Rating: 
Summary: Turned me into a RTS fan... this one's great!
Review: It ain't easy being king, but it sure is a heck of a fun time in 'Age of Kings II', one of the best PC historical real-time strategy games out there. There's not much I can say to extoll the virtues of this extremely fun game that hasn't already been said. Only thing I can add is that I couldn't stand these games till I picked this one up. It's hard to describe the sheer pleasure of building a massive army, leading them straight to the walls of one of your allies cities, suddenly declaring yourself enemy and have your guys raze the place to the ground. This game is packed with options, including the requisite multiplayer feature (itself loaded with options) several one-player historical campaigns and a special campaign specifically made to teach you the game. My favourite part is the campaign/scenario editor, where you can build your own battle from scratch. All in all, one of the most perfect strategy games on the market...at least till AoE III is released.
Rating: 
Summary: Great fun- But be sure to have MSN Gaming Zone
Review: I've had this game for a week. I finally picked it up, played it, and explored the game a bit. I'm still learning the game, but here's the story how it is so far.
The game is excellent. Plenty of depth, fun, and many different units and buildings. Each building has specific functions and people it can create, making the game all the more intricate and exciting. You can research "new" technologies and go from the Dark Age through the Imperial Age. The game is a non-stop blast.
But wait...it is much more fun to play on the MSN Gaming Zone. You can actually talk to your ally(allies) and chat and trade resources, make strategies, etc. You can't entirely do this with the computer. I love playing with other people, because it adds that much more excitement. Here's how to play with other people via the internet:
Go to zone.msn.com..... Click Sign In. If needed, get a free MSN passport. Next, in the games list, click Age of Empires II. It will ask to install the MSN Gaming Zone. Click yes. After it's done, click Age of Empires II. Select a game room (I preffer Hunt the Royal) and you'll see big icons for various games. Click Join on one game room. When the host is ready, the game will be launched, and you'll be ready for some fun. *Make sure you have Age Of Empires II in the CD-ROM drive when you go to the Game Zone! Happy conquering!
Rating:
Summary: Huge Amounts of Memory Required: YEAH RIGHT!!!
Review: OK look... to put it smiply, my computer sucks. Yet, Age of Empires 2 is the best rts to run on my system!
733 pentium 3
8x cr-w drive
19.0 gb hard drive
64 megs ram
NO graphics card.... NOT a gaming computer!!! But, age of empires 2 runs smoother than it ran on one of those super computers! So, I don't know what the hipe is about needing a huge amount of memory. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! Do not let some other review tell you need more than 128 megs of memory just to enjoy the game!!! You'd be miising out on one of, if not the BEST rts game ever made!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best strategy games of all time.
Review: AOE II has been rated by numerous gaming magazines and online reviewers as one of the top five strategy games of all time. I have to wholeheartedly agree. The improvements over the original AOE are too numerous to count. If you like strategy games and you have never played AOE, push the ADD TO SHOPPING CART button right now. Don't even wait to finish reading this. This game has everything you could ever hope for in a strategy game. You must manage resources of your civilization, research new technology, build defenses, and maintain diplomatic relations with other computer/real players, all while trying to avoid annihilation. This is a real time game rather than turn based, so even on the slowest speed it is sometimes wonderfully maddening to try to keep track of it all. The setup allows you numerous options. You can start with allies or solo. There are various levels of difficulty and options for map size, number of opponents, type of terrain, etc. Each civilization has different characteristics and you can choose which ones you want to play against or randomize it. If you just want a short game, you can play for a certain amount of time with the highest score at the end of that time declared the winner. The difficulty levels allow for a challenge game at any level of expertise with the hardest level being impossible (at least for me). The game also includes various scenarios you can play. This game doesn't get boring. Once you find your level, you can expect a challenging game each time. You might beat it one time and get eliminated the next. A strategy that works in one game fails in the next. You have to reinvent your strategies to adapt to the situations as they arise. Each game is different. I rate this game a 10/10. It is utterly addictive. I recommend it highly. If you already have the game, look into AOE II: The Conquerers. It is a game extension that makes this great game ever better.
Rating:
Summary: The best strategy game of all time. Period.
Review: For my money, this is the finest strategy game on the market. The balance of the various kingdoms is far better than in the original, with all empires having serious strengths and equally devastating weaknesses. One must learn the value of combining force types into effective mixtures of defense and offensive units to even have a chance at success. The serious player will probably take something on the order of a year to master the game, because the complexity level is so high. The campaigns on this sequel are of a much hgiher caliber than those on the orignal, so single-player use is very much improved. In fact, the campaigns are actually historically accurate, unlike those in AOE. Indeed, the historical section on the CD is fascinating reading in and of itself, and will please those who love the time period, as well as the tactical problems involved. AOK's real strength, though, is like that of its predecessor: the game's extreme playability over network. I heard that AOE was the most popular network game ever, and there's no reason AOK won't follow in its footsteps. This is GREAT stuff to play in real time with others. Be warned, though: players in Microsoft's Gaming Room are ruthless to the novice. Don't even think about going online until you've gained a level of proficiency playing by your own. And take the time to learn the keyboard shortcuts: you'll need the time it saves. For most games, I think that strategy guides are a wimp's way out, but with AOK, I highly recommend the Ensemble Studios' guide. It's invaluable to improving the quality of your game-playing experience.
Rating: 
Summary: Never gets boring
Review: There are enough rave reviews here to get the point across, so I won't spend too much time. This game is addictive, historically fascinating (what if William Wallace did do battle with Genghis Khan?), and very easy on the eyes--the graphics are crystal clear. Just beware, you'll start playing, and without realizing it, the hours have flown by. The game never gets boring, and offers dozens of scenarios. Personal fave: attacking with elephants!
Rating:
Summary: Great game by yourself or with friends!
Review: I read the early reviews of this game,and saw lots of screen shots, and could not get what all the fuss was about. No cutting edge 3-D graphics (although the graphics, set on high detail, are very nice). No warp speed action or laser weapons. Not much blood and gore (just in very tiny scale and in a non-offensive manner). Once I played it, however, I was hooked. The interface is intuitive (and evidently greatly improved from the original AOE). Gameplay starts calmly at the early levels, but builds to frantic battling as your (and your opponent's) civilization grows in power and size. AOE II does require a lot of micromanagement - just as you are preparing to attack an enemy (or even a friend :) you will have to rebuild a farm or divert your attention to an attack from your flank. This is not a negative aspect, and is actually very satisfying when you balance all your actions successfully. Each of the 13 civilizations has unique characteristics and weapons which means you have months of gameplay for your investment. There are also a dozen or so different types of maps to choose from as well as the ability to create your own maps. Now for the really fun part. If you have never played multiplayer, online games, this game would be a good intro to it. Playing the computer opponent is fun, but playing flesh and blood opponents across the internet is a blast. It heightens the tension and offers you a chance to hone your skills against people with wide-ranging skills and strategies. And best of all, it's free. Get this game and let loose your own dogs of war.
Rating:
Summary: The best strategy game ever!
Review: 'Age of Empires II' has been named on many many PC top ten lists, and for good reason too! Simply put, this is just an amazingly fun and interesting game. 'Age of Empires II' will take your breath away, it's a must own for any PC gamer, or even someone who's never played a computer game! Anyone will love this. There are many levels of difficulty, which is excellent. Once you master one level or strategy, you can change the settings (and certain characteristics in the game, such as what type of terrain you get, which makes all the difference). You must manage any one of thirteen civilizations, ranging from the Turks to the Vikings. Each civilization has it's own unique benefits and drawbacks and their own style of buildings and armies. You collect natural resources, advance through ages by meeting requirments in your stockpiles, create workers, explore, conquer, build an army, make allies, engage in trade and battle, and so much more! The graphics are some of the best I've seen in a strategy game and always keep you involved with the game. You can also choose certain types of games. A campaign game involves a certain sort of goal (like escorting Joan of Arc to the king). Their is a death match game, where you duke it out with other empires, and so much more. There is a delightful training game which involves the famous William Wallace teaching you the basics of the game, I found this to be extremely helpful.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Amazing
Review: AOE2 is simply amazing...I've never played AOE1 so I can't make any comparisons, but look--AOE2 beats out much of the great RTS games (including my favorite game Starcraft) by including 13 civilizations with infantry, cavalry, archery, naval units, siege weapons... and all kinds of defense measures, including all-mighty castles and bombard towers. The diversity of units might be less than some widely popular games, but you can understand and feel every single part of this game. Upgrades from Cavaliers to Paladins and Archers to Crossbowmen make sense--they aren't just words from nowhere. And if you're looking for a great campaign game, this is it--there are carefully made videos and sounds (just as starcraft) for the campaigns, and I especially enjoy the diversity of these one player missions. The 1st Mongolian mission was very interesting, requiring you to befriend the different tribes by bringing them sheep, killing the wolf pack, founding the sacred relic, etc. I also liked how this game handled commerce. There are a variety of types of resources (gold, stone, food, and wood to be precise) and you can build trading carts to earn gold by trading with other players, pay tribute, etc. etc. This game is simply a must-buy...it's worth every penny.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Strategy Game!
Review: I love this game! The cool thing is you are actually learning history at the same time. Before each scenario, someone tells you about what you are up against and what the person talking went through. This way, you can learn history at the same time while playing! This game develops strategy skills. You must plan where you want to put walls and buildings to defend your empire, and you can attack your enemies too. There is a wide range of units to choose from horse archers to cannons. You can trade, decide to become your ally's enemy instead of ally, (i like this better in age of kings because you can change your diplomacy with an ally to an enemy and all they do beg you to become their ally again. While you are their enemy you can convert their units and then just switch back to being their ally, it is so cool!) You get to be leaders such as Joan of Arc and more!Command armies to destroy another civilization. Build castles, houses, archery ranges, barracks, stables...you name it. Start from the Dark Age and go through the Feudal Age, Castle Age and Imperial Age. You can control fierce armies while you work with villagers back at your home base. Farm, build, destroy, gather, chop wood, mine gold and stone. Upgrade your units with new technologies to make them better. Trade with horses and carts, build docks and boats, (there are war boats and fishing boats). Choose from 13 civilizations like the Chinese, Japanese, Vikings, Teutons, Britons, Franks and more. Each civilization has different units and bonuses. Be the best empire ever! GREAT GRAPHICS! IF YOU DON'T HAVE THIS GAME YOU ARE MISSING A BRILLIANT STRATEGY GAME !
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