If you are deciding which version to download today, the Definitive Edition is widely considered the superior choice by the community.
: Users frequently reported significant lag in multiplayer, even with stable internet connections. Age-of-Empires-2-HD-Download
: Introduced Steam Workshop support, making it incredibly easy to install community-made mods and maps. If you are deciding which version to download
: Lacks modern "Quality of Life" features like automatic farm re-seeding or a global production queue. Age-of-Empires-2-HD-Download