Ancient Empires II - Mobile
You get five points if you can name the game that seduced me this weekend, to the point where several hours of my life just vanished and all I can remember from the weekend is that archers, when attacking from a distance or diagonally, won’t get a retaliate.
What? You already guessed the name? Oh… because it’s in the title, isn’t it? Oops, my bad 
Ancient Empires II dates back June 2005 and apparently was pretty high rated at that date (according to Gamespot and IGN). I didn’t play the first part, while this one, the second, stood on my mobile phone for several months before I eventually got the guts to try it. My several attempts to play this game before have failed miserably: I always tried to start playing the “campaign” mode, and, since I had no idea of how to play it, I was bored rather quickly. But not this weekend. This weekend I started a quick skirmish battle. At least I
had hoped it would be quick; after a couple of minutes I was seduced by the complexity of this turn-based adventure, that I wasn’t able to let go of it. Now I can say it open-heartedly: this game kicks ass.
What is it about? I’m not a big gamer, but I’ve been pretty passionate once upon a time about Heroes of Might and Magic (2 and 3), and this game brings up the same feeling. A turn-based RPG, with an attractive plot, heroes, castles, and plenty of creatures to chose from. The apparent simplicity is in fact a source of complexity: the limited range of the creatures movement and their special abilities, as well as some simple yet effective resource management (castles produce creatures, houses heal the wounded and give extra defense, etc) produce a very catchy mobile game.
Don’t expect Ancient Empires 2 for Mobile to be Heroes of M&M - the game doesn’t have the complexity of all those particular creatures, castles, constructions, natural resources or artifacts. But what it has is more than enough for a tiny mobile game, and the complexity of the battles is overwhelming, feeling more then often like Chess.
All in all, I’m currently fighting for my life somewhere at the middle of the Campaign mode, and I have yet to get bored with this game. I’ve always been a fan of turn-based strategies and this mobile game feels great once you get the hang of it. I still wish it had a higher complexity such as spells, artifacts or some RPG traits (abilities one can develop individually) but for a tiny mobile game it has enough to make a nice playing…
I hope you’ll like it. If not, go ahead and curse me in the comments section.
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Comments
This game is a masterpiece! There is a map editor and a nightmare difficulty mode for who is tired to play again and again the same levels : http://www.gsmhacks.com/forums/mobile-gaming/52244-ancient-empires-ii-something-fans-waiting.html
@byblo: where is the map editor man…u have left a comment on every page related to ancient empires 2 but the link u gave is not working!!!
Ancient Empire II is the most exciting, powerful, fun, excellent, perfecto, fabulous, and wonderful java game i’ve ever play in the world!!! viva la costa macrospace for build and programing the AE II!!! The Great Game in The World!!
okey, that’s it!! i’m really crazy en my heart fall in love with ANCIENT EMPIRE II!!! Please Macrospace (or Glu Team), make this game available for all mobile phones (such like any nokia, motorola, SE, LG, Siemens, etc) and for all platforms (java, symbians, etc). The peoples in this world must know this greatest mobile Game!!! Top score for ANCIENT EMPIRE II!!!!! It cannot be replace with the others games!!! I Guaranted!!!(note: My buddy, Macrospace team, Make it continious for The Ancient Empire III or the sequel of King Galamar and Valadorn story)
Best Regards,
Your fanatic fans in Indonesia
regarding the map editor, go to the specified website and do a search on ‘ancient empires’ and there you go!!!!!
AE 2 is the best!! Very excellent game. I am always waiting Ancient Empire 3.. Plizz.. Macrospace, i am wait!!
Best Regards
Pinky - Indonesia
HEY GUYS I’VE GOT THE MAP EDITOR FOR AE!!!!! IT IS SOOOOOOOOOOOO CULL……………….. If somebody want’s to have it too…. Tell me how to send it to him (her)……………………… HAPPY MAPPING!!! 
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[...] Ancient Empires 2 - I know, I said no action/adventure games - but, still, Ancient Empires 2 is a great game, and if you get to finish the campaign mode you still can get some good hours of turn-based strategy, thanks to the quick play mode [...]