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Age of Empires 2 - Age of Kings: A Product Review by Eli Black Age of Empires® became a hit in the crowded RTS (Real Time Strategy) game market because it had features that made it unique. First, it was historically accurate—to a point, at least. Second, it had a long list of fun and practical features that just made it a more enjoyable game to play. Age of Empires II: Age of Kings (AOK) expands on that gameplay, and adds a load of eye candy to boot. As in most RTS games, in AOK you see the battlefield from an elevated and slightly downward-angled viewpoint. The units and buildings are 2D images, meaning that there is much less strain on your computer to display them than 3D images, and they tend to look better besides. The interface is simple point-and-click to tell units what to do. To anyone who has played Starcraft® or Warcraft®, the interface should be fairly familiar. The graphics in this game are what set it apart from others available today. Unlike most RTS games, AOK’s buildings are almost perfectly proportional to the units, giving it an unmatched feel of realism. Add to this details like fish jumping in the water, the occasional eagle flying by, and wandering wolves that will attack your villagers, and you’ve got a game that will turn heads by the look alone. But graphics alone don’t make the game. Too many times I have played a game that looked great but reached the point where it was not entertaining to play. Not so with AOK. The gameplay is as appealing as the scenery, combining up-close-and-personal combat between infantry and cavalry with long-range bombardment by catapults and trebuchets. You can’t simply walk up to a fortified wall with 50 swordsmen and expect to win. They won’t even make a dent in it. As it should be. But send in a few battering rams with them, and you’ve got a killer attack force. Another option that most RTS games lack is a slow pace. If you want to take your time about building up, simply start on a large map. If you don’t feel like conquering the world today, you can sometimes win by economic methods instead. With 13 distinct races, over 40 units, and a unique unit for each race, AOK has tons of options for whatever type of strategy you feel like using. It includes an extensive single player campaign and a multitude of options for playing the computer on a random or custom map. If you tire of that, head onto the ‘net with Microsoft’s free online Gaming Zone service and play people from around the world.
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