Any idea why this game doesn't feel like 2D?

[TheFibrewire]

This game is till going strong as a 2D game but while playing it it doesn't feel like a 2D game. The movement, interactions everything feels 3D. What is the secret recipe behind this feeling.

The game is just dope even after this many years.

[KDD!^putler kaputt 26/93]

because it's not 2d

and it wasn't many years it's a new game new engine new models

[FloosWorld]

Microsoft tried to answer that question themselves years ago with AoE 1 DE which runs on the same engine as 2, obviously in an older version:
https://www.ageofempires.com/news/age-empires-definitive-edition-3d-2d-game/

It's essentially a 2.5D game. It also has 3D Elements such as units (e.g. rams) blocking projectiles as you can assign a height to a unit in the game's editor.

[James3157]

The closest thing to 2D only was Age of Kings and Age of Conquerors before HD with AoE II.

[KDD!^putler kaputt 26/93]

hd is literally 2d gifs because it's the same game on the same engine

[Flakstruk]

The units were updated through the versions instead of being cardinal direction sprites, theyre full models on a 2d background

[mmmcheesywaffles]

Because it is Isometric. Just as top-down maps on GPS displays look 3d in Isometric

[supersand]

its 3d models being shown from the perspective of 2d