Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome vs Empire Earth
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome is the acclaimed expansion to the classic real‑time strategy classic, adding new civilizations, units, and technologies set in the ancient world. Players command Romans, Greeks, Carthaginians, and more, mastering resource management, tactical combat, and empire building across single‑player campaigns and multiplayer battles. The expansion refines the original engine with improved AI, balanced gameplay, and richer historical scenarios, delivering a deeper and more immersive RTS experience for both veterans and newcomers.
Empire Earth lets players guide humanity from the prehistoric age to the future, offering a massive timeline of 15 distinct epochs. Its deep tech trees and varied units let you wage wars across centuries, from stone‑age spears to laser‑armed drones. The game features both a robust single‑player campaign and extensive multiplayer modes, supporting up to eight players in massive battles that test strategic planning and resource management.
- Rich historical content
- Diverse civilizations with unique units
- Improved AI over the base game
- Strong multiplayer community
- Extensive timeline covering prehistoric to futuristic eras
- Deep and varied tech trees for strategic diversity
- Robust multiplayer supporting up to eight players
- Active modding community with tools provided
- Graphics are dated by modern standards
- Limited to PC platform
- Campaign length can feel short for some players
- Steep learning curve for new RTS players
- Graphics are dated by modern standards
- AI can be inconsistent in higher difficulty levels
More alternatives & similar tools
Alternatives to Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome
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Lead historic civilizations to victory in timeless real‑time strategy battles.
Alternatives to Empire Earth
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Lead historic civilizations to victory in timeless real‑time strategy battles.
Expand your empire with historic Roman campaigns and deep strategy
The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataAge of Empires: The Rise of Rome is the safer, higher-rated default for history fans, while Empire Earth trades historical focus for a massive timeline spanning prehistory to the future.
Key differences
- •Empire Earth spans 500,000 years across 15 epochs from prehistoric to futuristic eras, whereas Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome focuses specifically on historic Roman campaigns and ancient warfare.
- •Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome has a higher critic score (85/100) compared to Empire Earth's critic score (80/100).
- •Empire Earth features dynamic weather and day-night cycles affecting visibility and unit performance, while Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome does not mention this feature.
- •Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome was released on October 22, 1998, by Ensemble Studios, whereas Empire Earth was released on November 12, 2001, by Stainless Steel Studios.
Gameplay & fun factor
Empire Earth features a deep resource system, detailed unit AI, and a robust tech tree allowing multiple strategic paths across 15 epochs.
Platform availability
Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome is explicitly limited to the PC platform, while Empire Earth's platform is not specified.
Price & value
Both games share the exact same one-time paid pricing model with an MSRP of $49.99.
Multiplayer / co-op
Both games support up to eight players in multiplayer, featuring competitive and cooperative matches.
Content & replayability
Empire Earth covers 500,000 years with 15 epochs and speculative futures, alongside a map editor and mod tools.
Difficulty & accessibility
Empire Earth is noted for a steep learning curve for new RTS players, whereas Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome has no stated learning curve penalty.
Graphics & performance
Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome offers enhanced graphics bringing ancient warfare to life, while Empire Earth's graphics are criticized as dated.
Choose Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome if…
History fans looking for a focused ancient Roman campaign with higher critic scores.
Choose Empire Earth if…
Strategy enthusiasts wanting a massive timeline from prehistoric times to speculative futures.
Common questions
How much do these games cost?
Both games have a one-time paid MSRP of $49.99.
Do both games support multiplayer?
Yes, both Empire Earth and Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome support up to eight players in multiplayer matches.
Which game has a higher critic score?
Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome has a critic score of 85/100, while Empire Earth has a critic score of 80/100.