The Return of Rome expansion turns Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition into a game filled with nostalgic memories

In the last 20 years Age of Empires II has always been considered the cornerstone of this great RTS franchise. Praised for its myriad mechanical improvements over the first game, unique units, and the addition of gates to prevent you from accidentally locking your warriors on screen, Age of Empires II ushered in an era almost as memorable as the in-game factions we love to roleplay.

But a groundbreaking sequel always has an origin story that started it all, and it’s the first one Age of Empires The title is by no means left behind. The latest expansion return of Romeintended to integrate integral parts of the game’s original content Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition as a standalone offering, plus some brand new additions for fans to dig into.

“We take that literally Age of Empires Gameplay and it… put it in Age of Empires II.”

Earnest Yuen, Executive Producer of Age of Empires II: Definitive Editiontells us that the Age of Empires community is wholeheartedly at the forefront of the decision to develop this expansion, which is a nod to it Age of Empires: The Rise of Romean expansion for the original game.

“It’s a different type of expansion pack that we’ve never done before,” explains Yuen. “We take that literally Age of Empires Gameplay and placing it as a game within the game Age of Empires II.”

Return two Rome

return of Rome Contains 16 ancient civilizations from the first Age of Empires, one brand new civilization and three brand new campaigns. It is not a bolt to screw on Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, but a separate entity operating with its own original rules and factions not featured in the second remake of the game. You can easily switch between the two.

There is one exception to faction exclusivity – return of Rome Of course, the game wouldn’t be complete without a Roman faction, but interestingly this expansion introduces two different Roman civilizations to play as. The Roman faction playable in this expansion focuses on the earlier periods of history, but the empire is expanded Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition actually covers a later period of Roman history and was created from the ground up specifically for the game.

This period dates back to about 395 AD, making them contemporaries of the Goths, Celts, Britons, Persians and other factions of the early Middle Ages. At this point, as the experts on the Age of Empires team said, Rome was seen as a crumbling shadow of its former glory, unable to pay its soldiers or effectively fortify its homeland.

“They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, but neither did it fall in a day,” says Yuen. “So for those who love history, you can actually feel the differences between the earlier and later Roman factions.”

Yuen, who also served as executive producer on the first film Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, tells us that the goal of the game was to recreate the ultimate updated experience of the title from 20 years ago. That included running it on modern systems with better graphics and still feeling like the original. However, this meant quite a learning curve for the team.

“We wanted newcomers to actually see what the game is like while allowing fans to relive it, and we learned a lot from that,” says Yuen. “The takeaway was that the hardcore fans of the original were there Age of Empires The fans are very happy, it was difficult for new players to join. It’s still very dated and some players are very used to the innovations that have happened in other great RTS games over the past two decades.”

It was this inspiration that shifted the team’s focus to developing the final version of the game, one that fans will remember through subtle quality of life changes, not necessarily the exact original with all its quirks. It’s now more of a fusion of the two titles, optimized for an all-around smoother experience while maintaining each game’s unique points.

“When we released the original Age of Empires: Definitive EditionPeople remembered playing with goals and factions with formations, but no, none of that just existed Age of Empires II “I had them,” Yuen says. “But now we’re in it Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Motor allowed us to make these quality of life improvements.”

“Rather than restoring the final edition of the original game as it was, we want to create a final edition of the game in your mind,” says Yuen. “But at our core, we want to make sure the original stays the same Age of Empires Fans feel at home.”

The official D3 ruleset

The return of Rome The expansion also includes a brand new D3 game mode, an in-game implementation of a long-standing unofficial ruleset created by Vietnamese Age of Empires players. The ruleset limits players to one military unit until the Bronze Age, limiting attacking tactics and keeping all factions on the same level. Also introduced is a brand new faction, the Lac Viet, a late Neolithic Southeast Asian faction.

“The Vietnamese fans have kept the original Age of Empires alive for 25 years,” Yuen tells us. “They still run local tournaments, they stream online, and we wanted to honor that community for keeping the game alive all along.”

The D3 ruleset has long been a popular way for Age of Empires players to compete, but it’s more of a handshake agreement with no actual in-game restrictions. Now it’s an official mode. Players can set up the game with a set of rules so everyone must follow them no matter what – a much more enjoyable and reliable D3 experience for those playing online.

“Ideally, it will also spread internationally so that Vietnamese fans can actually play with this set of rules against other people from all over the world,” says Yuen.

There’s a lot here to keep existing Age of Empires fans happy, but this offering isn’t just aimed at those who enjoyed the classic games all those years ago. They are fluid and modern and aim to attract newcomers whether they are familiar with RTS games or not. Age of Empires is timeless fun for everyone and now more accessible than ever.

“The franchise is 25 years old now, which means it’s generational,” says Yuen. “We have fans who played as kids who are now playing with their own kids again and it’s fantastic.”

“One way people describe Age of Empires that really appeals to me is that it’s a bit like real-time chess. That’s how people play and think about it, and chess is timeless.”

Once again, prepare for battle if Age of Empires: Return of Rome Coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC on May 16th.