20 years after its release, Age of Empires is back.
No, it’s not a new game, but it’s a 20th anniversary edition of the original game featuring brand-new 4K assets, improved gameplay and a new soundtrack. The news was announced at the PC Gaming Show at E3 2017.
One of the iconic strategy games of the 90s, Age of Empires was a smash hit for Microsoft Game Studios and Ensemble Studios. While Ensemble was closed a few years ago, Microsoft still owns the IP, so apparently saw fit to re-release the game for die-hard fans.
Want to get hands-on? There’s a beta programme, which can be found on the Age of Empires website. It’s so popular, the website’s already crashed, so maybe try again a bit later.
The trailer below gives a very brief overview of the new features, while the gameplay shown demonstrates smoother animation, high-res textures and even teases Xbox Live multiplayer.
It’s a lovely piece of nostalgia, and it’ll be interesting to see if Microsoft is holding any other exciting announcements before the game launches.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.