Age of Empires

I got the demo of this game in Dec 1997 and for months me and my best friend did nothing but play it (yes, nothing but the demo). Some months later I actually saved up enough to buy the full game and at the time it seemed so cool and interesting. I'd never played anything like AoE (I had just gotten my first Windows PC round about then) and we were both totally addicted.

Today, it seems dated and dull. Weird isn't it? I have AoE2 and it is much better but that too already seems old hat compared with the screenshots of the forthcoming AoE3 (can't wait). Even with all the expansion packs available for this game it will never come close to the complexity of the second sequel or even Age of Mythology. Buy it if you can find it dead cheap tho.

This is not a computer game review, but a review of the custscenes and specifically the opening sequences.

I've played tons of computer games. From Coleco to Atari, to the Commodore 64, to the first Apple and PC games. Each had a kind of tantalizing art that drew you into the world the game was trying to portray. In the 70s and early 80s the games were fairly prosaic and, at times, just plain poor.

The more advanced computer technology got, the more the game designers pushed the envelopes with the scope, scale and artistry of the games they were designing. This included the introductory sequences. For me, the epitome of intros was Ensemble Studios' "Age of Empires".

We open with a panoramic travelling vista, and crane down and move in on a ruin, replete with an ancient warrior, still clutching his shield and weapon, as if this were his last act before having his life taken from him in the heat of battle.

We then dissolve to an earlier time, where we see perhaps our lifeless soldier brought back from the dead to reenact his final engagement with several thousand of his best friends and enemies. Each side pours into one another with symbolic blood lust, stemming from the desire to show the other side what real men are made of.

We get glimpses of the preparation of battle, the opening stages of the battle, some of the battle itself in the form of a montage, only to end with a dissolve to the familiar skeleton we saw moments before the clash of armies on some forgotten plane laying outside some equally anonymous city of eons ago, now buried under time and sand.

To me, not only having been an avid player of the game, this opening sequence is really something to see. It gives us a narrative that is thought provoking and voyeuristic. We witness a slice of ancient history, albeit imaginary history, and are shown the long aftermath of that conflict that has been forgotten thousands of years hence.

What happened? What were these men like? Who were they? Why were they fighting? What happened afterwards? These are the feelings that should be running through you as you watch this marvelous, yet very brief, introductory sequence.

The game itself? I played it a great deal, but only because I was invited to join one of the many online clans. And I met many online friends there. But I was never a really huge fan of the game as such. A decent time waster.

But the state setting via the opening sequence? Superb.

This game is quite good. It includes a variety of structures and units. You can play one of the campaigns, start a random map game, and even take your play online. There are all kinds of civilizations from the ancient world, from the Egyptians to the Greeks, even the Phoenicians! The game includes a scenario editor for making your own maps and you can even craft your own campaigns with hero units such as Alexander the Great.

Gameplay is simple. There are four resources. Wood, stone, gold, and food. You can use use wood and stone to construct buildings, such as houses. Gold, food, and wood are used for training combat units. Certain buildings can produce these units which you use to attack your enemies and destroy their cities. There is less of an emphasis on tactics and more on mass attacks, but it is fun nonetheless.

There are all kinds of conditions for victory, you could destroy all your enemies militarily, construct a wonder and defend it, and you can capture ruins or artifacts. Games can go on for hours, and if you want to play online, be sure to set aside a lot of time. If you like strategy games, you might want to pick up this classic.

Instead, we have filthy games like Fortnite, Far Cry and Assassin's Creed rotting our youths minds.

AOE is a creative, intelligent, sophisticated game meant for the intelligent minded and to improve the mind's capabilities.

AOE was a fun game about create a civilization while defending it from the Jesuit Empire. Anytime you build a civilization, A Jesuit out of nowhere would and invade and destroy your territory. It was a war out there.

Sometimes You could establish 75% of land, then the Jesuits would find away to invade. Sometimes it was annoying nevertheless and fun game that was worth my valuable time.

Age of empires is probably Microsoft's best series of games next to halo. It's one of the first strategy games created.

You are an emperor of a small colony with one town centre, and 3 villagers. you must go from small camp living into a huge empire. of course, everyone else wants to as well, so you're gonna end up fighting. fight until you win. rule the world. win the game.

This game is just perfect. the details of the buildings are a little mixed, because the villagers are like giants to the buildings. but what makes a game good, is the fun you get from it.

10/10