I want to be articulate, to organize my thoughts, and construct a convincing, cogent argument. But Age of Empires 2 makes that impossible – I'm overcome with how much I adore this game. And I say that as someone who, as well as being coherent and analytical, also tries to be measured, critical. Whether it's something I really love or something I think is terrible, I try to keep my cool when writing about videogames. But AoE 2 just short circuits everything. Command and Conquer will likely always be my personal number one RTS. I'm also very impressed by Tempest Rising. But with the Three Kingdoms DLC about to land, accompanied by a big, preparatory discount on Steam, I feel justified in asserting that Age of Empires 2 remains the ruler of medieval strategy.
It's simple – 30 minutes of Age of Empires 2 is enough time to build a town, raise an army, and lay siege to your opponent's castle. But it's also endless. 45 civilizations. Dozens of campaigns. Innumerable ways to design, tweak, and perfect your strategy.
This is something that's common among the greatest games. The mechanics and systems are relatively straightforward – or at least consistent – but you're also constantly invited to apply those mechanics to new challenges and circumstances. Portal is a great example of this; also the original Resident Evil 4. In AoE 2, the menus, units, and resources are easy to learn and understand. But that tightly designed little toolset is everything you need to play the RTS game on your .
And then you have Age of Empires 2's gorgeous maps and models. I've said before that strategy games, especially from the '90s, have a unique beauty. It's the intricacy, the symmetry, all the moving parts – it's like looking into the center of an elaborate clockwork.
Combine that with Stephen Rippy's score, and all those iconic little barks and sound effects (the 'hee-hah' when you get a new villager; the terrifying, two-tone trumpet that heralds an incoming attack), and Age of Empires 2 is perhaps the most spectacular RTS game ever made – or one of the best-looking videogames of all time, regardless of genre.
Whether you're a returning veteran or you've never played AoE 2 before, the Definitive Edition from 2019 is by far your best option. With improved visuals, a remastered soundtrack, and all the campaigns from all the classic expansions included, you can get it right now for 65% off, meaning you will pay $12.24 / £9.09.
Originally released in 1999, this is the ideal time to lose yourself in Age of Empires 2 – the Definitive Edition's new DLC, The Three Kingdoms, arrives on Tuesday May 6, bringing with it five more civilizations and three extra campaigns. You can pick the game up here.
Otherwise, try some of the other best 4X games on PC.
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