I grew up with great admiration for Age Of Empires II and I remember being 14 years of age when it very first launched. I couldn’t afford an all-bells-and-whistles gaming PC but was absolutely besotted with it after playing on a friend’s computer at the time. This is where my love for real-time strategy blossomed and I was ecstatic when it launched for the very first time on consoles on the PlayStation 2. It had its limitations though back in 2001 and no casual gaming box under the TV could really compete with hardcore PC rigs.

It was a wave of emotions for me in 2022 when it was announced that we would see Age Of Empires II Definitive Edition coming to the Xbox family of consoles as well as Xbox Game Pass. Since the Series X|S consoles launched back in 2020, I have always been shouting from the sidelines that the franchise would easily be welcomed by millions in the console space and this generation was ready to handle it. Here we are, finally here with a content-rich package absolutely rammed full of campaigns, co-op modes, online multiplayer and all the DLC packs on offer. This is the real deal, this is NOT a diluted copy specific to consoles, it is everything PC players have been lapping up for the last three years.

Introduction

Fully remastered in ultra 4K graphics with customisable options galore, there is literally endless replayability with this one and after close to 24 hours with the game, I haven’t even scraped the surface. With 200+ hours of campaign-based gameplay spanning the history of over 1000 years, not only does it tick off the box for solo players, but it will keep you going for eternity. With 35 different civilizations along with all the downloadable content that has been received over the last 2+ decades, Xbox players get to join the banquet only PC players have had to have fun with. The standard copy of the game is available for everyone with an Xbox Game Pass to download and enjoy, for £34.99 you can purchase the full game with three DLC packs for a more meaty package.

Just want the DLC? No issues there either since you can download these extra bits for £19.99 and piggyback off the main game in the Xbox Game Pass catalogue. It is worth diving into the core campaign areas just for a deep dive into history as each tells its own story and I took more notice of this than I ever did in class at school.

Gameplay

Now, this is the really important part since it has been completely adapted to accommodate the casual controller player. A lot of real-time strategy titles on consoles have tried and failed to get it right, Halo Wars 2 is probably the last notable game in the genre to stand out for its excellent controller support. The new interface has made playing with the world-famous Xbox pad an absolute breeze and using the tutorial holds your hand for as long as you want and need. Tasks have been cleverly allocated to just a few strings of button clicks rather than having to worry about learning too much.

The D-Pad has been designed so that it is a split-second selection of villagers, soldiers and your town centre. Double tapping A on a nearby villager for example will select all of the villagers in the nearby vicinity, designed for quick and easy placement and movement. You can of course select your tiny community one by one if you want to be particular, nothing is off limits and whilst it will take time to learn everything with the controller, it is a case of practice makes perfect and it never feels overwhelming. Before you know it you’ll be knocking up stone walls, castles and advancing through the feudal, dark, castle and imperial ages.

Co-Op Campaigns

Something I have never ever experienced in an AoE game is playing alongside a friend. Whilst I am yet to partake in this and I have plenty of sessions planned with close mates, there is plenty to get your teeth into. There are various co-op campaigns that two players can go into battle together with and if you just want a good old-fashioned skirmish against the AI you can absolutely do this too. Going into battle with several friends online brings a plethora of options, maps and tweaks to be had. This is likely where I will spend most of my time after ripping through the hundreds of hours of Solo campaign stories.

Online Multiplayer

I managed to get a good few sessions online mainly 1v1 but I did manage to pair up with randoms across some 2v2, 3v3 and 4v4 modes. I was a little sceptical of whether the online multiplayer would keep up on Xbox Series X and it handles everything flawlessly. Matchmaking is fast and I had absolutely no issues whatsoever playing online. I was half expecting there to be some moments of frame drops, slowdown or perhaps lag and I witnessed none in several hours of gameplay. This area has all the same options as the PC version along with ranked modes, leaderboards and more. The opportunity for unlimited longevity is absolutely rife with the opportunity to battle against real players across the globe.

Graphics & Audio

As someone who divulged in Age Of Empires II on the PlayStation 2 a whole twenty years ago now, I wasn’t sure what to expect when it came to this version. I have to say I was overjoyed at how stunning the game looks. It is obvious that the game has had an intense makeover from where it all started, but the art design team have done a sterling job of bringing the visuals in line with today’s expectations whilst retaining the authentic and faithful feel of the core experience. The entire presentation of the game is simply stunning and looks beautiful on the big screen with an Xbox Series X. Performance is phenomenal with zero hiccups throughout my 20+ hours with the game thus far.

Not only has everything been magically reworked and tarted up for this version, but it also brings a remastered soundtrack alongside new cutscene art to compliment the feast of content this game has to offer. Voice acting is absolutely superb and this also carries through to the introductory tutorial campaign which has been intentionally doctored to the console version. Text is clear, concise and easy to read and the new menu system adapted to the controller being wheel based is super simple to pick up and learn.

In Conclusion

Bringing the Age Of Empires series into the console market was a massive gamble and hinged on whether the port across from PC could be adapted to the Xbox Controller. I can’t even imagine the monumental task of stripping down Age Of Empires II Definitive Edition to its core and fine-tuning every feature of the game to work with a controller in hand. You’ll be glad to hear the teams at Forgotten Empires, Tantalus Media, Wicked Witch and World’s Edge have absolutely smashed it out of the park into a well-oiled machine for the console generation. Not only have they absolutely nailed the control scheme but it has been flawlessly balanced to compete with the online community of Windows PC players.

Final Thoughts

I’d never have imagined seeing this game come to fruition on the Xbox family of consoles in all of its beautiful glory. This is no watered-down and rushed version of the game, it is the fully-fledged all-singing and all-dancing edition that you’d see on PC. Not a fan of playing this with a controller and don’t want to invest in a PC? Absolutely no issue since the game also supports a keyboard and mouse! For me, this is a game that I will put countless amounts of hours into and never become bored of the immense gameplay loop. The amount of content on offer, the perfection of the presentation and a control scheme that suits the controller gives Age Of Empires II Definitive Edition the perfect score for me, a must-buy!