Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings

As a foundational Real Time Strategy (RTS) game released in 1999, you guide one of thirteen civilizations through 1000 years of the Middle Ages, advancing from the Dark Age to the Imperial Age. The core loop involves gathering resources, building towns, researching technologies, and raising armies. Success can be achieved via military force, diplomacy, or intrigue. Progression requires meeting building prerequisites and paying resource costs to unlock new units and capabilities, defining the strategic depth across its historical timeframe.

This is a foundational Real Time Strategy (RTS) title that immerses players in the tumultuous history of the Middle Ages. Released in 1999, the game allows players to select one of thirteen distinct civilizations and guide them through a thousand years of development, from the Dark Age through to the Imperial Age. The core experience revolves around the classic RTS loop: gathering vital resources like food, wood, gold, and stone, constructing thriving towns, researching new technologies, and raising formidable military forces to overcome adversaries.

The Path to Medieval Dominance

The central objective is to lead your chosen civilization to greatness, offering multiple avenues to achieve supremacy. Players can pursue military conquest, relying on strategic army composition and battlefield tactics to intimidate rivals. Alternatively, success can be sought through economic and diplomatic means, building a powerful trade network and fostering noble rule. A third path involves subtle maneuvering, utilizing conspiracy and intrigue to seize control from within.

Core Progression System: Advancing Through the Ages

A defining mechanic is the advancement across four distinct historical Ages: the Dark Age, the Feudal Age, the Castle Age (representing the High Middle Ages), and the Imperial Age (evoking the Renaissance era). Progressing to the next Age is a significant undertaking, requiring players to first construct specific prerequisite buildings from their current era and then expend a substantial sum of accumulated resources. Each new Age unlocks access to more advanced military units, stronger structures, and crucial technological upgrades, fundamentally altering strategic possibilities.

What defines the strategic depth of this RTS?

The strategic depth is rooted in balancing economic development with military readiness across a vast technological tree. Players must constantly manage their resource income while deciding the optimal moment to invest heavily in an Age advancement. Furthermore, the unique characteristics and unit rosters associated with each of the thirteen civilizations encourage varied playstyles and counter-strategy development against different opponents. The atmosphere captures the grand scope of medieval warfare and civilization building over centuries.

Available Content and Platform History

This main game release is supported by one official expansion pack, adding further depth and content to the core experience. It originally launched on PC (Microsoft Windows) and was later made available on the PlayStation 2 and Dreamcast consoles, as well as Mac platforms. While the original 1999 version remains a landmark title, it has since received two separate remaster packages, updating its presentation for modern systems.