Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Lords of the West is a real-time strategy expansion that adds two new civilizations and three fully voiced campaigns to the core game. Players manage resources, advance through ages, construct buildings, and command armies in medieval settings across Western Europe and the Mediterranean. The expansion emphasizes economic development, defensive structures, and specialized military units while preserving the established real-time strategy systems of gathering resources, researching technologies, and achieving victory through conquest or other objectives.
Gameplay
The core loop involves balancing economy and military production on procedurally generated or campaign maps. Players collect food, wood, gold, and stone to build villagers, military units, and structures while advancing from Dark Age through Imperial Age. New civilizations introduce distinct bonuses that alter standard strategies. Burgundians focus on cavalry and early economic advantages, with the ability to access economic upgrades one age earlier than standard civilizations and reduced costs for stable technologies. Their Coustillier cavalry unit performs a charged shock attack that deals bonus damage, particularly effective against infantry and archers. Sicilians emphasize infantry and rapid construction, building castles and town centers at double speed. Their Serjeant infantry unit constructs Donjons, which function as fortified defensive structures combining elements of watchtowers and castles.
Additional mechanics include team bonuses such as relics generating both gold and food for Burgundians. Unique technologies enable one-time effects like spawning batches of Serjeants from town centers or converting resources. These features integrate into existing combat, economy, and technology trees without altering fundamental rules. Campaigns place players in historical scenarios with specific objectives, while skirmish and multiplayer matches allow free selection of civilizations and map settings.
Game Modes
Standard modes include random map skirmishes against AI opponents at adjustable difficulty levels, where players select civilizations and customize starting conditions. Multiplayer supports ranked matches that track player performance on leaderboards, quick play for unranked matchmaking, and custom lobbies for tailored rules with friends or public opponents. Co-op campaigns allow paired play through story missions. Empire Wars mode starts players with pre-built economies for faster action, while sudden death variants end the match upon destruction of the starting town center. Deathmatch provides abundant starting resources for immediate large-scale battles. All modes support team play and spectator viewing.
New Civilizations and Campaigns
Burgundians represent a cavalry-focused civilization suited to economic booms and advanced military tactics, with the Coustillier as their signature unit. Sicilians offer infantry strength and defensive flexibility through the Serjeant and Donjon. The Edward Longshanks campaign follows the Britons through conquests in England, Wales, Scotland, and a crusade. The Grand Dukes of the West campaign centers on Burgundian efforts to establish independence amid French political struggles. The Hautevilles campaign tracks Sicilian Normans as they build a kingdom blending multiple cultures. Each campaign features voiced narration and scenario-specific challenges that highlight the new civilizations' strengths.
Is It Worth Playing?
The expansion delivers additional single-player content through three substantial campaigns and expands multiplayer options with two civilizations that introduce fresh strategic choices. Ongoing updates to the base game maintain balance and add features, ensuring continued support years after the expansion's release. Player feedback highlights the quality of the new campaigns and the distinct playstyles of the civilizations, though some note initial balance adjustments were required. It suits fans of real-time strategy who enjoy historical themes, competitive multiplayer, or extended campaign play. Those seeking variety in civilization bonuses and defensive or cavalry-focused tactics will find meaningful additions without requiring changes to established play patterns.
