The new remastered HD edition of the classic RTS title, which was originally developed by Ensemble Studios in 1999, will offer an all new enhanced visual engine; this will add improved textures as well as ambient lighting effects that have been added by Hidden Path Entertainment, who is handling the development of the new remastered HD version. The HD version will also add support for resolutions up to 1920x1080.
With the addition of Steamworks achievements, online multiplayer match making, and cloud support they will offer much more online support than the original release ever had. The new HD version will also allow players to experience the whole original single player campaign from the Age of Kings and the expansion pack, The Conquerors.
Those that can’t wait can get early access by pre-purchasing at GameStop; this will allow those who pre-purchase to start playing the game on April 5th. When launched back in 1999, Age of Empires 2 was able to establish itself as a favorite and earned accolades from both players as well as the press. If successful, it could open the door to see other classics from the Microsoft vault be remastered and updated with HD graphics for release on Steam, according to rumors that we have heard.