Age of Empires: Castle Siege – designed for touchscreen Windows devices [Video]

Screenshot from Age of Empires: Castle SiegeAge of Empires blog

Microsoft has resurrected an old favorite among gamers, Age of Empires, but this time, the strategy game is designed for use on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. The newest version, Age of Empires: Castle Siege, is set to be released this September, and will feature touch-based game play.

According to the official website, it's empire-building for those on-the-go.

It says, "From building your castle into an impressive city, accumulating your resources to keep your fortress and your lands safe, to training your armies to both defend and attack your enemies, Castle Siege is built for you to enjoy the expansiveness of an Age of Empires game with the speed and simplicity of touch-based gaming."

The game features several choices of civilizations from the medieval period, such as Britons, Kievan Rus, and Teutons, with further options of what the creators call "cultural unit". One can opt to play through 10 historical battles, and even call historical heroes into the fray.

Controls were specifically designed for touch, such as swiping and dragging to control the game. Players can also connect to Xbox Live so they can play with their friends. Furthermore, the website says that the game is always saved on the player's Gamertag so if they decide to continue their game on another Windows 8 device, they will be able to do so. It works whether one is using a Windows 8 PC, a tablet, or a Windows 8 phone.

The game requires an Internet connection at 168MB, and Wi-Fi is required for the Windows Phone to download the game. It will be available via digital download on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 stores.