Age of Empires, released on October 26, 1997, was the first game in the series, as well as the first major release from Ensemble Studios. It was one of the first history-based real-time strategy games made, utilizing the Genie game engine. Age of Empires, the pivotal RTS that launched a 20-year legacy returns in definitive form for Windows 10 PCs. Bringing together all of the officially released content with modernized gameplay, all-new visuals and a host of other new features, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is the complete RTS package.

Age Of Empires 1998

When it comes to strategy games do you get much more classic than Age of Empires? This is the game that started it all and it is crazy to think that this game came out the better part of a quarter of a century ago! It is a series that has gone from strength to strength and today I am taking a step back in time to see how it holds up.

Starting From Scratch

When you go back and look at a classic like this it is really hard to do so. On the one hand, I have very fond memories of playing this game and as a result, I can truly appreciate how this was a game-changer when it was released. On the flip side of this though, I am not sure I would ever in a million years expect someone new to the series to jump into this over one of the newer games in the Age of Empires series.As far as the presentation of the game goes, it is not bad. This is an older PC game so you have to keep that in mind, but the visuals are not all that bad and there is some very nice sprite work here that tugs on those nostalgia strings. It is worth noting that a Definitive Edition of this game was released a little while back that did improve the visuals.

Take It All

The goal of the game is that you are in charge of an empire. There are just under 20 for you to choose from and you have to make sure you are taking care of your people. What is cool is that the empire you choose will actually dictate a large portion of the early part of the game such as the resources and so on that you have. You will want the resources for your own empire, but so will others which can lead to war You cannot just take what you want and try to steamroll over the other nations. Well, you can try, but eventually, it will catch up to you. You have to shake hands and try to play nice at times, but never be scared to go to war when it is required. In going back and playing the game I did actually like how scaled back it was in comparison to what we have now. It made things a lot simpler and I still did have a fair bit of fun with it.

I think if you played Age of Empires back in the day it is worth going back and taking a look at it. The game holds up better than you would think and the more “basic” nature of it is actually part of its charm. It is really lacking in-depth and features in comparison to the modern games, but I still think there is something good here. For a player new to the series I would recommend checking out one of the newer games.

Final Score: 7.5/10

Pros:

• The dated visuals do have some charm
• It is not super complicated like some modern games
• You will find that the different nations each have their own personality
• It is one of the most classic strategy games of all time
• Even now, it is an addictive game

Cons:

• The visuals are quite dated which some might not find charming
• The game is lacking in features compared to the modern entries

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Thanks to Xbox Game Pass for PC shelling out some money, we get a real-life trebuchet AND all three Age of Empires: Definitive Edition games.

Microsoft and its partnered studios have been hard at work for the last few years bringing us remastered versions of some of the best real-time strategy (RTS) games ever made. We reviewed all three titles — including Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition, and Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition — and came to the easy decision that these are must-haves for anyone who loves PC gaming.

To make their acquisition about as easy as possible, all three are included with the Xbox Game Pass for PC, a subscription service that nets you more than 150 PC games for one monthly price. You can buy each game separately, but they do now come in a Definitive Collection set if you want all three without going in for the subscription service.

But to celebrate the Definitive Collection on Xbox Game Pass for PC, YouTuber colinfurze — well-known for building some truly impressive machines — was sponsored to build a modern trebuchet inspired by Age of Empires.

Age Of Empires 1 Wiki

Age Of Empires 1 Civilizations

Anyone who loves a 90-kilogram projectile-slinging weapon of war is definitely going to want to check out the video. This is a modern project, so where wood would have been used in the middle ages, it's now been replaced with steel. This is no amateur project, and the end result is monstrous. Bonus points for being impervious to arrow fire and cavalry charges.

You'll have to wait for the next video to see if the modern trebuchet actually launches anything, or if the massive gold investment has gone to waste. In any case, props to Microsoft and its Xbox Game Pass for PC for sponsoring this awesome project.

Age Of Empires 2 Download Full Game

All You Can Play

Age Of Empires 1 Vs 2

Xbox Game Pass for PC

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