The graphics are clear and detailed. It's not difficult to differentiate between and among the units. The landscape is well defined. It looks like great effort went into creating individualized architectural styles for each of the cultures represented. Players will appreciate the pleasant appearance.
Animations are varied and smooth.
As usual, there is a loop of somewhat overbearing music that can be disabled once you're sick of it. Other game sounds include the birds in the trees, the peasants working at their tasks and a loud drummer that drums while the formations march, as well as the usual battle sounds. The Tutorial campaign is useful, though some of the text is extraneous and downright senseless, perhaps having been translated from a language other than English. Use the tutorial to learn the game and the manual for reference about the buildings and units. The manual does have some interesting historical information, as does the online encyclopedia.