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Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome vs Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.

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Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome
Age of Empires: The Rise of RomeExpand your empire with historic Roman campaigns and deep strategy
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
Age of Empires II: The Age of KingsLead historic civilizations to victory in timeless real‑time strategy battles.
Overview
Description

Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome is the acclaimed expansion to the classic real‑time strategy classic, adding new civilizations, units, and technologies set in the ancient world. Players command Romans, Greeks, Carthaginians, and more, mastering resource management, tactical combat, and empire building across single‑player campaigns and multiplayer battles. The expansion refines the original engine with improved AI, balanced gameplay, and richer historical scenarios, delivering a deeper and more immersive RTS experience for both veterans and newcomers.

Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings is a classic real‑time strategy game that lets players command medieval civilizations across multiple ages. Build economies, train armies, and wage wars on detailed historical maps. The game offers both a robust single‑player campaign and competitive multiplayer modes, delivering deep strategic gameplay that has stood the test of time.

Pricing
Paid (One-time)
Paid (One-time)
Category
Real-Time Strategy
Real-Time Strategy
Best for
Strategy enthusiasts and history fans
Strategy enthusiasts and history fans
Specifications
Spec source
AI-estimated
AI-estimated
General
msrp
$49.99
$39.9920%
release date
1998-10-22
1999-09-30
Specifications
developer
Ensemble Studios
Ensemble Studios
publisher
Microsoft
Konami, Microsoft
age rating
ESRB T
ESRB T
multiplayer
Single player, Multiplayer
Single player, Multiplayer
critic score
85/100+6%
80/100
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Rich historical content
  • Diverse civilizations with unique units
  • Improved AI over the base game
  • Strong multiplayer community
  • Deep strategic depth with multiple civilizations
  • Rich historical campaign and lore
  • Strong multiplayer community and LAN support
  • Extensive modding and map‑creation tools
Cons
  • Graphics are dated by modern standards
  • Limited to PC platform
  • Campaign length can feel short for some players
  • Outdated graphics compared to modern RTS titles
  • Steep learning curve for new players
  • Limited official support and updates
Community & Metrics
Upvotes
0
0
User rating
Not enough data
Not enough data

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Glory of the Roman Empire
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Age of Empires
Age of Empires

Build civilizations and dominate historic battlefields.

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Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings

Lead historic civilizations to victory in timeless real‑time strategy battles.

Compare

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Age of Empires
Age of Empires

Build civilizations and dominate historic battlefields.

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Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome
Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome

Expand your empire with historic Roman campaigns and deep strategy

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Age of Empires III
Age of Empires III

Colonial conquest meets real‑time strategy mastery

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Total War: Shogun 2
Total War: Shogun 2

Master feudal Japan in epic turn‑based and real‑time battles.

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The Verdict

AI-generated from listing data

Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings is a safer default with deeper strategic depth, while Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome offers improved AI and graphics. The main trade-off is between the two games' unique features and pricing.

Key differences

  • Unique civilizations and units
  • AI difficulty and behavior
  • Price point and value
  • Historical campaign and lore
  • Multiplayer community support
DimensionWinner

Gameplay & fun factor

Deeper strategic depth

Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings

Platform availability

Both are PC-only

Tie

Price & value

Lower MSRP at $39.99

Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings

Multiplayer / co-op

Both support up to 8 players

Tie

Content & replayability

More extensive modding and map-creation tools

Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings

Difficulty & accessibility

Improved AI for challenging opponent behavior

Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome

Graphics & performance

Enhanced graphics and sound effects

Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome

Choose Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome if…

Players seeking improved AI and graphics

Choose Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings if…

Strategy enthusiasts on a budget

Common questions

Which game has a lower price point?

Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings at $39.99

Do both games have multiplayer support?

Yes, both support up to 8 players

Which game has more extensive modding tools?

Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings