izigame.me

Pros 👍🏻Cons 👎🏻

Stunning graphics
Four new civilizations and four new campaigns
Updated UI
Updated AI + new difficulty level 'Extreme'
New soundtrack
Updated spectating system

Random crashes
Unstable servers, frequent disconnects
Minor bugs with single and multiplayer games
Issues with path-finding
Poor in-game mod system
Extremely broken chat filter (albeit implemented by Xbox Studios not the developers)

Like our reviews? Check out: United Critics!

🎮 Gameplay

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (AoEII:DE) has improved on many features of the original game, but it is still played exactly the same way. After choosing 1 of the 35 in-game civilizations, you start off with a handful of villagers, and need to build up your civilization from point zero. You gather resources to pay for buildings, units and research.
There are multiple ways you can win the game, known as 'Victory Conditions'. Each victory condition has a different set of rules that determine how a game will be won. For example, the 'Conquest' condition means that you will need to destroy every enemy unit and production building to win the game.
Singleplayer provides the option for players to play against AI, whether in campaign mode or standard game mode. Campaign mode allows you to play through historical battles fighting as then-real people. The definitive edition adds four new campaigns for players to experience; and are a good way to 'get to know' some of the new civilizations.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2068951827
Multiplayer allows for anyone with a stable internet connection and a reliable rig to play with or against other players in either ranked or unranked games.
The combined gameplay of singleplayer and multiplayer means that replayability of AoEII:DE is theoretically unlimited as long as you don't get bored of playing.

⚙ Modding

The new modding system is no longer using Steam Workshop, but rather using Age of Empires' own website to upload or download mods.
It is a difficult task to 'get it right' while uploading a mod. Firstly, do not try to upload in-game, it's utterly hopeless. Secondly, the instructions to upload a mod via ageofempires.com are quite vague, and required me to do a lot of trial and error just to upload a custom map.
To subscribe to a mod, click the 'Mods' button on the game menu page, and then search via the search tab. A mod installed AND enabled on your system will display a red tick in a box.

👥 Multiplayer

With the re-release of the AoEII, much of the multiplayer side of the game has changed. Multiplayer now functions on dedicated servers, with the aim of reducing in-game ping and lag while playing online. There are still many problems with the servers however, and they are frequently getting bug-fixed.
AoEII:DE introduces a whole new ranked matchmaking system. Now, all online games are split into 'Ranked' and 'Unranked' tabs. To be able to play ranked, you need to pass the new performance test with 900 or higher points (1v1) or 1000 or higher points (2v2, 3v3, 4v4). Unranked games do not count towards your elo or leaderboard score.
Ranked has also introduced a new "Map Ban" system. Now when you want to play a ranked match, you can decide if you will 'ban' maps from the map pool. This means they will not be selected as the map for that match.
Another new multiplayer addition are clans. As of yet a clan is just for show and will only put a tag in front of your name (as Age of Empires III does). There is not yet any clan chat functionality, but, one is likely to be added in a future patch.
The new in-game leaderboard allows players to compare stats with other players, and find out who the top players are. There is a different leaderboard for 1v1 ranked, team ranked, 1v1 deathmatch ranked and team deathmatch ranked (four in total).
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2068951661

💻 Graphics

There is only one word to describe the graphics - beautiful.
One of the main differences between the HD edition vs. the Definitive Edition are of course the graphics. Everything is much more detailed, and the addition of mouse-scrolling zoom really puts the cherry on top.
The most notable addition are the building destruction animations. Now, whenever you lower a building's health points to 0, it will begin to crumble into the ground, the same way buildings crumble in AoE:DE. This adds greater realism into the game, and increases the overall appeal of seeing buildings destroyed.
All these spruced up sprites also do come at a cost. While looking spectacular, the RAM usage of the game is very high, which will cause issues for players with 8GB or less wanting to use an ultra graphics preset.
The game also came with a DLC '4K UHD Enhanced Graphics Pack', which makes sprites bigger and more detailed.

🎶 Sound

As well as remastered visuals, AoEII:DE also includes a range of new, old, and remastered sounds, including new building, unit and fighting sounds. You can even toggle what soundtracks play in-game in the 'Audio' tab found in options.
The new sounds truly make the game feel more welcoming, modern and engaging than the old ones ever did.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Audience

AoEII:DE will appeal to old timer Age of Kings players as well as young adults. Generally anyone who enjoys real-time strategy based on the medieval era will love playing.

🔥 Performance

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2068964426
My system specifications:
CPU - Ryzen 3 2200g
GPU - GALAX GeForce® GTX 1650 Super EX 4GB
RAM - 16GB DDR4 @2666MHz
480GB SSD
The game runs well without major issues on my system. Any crashes that occur are never system-caused, rather are caused by bugs within the game itself.
To run this game well, you will need to have a CPU with strong single threaded performance, as the game will only ever use one thread. Also, I recommend at least having 8GB of RAM installed, any less and you will experience either very laggy game-play or poor graphics.
The game was released with the 4K UHD Enhanced Graphics Pack. This is a fairly large download (around 15GB) which gives the option for players who have 8GB or greater of RAM to enable the Enhanced Graphics (UHD) option in video settings. Doing so will increase the size and detail of all in-game sprites. I recommend only using these graphics if you have 16GB of RAM and a 1080x1920 resolution monitor or greater
If you meet at least the recommended system specs for the game, you should easily be able to play @60fps with low-medium settings.

❓ Conclusion

Now you are probably wondering whether or not you will make the purchase. Well, I definitely recommend you do; for the improved graphics, soundtracks, hundreds of hours of campaign, single-player and multiplayer content and of course the new civilizations and their relative campaigns.
This second remaster of the classic is definitely worth every cent. If you already own AoE2 HD, you are in luck, as you can save 25% off the game. With a generous base price of only $20 (USD), you will be getting the remastered game along with the original DLCs and the new 'Last Khans' DLC.
Like our reviews? Check out: United Critics!