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Summary: Bingo
Review: Terrific game! lots of action and is exceptionally well made
Rating:
Summary: Awesome game but a few minor problems
Review: The first time that I played age of empires II was on my freind's computer. At the time the game was only out for PC and I (bieng a mac guy) couldn't buy it.I always hoped that microsoft would bring out a version for mac and now they finally have! The Gold edition is practically the same as the regular with a few changes to specific units and attributes.The only problems that I have had are easily fixed or trivial. For instance something about the game makes the screen whiteish but that is easily fixed by fiddling around with the monitor colors. All in all, Great game!
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Summary: Age of Empires 2
Review: This game gives you total control over your forces and makes you feel like a real general.Ypu have to buy this game.
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Summary: Wonderful game, great replay, but a little slow...
Review: This game is an awesome game, the game play is great for those who like to plan and plan about how they will overcome their enemies. The game is great because there are different races of people that you can play, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and no two races are exactly the same. There are so many different ways to beat the level, and the campaign is neat because it is all based on historical events, so in a way you are learning a little bit of history while playing, I'm not saying this is a history tutor or anything but you do learn a few things you might not have known. The game is also amazingly in-depth, each race speaks their own language depending on where they lived (ex: goths, who lived in Germany, will speak german, when clicked on). My only problem with this game is that the enemies are not very quick so they will only attack a few times, and build minimal defenses, so it is rather easy to beat them. The game is great, but for those of you who love games like Starcraft, this game may come off as a little slow.
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Summary: Amazing and Fun
Review: This game is so much fun!! You choose from some of the greatest civilizations of this plant. You choose from the Britons to the Celts to the Persians to the Saracens to the Mayans and much more. You then change your tiny civilization into a triving empire, conquering your enemies and expanding your empire. You can build so many things. Castles, seige workshops, archery ranges, barracks, docks, and even your own Wonder of the World. The Age of Kings campaign is great, you start with William Wallace, where you learn how to play the game, while you help the Scottish drive the British out of Scotland. From there you can help Joan of Arc win the Hundred Years' War, or join Saladin in the Middle East. In the Conquerors campaign ride with Attila the Hun, help El Cid of Spain or Emperor Montezuma of the Aztecs. So, the choice is yours. You will have a blast with this game!
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not great
Review: This game was definately not what I'd expected. The economic system seems to have been added almost as an afterthought. While it's true that you can run your economy, and the economics is necessary to progress in the game, it is obvious after the first few minutes that the economy is a distant second to the military aspects of the game. For instance, of the possible scenarios included only one (the "Wonder Race") is strictly economic. It's also the most simplistic of the options offered. If you're looking for a game where technological developement and economics are as important as military strength then look elsewhere (Caesar III or Masters of Orion II, for example). Diplomacy is almost nonexistant if your playing the computer (a non-multi player game). Be prepared! Everyone is going to attack you and they're likely to do it all at once. Unless you set-up the game from the very beginning as a team effort, it's you against everybody. Also, the interface is clunky. It's designed for the PC market, and the designers didn't do a great job of making it Mac friendly. Everything seems to be designed around the right mouse button, so moving around the map requires that you remember to control click everthing, and hit esc when you're done with a unit. Also, why not have a wrap around map? Instead, you keep hitting the end of the world.
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Summary: Great game. Single click difference.
Review: This is a great game for the PC or Mac. I actally prefer the Macintosh version because you don't have to do complex key-strokes or left-right click. The one button Apple mouse does it all much simpler. While the graphics of some similar games can be and are better, this remains one of my favorities. The game remain true to the time periods of the game. In contrast, Microsoft's Rise of Nations quickly moves through the Ages so you can end up with aircraft shooting down footsoldiers with spears. It doesn't make much sense. Age of Empires graphics, and sometimes humorous sound, are always entertaining. The various prayers and incantations of the monks are always great entertainment. Having owned the game for several months now, and sometimes playing for 8-10 hours at a time, I still haven't completed all of the permutations and combinations. The game remains interesting and challenging. That said, this is a more sophisticated game than something like WarCraft. If you are just getting started in this genre of software, you might consider starting with WarCraft (or StarCraft if you prefer Sci-Fi up and over above Sci-Fi down and under with Orcs). Newer games like Age of Mythology have greater detail, but can also be slower as they require more computing resources. And the great complexity sometimes detracts from the game more than adding to it. Age of Empires offers the best balance of quality, speed, and great fun in this genre.
Rating:
Summary: Age of Empires II Gold Edition
Review: This is one of the best strategy games for mac. It has some of the best graphics and has great gameplay. Out of all the games I have ever played, this beats them all. There are many different campaigns that you can play from medival times, including Genghis Khan, Joan of Arc, and El Cid. You can play as eighteen different civilizations, and each of these has there own unique units and technologies that you can research. This game has taken days, maybe weeks out of my life already. I guarentee you will not be sorry if you buy this game.
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Summary: An incredibly-exact, excellent transition of the PC version.
Review: Those who doubt the quality of Mac games transitioned from original PC versions... doubt no longer. Bold Destineer and Westlake Interactive have taken the PC version of "Age of Kings" and "Age of Conquerors" and brought them to the Macintosh in ALL of their full glory. I have played the PC version for countless hours... I have extensive experience in AoE2. So when I recently bought a Macintosh Powerbook and purchased this game as one of the classics of strategy gaming, I expected a "decent" but not-quite-faithful rendition of the PC version. How wrong I was! This version is *identical* to the PC version in essentially every way... the graphics, the sound, the speech, the control interface, etc. Simply a perfect clone of one of the greatest real-time strategy games ever created. Macintosh gamers... this is a MUST-BUY game if you have any interest in real-time strategy. The graphics might not be "fancy" by today's standards, but let the gameplay prove its worth and you will be convinced. Along with the Conquerors expansion (included in this version of course) this is one of the most detailed, balanced, and long-lasting games you'll ever play. To miss out on Age of Empires 2 would be a shame.
Rating:
Summary: An incredibly-exact, excellent transition of the PC version.
Review: Those who doubt the quality of Mac games transitioned from original PC versions... doubt no longer. Bold Destineer and Westlake Interactive have taken the PC version of "Age of Kings" and "Age of Conquerors" and brought them to the Macintosh in ALL of their full glory. I have played the PC version for countless hours... I have extensive experience in AoE2. So when I recently bought a Macintosh Powerbook and purchased this game as one of the classics of strategy gaming, I expected a "decent" but not-quite-faithful rendition of the PC version. How wrong I was! This version is *identical* to the PC version in essentially every way... the graphics, the sound, the speech, the control interface, etc. Simply a perfect clone of one of the greatest real-time strategy games ever created. Macintosh gamers... this is a MUST-BUY game if you have any interest in real-time strategy. The graphics might not be "fancy" by today's standards, but let the gameplay prove its worth and you will be convinced. Along with the Conquerors expansion (included in this version of course) this is one of the most detailed, balanced, and long-lasting games you'll ever play. To miss out on Age of Empires 2 would be a shame.
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