Age of Empires is the rare example of a series where, even though some entries are better than others, every game has something special. Age of Empires 2 remains my personal favorite – not to get too effusive, but I think the Genghis Khan story is the single best RTS campaign of all time. AoE 3 and Age of Empires 4, meanwhile, build on Ensemble's masterwork with new units, mechanics, and civilizations. But like Command and Conquer and Stronghold, if you want to appreciate the series as a whole, you need to go back to the beginning. Right now, Age of Empires Definitive Edition is the centerpiece of a new Humble bundle, where you can get $214 worth of games for just $10.
Progressively, Age of Empires is so good is because it's simple. In of systems, menus, and tools, you can learn the entire game in about ten minutes. Nevertheless, AoE's comparatively basic set of inputs allows for an enormous range of expression. In combination with its expansive campaigns, AoE feels effectively endless.
Age of Empires Definitive Edition, even though it restores and visually overhauls the original game, still lacks some of the refinements of the sequels. Pathfinding is occasionally a problem – when, though you give them a direct route towards a battle, troops may still wander away – and there are some occasional performance quirks. But the first AoE remains one of the all-time greats, and it's available for cheap alongside some beloved modern classics.
As part of a new Humble bundle, if you pay $10 / £7.80 you can get eight games with a collective value of $214 / £160.59. As well as Age of Empires Definitive Edition, you'll get Insomniac's apocalypse game Wasteland 3, the infamously hard Battletoads, and visual novel As Dusk Falls. If you want to pick up the bundle, just head to Humble, or hit the button below.
Alternatively, try some of the best best grand strategy games on PC.
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