Age of Empires II (2013): The Forgotten expands the real-time strategy foundation of Age of Empires II HD Edition with five new civilizations, seven campaigns, and additional multiplayer options. Released as the first official expansion for the HD Edition in over a decade, it introduces fresh historical contexts drawn from medieval Europe, Asia, and the Americas while maintaining the core loop of resource gathering, base building, technological advancement, and military conquest across the Dark Age through the Imperial Age.
Gameplay
Players manage economies by collecting food, wood, gold, and stone to train units and research technologies. Each of the five added civilizations brings distinct bonuses and unique units that alter standard strategies. The Italians emphasize naval power and trade with access to advanced galleys and merchant bonuses. Indians field large armies supported by camel and elephant units suited for open-field engagements. Slavs rely on durable infantry and defensive structures effective in colder terrain scenarios. Magyars excel with mobile cavalry forces that reward aggressive flanking. Incas focus on infantry resilience and fortified settlements capable of withstanding prolonged sieges.
Campaign missions place these civilizations in specific historical narratives. Alaric follows the Gothic leader seeking a homeland amid Roman decline. Sforza tracks the mercenary captain navigating Italian city-state conflicts. Bari recounts Byzantine efforts to hold southern Italy. Dracula depicts Wallachian resistance against Ottoman expansion. El Dorado follows Spanish explorers searching the Amazon. Prithviraj covers the Rajput king's efforts to unite Indian clans against western invasions. Battles of the Forgotten presents standalone scenarios featuring leaders such as Richard the Lionheart and Sultan Osman Ghazi.
Additional mechanics include an increased population cap that allows larger armies on screen and a new large map size designed for extended matches. Spectator tools and streaming integration support observation and broadcasting of games.
Game Modes
Standard skirmish and multiplayer matches remain available alongside two dedicated modes introduced in the expansion. Treaty mode imposes a fixed period without combat, directing players toward economic development and base fortification before hostilities begin. Capture the Relic requires teams to seize a central artifact with monks and escort it to their base under pressure from opposing forces.
These modes complement existing random map and deathmatch formats by emphasizing different pacing and objectives. Massive maps accommodate the higher population limits and support longer strategic planning sessions.
Civilizations and Historical Context
The five civilizations expand the roster with units and technologies tied to their real-world counterparts. Italians gain advantages in ship construction and market efficiency. Indians benefit from elephant-mounted siege and camel riders that counter cavalry. Slavs receive bonuses to infantry armor and farming output. Magyars improve cavalry speed and raiding potential. Incas strengthen villager combat ability and building durability.
These additions integrate into existing technology trees without replacing core mechanics. Balance adjustments accompany the new content to maintain competitive parity across all civilizations in the HD Edition.
Is It Worth Playing?
The expansion suits players who enjoy historical real-time strategy campaigns and varied civilization matchups in both single-player and multiplayer settings. Its campaigns deliver narrative-driven scenarios that highlight lesser-known medieval events, while the new modes provide alternatives to standard conquest objectives. Content from this expansion later formed part of broader collections that continue to receive updates in the series' current primary version.
Those seeking deeper single-player storytelling or additional options for custom games will find the added civilizations and scenarios valuable extensions of the base experience. Multiplayer participants benefit from the fresh strategic layers introduced by the new factions and map scale.
