The critically acclaimed Age of Empires franchise returns as a free-to-play MMORTS, allowing gamers to guide Greek or Egyptian civilizations through campaigns of conquest and colonization. The game action is constructed similarly to that of its RTS forebears, with players establishing a Capital City from which they can create advisors, upgrade equipment, launch exploration and resource-gathering parties, and send soldiers into war. And as always, players can create scouts for exploration, military units for battles, villagers for menial tasks, and priests for conversions and healing.

What sets Age of Empires Online apart from previous series entries is that the Capital City never stops functioning. Even when gamers are offline, villagers will continue to gather resources, and other players can visit the city to purchase custom goods and crafts. Players can then expand and strengthen their empire by creating outposts and opening a variety of craft halls and colleges to enhance their current units. Multiplayer fans can team up for co-op quests or square off in PvP action, and post-release "booster packs" will allow gamers to pay for new civilizations, equipment, and game modes. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide