Age of Empires IV Reviews

Weaving a tried and true gameplay style with a historic documentary twist, Age of Empires IV reminds us not only how great the series once was, but how much better it can be going forward. Bringing back the excitement of real-time strategy, it keeps both the past and the future in mind - and with that, World’s Edge and Relic Entertainment have created an experience that fans of the original games will love, that is also accessible to newcomers of the series as well.

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A solid campaign and endless customization for single-player, co-op and online play, Age of Empires IV deserves a ton of credit for making turn-based strategy a treat to play.

Age of Empires 4 has the potential for greatness, but for now, it still walks in the shadow of the rightful king.

Ultimately, Age of Empires IV plays it far too safe for its own good, more aimed at pleasing traditionalists who weren’t keen on the third game than providing something new that demands to be played. Lacking campaigns means you will likely spend the majority of your time playing Skirmish. At best, it’s a new Xbox Game Pass curiosity, but it’s far from a historic return for the series. Age of Empire IV is available for $59.99 on PC.

Age of Empires IV is a real-time strategy game developed by Relic Entertainment and World’s Edge and published by Xbox Game Studios. The game was originally announced at Gamescom in 2017, and is the latest entry in the beloved Age of Empire series. The game comes with a campaign mode, a skirmish mode, and a single-player and multiplayer mode featuring PvP and co-op play. The aim of Age of Empires IV is simple: build up your base, raise your army, collect enough resources and food to sustain...

Whether it eventually comes to Xbox consoles or not, Age of Empires IV is still well worth a look if you’ve got access to Game Pass on PC, as it’s a "Day One" title. If you’re a long-time fan of the series, this is like the return of an old friend, and what's available at launch are the foundations to make this particular entry even better in years to come – with new content and updates (including mod support, arriving in 2022). This is easily one of the best Microsoft game releases of the year, and one that reminds us why we fell in love with the RTS genre in the first place.

The real-time strategy genre is one that stubbornly refuses to innovate or to die off. It’s firmly stuck in the same place it was in the 1990s. While tech trees have evolved, movement has become smoother, and AI has (sorta) gotten better, the core gameplay of most RTS titles in 2021 isn’t too far removed from 1992’s Dune 2. So, my big question when reviewing Age of Empires 4 was whether it was any different than its decades-old predecessors.

Age of Empires IV gives players eight different civilizations to explore in both single-player and multiplayer real-time strategy. While there is a lengthy campaign that spans multiple civilizations, the longevity of the experience lies in multiplayer encounters. If multiplayer isn’t your thing, you do miss out on a hefty chunk of the game, but there are always skirmishes to take on A.I. at a comfortable difficulty level if you don’t feel like taking on other players.

Age of Empires IV is a worthy return of an iconic series, but it is difficult to recommend over older remastered entries. Newer players, and some returning ones, may find use of its new gameplay features but will probably end up scrapping them as they grow more experienced.

Age of Empires IV may not redefine the real-time strategy genre like its predecessors, but it’s still a deep and challenging dive into the world of medieval warfare.

After hours spent in Age of Empires 4 destroying castles, commanding cavalry and building fortifications, I can say one thing - fans of the cult series 2 will feel at home here.

Age of Empires 4 is a deeply enjoyable return for the series. It puts history front and centre, and opts to refresh its gameplay instead of reinvent it. That may not be enough for some. Then again, when you’ve got a series that’s remained the base template for RTS games for more than twenty years, who can blame them?

But – it’s not revolutionizing the genre or setting a new standard in design. It has taken the best aspects of various games, creating a well-rounded package, with love and care of the stories being told and the civilizations and historical sagas being represented. Is it going to instigate new dawn for the classical real-time strategy game? Very doubtful. Is it going to be an amazing experience for fans of the genre? Absolutely.

If you had come to me seven years ago and told me that Age of Empires would be a thing again, I would have called you a fool. I would have said to you that Age of Empires is dead, Microsoft killed it and that Microsoft should piss off out of the games industry because they are ruining everything they touch. At the time, I was right. Recent titles (Gears Tactics, Microsoft Flight Simulator), and traditional Xbox console exclusives coming to PC, indicate that the company knows the PC is a significant market. After a string of top-notch remasters, all eyes are now on Age of Empires IV.

Age of Empires 4 does a lot well, building from the roots of the AoE franchise. Fans of the original games will find the improved graphics to be welcome and the gameplay to maintain the same fast-paced feel. History buffs will also find themselves delighted by the historical campaigns and the changing art style of the buildings as they progress through the ages.

Age of Empires IV is a fun, well-executed slice of real-time strategy that doesn't quite bring anything new to the table.

Exciting civilizations, incredible attention to detail, and engrossing story campaigns makes for a game where it's impossible to not have a good time.

These hand-outs are symptomatic of the stagnation at the heart of Age of Empires 3. Even with the new home cities, gameplay feels tired and characterless. Bombarding players with shiny baubles and inconsequential gifts can’t hide that.