Steam is having a "Halloween Sale", you can get "Definitive Editions" of Age of Empires 1,2,3.
Age of Empires: Definitive Edition = A$ 5.61
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition = A$ 11.47
Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition = A$ 14.97
Other games:
Mortal Kombat 11 = A$ 17.48
The Witcher® 3: Wild Hunt = A$ 11.99
Rise of Nations is now $7.48 @ Microsoft Store
Spend the extra $3-$4 for GOTY edition. Each expansion is pretty much the size of a game on it's own.
The goty's also on Russian GOG for $5.80, along with Divinity Original Sin II for $6 and Disco Elysium $7.50.
Does one need to start with the 1st Witcher game or is it okay to start with the latest one?
Just start with the last one. The very first one is quite dated and the second is good but really not the standout game the third was. Imho the witcher 3 is probably the best modern rpg.
You'll need to use a YouTube summary video or something to catch up, but it's no big deal.
id play 2 then 3, skip 1, its way to clunky
i played 3 without any idea about witcher prior other than the netflix show.
pretty much best game i ever played, go for GOTY edition cause the DLC is amazing
Wait for the updated version at the end of the year if possible. Im holding off from playing it until then.
Pushed to Q2 2022.
Never played any of the AOE…
Which one to buy?
Is it like Command and Conquer?
Get aoe 2
Yes its basically microsofts c&c. If you can only get one get AOE2DE, if you can spare the change for two I would get the first one as well. 3 you can probably skip. 4 just came out and is getting good reviews but also the priciest
+1 for this, For me AoE1 is the best, probably because I played a demo first on Win98 CD. If you only get 1, then get AoE2.
You can play any of these with game pass, I am playing AoE4 now with $1 game pass :D
Oh.. Goodness.. The demo games were my first too. No tutorials - just figured out over a month on a Pentium 486. Good old days.
aoe 1 is missing features compared to aoe2 it doesnt really hold up
@lazarski: I just tried AoE1 again and the pathing is terrible… Units running into each other, walking past their targets, etc.
Can't say I remember if it was this bad back then, but you'd think they'd try and add a few quality of life updates to fix up that sort of thing.
Had to save my pennies and get a refund.. don't think I'd get much out of it these days.
AoE2 seems better, but I'm not sold on the nostalgia with that either :(
Without a doubt, AoE2 set the gold standard for all RTS games and remains in my personal top 5 games of all time.
Better than the Warcraft 2/3 or Starcraft 1/2? I've never played an AoE game.
AOE better for the casual crowd.
WC3/Starcraft is the much better competitive game. Faster game, Unit abilities, a lot of micro.
@BrokeCamel: It's absolutely true.
SC2 has a much higher skill cap, has a way bigger competitive scene, a bigger following.
AOE tournaments basically don't exist in comparison.
For players that don't care about any of that, AOE is a nicer and easier to transition to play. Arguably more fun too.
@AFAR85: SC2 does not have a much higher skill cap. It has a bigger competitive scene due to external factors such as releasing 11 years later and developed by Blizzard and fuelled by South Korea, not game design regarding skill ceiling or balance. AoE2 is more macro focused while SC2 is more micro focused.
AOE2 competitive scene is thriving at the moment. SC2 competitive scene is jumping ship, even before AoE4 due to not receiving any attention for 2 years. The entire Australian competitive SC2 scene has been playing AoE2 for the last few months to a year.
if you like playing campaigns, I would recommend first one too. I play them in the hardest with different strategies now and then. I played the holy man campaign the other day trying to beat my previous timing - Nail biting as fresh play. Can’t go wrong for $6.
AOE 2 for multiplayer, hands down. I had the 2013 version. So, they gave the definitive edition for $8.
One think to note is, I play on my wifes 8GB lenova thinkpad and It struggles. I have to turn off all the bells and whistles and never zoom out the map. So, make sure you have a good pc.
Thanks for that.
That was my next question. I have a i5 5th Gen and only 8gb RAM, with no dedicated GPU…
I am looking to upgrade shortly though, waiting out for Black Friday
Not an issue at all. Suggest you just skip 3.
That's some bloat, the original AOE 2 went ok on a 133mhz PC with 32mb ram
AOE II is by far the best
All AOE games, including 4, are available on game pass. If you sign up using the Xbox live cards with a VPN you can get 2 years of game pass for less than AOE4. Plus all the other games that come with it.
I hadn't played any AOE since my childhood days, but last few days have been smashing AOE4. Big learning curve if you want to be good, but you can also just muck around and do what you want.
The documentary vignettes in 4 are excellent
AOE2 DE is probably the best RTS game of all time. If you like RTS games you'll like this one
Aoe 2 is da bomb.
Tried part 4 other day; it’s good, but a lot more complex
Out of the 3 older games, AOE2 is the standout. Even if people prefer others AOE2 will likely get the most support from devs. AOE2 also has the largest community out of the 3 so you'll find it easier to get help, make friends and find games.
Yeah. I played it on Xbox game pass online. There was heaps of games.
The older AOE are like C&C, the new ones are more like total war (the new one in particular).
Good to note that plenty of other good games on sale this Halloween, not only these.
Damn mk11 has held value so well..
30 years old game is 11 dollars and we call this a deal? Lol.
Actually Definitive Edition is a remake/remaster and is only about 2 years old
Was just thinking about AoE this morning. Grabbed AoE2, thanks.
Do AoM ever on sale?
not sure about AoM but I got RoN few years back, https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/507496
Rise of Nations is now $7.48 @ Microsoft Store
AOM: EE goes on sale regularly. could take a look on OzB.
I found few CD copies of the original version on ebay as well.
I never hear about AOE 3? Is it really that bad?
No, its just the other AoE games eclipse it and so do many other RTS games, so might as well spend your time on those.
Yes. Lol
Not really. Just nothing special. Less interesting theme, a little clunky. Brought in this weird home city model where you level up a civilisation and can then pick various cards to give you mostly one time bonuses in game.
It makes it feel a little disconnected and forces you to make choices such as +4 sheep, a bucket of stone, or 3 cavalry. It's just not a system that feels particularly good to me and it feels a bit needlessly confusing.
No it's quite fun actually. I'm playing it now.
However it does get a bit too close to the present. Part of the draw to 'Age of Empires' is that it's set in the time of empires. Swords and clubs. Bows and arrows.
AOE3 has guns and trains. Not very empire-y
Part of the draw to 'Age of Empires' is that it's set in the time of empires. Swords and clubs. Bows and arrows.
AOE3 has guns and trains. Not very empire-y
The British-, Russian-, Spanish-, and French Colonial- empires would like to know your location.
Afghanistan
I am new to steam but trying to read what I can do. so if I buy AoE 2 and I want to play with my child do I need to set their own steam account and buy another copy so that both of us can play against each other?
I’d say yes.
It’s on Xbox game pass, if you don’t have that you could make 2 accounts and pay $1 each to get it for a month and play together cheaply.
I think thats the case
there is some family sharing but im not sure it applies in this case https://store.steampowered.com/promotion/familysharing
also play on the same team as your kid instead of crushing them
Has AOE2 DE had much development since being released? From what I remember, it was a nice remastering but still a bit clunky compared to a modern rts (or am I thinking of the HD version?). Wondering whether they're updating the interface, pathfinding etc. or if it's just a visual update.
Do these definitive editions come with all the DLCs released so far? or does one need to buy them separately, especially the latest ones of AOE3?
AOE2 DE is AUD$8.60 if you own AGE2 HD (2013)
where aoe4 at?
$100 its brand new just came out
AOE 2 definitive edition better than AOE 4 I wonder….?
I been playing aoe4. It’s good. The graphics are stunning; I’m trying to get into it more but I still think I’d prefer aoe2. Maybe cos aoe4 is a little more technical and complex. And cos my Usual nationality isn’t in aoe4 (yet)
Thanks, what's your favourite in aoe2? I might stick with aoe2 until the price comes down on 4.
Persians!
You can try aoe4 free ($1 for a month) with Xbox game pass on pc
2 still has the nostalgia for me but I think the mechanics in 4 are better. The production value on the campaign videos is through the roof, too, great for anyone with an ounce of interest in history.
That is try. My 11 year is playing through it and it’s pretty amazing
That's awesome! 2 is what made me interested in history when I was younger so them putting so much effort into that stuff was really cool.
True* not try
![[PC, Steam] Age of Empires:DEs AOE1 $5.61, AOE2 $11.47, AOE3 $14.97, Mortal Kombat 11 $17.48 & The Witcher 3 $11.99 on Steam](https://files.ozbargain.com.au/n/25/660325.jpg?h=43a5412b)
If you haven't played it already, Witcher 3 for $11 is insanely worth the price