schnitzel_bob
March 16th, 2006, 08:42 PM
Bought it recently.
It's good, but very different from the PC games. You play a campaign or random game with one of five civilisations (Franks, English, Mongols, Japanese or Saracens).
All the peripheral stuff is about the same as AOE II, but the gameplay is completely changed. Instead of real-time, it's now turn-based. Each unit can perform one action (move, attack, build, train...) before you have to change days. Your opponent then does the same.
It's an intersting change that makes for a slower but deeper experience. You can still play recklessly, but if, like me, you're more one to take your time to think about your move, then you can (and people probably hate playing chess with you, you slow bastard!)
Graphically, it's no hell, about what you'd expect from the DS. Some of the units are hard to discern, especially when they're on a building. The music & effects are taken right from AOE II.
As you complete campaigns (there are five, corresponding to the five civs), you gain bonus points depending on how well you did, which you can then use to get extra units or maps.
As for multiplayer, I can't comment because I don't know anyone who has a DS :(
Overall, it's a challenging and deep game that takes the AOE franchise in a new direction. Don't go in expecting a continuation of previous incarnations, and give yourself time to get past the initial frustration of "this is nothing like AOE II! What the hell am I supposed to do?", but there's a great game here.
Note: For Whom The Bell Tolls by Metallica is a great song. It was on the radio as I wrote this.:)
It's good, but very different from the PC games. You play a campaign or random game with one of five civilisations (Franks, English, Mongols, Japanese or Saracens).
All the peripheral stuff is about the same as AOE II, but the gameplay is completely changed. Instead of real-time, it's now turn-based. Each unit can perform one action (move, attack, build, train...) before you have to change days. Your opponent then does the same.
It's an intersting change that makes for a slower but deeper experience. You can still play recklessly, but if, like me, you're more one to take your time to think about your move, then you can (and people probably hate playing chess with you, you slow bastard!)
Graphically, it's no hell, about what you'd expect from the DS. Some of the units are hard to discern, especially when they're on a building. The music & effects are taken right from AOE II.
As you complete campaigns (there are five, corresponding to the five civs), you gain bonus points depending on how well you did, which you can then use to get extra units or maps.
As for multiplayer, I can't comment because I don't know anyone who has a DS :(
Overall, it's a challenging and deep game that takes the AOE franchise in a new direction. Don't go in expecting a continuation of previous incarnations, and give yourself time to get past the initial frustration of "this is nothing like AOE II! What the hell am I supposed to do?", but there's a great game here.
Note: For Whom The Bell Tolls by Metallica is a great song. It was on the radio as I wrote this.:)