of Wonders: Planetfall to Total War: Warhammer II and Steel Division 2. You've also got turn-based tactical titles like Fantasy General II and XCOM 2, and grand strategy offerings such as Europa Universalis and Crusader Kings. Considering how much the strategy genre has changed in the last two decades, there are moments of reinvention and reinvigoration, and there are times when franchises stuck to a winning formula with a few improvements.
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So basically...they complain it isn't a 4X, not Turn-Based, not smaller-scale like CoH or a Hybrid like Total War.

In the case of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, its mechanics harken back to the bygone days of clickfests, micromanagement, and swarming. That was a time I remember fondly when I was younger, but not so much as I've gotten older. Its animations and visuals, even with UHD support, are woefully outclassed when compared to other titles that are more visually striking. The UI still looks unnecessarily cluttered, while pathfinding needs a few tweaks.

Much like the HD Edition which released six years ago, this is a nostalgia trip with a shinier palette, one that hasn't aged well. It can be something that only long-time fans would appreciate for a time and, even then, they'd still find slightly outdated. Here's to hoping that Age of Empires IV manages to become the game for the new generation.
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Basically...they want Age 4 to not play anything like an Age Game.
 

Deleted member 10737

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
49,774
Saving Content (5/5):
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is exactly what it says it is. For all the effort that's gone into this, it's kind of insane to get all this game for a mere $20. It plays incredibly well, looks even better, and hasn't aged a day. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is next to perfect. It's time to strategize like it's 1999.
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Gamereactor (8/10):
Overall, the niggles are relatively minor and for the most part, we are pleased with how this little nostalgia trip has come together. For dedicated players, there's an almost overwhelming amount of content to play through, from custom matches where anything is possible, through to authored campaigns that explore history from a variety of angles. The high def textures work wonders and Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is a pleasingly retro reimagining. Having returned to a series that we remember so fondly from our teens, we're more eager than ever for the series to return with a fourth number game, as well as any restorative work being done for Age of Empires III and (fingers crossed) Age of Mythology.
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Everyeye.it (7.5/10, review in italian):
The Definitive Edition of Age of Empires II has an impressive amount of content: hundreds of hours that can be spent between single-player campaigns or in various multiplayer modes. But we must remember that the original game was published twenty years ago, and that not even the changes, additions and filings can revive some big conceptual limits. This does not mean that the product originally developed by Ensemble is today unpleasant, but only that it should be approached with a bit of preparation: one must be aware of the fact that some aspects work "in the old way" and that technical limits defeated by the evolution of software they are still there, mitigated by the careful reworking of Forgotten Empires.
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