I don't really see the difference in the graphics tbh.
The Genie Engine That AOE2 was based on was upgraded to use the desktop resolution and colour depth. The original AOE and AOE2 used 256-color (8-bit). This is also the cause of the Win7 and Vista colour bugs among many older games (AOE, AOE2, as well as Some Command & Conquer games). Explorer was holding onto Windows palette entries like some grubby miser, so the game(s) can't realize their entire palette.
Other changes I've noticed as a result:
-Fire looks radically different. This was one of the major changes I noticed.
-A few of the sprites appear to have been revised to take advantage of there no longer being a palette.
-Shadows including the 'transition' from fog of war and view distance, is smoother.
-The game now runs at your desktop resolution. I mentioned this but I think it's huge. Main reason I haven't played AOE2 was because the game insists on using 640x480,800x600, or 1024x768, which are ridiculously limited options, and result in a stretched image. Now it just uses your desktop res, which is more than enough. (you can change your desktop res before you run it if you want something different).
-Doesn't need a CD. This is pretty useful. Sure you can install no-CD cracks for the original game, but this version has the original CD-sound built in. Only downside I found is that the Music restarts when you tab back to the game.
Doesn't seem different but that's just me
RAGE
Wait for time
In the break of new dawn
We will never meet
The Genie Engine That AOE2 was based on was upgraded to use the desktop resolution and colour depth. The original AOE and AOE2 used 256-color (8-bit). This is also the cause of the Win7 and Vista colour bugs among many older games (AOE, AOE2, as well as Some Command & Conquer games). Explorer was holding onto Windows palette entries like some grubby miser, so the game(s) can't realize their entire palette.
Other changes I've noticed as a result:
-Fire looks radically different. This was one of the major changes I noticed.
-A few of the sprites appear to have been revised to take advantage of there no longer being a palette.
-Shadows including the 'transition' from fog of war and view distance, is smoother.
-The game now runs at your desktop resolution. I mentioned this but I think it's huge. Main reason I haven't played AOE2 was because the game insists on using 640x480,800x600, or 1024x768, which are ridiculously limited options, and result in a stretched image. Now it just uses your desktop res, which is more than enough. (you can change your desktop res before you run it if you want something different).
-Doesn't need a CD. This is pretty useful. Sure you can install no-CD cracks for the original game, but this version has the original CD-sound built in. Only downside I found is that the Music restarts when you tab back to the game.
I guess the reason I didn't realize many of these things is that I never properly played the original but I knew what it look like I guess.
Bumping an old topic to share the news that the original Age of Empires is getting a remaster as well.
http://www.pcgamer.com/the-original-age-of-empires-is-being-remastered-in-the-definitive-edition/