The Return of Rome Expansion Turns Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Into The Game From Your Nostalgic Memories

Over the past 20 years, Age of Empires II has been consistently regarded as the cornerstone of this great RTS franchise. It’s been praised for its myriad of mechanical improvements over the first game, unique units, and the addition of gates to ensure you don’t accidentally imprison your on-screen warriors. Age of Empires II It ushered in an era as unforgettable as the in-game factions we love to roleplay.

But groundbreaking sequels always have an origin story where it all began, and the first imperial age The title has never been left out. A recent extension, Return of Romeset to capture an integral part of the game’s original content. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition In addition to its own self-contained product, there are also some new additions that fans will love.

“We literally imperial age Gameplay and Putting It In… Inside Age of Empires II”

Ernest Yuen, Executive Producer Age of Empires II: Definitive Editionindicates that the Age of Empires community is fully committed to being at the forefront of the decision to create this extension. this is, Age of Empires: Rise of Romean enhanced version of the original game.

“This is a different type of expansion pack that we have never done before,” Yuen explains. “We literally imperial age gameplay and placing it as a game within a game Age of Empires II”

Return to Rome

Return of Rome Includes 16 ancient civilizations from the original Age of Empires, 1 new civilization, and 3 new campaigns.not bolt on Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, however, is a separate entity operating with its own unique rules and factions not included in the game’s second remake. You can easily switch between the two.

There is one exception to faction exclusivity – Return of Rome Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without the Roman faction, but interestingly enough, this expansion introduces two different Roman civilizations into play. The playable Roman faction in this expansion focuses on early history, but with the addition of the Empire. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition It actually covers the later part of Roman history and was created from scratch specifically for the game.

This period dates back to about 395 AD, making them contemporaneous with the Goths, Celts, Britons, Persians, and other powers of the early Middle Ages. Experts from the Age of Empires team believe that at this point, Rome had fallen into the shadows of its former glory, unable to pay its soldiers or effectively strengthen its homeland. It was done.

“It is said that Rome was not built in a day, but Rome was not destroyed in a day,” says Yuen. “So for those who love history, you can really feel the difference between the early and late Roman factions.”

Yuen was also the executive producer of the first film. Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, we can see that the goal of the game was to recreate the ultimate updated experience of the title from 20 years ago. This includes keeping the feel of the original while running on a modern system with better graphics. But doing so was quite a learning curve for the team.

“We let newbies see what the game was like, and at the same time let fans re-experience the game and learned a lot from it,” says Yuen. “What I learned was that avid fans of the original imperial age Fans are very happy, but it’s been hard for new players to join. It’s still very old school and some players are very used to the innovations that have happened in other great RTS games over the last 20 years. ”

That inspiration changed the team’s focus on building the definitive game that fans will remember through subtle quality-of-life changes, rather than necessarily an exact original with all its quirks. It’s kind of like merging two of his titles, optimizing for a smoother all-around experience while preserving each game’s unique points.

“When we released the original, Age of Empires: Definitive Editionpeople remembered that games had gates and factions had formations, but no, there was nothing like that. Age of Empires II I had them,” says Yuen. “But now we Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition We were able to add these quality of life tweaks to the engine. ”

“We want to build the definitive version of the game in our minds instead of just recreating the definitive version of the original game,” says Yuen. “But at our core, we want to see the original.” imperial age Fans feel at home. ”

Official D3 ruleset

of Return of Rome The expansion also includes the all-new D3 game mode, an in-game implementation of the long-running unofficial ruleset created by Age of Empires players in Vietnam. This ruleset limits the player to his one military unit until the Bronze Age, which limits rushing tactics and keeps all parties on an equal level. We are also introduced to a whole new faction, the Lac Viet, a faction from late Neolithic Southeast Asia.

“Vietnamese fans have been keeping the original Age of Empires alive for the past 25 years,” said Yuen. “They still host local tournaments and stream them online.

The D3 ruleset has long existed as a common way for Age of Empires players to compete against each other, but it’s mostly a handshake pact with no real in-game restrictions. This will be an official mode, allowing players to set up the game with a set of rules that everyone must follow no matter what. It makes his D3 experience more comfortable and reliable for those who play online.

“Ideally, it will also spread internationally, allowing Vietnamese fans to actually play with other people around the world on that ruleset,” says Yuen.

There’s a lot here to satisfy existing Age of Empires fans, but the service isn’t just for those who enjoyed the classic game years ago. They’re smooth, modern, and designed to appeal to newcomers, whether they’re familiar with RTS games or not. Age of Empires is timeless fun for everyone, and now more accessible than ever.

“This series is now in its 25th year, which means it spans generations,” says Yuen. “The fans who played when they were kids are now playing with their kids again, and that’s great.”

“One of the things people say about Age of Empires that really resonates with me is that it’s like real-time chess. That’s how people play it and think about it. and chess is timeless.”

get ready for battle again Age of Empires: Rome’s Return Coming May 16th on Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition – Return of Rome

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Welcome to Return of Rome. This is a brand new expansion pack that brings the title that started it all, Age of Empires, into Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition as a new self-contained experience. In this new expansion, in addition to the original 16 Age of Empires civilizations, challenge your friends with his 1 civilization, Lac Viet, an all-new Return of Rome exclusive and relive the triumphs and trials of the ancients. I can. Ride through the ancient world in three new campaigns featuring conquerors, empire builders, and talented tacticians who desperately battle their destinies! As an added bonus, the Romans are new to play within Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. Become a capable civilization, ready to fight in a new age and thus no longer bound by time. 17 Ancient Civilizations: • Assyrians • Babylonians • Carthaginians • Koreans • Egyptians • Greeks • Hittites • Macedonians • Minoans • Palmyrenes • Persians • Phoenicians • Romans • Merchants • Sumerians • The Yamato • One all-new, Roman Return exclusive: Rak Viet — An ancient civilization from Southeast Asia, plus a new long-time fan-requested civilization for use in the standard Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition 1 Added: • The Romans — Ascend to the throne of an empire that rules the Mediterranean and defend your borders against countless barbarian invasions. Rome’s unique units are the Legion, a sturdy infantry unit, and the Centurion, a heavy cavalry unit that boosts the strength of nearby militia line units. Available in single-player and unranked multiplayer games. new! Exclusive Rise of Rome Game Mode: Inspired by a ruleset popularized in Vietnam, the D3 game mode has been introduced as an official part of the franchise. Three new fully-voiced campaigns: Sargon of Akkad — an unlikely man seizes power in the Mesopotamian city-state: Sargon is merely a cupbearer to the king, but the goddess of war, Ishtar, appears in a dream when everything changes. Under her guidance, Sargon ushers the feuding Sumerians into a new era, but the glamorous nature of power forces Sargon to choose between divine destiny and personal ambitions. In this campaign you play as a Sumerian. Pyrrhus of Epirus — When the Diadochi Wars saw the successors of Alexander the Great throw the Greek world into chaos, Pyrrhus of Epirus began as a small player among the giants. Will he be worthy of the judgment of the legendary Hannibal Barca, the great general of the era, or will his constant struggle prove insurmountable? In this campaign you play as a Macedonian. Trajan — Marcus Ulpius Trajan rose through the ranks of the legions while Domitian’s oppression tarnished the glory of the Roman Empire. If circumstances put him on the throne as Emperor Trajan, he would inherit a kingdom in danger of disaster. Will resourcefulness, virtue and military prowess be enough to save Rome and take it to the top of history, or will the Roman Empire fall four centuries before its time? increase. Experience Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Age of Empires Gameplay Quality of Life Improvements: • Gates • Formations • Trade Carts • UI Improvements • Visual Improvements • Spectator Mode • Enhanced AI for computer matches • And many more!