Age of Empires: Gold Edition

by Microsoft

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00001LDCD
• Item Weight: 5 ounces
• Media: CD-ROM
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,983 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Microsoft Age of Empires is an epic, real-time strategy game spanning 10,000 years, where players are the guiding spirit in the evolution of a small Stone Age tribe. Starting with minimal resources, players are challenged to build their tribes into great civilizations. Choose from one of several ways to win the game: by conquering enemy civilizations, exploring the "known" world, or accumulating wealth to achieve economic victory.

But don't stop there. Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome Expansion starts off where Age of Empires left off. Continue your gameplay with several new features, including four additional civilizations, several unique units, and three entirely new campaigns, showcasing the rise of Rome.

Product Description

Two award-winning games in one box - Age of Empires & Rise of Rome. As the guiding spirit of a Stone Age tribe, follow one of these paths to build the greatest civilization on earth with Age of Empires. With over 10,000 years of real-time evolution to build your tribe into a flourish empire. Experience all the conflict, intrigue, greed, and power as you create the most feared and celebrated civilization in history with Age of Empires The Rise of Rome Expansion.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Major time sink..., March 6, 2001

By 

Lynwood E. Hines (Saint George, SC USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Age of Empires: Gold Edition (CD-ROM)

I purchased the original Age of Empires years ago when it first came out, and the Roman expansion when it became available, so I have the equivalent of the so-called "Gold Edition".

Out of all the games I own, this is the most addictive. Time just flies by when I'm playing this game, which isn't always a good thing. This IS a good thing when my flight has been delayed however. With my laptop, extra lithium-ion batteries, and Age of Empires, airport delays are not nearly as painful as they used to be.

To create a game that remains addictive and interesting over the years is quite an achievement. Most video games become boring after a while, either because they are too frustrating and difficult, or they are too easy or repetitive. Finding a balance that is both entertaining and challenging is tough, and these guys have done it. I personally love the random games. The environment really dictates the strategy you should use, as it does in real life, and the possibilities are nearly endless. You can also design your own scenarios, which kills a lot of time and allows you to experiment with environmental conditions that the random map generator would never come up with.

The Roman expansion didn't add much, but it also didn't cost much. The most important feature I was looking for was the ability to put gates in my walls. In Age of Empires, if you build a wall around your civilization, you can not get out without destroying part of the wall. As I understand it, this has been corrected in Age of Kings, which I have not gotten yet.

If you enjoy real time strategy, you're gonna love Age of Empires!

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A smash hit!, November 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Age of Empires: Gold Edition (CD-ROM)

I am not an rts expert but after playing the demo I knew I wanted it. This game is so immersive that when you begin, you have no clue where to start. There is so much to see and do. If you are new to the series, you should try out the campaigns which are carefully designed according to skill level. This game can be compared to a mixture of sim city and warcraft. Not only do you build massive empires that look incredibly realistic, you also have to maintain and nurture a small nomadic tribe that will eventually grow into a world power. The game combines war stategy and food gathering techniques plus terrain strategy and economic simulation. There are several modes of play. There are the campaigns of course. You start with easy campaigns and proceed on to tougher scenarios. The cool thing about this mode is that the objectives are so varied. Not always do you have to destroy your enemy. Somtimes you have to rescue a trapped unit or find a lost relic. This keeps the game going. The next mode is the death match. You start with stock piles of wood and gold and food. Using your rich store, you have to advance through the ages and develop an army to defeat and destroy your growing enemy. This is an exiting mode! You don't have to worry about food shortages. All you have do is build fortifications and create a large army. The third mode is a customized scenario. This is the real deal in the game. You have complete control over how your world looks. Do you want a island power like Greece? Or maybe a huge mainland. The choice is yours. You can even use cliffs to stategicly fortify your city from attack. In addition, this game has over 100 technologies and units that make the game varried and interesting. You choose from 16 civilizations to start with, each with distinctive strengths and weaknesses. Maybe by now you can see how complex this game really is. If you are thinking about buying it, I assure you, this is a game that will not let you down. Microsoft and ensamble studios have created the best rts game hands down.

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Strategy Game of the Year!, November 14, 1999

By 

Scotter Rogers (Fairfax, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Age of Empires: Gold Edition (CD-ROM)

This is the coolest game I have ever played. With all the resources and the rush to get a wonder the game goes very fast, but with all the technology it becomes and awesome game. I recomend that you do not try to find cheats though, because it ruins the game. The only way to not be cheated out of the real fun is to not cheat. But don't take my word for it, buy it!