One summer time vacation in my pre-teen days, I used to be spending the weekend at a good friend’s home when his dad stunned him with a brand new PC sport. With my good friend being a eager historical past buff, his dad purchased him Age of Empires II to coach and entertain. Now, neither of us had performed an RTS in any capability at this level, however we had been eager to provide it a strive.
Though, we didn’t precisely play it the meant means.
We had been way more desirous about seeing our villages and cities evolve over the course of the day, while we went exterior and performed within the sunshine. Arguably, we performed it extra like a city-sim quite than an RTS, nevertheless it was great enjoyable regardless.
Being unable to run any kind of video games on my PC, I consigned myself to solely ever taking part in Age of Empires II when at my good friend’s home.
That was till a few years later when perusing the second-hand video games at my native Gamestation once I occurred upon a duplicate of Age of Empires II. This one I may undoubtedly play nevertheless, because it was for the PlayStation 2.
That’s proper, in Europe and Asia a minimum of, Age of Empires II acquired a console launch, and it was printed by Konami. Weirdly although, it was just for the PlayStation 2, and this was on the time when the primary Xbox was releasing internationally. The principle menu is plastered with Microsoft and Ensemble Studios logos and but, it’s on the PlayStation 2.
For sure, I picked up the copy and rushed straight dwelling.
The PS2 model of Age of Empires II did help different peripherals reminiscent of a mouse and keyboard, however at this stage of my gaming profession – and possibly an quantity of naivety – I performed it with the DualShock 2 controller. And you recognize what, it wasn’t half unhealthy. And that’s why with the upcoming launch of Age of Empires II: Definitive Version on consoles, the prospect of taking part in all of it once more with a controller is one thing I’m trying ahead to.
The PS2 model didn’t skimp on content material both. It was the complete sport, proper from the William Wallace coaching marketing campaign by to Joan of Arc, Barbarossa and Saladin. Sadly, The Conquerors growth was not included, however fact be advised, it’s a surprise it ever labored on there within the first place.
In addition to the campaigns, you may arrange LAN matches of all sizes and shapes. It actually was the whole Age of Empires II on consoles.
Okay, so it wasn’t excellent, and nothing can match a keyboard and mouse combo just like the Razer Turret for Xbox for an RTS sport. However I’m assured the PS2 model walked so the Xbox model may run. And we now have seen just lately that video games historically designed for keyboard and mouse could make a profitable soar over. Cities: Skyline, Port Royale and the upcoming Anno 1800 have all confirmed that it may be executed with out skimping on the standard.
After all, some enhancements will must be revamped the PS2 model. You managed a cursor with the left thumb stick, however there was no enter for the best one. That meant, to maneuver the map round, you needed to push the cursor to the sting and do it that means or maintain the sq. button down while transferring the cursor. There was a mini-map you may click on on, however with a fog of warfare for a lot of sport modes, this was fairly redundant till you discovered one thing.
Then we get to the precise dimension of the motion on-screen. Firstly, there was no zoom in or out, and I’d wager round 50% of the actual property on-screen was taken up by the useful resource indicator on the high and the standing space beneath. This left slightly slither in the course of the precise ‘sport’. It wasn’t perfect, nevertheless it was nonetheless playable.
And that’s the reason taking part in the upcoming Age of Empires II Definitive Version with a controller doesn’t faze me within the slightest. I’ve executed it earlier than – albeit not towards a web based opponent – and that was with an inferior setup. The model for Xbox consoles will undoubtedly have an improved controller enter – one which hopefully utilises the second thumbstick – a much better decision and most significantly, over twenty years of data on easy methods to port an RTS over to consoles. Other than this and Command & Conquer, I’d battle to call many different RTS video games that made it to consoles within the late ‘90s/early ‘00s.
And now we’re getting one of many best RTS video games of all-time on consoles. Once more, however this time considerably improved. The Age of Empires sequence as soon as once more appears like a jewel within the Microsoft roster, however there’s a explicit purpose that the unique sport has been skipped for consoles and why Age of Empires II has been chosen.
However don’t fear in the event you don’t have a keyboard and mouse handy – you gained’t want them for Age of Empires II: Definitive Version on Xbox Collection X|S. The standard controller will greater than do the job you want it to. Whether or not that be foraging, constructing, chopping, Questioning, gathering relics or summoning Shelby Cobras to combat for you, a controller will greater than do the job.
Age of Empires II: Definitive Version is coming to Xbox Collection X|S and Recreation Go (by way of the Xbox Retailer) on January thirty first 2023.
