MSL Age of Empires: Collector's Edition, PC PC

Microsoft increased the popularity of the real-time strategy games for PC considerably with the release of the first in the Age of Empires series. Following the initial success of the original, a sequel was produced, soon to be followed by a further two expansion packs. Suggesting that these expansions are to be the last in the series from Microsoft, a collector's edition box set has been released for hardcore fans of the game and genre. Consisting of a complete set of the four games and a bonus soundtrack CD with some bizarre music, this collector's edition of the series is one to look forward to.\n\nSince each game in the box is primarily from an individual release, players are not given the option to take the features from each of the four games and combine then into one complete game. Such a development would probably have gone down a treat. Gameplay remains essentially the same in each game, whereby you must breed a civilisation, build huts, recruit an army, and protect your land, giving you the chance to play God to the little sprites that wander around. You must learn how to manage the essentials for survival - wood, meat and gold, making sure you do not waste the natural resources that surround you. As your empire begins to grow, the game difficulty, in all games, begins to level out into a comfortable playing experience that requires less thought than previous stages of the game.\n\nAs stated in the title, this anthology is strictly one for collectors, and if you already own the previous releases, there is little to entice you into buying this one. But for the rest of you, this may well be an essential purchase.