This allows you to see what's happening at particularly strategic points (at an outpost looking into enemy territory, for example) without having to switch it into the main screen. Empire Earth II also has picture in picture functionality, where you can set a 'camera' on any part of the map which then appears in a small box at the bottom of the screen.
It even allows you to add or swap citizens to tasks, which makes the tough job of allocation on a congested map much more manageable. One particularly useful thing is the Citizen Manager, a screen which shows you all of the resources on the map and what citizens you have harvesting them. The game's complexity can be overwhelming at times, but thankfully Empire Earth II comes with some handy functions that can make the task of managing a sprawling civilisation a little easier. Planning exactly when to move up into a new epoch is one of the great strategic decisions you'll have to make in Empire Earth II - do you stay and build your strengths in an earlier epoch, or do you move forward and build up again? Research enough of them (there are 12 for each epoch) and you're able to move into the next epoch, which opens up new abilities and advantages. Moving forward in the game requires you to research technologies at your universities. Options include what level of access to your lands you give your new allies (civilians only, for example), whether any tributes need to paid, how long the treaty will last, and more. Not only can you set treaties with friendly nations, but you can also customise that treaty to whatever level you see fit. Claiming new territories also increases the population number you're allowed to have.ĭiplomacy in Empire Earth II is more detailed than in other games in the genre.
What becomes apparent early on is the need for continual expansion into new territories, as each territory your people occupy can only be home to one university, barracks and other useful structures. Citizens are needed to gather resources or build new structures, universities are required to research new technologies, barracks need to start pumping out your armed forces, and so on. Once you're in the game RTS buffs will immediately feel at home. The Turning Points campaigns allow you to take control of the Axis or Allies at Normandy, or as either the Wei or Wu factions during China's Three Kingdoms period. Two major 'Turning Point' campaigns are also available, where players are given the opportunity to play through real historical events. Players can take control of 2000 BC Korea, guide the Germans through the Middle Ages, and direct the United States to world domination starting from the 19th century. You can also take Skirmish mode online to play against up to 10 human opponents.Įmpire Earth II's single player component also comes with some preset campaigns that by themselves would take many hours to successfully complete. Players will find plenty of customisation options available to them in skirmish mode, including how many opponent civilisations they'll face, terrain, time limits, goals and much more. Each civilisation has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, and each different epoch heralds new advances in technology and warfare that can be utilised. The game has 15 different epochs to move through, starting from the Stone Age all the way through the near future.
Nearly all levels of gameplay are infused with a range of different layers and management options, making control of your civilisation more complex as you pass forward through time.Īs in the first Empire Earth, the normal skirmish mode sees you taking one of 14 civilisations through a few thousand years of history. But that's about as 'basic' as Empire Earth II gets. Even the opening tutorials can be daunting, throwing dozens of concepts and keyboard shortcuts at you that all need to be memorised to ensure in-game success.īasic gameplay is pretty stock standard for the genre - gather resources, build armies, research technology trees, build alliances or wage war, all with the goal of ensuring your people stay on top of the food chain. RTS fans will geek out at the sheer complexity of the game, but newbies be warned: there's a sharp learning curve here that needs dedication and plenty of play hours to overcome. Empire Earth II is packed with an astonishing level of detail and depth, allowing you to micromanage practically all aspects of your chosen civilisation's journey from Stone Age nomads to futuristic superpower.
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