Almost a decade ago, I made the most important gaming decision of my life. With my first paycheck, I went ahead and bought myself a console instead of investing in a brand new computer. And I haven’t really looked back since. I had to play pretty much all the games I wanted…save for a specific genre.
I loved playing real time strategy (RTS) games. I’ve spent countless hours playing Command and Conquer, Warcraft (before it became an MMORPG), Empire Earth, StarCraft, and of course, Age of Empires. However, once I made the switch to consoles, I had to abandon the genre as a whole. It’s not like there were no RTS games on consoles. It’s just that I didn’t find the controller to be as good as the input compared to the mouse and keyboard.
Well, we now have one of the greatest RTS games of all time making its way onto the track. Age of Empires 2: Definitive Editon for PC was released in 2019, and now the game is available for console. Could one of the most popular RTS titles of all time succeed on Xbox? Let’s find out by first answering your biggest question.
controls
That’s the big thing. Can you really play Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition with a controller? Yes you can! By some miracle, the developers of the game, Forgotten Empires, managed to make the game playable on a console. This is probably the first time I’ve been able to play an RTS game on a console without feeling the need to put the console directly across from my TV.
What Forgotten Empires did is sheer genius. I’ve completely overhauled the Age of Empires user interface. The old toolbar that showed unit details, map, and commands is gone. Commands are now contextual and issued via the analog stick via the selection wheel. Common shortcuts are assigned to the D-Pad. I could take the time to explain the nuances of the controls, but in the interest of time, let’s move on.
The new controls can seem quite complicated at first glance, but the controls are easy to get the hang of once you know how everything works. As such, Willam Wallace’s education campaign is now a must. Even if you’ve played the game on PC before. The addition of Art of War challenges may help more seasoned players.
While all of this is good, it is not without its drawbacks. A controller isn’t as precise as a mouse, so selecting individual units in a group can be difficult. The indicator also snaps to the nearest unit, which seems helpful, but when in a crowd it can be frustrating to pick out certain units. This can be turned off in settings, but it’s still very annoying.
Then, someone at Forgotten Empires had the brilliant idea of designating the ‘A’ button as the selection and move command. So every time I select a unit and try to move it near another unit or building, I sometimes end up choosing the other unit instead.
Another problem is that you can’t simply click on the map and go to the location. You will have scroll all the way. This means it’s very easy to miss events like sneak attacks when you’re in the thick of a battle or attacks on distant villagers/trading carts.
Not only that, but chat, diplomacy, and the tech tree have been moved to the main menu. This makes it annoying to send/receive tribute or even access the tech tree to quickly look at your civilization’s strengths and weaknesses.
graphics
The graphics of Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition are on par with the PC version. If you have played the game before, you will feel right at home. The general design of the units and buildings remains the same. With the final version, everything gets a fresh touch of paint in the form of higher resolution and better environmental effects like fog and water.
The most notable difference in Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition is the addition of better destruction physics. Originally, when you destroyed a building, it would instantly become a pile of rubble. Now, buildings are collapsing with “the power of physics!!” Every brick or structure collapses very realistically. This can be seen best in larger structures such as castles or wonderlands.
Play
The general gameplay mechanics of Age of Empires remain the same. Rock > Scissors > Paper > Rock system has cavalry > archers > archers > cavalry. Of course, there are some units that change things, but the idea remains the same. If you’ve played Age of Empires before, you’ll know what the deal is while new plays should get you down quickly.
Of course, this wouldn’t be Age of Empires without plenty of civilizations to choose from. The game offers users to choose European, African, East Asian, South Asian, and American civilizations. Each civilization has one or two unique units and technologies as well as unique bonuses. Finding the right civilization to suit your play style and the map is the fun part.
We also see an auto-detect option on players’ first scouting unit at the start of the game. While this is a very useful option for new players, the AI isn’t great when it comes to this feature. I also noticed that unit pathfinding in general was an issue with units sometimes taking a long way to a location rather than heading straight towards it.
As mentioned above, the controller is not as precise as the mouse. As such, the speed at which you play slows down considerably. This can be a huge problem when playing on higher difficulty levels or even in multiplayer where micromanagement becomes very difficult. And anyone who’s played an RTS game knows that micromanagement is key. However, players can connect a mouse and keyboard to their Xbox and use that to play the game. The game will detect the same thing and change the controls to match. I would say that if you are planning to play the game in multiplayer mode, you should definitely use the keyboard and mouse. This is especially true since the developers have noted that the game is compatible with the Xbox PC app and Steam. As if that weren’t enough, you also have the option to play co-op campaigns with a friend.
Well, at least the cheaters are still working…
to rule
Age of Empires 2: Definitive Editon for Xbox is a great way to play this classic game on your couch. It’s pretty much the same game you know and love and is probably the best RTS game you’ve ever played on a console. This mostly boils down to the fact that the controls have adapted well for the console. However, it’s still not as good as a keyboard and mouse. However, if you’re planning to get rid of that nostalgia or RTS itch, Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition on Xbox is a great option. Especially if you plan to take the game nice and slow.
However, if you want to play multiplayer or on higher difficulty levels, the console’s limitations become quite apparent. For those players, the option to use a keyboard and mouse is very easy. Overall, it’s the same game you know and love, but on console.
Rating: 4/5
Positives:
- Well tuned console
- Tried and tested game
- Lots of civilizations to choose from
- Option to use keyboard and mouse
cons:
- The limitations of the console are sometimes obvious
- Finding the loneliness path can be wonky
More information
Developer: Forgotten Empires
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC
Commented on: Xbox Series X.