A classic strategy wargame for fans!
Age of Civilizations II is one of the most popular strategy wargames. While it’s simple to learn, mastering multiple modules can take some time. The primary objective is to use diplomacy and military tactics to either conquer the world or unify it. Whether the world bows before you or bleeds out depends on the strategies used throughout the game.
A grand campaign to win the world!
Plenty of customization options and lots to explore!
With its detailed maps and multiple terrain types, Age of Civilizations II spans across the whole history of humanity. The gameplay is engaging and lets you play as part of multiple civilizations dating back to the largest empires and the smallest tribes. Regardless of the era you choose, the goal is to lead your community to glory in a grand campaign spanning across hundreds of years.
Unexpected surprises and attention to detail
Like other games in this genre, Age of Civilizations II is primarily focused on military tactics, thereby shedding light on matters of national importance, such as diplomacy, politics, and economy. In order to give your nation more power, you need to use everything to your advantage. An indie game, Age of Civilizations II has been designed by Lukasz Jakowski.
While you might think that the game doesn’t offer anything new in the genre, it comes with plenty of customization options and editors. The intricate gameplay complements a wide range of features to keep you engaged for long periods of time.
Engaging gameplay and strategies
With plenty of options, the gameplay can be overwhelming for newcomers. However, Age of Civilizations II provides you with the opportunity to choose a specific approach. Bloody conflict and diplomacy are both feasible methods on the road to global domination. Whether you take the subtle approach or lay the path with corpses depends on your whims and fancies.
The game follows a turn-based structure, and therefore, every major action costs a specific number of points. For instance, you need to use movement points to move the troops or issue similar orders. Similarly, diplomacy points need to be used for diplomatic actions.
Since the gameplay is intuitive, it doesn’t take much time to get used to the nuances. Since the game comes with several editors, you can customize the maps, gameplay, characters, and almost everything else in the game.
Where can you run this program?
Age of Civilizations II is available for Microsoft Windows Vista/ XP, Windows 7, and above. It is recommended to have 1 GB RAM and 180 MB available space on the system for smooth functioning of the game.
Is there a better alternative?
Among competing titles, TripleA is a great choice. It’s a turn-based strategy game based on the popular Axis & Allies board game. With several maps developed for Punic Wars, World War II, and Napoleonic Wars, TripleA comes with several units, rules, and other customization options.
Another good choice is Age of Conquest. In this turn-based strategy game, you build a new empire trying to take control of the world. Unlike most games in this genre, this one is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, Linux, Macintosh, iOS, and Android.
Our take
In the first look, Age of Civilizations II seems intimidating. However, hardcore fans of strategy games will appreciate the level of engagement, multiple editors, comprehensive maps, and several gameplay options. While the graphics could be improved, the game is still an excellent choice to spend time learning the tricks of diplomacy and military trades.
Should you download it?
While the developer hasn’t paid much attention to new-age graphics, focus has been laid upon strategy and gameplay. If you’d like to put yourself in a virtual war room to win the world, Age of Civilizations II will be an excellent choice.
