Age of Empires is the first in a series of old PC games developed by Ensemble Studios. Originally released in 1997, the success of Age of Empires has led to nine more titles, including three full games and seven spin-offs. It was one of the first real-time simulator games ever, as well as one of the first based in history. It has been described by critics as a mix of Civilization and Warcraft, and has enjoyed much commercial success.
When this game was originally released, there were a few bugs that occurred during gameplay and required attention from the developers. Because of this, the game originally received mixed reviews. Eventually, the developers listened to critics and provided updates and patches to the game. All this time and effort, along with the revolutionary gameplay techniques led to this game receiving the award of “Computer Strategy Game of the Year” in 1998 from The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. Age of Empires continued to see commercial success well after its release, as over three million copies of the game had been sold by the year 2000.
Well Loved Because of a Captivating Gameplay Experience
To put it simply, PC gamers love this game for everything it has done for old PC games. Age of Empires was one of the first to make a mostly seamless real-time simulator that was engaging for the player, and they certainly did it the best. During gameplay, players selected one of twelve civilizations which they had to develop from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. These civilizations were entirely historically based, and gave different attributes to different civilizations based on actual historical context. Players could choose to play along already developed stories on the game, or begin their own conquest with the civilization of their choice.
The thing that really set Age of Empires above their competitors was the revolutionary development of artificial intelligence in the game. If a player chose to begin their own conquest, over time, the opponents, using artificial intelligence technologies, would be able to anticipate what the player might do, and set themselves up well to oppose the player. Gamers love a good challenge, and this game provided them with just that, while never getting too hard or predictable.
Winning the Game
How a player wins the game depends first on which type of game they choose to play. If the player decides to play the story mode, they will win the game by completing various missions which take place throughout Europe, Africa and Asia. The player needs to follow what the game instructs them to do, and defeat various opponents on their way to completing their final goal. If the player chooses to create their own conquest, they must defeat their enemy or multiple enemies, depending on how they customized their own game. Defeating an enemy will not be easy, especially with the advanced artificial intelligence, but with practice it is very possible.
Age of Empires is the cornerstone for one of the most successful gaming franchises in existence. It is the first of ten other games, has led to millions of dollars in sales and the reception of many awards. It’s no surprise that many consider this to be the best among old PC games released in the 1990s.
