In any mode, there are some improvements to the engine that enhance the gameplay and address issues with earlier Age of Empires titles. Players can now queue farms through the mill so they will automatically replant. The villagers themselves have gotten a little bit smarter; after building a structure that will collect resources such as a mine, the villager will automatically start collecting the nearest resource.

An impressive feature is how Ensemble Studios has also regionalized some of the resources. The New World regions are no longer populated with sheep. Instead, turkeys roam the land until they are herded for food collection. Instead of foxes, the foreign lands are crawling with jaguars that are more viscous than most of the carnivorous animals existing in the game. Also characterizing the area are denser jungles and other styles of wooded areas that reflect the region. As always, the developers have done an impressive job with matching up the region area being played, though not always the region where the race is from.

While improvements have been made to the engine, and the game plays a bit differently, the graphics remain mostly the same. There is not a huge difference in appearance from Age of Kings, but then again, the game was looking pretty good before, so why tweak what is not a problem?

With each race working off of its own technology tree, it has always been the case that some of the races have vast advantages over others. However, this stratification may be amplified here as some of the new races are not as strong as others. The Spanish are clearly one of the more powerful races in the game, and their natural counterparts, the Aztecs and the Mayans – since we are playing The Conquerors – seem heavily disadvantaged without ever having the benefit of a unit on horse, or the advance of gunpowder. It is evident that the Spanish will be the race to hold their own against some of the most powerful races previously in Age of Empires.

The addition of new races, units and technologies brings enhanced gameplay to the Age of Empires series with The Conquerors. As the series has always been a highly popular and enjoyable game, many will agree, as always, that this is close to perfection – until the sequel or next expansion hits the shelves.

ByEnid Burns
Contributing Editor