Age of Empires: The Age of Kings

"Very different from the successful PC version, and very good nonetheless"

Age of Empires: The Age of Kings originally started as a PC game. In it, you control the units and buildings in your civilization in real time, trying to build your economy and army in order to ultimately (through various means) conquer your foes. This game is a lot like it, though it has a few differences, not the least of which is the fact that this game is turn-based. Can someone actually take a game designed for real time, strip away almost every aspect it once held, and still have a good, successful game? After seeing this game, I have to say that the answer is an undeniable yes.

Graphics (8/10): The graphics for the unit icons were less impressive than the PC version, but are still passable. Unfortunately, it is hard to see exactly which unit or building is which when a huge siege is going on.

The graphics for individual battles, however, are a little better. When two units engage in combat, their scuffle is shown on the top screen, allowing you to see each individual person inside of the unit. The graphics for battles aren't perfect, but they are quite alright.

Tiles on the maps are well detailed, but not over-detailed to the point of clashing with the units. It is easy to tell what a forest is, what a swamp is, what a lake is, and if a tile has a resource or not. The tiles were very nicely done.

Music/Sound (9/10): The music was well done. Each of the five civilizations has their own theme music that plays during their turn, and in each case it sounds wonderful. The main theme is the same as the theme from the PC version. Unfortunately, the main theme loops poorly. It actually stops for a few seconds after finishing and then starts back up with its fanfare, which can be distracting when trying to read the library or decide what to purchase with one's Empire Points. The good news is that only the main theme music has this problem. The civilization themes (each original tracks) loop correctly.

There's not a lot that can be said about the sound effects. Every action has one, and while none of them are awe-inspiring they are all appropriate and well made.

Controls (7/10): It seems difficult to hit the right square with the stylus. Fortunately, the game always asks if the player wants to undo their move after they move a unit (unless your unit runs into enemies unexpectedly). It is possible to play without the stylus, but it takes a lot longer and is less interesting.

Barring stylus issues, the controls are simple; not hard to learn and very appropriate.

Game-play (10/10): Game-play revolves around four things: moving units, taking actions, making more units with buildings, and performing research.

Moving units is rather simple: click on the unit, click on a tile within its movement range, and after your unit moves, select done (or take an action).

There are only five actions in the game. "Attack" is straightforward enough. If, before or after moving, a unit is in range to attack a foe, select "Attack", select the target, and confirm. Be aware that if the enemy isn't killed outright and is within its own attack range, it will counter-attack with its remaining force. "Build" is restricted to villagers, and allows them to build stuff. "Heal" is restricted to monks. When a monk is beside a wounded ally, it can heal them for a portion of their health. "Capture Relic" is also monks-only, and is used when a monk is on a relic to capture it, so that it can be donated to a church to gain extra gold for the player. "Powers" is restricted to heroes. Each hero has a different set of four powers, and when used well they can turn the tide of a battle.

Making units is simple. Select a building that can create units, select "Train", and select the unit. Each unit costs a different amount of food and gold to create, and no units can be produced if the player has reached their current "unit cap", which is usually based upon their level of income.

In order to perform research, the player needs to have both the requisite food and gold and have, somewhere in their empire, the required building for the research. Only one topic can be researched per day.

Overall, the game-play is quite satisfying. They managed to strip away the real time aspect of their PC game, and still wind up with a great game.

Replay Value (10/10): This game can last a long time. Even after beating all five campaigns, you can still play individual maps for days on end, tweaking the rules to have as much or as little challenge as you like. The game lasts even longer if you have some friends who want to leap into the fray with you. This game doesn't have a random map feature like the PC game does, but there are enough pre-made maps to keep a person busy for quite a while.

Overall (9/10): This game is excellent in almost every way. The game-play is superb and possess a wonderful soundtrack to keep one in an adventurous mood. The graphics may not be perfect, and it can be difficult to use the stylus efficiently, however it still winds up being almost as fun as the PC version.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/16/07