Age of Empires II: Age of Kings

Game review by Erik Lande, Common Sense Media
Age of Empires II: Age of Kings Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 13+

Strategy is key in tough real-time strategy game.

Windows, Mac 2002
Rate game

Parents say

age 10+

Based on 9 reviews

Kids say

age 9+

Based on 38 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that strategy takes precedence over violence, which is fairly mild and seen from above. Defeated enemies do die and become skeletons. The developers made an effort to educate players about the various civilizations and their history, although the game isn't always accurate.

Community Reviews

CSMContentDefault
CSMContentDefault Adult
December 29, 2009
age 9+
Great soundtrack, and emphasizes on importance of strategy. Also brings economics into the picture and teaches the importance of having both a military as well as an economy to support it, for "an army marches on its stomach, or so the old saying goes" :D Also got me interested in learning about the various characters and heroes portrayed in the game as well as their roles in history (Frederick Barbarossa, Genghis Khan, Joan of Arc, Saladin, El Cid, Montezuma, etc) and teaches history quite well. It also manages to follow history (for the most part) and is not too hard for even a beginner player.

This title has:

Educational value
Templar314
Templar314 Adult
December 23, 2009
age 8+

Level of violence is not a major concern

Strong points: great music, straightforward controls and gameplay, provokes curiosity about history, various civilizations cater to different gaming styles while still having the same fundamentals Weak points: With the MSN Gaming Zone offline, online matches are difficult to coordinate.

This title has:

Educational value
See all 9 parent reviews

What’s It About?

AGE OF EMPIRES II: THE AGE OF KINGS is a historically based, real-time strategy (RTS) game that allows players to found and build up one of 13 civilizations, such as the Celts, Franks, or Chinese. Players must balance exploration, economic, and building needs and battle in order to succeed in this game.

As an RTS game, the play is continuous: Both the player and opponents are active at the same time. Each civilization has special abilities, units, and heroes (historical figures including Genghis Khan and Joan of Arc). Players must gather resources and construct buildings to expand the civilization and develop more advanced units.

Is It Any Good?

The game offers hours of play, challenging computer artificial intelligence, and the ability to play against friends on other computers. Although the game involves military conquest, it is offered in a historical context and is not explicit. It is an excellent entertainment value. It requires complex thought about economics and strategy rather than simple action and reaction, and it makes an effort to educate about the civilizations and time periods it covers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how this type of game helps makes history come alive. Can kids figure out in what ways the game is not historically correct?

Game Details

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