Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition Best Mods

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Considered one of the classics in the world of real-time strategy, Age of Empires is truly a staple entry for RTS games even up to this day.

This mod aims to port Age of Empires Definitive Edition to the Genie engine of Age of Empires II Definitive Edition. Unfortunately, I had to stop progress. Song of Icey & Fire Dec 8 2020 Released Apr 20, 2020 Real Time Strategy. Age of Empires II, the classic real-time strategy (RTS) game, has been remade and released in a Definitive Edition for its 20th anniversary. New artwork, new animations, and new civilizations are.

If you haven’t had a chance to give it a try, now is the perfect time.

Updated with an HD Edition and Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition being released just recently for the game’s 20th anniversary, one of Microsoft’s top-selling games has received multiple revamps.

Beyond just visual and gameplay upgrades, there’s tons of new content available as well. And this comes in the form of player-created mods which let you customize a whole bunch of crazy stuff.

For old-school and newer players alike, I’ve compiled a list of mods you should check out for Age of Empires II: HD Edition. For a classic that has already been upgraded, who says you can’t get a little more out of it?

25. Summons HD Water Pack V2

Though remastered in widescreen high-definition, Age of Empires has never really been known for graphics quality.

With more than enough to make up for it in terms of gameplay, the classic look of most RTS games just hasn’t changed much over time.

But things have changed a lot recently. And now gamers are more particular about looks. Especially for newer players to the Age of Empires series.

A simple improvement, sure. But you’d be surprised at what you get, because the Summons HD water pack completely changes the appearance of rivers and oceans in the game.

From the unrealistic bright blue visuals of the original game, bodies of water now appear deeper. The light reflections are just beautiful and give the game a much better feel overall.

24. Drums Of War

Here’s another small improvement that could potentially have a huge impact on your experience.

The Drums Of War mod changes the default attack sounds of the game.

Ever started a battle and felt that there just wasn’t a sense of intensity in the situation? Drums of War gives battles a more cinematic feel, replacing the anti-climactic trumpet sounds with actual war drums.

There’s even a clip of the Mighty War Horn from the Lord of the Rings films! This simple upgrade is sure to enhance that rush you get before each battle.

23. Ozhara’s Soundtracks – Game of Thrones

Empires

By now the Game of Thrones soundtrack has become one of the most recognizable all over the world.

Once the opening credits roll, that music gets you pumped for what’s to come. As a fan myself I can relate.

Well now you can get the same experience in AoE: II with Ozhara’s Game of Thrones soundtrack. It simply changes the soundtrack and menu music with songs from the series.

Enjoy the epic GoT score from the first four seasons while engrossed in your AoE2 gameplay.

22. Enhanced Blood

Probably for older audiences, these next two mods are simple enhancements for all you gore fans out there.

Though some games have options to remove blood and gore altogether, Age of Empires seems to have downplayed the visuals in this aspect. What’s war without blood, right?

This first one enhances the visuals of units killed in battle, making the aftermath appear much more devastating. A great addition to improve on the overall realism of the game.

21. Enhanced Blood II

Not being satisfied with Enhanced Blood, modder Silent Ape took it one step further with Enhanced Blood II.

Further improving on the realism of bloodied corpses of slain soldiers, death animations are further improved with this mod as well.

Taking from other mods, you can now see blood squirt and splatter from all units during battles. Dark, yet immersive.

As put in a comment on the mod page: “it looks like battles are straight out of a Quentin Tarantino film” (most likely referring to Kill Bill).

All this combined with the first Enhanced Blood mod will definitely make watching the battle sequences feel much more real and exciting.

20. Tech Tree UI

One of the handier mods on the list, Tech Tree UI is useful for both new and old fans of the game.

With 35 playable civilizations between the base game and all the expansions, it can get quite overwhelming.

Whether you’re trying to learn the game or starting over with a new civilization, Tech Tree UI is a great addition to your UI.

It simply adds the tech tree of the civilization you’re playing as in the bottom-center portion of the user interface. Also instead of showing the entire tech tree at all times, it only shows tech that has not been learned yet.

A great guide to keep track of your progression.

19. Nittlepicks Wonderful New Farms

Another aesthetic mod, Nittlepicks Wonderful New Farms, replaces the dull colorless visuals of farms.

Adding life to farm plants, you can now have blueberries, carrots, beets, and leeks. It’s a small change but quite noticeable.

A great visual upgrade to make your crop fields look much more vibrant.

18. Day/Night Cycle ENB

Further adding to the visuals of the game, you can even have a simulated day and night cycle. Nice!

Since the world in AoE II doesn’t reflect change in time, modder ModPositive decided to make it possible.

Cleverly making use of dynamic contrast, saturation, and brightness post-processing, everything in the world including buildings and units now reflect day, night, dust, and dawn.

17. Japanese Architecture

Continuing on here we’ve got some more visual upgrades – because who doesn’t want to make the game look as good as possible?

There are a lot of mods that change the appearances of buildings per civilization, but the Japanese Architecture somehow stands out to me.

Replacing buildings of Asian civilizations with more detailed, realistic textures just makes the game look much better than the original.

If you’re tired of different civilization buildings looking too similar, check this one out. You can even explore all the other architecture packs on Steam to customize the game further.

16. Sheep Launcher

There are literally hundreds of pages worth of community content available for Age of Empires II. Sifting through some of the more popular mods, I was surprised at some of the things modders have come up with.

Ever wondered what it would be like to shoot sheep from cannons?

I bet you never have, because that would just be weird.

But thanks to modder Gallas, you can do just that!

As simple as it sounds, all the mod does is replace all projectiles with sheep.

If you’re up for some stupid fun then just fire this one up. If anything, you’re sure to get a good laugh.

15. Cartoon Empires

If you thought Sheep Launcher was silly, Cartoon Empires gives the game a blocky cartoon look.

If you’re into that kind of thing, well this could be a fun mod to play around with. Just to take a break from the normal appearance of nitty-gritty war.

What’s especially funny about this one is that the modder was just doing it for fun and decided not to complete the skins.

That means some skins have been replaced while others will still show the original game skins, giving the world a strange feel to it. I still think this was a cool idea, although too bad it isn’t fully a completed piece.

Yet if you’re up for some mindless fun, here’s a good way to waste a few hours!

14. Game of Thrones Taunts V2

Another one for the GoT fans, Game of Thrones Taunts replaces the in-game speech files with popular Game of Thrones lines.

Ygritte’s “You know nothing, Jon Snow,” or “Valar Morghulis” are just some examples of unit dialogue you’ll hear with this pack installed.

Just another fun mod to play around with if you have the time. And if you’re a fan who loves crossovers.

13. Far Side of the World

Moving on to some of the more serious entries, I picked up a lot going through some of the user-made content for the game.

Specifically I’ve found a lot of interesting mods that add hours on hours of gameplay to AoE II.

With Far Side of the World you’ll be leading a Portuguese crew on a naval expedition across the world. With different islands and regions to discover you get to sail through the seas, hire the best sailors, and make improvements to your ship along the way.

Along with the new storyline to playthrough, this scenario includes custom sounds and graphics to make your experience all the more immersive.

12. Sea of Thieves Mod

Yet another sea-based scenario for AoE II, except this time you get to play as pirates. Yes!

In this free-for-all map you can play along with five other friends.

Build unique ships and fight for dominance over the seas and islands.

Some users have mentioned that there’s more to do in this map than in the actual game (if you can believe that!)

So if you’re looking to expand AoE II up to the max, this would be a great place to start.

11. Hunger Games

Taking the basic concept of the Hunger Games series, there’s been an influx of battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Apex Legends, and Fortnite.

And they’re popular for a reason.

Though the genre has been mostly dominated by shooters, this modder known as Mr. N introduces his take on the idea for Age of Empires II.

Especially impressive as this is his first published scenario for AoE II, you’ll be able to play as two villagers struggling to survive. With no resources, you are set in the middle of the map alongside everyone else and tasked with finding each of your villages.

Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition Best Mods Apk

Hunger Games for AoE II is playable with AI, but I would recommend enjoying it with some friends. May the odds be ever in your favor!

10. DOOM Episode 1-3

Would you believe that someone actually created an AoE II scenario to recreate Doom? That’s right!

Doom Episodes 1-3 are actually three playable single-player scenarios bringing the one and only Doomguy into the world of AoE.

The Martian Civilization, Union Aerospace Corporation, and Phobos Teleportation Gate are the first three servings in the series, while modder Hellknight61 has mentioned that he has two more on the way.

With updated game mechanics and sounds from some of the original Doom games, open the gates to hell and fight off the demons with this impressive mod.

9. Thrones of Iberia

As historical accuracy was always a strong suit for AoE II, there is tons of additional content online that adds playable scenarios based on significant events from the past.

Do note, however, that most of these require DLCs to play.

In Thrones of Iberia we’re taken back to medieval Spain.

During the time of la Reconquista, Christians aim to reclaim territory that has been overrun by Muslims.

This one is packed with an updated diplomacy system, an exciting new map, as well as an updated economic system. A great addon you’re sure to have hours of fun with.

8. The Rise of the Joseon Dynasty

It isn’t common for games to feature Korean history.

Well thanks to modder jwj5787_Rook, we can get a glimpse of this with The Rise of the Joseon Dynasty.

The ancient kingdom of Goryeo is about to fall and is to be replaced with a rebellious general.

There are 8 playable factions, each with their own backstories and win conditions. Play as different generals and lead your armies to victory either by defeating rebels, capturing the capital, or collecting relics.

7. In the Name of the Serpent

Bassi has become one of the better known AoE II modders for his captivating recreations of historic events.

The first of two that I found to be the most interesting focuses on Mayan history in the form of the Itza.

According to ancient Mayan history, the Itza return to their abandoned capital Chichen Itza. Informed by their priests that the only way to survive is to appease the God of Resurrection known as Kukulkan.

Play through the Itza’s journey to pacify the Feathered Serpent Kulkulan, while dealing with rumors of invaders from the west.

An exciting “build and destroy” scenario with added immersion from the epic custom soundtrack by established composers Derek and Brandon Fiechter.

6. Rise of the Totonacs

Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition Strategy

Another one from Bassi, but this time it places you at the helm of the Totonacs.

These are an indigenous Mexican tribe led by Cacique of Cempoala. At war with neighboring Mexican tribes Zapotecs and Tepanecs, defend your homeland and lead your people to victory.

Another complete playable experience similar to In the Name of the Serpent, but with a completely new map and storyline.

5. Rise of Genghis Khan

Take the reigns as Temujin here, better known as Ghengis Khan.

He is certainly one of the most well-known conquerors in history so you know this one will be fun.

Unite the warring tribes and build your empire.

From acclaimed creator Filthydelphia comes the Rise of Genghis Khan. This scenario comes with a few updated gameplay mechanics to fit the historical context – dominate tribes with a unique raiding mechanic, hold feasts to improve authority, and pillage cities of powerful Chinese dynasties.

You may even take wives (as Genghis Khan was known for) boosting the economy and forming alliances.

4. Dandolo

The last of the historical scenarios is Dandolo, which takes us through the rise of Venice.

Set in the 12th century, you lead Venice with Enrico Dandolo against rivals Byzantium, Pisa and Genoa.

In this completely new AoE II campaign you can play through 5 single-player scenarios which bring Venice to victory.

In the form of classic build and destroy gameplay, the mod includes the Crusaders and historically significant battles.

What’s most notable about this one though, is that there are even 10 custom videos that help you really get into the major events in Venetian history. Very cool added touch!

3. Nocturne’s ALPHA WOLF

An interesting custom campaign with a fresh take – Nocturne’s Alpha Wolf lets you play as a wolf.

Yes, you read that right.

With 6 missions in total, lead your pack to survival against different classes of human enemies.

Definitely a unique experience worth checking out. Not exactly your classic AoE II experience, but really fun.

If you’re not convinced yet just skim through the overwhelmingly positive feedback and see for yourself.

2. Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship RPG CO-OP

There are so many LoTR mods out there, but this one particularly caught my attention.

Fans of the series know that although the journey to Mount Doom was an amazing feat, what made it all the more special was the companionship we all witnessed among Frodo, Sam, Legolas, and of course Gandalf.

Similarly, LoCoDoN’s Lord of the Rings mod focuses on just that: the fellowship.

A scenario best enjoyed with friends, play with 7 others as either Frodo and Sam, Gandalf, Aragorn, or Gimli, among a few other favorite LoTR characters.

And there tons of new content here with each character having unique abilities, and some new cutscenes, random encounters, plus hidden areas to explore. This almost feels like a new game in itself!

Fight your way through the Caradhras, the Mines of Mora, Balrog, and ultimately Sauron in this epic adventure to protect the One Ring.

1. Age of Fantasy

As the modder himself explains here, many AoE II content creators have touched on the fantasy genre fairly well. But I’ve always noticed one big thing missing: a complete fantasy world.

Some guys focus on specific topics like Game of Thrones or LoTR. But what about totally customized fantasy gameplay?

Age of Fantasy aims to give you a completely new fantasy experience.

With a deep new world consisting of 31 fresh civilizations to play as, this mod makes a complete 180 from historical significance to create a fantasy game out of this RTS.

Explore a brand-new world with everything from wizards, dragons, orcs, magic, and dwarves. This may not be your personal favorite mod here, but I think it deserves a lot of credit for basically reinventing what an Age of Empires game could feel like.

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Last August on Gamescom 2017 Microsoft announced a nice suprise for the aoe2 fans: Microsoft is working on Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition! I collected all the information I could find and made the complete guide. Let’s dive into aoe2de.

Age of Empires @ Gamescom Live

Lets walk you through the Age of Empires @ Gamescom Live show. As teased in June during the E3 there was a big Age of Empires event on the first night of Gamescom 2017. The one hour event was setup to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the franchise this year. The show was a balance of pleasing the aoe fans and also introducing it to new people. Dozens of fans showed up for the live show. The spotlight was on the already announced Age of Empires: Definitive Edition. The streaming fans also saw some familiar faces when they interviewed the casters ZeroEmpires and Killer B. Followed by gameplay example videos, some lan action, an interview with the Forgotten Empires team, some promotion for the Microsoft sponsored Escape Euro Cup finals on Gamescom and giveaways until finally they started the announcements!

Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition Best Mods 1.8

First up was the new Age of Empires: Definitive Edition trailer with new game details, the release date (later postponed to Februari 20th) and the start of the closed beta. Followed by the quick note that they will also do Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition (Wow!) and Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition. Closing of the show with the teaser for new installment: Age of Empires 4 (Wow!!).

Overall I found it a positive and energetic event to watch. The hosts did a good job to move the show along for the casual viewers, but there was enough room with new details for the aoe fans. That they worked with ZeroEmpires and involved the community in the show is a big plus. Microsoft #clearly invested in the show and have big plans for the series.

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition

To understand the plan for aoe2de we first have to look at Age of Empires: Definitive Edition. The game was announced in June 2017 at the E3 event from PC Gamer. Maybe with a little push from Bill Gates.

The developer: Forgotten Empires

Microsoft Studios can no longer work with Ensemble Studios, because they closed the studio ten years ago. The developer for the remaster is Forgotten Empires. A group of former fanmods that were the creative force behind three popular aoe2hd dlc’s. Last summer they announced that former Ensemble Studios lead engineers Matt Pritchard and Rich Geldreich had joined there team. Nothing more then a dream team to work on Age of Empires: Definitive Edition.

Definitive Edition

“Sticking with the spirit of the Age series, the Definitive Edition will have a map editor and mod support.” Via Mashable

The definitive edition is a remaster of the original Age of Empires game from 1997. Microsoft Studios announced new 4k graphics, improved balance based on UserPatch, different zoom modes, a classic mode, multiplayer, a map editor and mod support. The new graphics look closer to aoe2. Because both aoe1 and aoe2 are build on the Genie engine the Forgotten Empires had experience to improve the game with new features formerly only available in aoe2. Nothing game changing, but improvement we come to espect in modern games like the ability to queue multipe unites and a hotkey to find idle villagers. The multiplayer uses Xbox Live framework, but like with other pc games you don’t need the Xbox Live Gold console subscription to play the multiplayer. If you don’t like the graphics or the new features you can still play the original game in classic mode.

The game will be released on Microsoft’s own Windows Store for Windows 10. Because of some missing features like mod support the release of Age of Empires: Definitive Edition was postponed from the original October 19th 2017 to Februari 20th 2018.

Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition

There is not much known about Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition. In the Gamescom announcement Adam Isgreen from Microsoft Studios only mentioned that they want to take the the same care of aoe2de as they did with aoe1de. That sounds like Forgotten Empires is also involved, but Bert Beeckman aka Cysion cannot confirm this. They are only the graphics and creative support for aoe2hd, but the full developer of aoe1de. I think more details will follow soon after the release of aoe1de.

“I can’t deny, nor confirm” CysionBE on reddit

If we follow the details from aoe1de we could expect new 4k graphics, zoom modes and exclusive Windows Store and Windows 10 release. However I don’t think that will happen.

Age of Empires II HD

The big difference between aoe1 and aoe2 is that the latter had an incredible successful release on Steam. Since 2013 the hd edition sold around five milion copies, has more then 400.000 active players every two weeks and a review score of 92%. Even if Microsoft wants to release the definitive editions only to build hype the next few years for aoe4 they cannot discard this playerbase of milions of fans. A release exclusive on Windows Store could potential splinter the community that the Forgotten Empires team nurtured to growth the last five years.

My hope is that they upgrade Age of Empires II HD on Steam with a dlc to Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition. Just like with Rise of Nations: Extended Edition Microsoft Studios could release it on Windows Store and Steam simultaneous with crossplay. This would please the active players on Steam and get them the Windows Store release and promotion for aoe4 they want. And if I’m right it could be possible that there is a team of Forgotten Empires already working on it for the last ten months. This unknown dlc for aoe2 on SteamDB could very well be Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition.

Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition

Just like aoe2de there is not much known about Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition. A graphic overhaul and a release on Windows Store seems most likely. Just like aoe2hd this game is successful on Steam. With 2.5 milion sales and 150.000 active players every two weeks it’s most likely to need crossplay between Steam and Windows Store to keep the community together.

Age of Empires 4

There has been much discussion about the meaning of the Age of Empires 4 teaser. The narrator and graphics reference all the old games and artwork. Even the logo is in the familiar style. It ends with the calling for a new age. Unlike the old booklet there is no reference of World War I, World War II or a future setting. I think that they will stick with the timeframe that made the franchise most successful: the aoe2 timeframe.

Microsoft also announced the new developer: Relic Entertainment. A seasoned rts developer that has a successful franchise based in the World War II timeframe. According to ZeroEmpires the development in August 2017 was a early stage technical demo. Starting there it will take minimal two years, but most likely more to finish a complete game. The Relic developers are active seeking for input on what should be focus of the game. A meetings with pro players, casters and community people has happened after Gamescom. Luckily for Relic they are based in the same city as SkyBox Labs, the developers of the most active title in the franchise.

2018

aoe1de will be released next month and I expect some news for aoe2de to follow shortly after. It will be an active year for the aoe franchise and community. I will do my best to update this blog when any news breaks. The wiki is also still in development so you really should keep an eye out for updates on this blog. Subscribe via RSS and follow @aoe2wiki on Mastodon for the latest news.