The demo of Empire II, The Art of War is designed to show you most of the
features of the commercial game including allowing the play of an actual
scenario. Many of the features such as saving files, modem and network play,
and play of other scenarios not included have been disabled.
The scenario included with the demo is The Battle of Agincourt. Below is a
brief description of both the battle and the scenario.
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Agincourt, 25 October 1415
Background:
During the 100 Years War, the English developed a tactic of chevauchée, the
sending of forces through French territory to inflict damage, win plunder and
undermine the French King’s authority. In 1415, a generation after the last
major conflict between England and France, a young King Henry V organized
another chevauchée into France. On 13 August, Henry’s forces landed near
Harfleur France and surrounded the city. What should have been a simple
conquest turned into a drawn out siege costing Henry both time and many men
(mainly to disease). Finally the city was take on September 23.
On October 8, Henry took off with 6000 men, what was left of his already
decimated army, from Harfleur with the intent of marching to his base at
Calais. A French army of 25,000 under the constable Charles d’Albret began
pursuit, finally placing itself in Henry’s way at the village of Agincourt.
The Battle:
The battlefield was a narrow set of muddy fields bounded by forest. To which
Henry set up a strong position protected by English longbow men, possibly the
most powerful combat force man for man in Europe. The French, being forced
into the narrow front, were forced to deploy into three sequential lines.
Henry moved his men into longbow range of the French, set up defenses of
stakes and started firing.
The French cavalry plodded forward under the deadly fire. They reached
Henry’s front lines only to be repulsed when Henry’s archers exchanged bows
for axes and swords. Again and again they struck against Henry’s lines to be
repulsed once more. Finally, the French could not take the carnage anymore,
and retreated in disarray.
Aftermath:
The French suffered 7,000 casualties, including d’Albret. English losses were
about 1600. Henry then proceeded to Calais. Encouraged by his victory, Henry
returned to France two years later to conquer much of Normandy.
Scenario Notes:
The stakes used by the English archers proved to be quite effective against
the French cavalry. As such, the English longbow men are given the
entrenchment capability.
Another thing that really makes Empire II: The Art of War Demo enjoyable for me is how it manages to stay interesting even after playing it multiple times. Many games feel repetitive after a while, but here, the experience still feels fresh because of the small details and different ways you can approach the gameplay. As you continue playing, you naturally start improving and understanding the mechanics better, which makes everything feel more rewarding. I also appreciate the balance the game maintains—it’s not too difficult, but it’s not too easy either. You can play it casually for a short break or spend longer sessions without getting bored. That flexibility is one of the biggest reasons why I keep coming back to Empire II: The Art of War Demo. Overall, it’s the kind of game that doesn’t just entertain you for a moment, but actually gives you a consistently enjoyable experience every time you play.
