Age of Empires Online

Review

Common Sense Media says

Classic real-time-strategy game now online with great charm.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Age of Empires Online is an online strategy game about building empires, with player interaction for cooperative missions. The game also works off a micro-transaction model, foregoing a monthly subscription fee in lieu of offering items and civilization upgrades for real-world money. The game is rich with customization options, but because of the online element, younger players should be monitored and parents may prefer to go with other titles in the series for the child truly interested in civ-building games.

  • Positive messages2
    Players have to conquer the surrounding territories and fend off enemies, but the rewards allow players to grow and develop a city infrastructure that will develop and grow from a foundling city to an impressive empire. When teaming up for cooperative missions, there are treasures to gain as well as learning the value of teamwork to overcome enemy armies.
  • Positive role models1
    The overall bent of the game is to allow players to succeed, especially at the earlier game levels. The in-game characters that you meet are friendly, complimentary, and supportive by giving praise for accomplishing mission goals.
  • Ease of play3
    It has a very gentle learning curve. The initial civilizations -- the Greeks and Egyptians -- have similar structures in missions and overall quests, with the main differences being the look of the civilizations. There are a few unique quests that play off the ancient civilization (can you say camel races?) or open up bonus content based on the particular civilization played. For example, there are bonuses to infantry for the Greeks, or -- if you invest points into crafting -- you can create weapons and armor with bonuses for your armies. The tech trees are easy to navigate but listening to the quest instructions early in the game will make overall experience easier to play. Anyone who has played n Real Time Strategy game should not have a problem controlling this game.
  • Violence3
    Armies will have to be created to take on enemy armies, and during the course of the battle, characters from different armies -- each with a health bar over their heads -- will be struck with weapons (swords, spears, and arrows during the onset and early stages of the game, progressing to better weaponry and armor as points awarded for leveling is spent on the technology trees). Once the health bar runs out, the characters will fall dead to the ground. There is no blood or gore, but the slain characters will not come back to life if the battle is won. Armies must continually be rebuilt.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism4
    The game has micro-transactions, allowing gamers to play the base game free but requiring that money be spent to upgrade civilizations (like the Greeks and Egyptians -- which are the starting civilizations with more buyable civilizations to follow) and to buy gear and city items.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
  • Privacy & safety2
    Some privacy concerns: The game offers open chat. While there are filters to prevent obvious bad language from coming through, online players are adept at finding workarounds for this and can be creative. Because the game allows players to directly communicate with one another, care must be taken to keep younger players safe. Parents should monitor younger gamers and who they are chatting with during their online time, as well as discussing appropriate communication. This is a game geared for older players and thus, while child-friendly, is not geared for children.
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What's it about?

AGE OF EMPIRES ONLINE offers two classic civilizations -- the Greeks and Egyptians -- and then allows players to build cities from basic settlements to glorious empires. Players will accomplish this through quests, leveling up their cities, and spending points earned on skills in the technology trees. There is cooperative gameplay and players can even indulge in player-versus-player gaming, pitting one army against another.

Is it any good?

 

The RTS (real time strategy) genre has had a tough go in online gaming, but Age of Empires Online may well change that. This title takes the great elements of one of the best franchises in the genre and expands it into the online space in a manner that is smart. From crafting to city customization, Age of Empires Online takes great foundations, adds in a measure of online charm and gameplay elements, and creates a relatively fresh take for not only the AoE series of titles, but for the RTS genre as a whole. This title should have broad appeal, and can even be a great entry into real-time strategy gaming.

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This review was written by Michael Lafferty

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This review was written by Michael Lafferty
Platforms:Windows
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Real Time Strategy (RTS)
Developer:Microsoft
Release date:August 16, 2011
Price:$19.95
ESRB rating:E10+ for Mild violence
This review was written by Michael Lafferty

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ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
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BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
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