In addition to their distinct art and play style, these civilizations have their unique set of advantages and disadvantages which are based fundamentally on a 'rock-paper-scissors' architecture. Since its initial release as Age of Empires II: Age of Kings, four expansions to the game and an HD remake has also been produced - Age of Empires II: The Conquerors (2000), Age of Empires II: HD Edition (2013), Age of Empires II HD: The Forgotten (2013) (based on the fan-made Forgotten Empires), Age of Empires II HD: The African Kingdoms (2015) and Age of Empires II HD: Rise of the Rajas (2016).Īt the heart of the award-winning gameplay of AOE 2 are the civilizations that players are able to choose to play with.
Developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft in 1999 as a sequel to the legendary Age of Empires, the game received 'universal acclaim' upon release and remains a staple for RTS fans to this day. Age of Empires II is one of the most beloved real-time strategy games of all time.
