The Return of Rome Enlargement Turns Age of Empires II: Definitive Version Into The Sport From Your Nostalgic Recollections

Over the past 20 years, Age of Empires II has constantly been seen because the cornerstone of this nice RTS franchise. Praised for its myriad mechanical enhancements over the primary recreation, distinctive models and the addition of gates to cease your self by chance imprisoning your on-screen warriors, Age of Empires II ushered in an period nearly as unforgettable because the in-game factions we like to roleplay. 

However a groundbreaking sequel at all times has an origin story that began all of it, and the primary Age of Empires title is not at all being left behind. The newest growth, Return of Rome, is ready to convey integral components of the sport’s unique content material into Age of Empires II: Definitive Version as its personal self-contained providing, plus some model new additions for followers to get caught into. 

“We are actually taking the Age of Empires gameplay and placing it… inside Age of Empires II.”

Earnest Yuen, government producer on Age of Empires II: Definitive Version, tells us that the Age of Empires group is wholeheartedly on the forefront of the choice to craft this growth, which is a nod to Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome, an growth for the unique recreation. 

“It’s a special sort of growth pack that we’ve by no means completed earlier than,” Yuen explains. “We are actually taking the Age of Empires gameplay and placing it as a recreation throughout the recreation inside Age of Empires II.” 

Return Two Rome

Return of Rome consists of 16 historical civilizations featured within the first Age of Empires, one model new civilization, and three model new campaigns. It’s not a bolt on for Age of Empires II: Definitive Version, however a separate entity that operates with its personal unique guidelines and factions not included within the second remake of the sport. You’ll have the ability to swap between the 2 with ease. 

There may be one exception to the faction exclusivity – Return of Rome would after all, not be full with out a Roman faction, however curiously, this growth introduces two completely different Roman civilizations to play as. The Roman faction that’s playable on this growth focuses on the sooner durations of historical past, however the empire being added to Age of Empires II: Definitive Version really covers a later interval in Roman historical past, and it’s been created from scratch particularly for the sport.

This era dates again to round 395 C.E, making them contemporaries with the Goths, Celts, Britons, Persians and different factions from the Early Center Ages. By this level, Rome was – as informed by the consultants on the Age of Empires crew – thought of a crumbling shadow of its former glory, unable to pay for its troopers or fortify its dwelling successfully. 

“They are saying Rome wasn’t in-built a day, however it additionally didn’t fall in at some point both,” Yuen says. “So for those who love historical past, they will really really feel the variations between the sooner and later Roman factions.”

Yuen, who additionally served as government producer on the primary Age of Empires: Definitive Version, tells us that the purpose of the sport was to recreate the last word up to date expertise of the title from 20 years prior. This included having it run on trendy methods with higher graphics, whereas nonetheless feeling like the unique. Nonetheless, doing so was fairly the educational curve for the crew. 

“We wished newcomers to truly see what the sport is like, whereas letting followers expertise it another time, and we discovered loads from it,” Yuen says. “The educational was that whereas the hardcore followers of the unique Age of Empires followers are very glad, it was laborious for brand spanking new gamers to affix. It’s nonetheless very old skool, and a few gamers are very used to the innovation that has occurred in different superior RTS video games during the last twenty years.” 

It was that inspiration that altered the crew’s focus in direction of constructing the definitive model of the sport that followers bear in mind by way of refined high quality of life adjustments, not essentially the precise unique with all of its quirks. It’s now extra like a merger of the 2 titles, optimized for a smoother all-round expertise whereas retaining every recreation’s distinctive factors. 

“After we launched the unique Age of Empires: Definitive Version, folks remembered the sport having gates, factions having formations, however no, it didn’t have any of that, solely Age of Empires II had these,” Yuen says. “However now we’re within the Age of Empires II: Definitive Version engine, we’ve been in a position so as to add these high quality of life tweaks.”

“As an alternative of rebuilding the definitive version of the unique recreation because it was, we need to construct a definitive version of the sport in your head,” Yuen says. “However at our core, we need to make certain the unique Age of Empires followers really feel at dwelling.” 

The Official D3 Ruleset

The Return of Rome growth additionally features a model new D3 recreation mode, an in-game implementation of a long-running unofficial ruleset created by Vietnamese Age of Empires gamers. The ruleset restricts gamers to 1 army unit up till the bronze age, which limits dashing ways and retains all events at an equal stage. It additionally introduces a model new faction, the Lac Viet, a Southeast Asian faction from the late Neolithic interval. 

“The Vietnamese followers have been preserving the unique Age of Empires alive for the final 25 years,” Yuen tells us. “They nonetheless have native tournaments, they stream on-line, and we wished to honor that group for preserving the sport alive for all of that point.” 

The D3 ruleset has lengthy existed as a preferred method for Age of Empires gamers to compete in opposition to one another, however it’s very a lot a handshake settlement with no precise in-game limitations. Now it’s an official mode, gamers can arrange the sport with the ruleset so everyone has to comply with it it doesn’t matter what – a way more nice and dependable D3 expertise for these enjoying on-line.

“Ideally, it’ll unfold internationally as effectively, so the Vietnamese followers can really play with that ruleset in opposition to different folks from all all over the world,” Yuen says.”

There’s loads right here to maintain current Age of Empires followers glad, however this providing isn’t only for those who loved the basic video games all these years in the past. They’re clean and trendy, and designed to entice newcomers, whether or not they’re conversant in RTS video games or not. Age of Empires is timeless enjoyable for everybody, and now extra accessible than it has ever been earlier than.  

“The franchise is 25 years outdated now, which implies it’s cross generational,” Yuen says. “We’ve followers that performed as a child, that at the moment are enjoying once more with their very own children, and it’s incredible.”

“A method that individuals describe Age of Empires that actually resonates with me is that it’s sort of like real-time chess. That’s how folks play it and give it some thought, and chess is timeless.” 

Put together for battle as soon as extra when Age of Empires: Return of Rome launches Might 16 on Xbox Collection X|S and PC.