Like an ember refusing to die out, or like Tupac still putting out albums years after his death, "Age of Empires II" is getting another big addition. "Age of Empires II HD: Rise of the Rajas" is the fourth expansion (HD Edition is counted as one), adding even more content to a game that came out way back in 1999 and was updated to HD in 2013.
"Rise of the Rajas" feature four new civilizations, all from Southeast Asia-the Burmese, the Khmer of Cambodia, the Malay, and the Vietnamese. Each bring new units and technologies to the game, adding to the already-diverse cast of historical empires that has persisted for over 17 years, with the HD Edition having breathed new life to this classic real-time strategy game in this day and age.
It's worth noting that Vietnam has a considerable "Age of Empires" fanbase, and perhaps their continued devotion to the game has finally been rewarded by having them in the game as a playable faction. Along with the four new civilizations are four new fully-voiced campaigns, each taking players through the rise of each Southeast Asian empire as they happened throughout history.
There's the tale of Bayinnaung, a warrior king seeking to unite a divided Burmese kingdom. There's also the story of Suryavarman I, a prince who must become king to bring peace back to the shaken Khmer Empire. Third is a campaign looking into the life and career of Gajah Mada, prime minister of the Majapahit Empire whose ambition leads him to build an empire of his own. Finally, there's the saga of Lê Lợi, a man who fights to free Dai Viet from the clutches of the Chinese Ming dynasty.
Aside from that, this "Age of Empires II" expansion will also come with new maps, new terrain, a new spectator mode for multiplayer, and improved AI to freshen up this seemingly timeless classic. "Age of Empires II HD: Rise of the Rajas" is set for release on December 20, 2016 as DLC in Steam.