I got the original game about 12 years ago. I had no idea what I was doing, only played Greek, I always lost in multiplayer, and never got past mission 8. But dam I had tones of fun. I remember strategizing for hours with a paper and pen trying to get the right strategy to get my two groups of soldiers to the fortresses at the same time without getting overwhelmed. good times. :)

Anyway, in 2016 I got the "extended edition" which doesn't extend or add anything I might add. Slightly better graphics, same glitches from 2002 like booting up a story mission after not playing one for a while causing the graphics to downgrade to minimum, which means you need to reset them and restart the game, and some new ones like NPCs glitching out and turning invisible or black with no detail, random crashes whenever you do something that stresses the engine (which is really easy), and about 10 others I forget. The AI pathing and strategy is also very bad. I can't tell you how many times I've set up a perfect military movie only to have the auto AI go around something or go in another direction and walk right through an enemy Forward War Camp. Meanwhile I'm micromanaging the main battle and turn around to see 3 of my armies being slaughtered as they walk through a ****ing enemy city being peppered with arrows and cut down like wheat in a field! Then when I try and order a retreat 250 NPCs just stand there because the game can't handle that kinda 2002 game stress right now, you know? xD

Despite all the problems I've seen with this game over the past 12 years, I still love it to death, because of nostalgia mostly. It's super fun to cheese the game and create an army of about 2,000 soldiers with 10 titans and a army of monsters in reserve. It takes me about 40 minutes to movie my army across the map and attack because the engine can't take more then 200 NPCs moving across the map at one time, (and you can have 12 active IA or players on a single map BTW) but it's so satisfying for all the strategy, attack or siege puzzle pieces to fall into place and just sit back and eat my noodles or pizza watching the carnage take place on screen.

Everyone has "that" game, the game they will always come back to and always have fun with. This is that game for me. Nostalgia wise this game is a 10/10. If I would have reviewed it back in 2007 when I originality got it, I would have rated it a 7.5/10. Now, in October 2019, with so many games in this genre not only outclassing it, but completely destroying it in every way, I'd rate this a 3/10. It is however, a very good game for kids and people starting out with strategy games, or don't want to pay too much attention to gameplay detail and have a more "simple and down to it" kinda game.

I got the original game about 12 years ago. I had no idea what I was doing, only played Greek, I always lost in multiplayer, and never got past mission 8. But dam I had tones of fun. I remember strategizing for hours with a paper and pen trying to get the right strategy to get my two groups of soldiers to the fortresses at the same time without getting overwhelmed. good times. :) Anyway, in 2016 I got the "extended edition" which doesn't extend or add anything I might add. Slightly better graphics, same glitches from 2002 like booting up a story mission after not playing one for a while causing the graphics to downgrade to minimum, which means you need to reset them and restart the game, and some new ones like NPCs glitching out and turning invisible or black with no detail, random crashes whenever you do something that stresses the engine (which is really easy), and about 10 others I forget. The AI pathing and strategy is also very bad. I can't tell you how many times I've set up a perfect military movie only to have the auto AI go around something or go in another direction and walk right through an enemy Forward War Camp. Meanwhile I'm micromanaging the main battle and turn around to see 3 of my armies being slaughtered as they walk through a ****ing enemy city being peppered with arrows and cut down like wheat in a field! Then when I try and order a retreat 250 NPCs just stand there because the game can't handle that kinda 2002 game stress right now, you know? xD Despite all the problems I've seen with this game over the past 12 years, I still love it to death, because of nostalgia mostly. It's super fun to cheese the game and create an army of about 2,000 soldiers with 10 titans and a army of monsters in reserve. It takes me about 40 minutes to movie my army across the map and attack because the engine can't take more then 200 NPCs moving across the map at one time, (and you can have 12 active IA or players on a single map BTW) but it's so satisfying for all the strategy, attack or siege puzzle pieces to fall into place and just sit back and eat my noodles or pizza watching the carnage take place on screen. Everyone has "that" game, the game they will always come back to and always have fun with. This is that game for me. Nostalgia wise this game is a 10/10. If I would have reviewed it back in 2007 when I originality got it, I would have rated it a 7.5/10. Now, in October 2019, with so many games in this genre not only outclassing it, but completely destroying it in every way, I'd rate this a 3/10. It is however, a very good game for kids and people starting out with strategy games, or don't want to pay too much attention to gameplay detail and have a more "simple and down to it" kinda game.