Our opinion on the brand new Age of Empires Mobile!

After an interminable wait since its announcement during the 25th anniversary of the series in 2022, Age of Empires Mobile finally arrives on iOS and Android this Thursday, October 17. Developed by TiMi Studio Group and World’s Edge, and published by Level Infinite (a subsidiary of Tencent), this new opus of the legendary strategy franchise offers a unique experience, adapted to mobile platforms while retaining the key elements that have made the game famous. the series. Finally a real Age of Empire designed for touchscreens. Better still, the game is good, very good even, as our first test attests.

Discover Age of Empires Mobile

Planned as a free-to-playAge of Empires Mobile brings fast and intense battlesefficient resource management and dynamic military construction, all in a format optimized for mobile devices. The integration of 8 emblematic civilizations – from the Romans to the Japanese to the Egyptians – offers a diversity of gameplay, with troops specific to each civilization, allowing players to develop tailor-made strategies.

The game also offers an ultra-detailed immersive environment, where the weather report and the ground directly affect movement and combat, thus adding an additional strategic dimension. THE torrential rainthere lightning and the fog influence the course of battles, forcing players to adapt their strategies depending on the conditions.

In terms of gameplay, Age of Empires Mobile allows players to lead armies in real timewith the ability to control powerful siege weapons such as trebuchets or alliance towers to conquer enemy fortresses. Players will also be able to deploy over 40 legendary heroesincluding Joan of Arc and Julius Caesar, to create formidable alliances and fight on great battlefields.

By conversing with its original depth, Age of Empires Mobile therefore offers a complete gaming experienceaimed at both new players and longtime fans. Of course, it’s better to have a state-of-the-art iPhone or Android to get the most out of it, but the developers have made great efforts to make AoE Mobile playable by as many people as possible. The annoying question concerns the economic aspect.

Watch the official video to get started in the game:

Our opinion on Age of Empire Mobile

Let’s move on to the test. For a first, we can say that Microsoft and Ensemble Studios have succeeded in their bet.

If I was skeptical about a mobile adaptation of a classic real-time strategy game, my doubts were quickly dispelled. Indeed, as promised, Age of Empires Mobile offers an impressive level of detail, with unique empires, historical heroes and various game modes, including a city building mode and another inspired by Vampire Survivors. The game stays true to its roots with familiar mechanics, like villagers picking berries.

The game, developed by TiMi Studios and World’s Edge, goes way beyond what I expected for a mobile release. It’s clear that the development team wanted to offer a rich and complete experience, with polished graphics, several game modes, and a large number of unique empires, each with their own heroes, units and city designs. For the first two hours, I was overwhelmed by the number of features: real-time multiplayer battles, intense sieges, and even a Vampire Survivors-inspired game mode. And yes, the villagers are still going about their business, like picking berries!

What impressed me the most is the variety of historical heroes that can be unlocked. Each hero has a historical significance explained in the game, with a neat introductory cutscene. Even if the “gacha” aspect is present, typical of current mobile games, I appreciated the attention paid to the context of each hero. We find legendary figures like Sun Tzu or Hannibal, but also lesser-known characters, which gives a little educational side to the game.

Gameplay-wise, massive siege battles involve hundreds of units to control, making the experience as chaotic as it is impressive. However, my concerns remain about the balance of the game and the “pay-to-win” aspect over time. The developers claim to have worked particularly hard on mechanisms to prevent powerful players from dominating the map, but this will have to be confirmed during further testing. For the moment, I remain doubtful on this point.

Beyond conquest and large-scale combat, the game offers a variety of other tasks to occupy your time. For example, you can go fishing, hunt or play the survival mode mentioned above. Moreover, this mode allows you to play without waiting for the time limit to end, which is a good idea on mobile.

Age Of Empires Mobile is clearly a success, both aesthetic and technical. We quickly find our bearings, while discovering new features and specific features reserved for this mobile version. The only problem, possibly, lies in the business model. We will see over time whether AoG Mobile is playable without (too much) spending.

Download Age Of Empire Mobile

If you want this great new feature for yourself, head over to the App Store for iOS and Play Store for Android.

Download the free game Age of Empires Mobile