Age of Empires is an icon in the real-time strategy (RTS) realm, and now the original is getting a new lease on life. Announced during the PC Gaming Show at E3 2017, the original Age of Empires is getting the Definitive Edition treatment for its 20th anniversary, with updated visuals, Xbox Live multiplayer support, and much more exclusively on the Windows Store.
The game's visuals have been completely remastered with high-res textures and support for 4K. New zoom levels have also been added, letting you get a true birds-eye view of your battles. Microsoft Studios is also touting "improved gameplay," which we're guessing means any outstanding bugs or annoyances have been quashed. And for fans of the soundtrack, it's been completely remastered as well.
If, like many RTS fans, Age of Empires was your introduction to the genre, this is sure to conjure up some nostalgia. And Microsoft isn't alone here: Blizzard recently announced it is giving the same remaster treatment to another popular RTS, Starcraft. We'll see if that trend holds up, but for now, you can sign up for the beta to get an early look at the revamped Age of Empires (note: the beta sign-up is having some issues loading at the time of writing).