Age Of Empires 2: Definitive Edition heads to console this week; also included in Xbox Game Pass on day one of its console launch. While we haven't had chance to play this title ahead of release (our impressions are coming soon), a few early reviews have hit the web and they're seeming pretty positive so far!
Most importantly, these early impressions are struck by just how well this PC strategy title has been converted to controller-based gameplay on console (although you can also use keyboard and mouse if you want to).
Here are some early reviews, along with some general impressions, of Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition for Xbox:
Windows Central (9/10)
"Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition feels good to play on Xbox and that stems from the fact that a few new interface mechanics were added to the game to make it play better for consoles and controllers. There's even a new tutorial that I highly suggest playing through that explains these new Xbox mechanics."
"The basic gameplay is just as good on Xbox as it ever has been on any previous iteration of this game. By that, I mean that I constantly get sucked in for long gaming sessions and don't want to stop playing because it provides such rewarding strategy sessions."
CGMagazine (8/10)
"It can be difficult to translate a PC-based experience to a console, but Age of Empires 2: The Definitive Edition has done it. It is clear that the game has been created with care and respect for its fans. Not only will longtime players enjoy revisiting old maps and campaigns in greater detail than ever before, but they will also bask in the nostalgia.
Age of Empires 2: The Definitive Edition is a fantastic addition to any console RTS player’s library and a great way to revisit a classic in the genre."
DualShockers (8/10)
"After a dozen or so hours in Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition, I can safely say that it's the real McCoy. This is not a watered-down port to give Microsoft an easy first-party Xbox Game Pass release. It's the real deal and as feature complete as the PC edition, which is quite an accomplishment. A myriad of quality-of-life improvements makes the original game, while still a classic, very much redundant."
We don't have any sort of Metacritic average for the Xbox version just yet due to only a few reviews being available so far, but the console release is off to a pretty good start it seems!