Classic RTS Age of Empires is headed to mobile, for better or worse

For a series coming up on three decades of history, I guess it only makes sense it expands into mobile with everything else. During today’s Age of Empires New Year, New Age Livestream, Microsoft unveiled Age of Empires Mobile which is coming to both iOS and Android

Developed by TiMi Studios, Age of Empires Mobile brings the classic RTS genre to mobile devices for the first time ever. Featuring several different civilizations including China, Rome, France, and Byzantine, players will be able to choose from over 40 heroes to raise an army and conquer others.

Visually Age of Empires Mobile actually looks pretty good. I know mobile graphics have come a long way, but I sort of expected it to just look like Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition but it actually looks better.

Unfortunately, I’m not completely sold on the gameplay. Even though several scenes showed what looked to be pretty similar to authentically classic Age of Empires gameplay that we’ve come to love over the many years, other scenes showed what looked to be pretty normal markers of current mobile “Pay to Win” trends like a VIP Level, timers (that can be skipped for a cost, I’m sure), and more. Hopefully, I’m just being paranoid. But it worries me to see predatory practices like that in an epic franchise like Age of Empires.

Age of Empires Mobile is currently available for pre-registering on both iOS and Android,