Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
analyzed 2026-08-17 · sample of 429 English reviews across the whole review history
Players consistently praise the core experience. Gameplay is called "excellent game and gameplay," and the remaster "looks better than the original." The sheer volume of content is a recurring highlight, with reviewers noting the "abundance of single player content" and the inclusion of all expansions plus new campaigns. The price is seen as fair, the soundtrack is "a huge draw," and the community is described as "great and friendly online community." Many also point to the game's lasting pull, saying "I keep coming back to this game." Criticism is more scattered but real. Stability is the clearest sore spot, with players reporting random crashes and one describing an update that "left it unable to start." Bugs and multiplayer lag also come up, as does frustration with DLC, specifically "there is no option to exclude the latest 3 or 4 DLC packages/latest 12 civs from your gameplay." Opinion splits on the AI, with equal numbers praising the improved challenge and complaining about pathing or behavior. Difficulty and learning curve also divide reviewers, some finding it "more accessible than ever" while others feel even hard mode offers little challenge. The overall picture is a beloved classic with strong fundamentals, generous content, and active developer support, tempered by occasional technical instability and a few divisive design choices.
quotes copied verbatim from reviews · plain text is the language model's own wording
Aspects
share of sample, axis to 20% · ± is the sampling uncertainty around each share
- positive
- mixed / neutral
- negative
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gameplay
68 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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Yep, it's still got it.
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but still an excellent game and gameplay
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feels the same, as it should.
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graphics
41 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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looks better than the original.
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good for nostalgia, i remember playing this game in the 2000s, and with the graphics upgrade it is really nice
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Have been playing this game as a kid and always wanted since then for the graphics to be updated.
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content amount
27 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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Nevertheless, the gameplay is solid and there's a lot of content.
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Classical RTS with an abundance of single player content for nostalgic players.
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Great game, a lot of scenarios to work with.
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multiplayer
20 positive · 3 negative · 0 mixed · 2 neutral
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This game has destroyed my life by an all consuming need to destroy my friends in Empirical CONQUEST!
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great game, especially for those that enjoy strategy; great group game as well
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Like the gameplay, stategies and playing with a friend a game that i enjoyed 10+ years ago
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updates
13 positive · 4 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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Many thanks to the developers for keeping the game alive for more than 20 years with regular updates and events.
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Updates were extremly good for aoe2 de.
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Phenomenal games with active update from dev.
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ai behavior
5 positive · 5 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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The only downside to fighting AI is the huge skill curve from Moderate to Hard AI.
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New pathfinding problems that didn't exist in the original, poor squad mechanics, lack of cinematics that existed in the original, removed/modified difficulties and maps, and an AI with higher APM than the best Starcraft players with precision and screenreading tactics.
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While the Boars are very loud, swords can be deafening, and the ai occasionally locks up when you give too many orders; there's a single button to continuously reseed farms and fish traps.
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price value
10 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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Worth every penny
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Classic game, worth the $, we all know who did 9/11
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Worth every penny and the gameplay is still fun since the day it came out.
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replayability
8 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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I keep coming back to this game, oven and over again.
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Don't be discouraged by the negative opinions, even a decade later it's still a classic.
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I've been playing this game for over 20 years now and I learn something new every time I get on.
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stability
2 positive · 6 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral
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The broken update from almost two months ago left it unable to start.
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Despite some minor launch problems, this game is truly Age of Empires envisioned as a modern RTS.
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Also, multiplayer and crash issues persist despite being a focus of the development team.
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community
8 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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This game is amazing and even though it is old the playerbase is active and it's more fun than games coming out now!
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Also, great and friendly online community.
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There is a very active community with this and so much nostalgia for me here
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see more
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developer conduct
4 positive · 4 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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Many thanks to the developers for keeping the game alive for more than 20 years with regular updates and events.
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There have been a few bumps, but the team is very responsive to criticism and patches often.
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The remake is not only just as good as I remember, it is now BETTER than I remember, because of a very diligent dev team, actively working on balance and on improving various game features.
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bugs
1 positive · 6 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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good game but has a ton of bugs, more bugs than an indie unity game
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One thing I see is that this game still has several issues, but with their regular updates I have a feeling they will fix them
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Not only that, but there are also new scenario editor features, some of which are buggy right now but with the promise of many features being patched in (such as triggers to change train/research locations).
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difficulty
3 positive · 3 negative · 0 mixed · 1 neutral
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Even in hard you wont sweat or think anything.
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i suck at it though
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New pathfinding problems that didn't exist in the original, poor squad mechanics, lack of cinematics that existed in the original, removed/modified difficulties and maps, and an AI with higher APM than the best Starcraft players with precision and screenreading tactics.
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learning curve
3 positive · 3 negative · 0 mixed · 1 neutral
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The new graphics manage to capture the charm of the original game while giving it a more modern look, and many QoL improvements make it more accessible than ever to the returning or brand-new player.
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With a new mini-campaign teaching strategies for multiplayer and a way to download mods while in-game, it's probably never been easier to get started in AoE2.
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A great introduction to RTS's too, since a lot of the difficult micromanaging that would deter new players is now irrelevant since ques are now easier to manage
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addictiveness
6 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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You can play this game for hours.
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Very addictive game.
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Its predecessors, and it's successors (1, 3 & 4), none of them get even close to how addictive is Age of Empires 2.
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music
6 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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The best RTS game for me, good music and gameplay, my childhood fr.
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Gorgeous visuals, amazing soundtrack, the new animations look beautiful.
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Krásný remaster Soundtracku, grafika, Quality of Life vylepšení a další, dělají z téhle hry pro fanoušky AOE série nutnost!
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ui
3 positive · 2 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral
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Not only can it run on modern PCs like HD, but now it shows villager/gatherer totals as part of the UI and allows for automatic farm/fishing trap reseeding.
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Solid upgrade from the original, cool new animations and riddled with awesome QOL upgrades.
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with better UI / graphics, yeah !
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dlc
2 positive · 3 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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[*]DLC contents are... questionable?
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Most of all, there is no option to exclude the latest 3 or 4 DLC packages/latest 12 civs from your gameplay, as in, block those civs for ranked play or easily block those for everyone for a game in the lobby.
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sucks that the new expasion wasnt compatible with the old AoE2 HD edition, but this version is way prettier.
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servers netcode
2 positive · 3 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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There is a huge lag in multiplayer games, the game doesn't accept any commands or accepts it 2 minutes later.
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The only negative aspect is that the multiplayer ♥♥♥♥♥ the bed for an hour or two every other patch.
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the server sucks, never improve with the disconnect problem.
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Review timeline
monthly peak 14,398 reviews · all languages
monthly share rated positive · 50% reference · months with <5 reviews faded
the timeline as a table
| month | reviews | up | down | positive | note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2019 | 14,398 | 13,334 | 1,064 | 93% | |
| Dec 2019 | 6,830 | 6,309 | 521 | 92% | |
| Jan 2020 | 4,003 | 3,661 | 342 | 91% | |
| Feb 2020 | 3,455 | 3,228 | 227 | 93% | |
| Mar 2020 | 3,720 | 3,361 | 359 | 90% | |
| Apr 2020 | 4,680 | 4,376 | 304 | 94% | |
| May 2020 | 3,543 | 3,326 | 217 | 94% | |
| Jun 2020 | 2,350 | 2,208 | 142 | 94% | |
| Jul 2020 | 2,994 | 2,869 | 125 | 96% | |
| Aug 2020 | 1,990 | 1,935 | 55 | 97% | |
| Sep 2020 | 1,828 | 1,754 | 74 | 96% | |
| Oct 2020 | 1,869 | 1,818 | 51 | 97% | |
| Nov 2020 | 3,575 | 3,458 | 117 | 97% | |
| Dec 2020 | 3,047 | 2,949 | 98 | 97% | |
| Jan 2021 | 3,432 | 3,287 | 145 | 96% | |
| Feb 2021 | 2,399 | 2,255 | 144 | 94% | |
| Mar 2021 | 2,030 | 1,914 | 116 | 94% | |
| Apr 2021 | 2,454 | 2,314 | 140 | 94% | |
| May 2021 | 1,808 | 1,740 | 68 | 96% | |
| Jun 2021 | 1,760 | 1,689 | 71 | 96% | |
| Jul 2021 | 2,048 | 1,933 | 115 | 94% | |
| Aug 2021 | 2,090 | 1,970 | 120 | 94% | |
| Sep 2021 | 1,716 | 1,625 | 91 | 95% | |
| Oct 2021 | 1,994 | 1,865 | 129 | 94% | |
| Nov 2021 | 2,662 | 2,579 | 83 | 97% | |
| Dec 2021 | 1,625 | 1,562 | 63 | 96% | |
| Jan 2022 | 1,842 | 1,758 | 84 | 95% | |
| Feb 2022 | 1,525 | 1,445 | 80 | 95% | |
| Mar 2022 | 1,222 | 1,177 | 45 | 96% | |
| Apr 2022 | 1,869 | 1,794 | 75 | 96% | |
| May 2022 | 1,416 | 1,359 | 57 | 96% | |
| Jun 2022 | 1,355 | 1,303 | 52 | 96% | |
| Jul 2022 | 1,677 | 1,602 | 75 | 96% | |
| Aug 2022 | 1,248 | 1,201 | 47 | 96% | |
| Sep 2022 | 1,118 | 1,066 | 52 | 95% | |
| Oct 2022 | 1,222 | 1,159 | 63 | 95% | |
| Nov 2022 | 2,124 | 2,042 | 82 | 96% | |
| Dec 2022 | 1,762 | 1,689 | 73 | 96% | |
| Jan 2023 | 2,297 | 2,183 | 114 | 95% | |
| Feb 2023 | 1,679 | 1,507 | 172 | 90% | |
| Mar 2023 | 1,469 | 1,391 | 78 | 95% | |
| Apr 2023 | 1,442 | 1,370 | 72 | 95% | |
| May 2023 | 1,772 | 1,656 | 116 | 93% | |
| Jun 2023 | 1,354 | 1,248 | 106 | 92% | |
| Jul 2023 | 1,990 | 1,838 | 152 | 92% | |
| Aug 2023 | 1,228 | 1,160 | 68 | 94% | |
| Sep 2023 | 1,592 | 1,501 | 91 | 94% | |
| Oct 2023 | 1,297 | 1,229 | 68 | 95% | |
| Nov 2023 | 2,347 | 2,264 | 83 | 96% | |
| Dec 2023 | 1,665 | 1,563 | 102 | 94% | |
| Jan 2024 | 1,385 | 1,321 | 64 | 95% | |
| Feb 2024 | 1,229 | 1,159 | 70 | 94% | |
| Mar 2024 | 1,595 | 1,486 | 109 | 93% | |
| Apr 2024 | 1,283 | 1,221 | 62 | 95% | |
| May 2024 | 1,280 | 1,170 | 110 | 91% | |
| Jun 2024 | 1,144 | 1,046 | 98 | 91% | |
| Jul 2024 | 1,270 | 1,192 | 78 | 94% | |
| Aug 2024 | 1,120 | 1,077 | 43 | 96% | |
| Sep 2024 | 1,038 | 1,000 | 38 | 96% | |
| Oct 2024 | 1,208 | 1,144 | 64 | 95% | |
| Nov 2024 | 1,937 | 1,851 | 86 | 96% | |
| Dec 2024 | 1,565 | 1,508 | 57 | 96% | |
| Jan 2025 | 1,339 | 1,279 | 60 | 96% | |
| Feb 2025 | 1,019 | 964 | 55 | 95% | |
| Mar 2025 | 1,282 | 1,232 | 50 | 96% | |
| Apr 2025 | 1,449 | 1,276 | 173 | 88% | |
| May 2025 | 1,313 | 1,184 | 129 | 90% | |
| Jun 2025 | 969 | 898 | 71 | 93% | |
| Jul 2025 | 1,130 | 1,065 | 65 | 94% | |
| Aug 2025 | 1,109 | 1,050 | 59 | 95% | |
| Sep 2025 | 948 | 905 | 43 | 95% | |
| Oct 2025 | 1,215 | 1,148 | 67 | 94% | |
| Nov 2025 | 1,763 | 1,719 | 44 | 98% | |
| Dec 2025 | 1,320 | 1,270 | 50 | 96% | |
| Jan 2026 | 1,368 | 1,301 | 67 | 95% | |
| Feb 2026 | 1,092 | 1,025 | 67 | 94% | |
| Mar 2026 | 1,012 | 958 | 54 | 95% | |
| Apr 2026 | 1,174 | 1,125 | 49 | 96% | |
| May 2026 | 1,120 | 1,052 | 68 | 94% | |
| Jun 2026 | 1,350 | 1,232 | 118 | 91% | |
| Jul 2026 | 1,100 | 1,025 | 75 | 93% | |
| Aug 2026 | 451 | 416 | 35 | 92% |
How this report was made
- Population
- all Steam reviews of the game (every language, purchase type, and verdict), walked newest-first per window; only English-language reviews are analyzed
- Sample
- 429 English reviews, time-proportional draw over 82 windows (newest-first within each), taken from an all-language walk and kept English-only — where English is a minority the sample runs smaller than the draw, and every margin of error is computed at 429
- Aspect yield
- 164 of 429 analyzed reviews carry at least one aspect (38.2%); every share on this page divides by all 429
- Interval regime
- calm: standard margins of error for a share of a sample (Wilson interval), no widening needed
- Fetch paths
- 82 time windows fetched directly (windowed)
- Language mix
- 1,000 fetched: english 431 · spanish 226 · brazilian 69 · 21 more
- Steam-marked windows
- none flagged by Steam (Valve's off-topic flagging began March 2019)
- Marked share
- 0.0% of sample inside marked windows, under the 2% floor
- Narrative
- passed the grounding gate after one corrective retry
- Evidence floor
- aspects and emergent themes appear only with 5+ supporting reviews; smaller counts sit at the classifier's false-positive floor
- Instrument readings
- measured once on the study corpus for this model and prompt: frozen calibration, not properties of this run
- · aspect tagging vs. human labels
- 0.766 [0.713–0.811] (F1 against a human-labeled test set; 1.0 is best)
- · quotes filed under the wrong aspect
- 11.6% [6.6–19.6] of quotes, measured by hand on a sample; lower is better
- · independent model vs. production labels
- 0.791 [0.772–0.810] (F1 of the production labeler against an independent judge model)
- Versions
- deepseek-v4-flash · prompt classify-v1 · ontology v2
- Run
- serve-20260817T204353Z-5e928cff · code ca621b8
full methodology in the milestone write-ups