Age of Empires: The Age of Kings
- February 14, 2006 09:29 AM PST
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The Age of Kings beautifully leverages the DS's unique strength--its interactive touchscreen--to create a truly worthwhile handheld strategy game.
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Age of Empires, Junior
Though Age of Empires borrows many elements from the PC version of AoE II, it condenses these concepts into a smaller, simpler, safer system. Most of the core options are still there, so you're still able to pick from several different civilizations, including the Monguls, the Britons, and the Franks.
AoE veterans, though, are bound to notice a few changes. Armies are now grouped up as single units; one lone character on the map can represent, say, a hundred berserker warriors. This takes some of the more intricate strategies out of the equation--no more splitting up squads on the fly for fancy pincer maneuvers--but there's still plenty of strategic weight to throw around.
One other key gameplay tweak is bound to irk AoE purists. Combat in the DS version is turn-based, meaning that actions don't play out in real time the way they do in the PC versions. This is disappointing on one level, but was probably the safest, smartest design choice. Actions like moving and attacking are grouped into rounds; once all of your units have carried out their turn, you must manually click an "End Day... button to carry on. Again, this was a smart move for a portable system--you won't have to scramble for the pause button if somebody knocks a frappuccino on your lap during your morning bus ride. But it definitely takes some of the tension of out of the strategy, as time is no longer your worst enemy.
Tappa Tappa Tappa
When it comes to the in-game interface, there's simply no way that the PSP could handle a game of this complexity. The DS, of course, has the advantage of having a high-quality touch-sensitive screen, so you have the luxury of tap tap tapping your way through menus and dialogue screens. AoE's stylus-driven controls are easily the next best thing to a mouse and keyboard.
It's not all peaches and cream, of course. Don't be surprised if you occasionally select a unit you didn't intend to select--touchscreens can be finicky like that. And until you learn the ins and outs of the menu system, it's frustratingly easy to end a unit's turn early. Practice makes perfect, though, and before long you'll be zipping through command prompts and menus like a pro.
The Combat Advisor--a new addition for this DS version--is an excellent touch, and helps takes much of the guesswork out of the turn-based battles. If you, say, try to pit a group of pitchfork-wielding villagers against Genghis Kahn, your advisor will strongly (but very politely) recommend an alternate course of action.
Though the GUI isn't nearly as intricate as the PC-based Age of Empires games, the designers did an admirable job of squeezing a ton of important information into the DS's two small screens. Don't expect much from the graphics, though. The visuals and text look crisp and bright, but the environment and character designs tend towards the minimalist. As long as you're not expecting Warcraft 3-level graphics, you aren't likely to be disappointed by Age of Empire's utilitarian presentation. Same goes for the in-game audio, which is limited to repetitious battle cries, clanging swords, and a catchy but monotonous soundtrack.
Ageless
Against all odds, Age of Empires: The Age of Kings proves once and for all that intricate point-and-click PC strategy games can be ported to the DS, and ported well. While not a perfect port, Age of Empires on the DS holds up remarkably well and is sure to hook even casual strategy fans.
Now, let's see a DS version of Diablo II, dammit. And while we're at it, Command and Conquer, Warcraft II, Starcraft, Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War, and Star Wars: Empire at War. And those are just for starters.
