Age of Empires II: Forgotten Empires vs Age of Empires II: HD Edition

Age of Empires II: Forgotten Empires is the second official expansion for the HD Edition, bringing five brand‑new civilizations—Incas, Indians, Italians, Magyars and Slavs—along with fresh units, technologies, and maps. Developed with SkyBox Labs and released on Steam in 2013, it requires the base HD Edition to install. The expansion also introduces seven single‑player campaigns covering historic figures such as Alaric I, Sforza, and Dracula, plus a suite of balance tweaks, a higher population cap, and improved on‑screen rendering for a richer real‑time strategy experience.

Age of Empires II: HD Edition brings the beloved medieval RTS to modern PCs with updated graphics and all original content from Age of Kings and The Conquerors. Players guide villagers, build empires, and battle across four ages, from the Dark Age to the Imperial Age, using 18 distinct civilizations.

• Five brand‑new civilizations with distinct playstyles
• Higher population cap for larger battles
• Rich, historically grounded campaign narratives
• Enhanced AI provides a tougher solo challenge

• Faithful HD remake of a classic RTS
• Extensive content from both base game and expansion
• Robust multiplayer and co‑op options
• Active modding community

• Requires the base HD Edition, adding an extra purchase step
• Some balance issues persist with newly added units
• Limited to PC platform only

• Graphics, while HD, are still dated by modern standards
• Limited to PC platform only
• Some AI behaviors feel outdated despite updates