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Released in 1997, the original Age of Empires (developed by Ensemble studios) pitted armies from Europe, Africa, and Asia against each other in time periods stretching from the Stone Age through to the Iron Age, with the Roman Empire added via an expansion. Although its historical theme was similar to that of Civilization, Age of Empires' real-time battles made it a very different game.

While several sequels to Age of Empires have been released over the years, along with a HD remaster of Age of Empires II, the first game in the series has never seen a re-release, even via digital platforms like Steam. Until now, the only to play the game was to find an original CD-ROM and load up a copy of Windows 95 or Windows 98.

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition features 4K support, an re-orchestrated soundtrack, a brand-new narrative, and the Rise of Rome expansion for a total of 16 civilisations to play and 10 campaigns to conquer. Beta sign-ups are open now over at ageofempires.com.

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