Review Jevnation 3/5 · Mar 24, 2026
Chronolog #12: A polished relic with a few cracks
Finally, my Chronolog has put me through the civilization's initial journey of history from ~8000 BC to 740 AD with the first entry's remaster of Age of Empires.
My history with Age of Empires stretches back nearly three decades, from a demo shown by a classmate to countless hours lost in campaigns and custom maps. (Even had own campaign projects …
Finally, my Chronolog has put me through the civilization's initial journey of history from ~8000 BC to 740 AD with the first entry's remaster of Age of Empires.
My history with Age of Empires stretches back nearly three decades, from a demo shown by a classmate to countless hours lost in campaigns and custom maps. (Even had own campaign projects to make AoE version of Warcraft II campaigns, on a funny note)
As of today, the Gold Edition CD has been lent out to an old friend, who moved away shortly after with it, and the game box still remains in my storage of curiosity. But the interest carried on with the sequels that followed. The franchise had a rollercoaster in relevance with time but the community was strong enough to maintain to the point that the two first games got their modernized face-lifts in their Definitive Editions, thanks to developers like Tantalus Media and Forgotten Empires (consisting of people dedicated to the franchise and its ongoing longevity). Before my Chronolog idea was conceived, I wasn't planning to replay AoE in its new edition...
...until I luckily won it in an official giveaway on Discord.
Gameplay remains the same foundation that defined early RTS design: gather, build, conquer. Quality-of-life tweaks like farm reseeding smoothen out the experience, but unit pathfinding still stumbles like it did decades ago, often demanding extra micromanagement to get the most out of my tactics. The strategic core is intact and satisfying, though it shows its age in places where modern RTS titles have long evolved.
Presentation sees the most noticeable upgrade. Higher resolutions, 3D-rendered units and buildings, and updated sound effects breathe new life into the battlefield. Scenario briefings now feature spoken narration, adding immersion to each campaign. The remade soundtrack sounds richer, though I found myself missing some of the original’s distinct tones. It’s a visual and audio upgrade that mostly lands, even if it doesn’t fully replace the old charm.
In the end, this is a welcome remaster attempt with the complete packaging that also leaves some QoL improvements and bug fixes to be desired yet. I would have preferred the Return of Rome DLC for AoE II over this for addressing the above-mentioned issues, although it's this game that holds some exclusivity with a few official campaigns left out.
Age of Empires: DE is a polished relic—still sturdy, still influential, but carrying a few cracks from the past.
