Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Reviews

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is ranked in the 93rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
87 / 100
Jan 30, 2023

Although some facets denote that the "base game" is two decades old, the experience is still exciting and more accessible than ever.

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8.6 / 10.0
Dec 3, 2019

The definitive edition of Age of Empires II has been made with a lot of love and care for the original – the nostalgia it creates in itself is almost a form of time travel. The passion Forgotten Empires and Microsoft have for this title really shines through. Though there are some performance issues, which hampers the experience a little bit, overall this is a remaster done the right way and fills me with hope for the eventual release of Age of Empires IV.

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8.5 / 10.0
Nov 14, 2019

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is a breath of fresh air to a genre somewhat diminished today of video games but that would certainly seem to have returned to remain the fans of the saga those who enjoyed this second edition the most.

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Gamersky
棘皮动物的野望
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Nov 12, 2019

It is pretty obvious that AoE II definitive edition shows more respect to players than the HD edition. Even though new AI still has some logical problem, the new contents and multiplayer lobby are interesting, and the upgraded graphic textures look impressive with 4K resolution. You will find both memories and future here.

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8.5 / 10.0
Mar 5, 2020

At the end of the day, I'm not sure what else you could expect from a remaster of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. It was a great game in 1999, and it's aged better than most in its class. If you're looking for some solid RTS gameplay, single-player or multiplayer, look no further than Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.

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Zoomg
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Dec 6, 2019

Age of Empires II: DE have done a great job in making an improved version of one of the best strategy games in history.

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8.5 / 10.0
Nov 12, 2019

If with Age of Empires II HD Edition Forgotten Empires has extended the life of ten years to the popular strategic Microsoft of 1999, this Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is very likely to do the same.

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GAMES.CH
Top Critic
85%
Jan 31, 2023

One thing should be said right from the start: "Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition" is and remains an excellent strategy game with an incredible number of hours of play for strategy fans. We think it's great that a piece of video game history has made it to consoles, even if you have to make some compromises when it comes to controls. So, unsurprisingly, for hardcore purists, there's no reason to play the game on console instead of PC. But that's not necessary, because it is precisely through the availability in Gamepass that the game reaches a new audience, which now has a chance to experience a classic of video game history at its best.

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Gamersky
蒙蒙水雾
Top Critic
8.4 / 10.0
Feb 3, 2023

The Xbox version of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition retains all of the game's content while making huge changes to the operating system and user interface. These changes have greatly reduced the startup threshold and improved the game experience. It is not only a very successful version, but also an excellent answer to the "can console play RTS" question.

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8.3 / 10.0
Nov 11, 2019

It is the best version of an epic game that has made the history of RTS and the worthy celebration of its twentieth anniversary.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Nov 12, 2019

A great classic returns to PC and it's still a great RTS experience. The Definitive Edition enrich the formula with a few quality of life improvements while maintaining its core gameplay overall intact, but at the same time there are some flaws, especially on the technical side. Still, the nostalgia operation works and Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is the best way to enjoy the classic Microsoft RTS today.

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PCGamesN
Top Critic
8 / 10
Nov 12, 2019

With new official DLC, a glorious audiovisual overhaul and a touch of modern quality-of-life polish, this is now the best way to play Age 2 - though it'll take a while to match the HD edition's user content.Sam White

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8 / 10.0
Jan 30, 2023

After a dozen or so hours in Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition, I can safely say that it's the real McCoy. This is not a watered-down port to give Microsoft an easy first-party Xbox Game Pass release. It's the real deal and as feature complete as the PC edition, which is quite an accomplishment. A myriad of quality-of-life improvements makes the original game, while still a classic, very much redundant. The only reason to keep hold of the original is to preserve those big beautiful boxes PC games used to ship in. We're in a new age now, and Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition is the perfect example of taking an ancient game and giving it just enough love to make it feel almost new, something that many other remasters and re-releases so often miss the mark on.

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8 / 10.0
Nov 12, 2019

Age of Empires II Definitive Edition is a truly meticulous remaster, one of the best of its kind. Fans of classic RTS that are not afraid of the archaic, core gameplay solutions should be thrilled to try out this gem.

Review in Polish | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Nov 25, 2019

Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition is a small piece of nostalgia with some modern improvements to get you ready for the upcoming title from Relic Games. The developer's main focus has been visuals and it's definitely succeeded, though some issues still remain from the original core of the game.

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8 / 10.0
Nov 22, 2019

Age of Empires 2: The Definitive Edition is an excellent version of a game that refined a genre two decades ago, but it doesn't offer much to entice new players from their modern conveniences.

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8 / 10.0
Jan 30, 2023

Age of Empires 2: The Definitive Edition has made the transition to console surprisingly well, giving a new range of people a chance to play one of RTS’s most beloved classics in a new way.

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78 / 100
Nov 12, 2019

A polished, wide-ranging update that brings the classic RTS into the modern age.

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7.8 / 10.0
Nov 13, 2019

As its name says, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition it's a true definitive edition.

Review in Italian | Read full review

78 / 100
Nov 19, 2019

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition brings the 1999 classic into 2019 with admirable grace. The developers manage to introduce very positive changes without radically altering that gameplay which has enthralled legions of fans for decades. Despite some issues, this is an exemplary remastering of a past title.

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