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The cultural landmarks players will choose to erect to enter the next age almost always serve a military purpose, rather than aiding in diplomacy, culture, and governance. However, there are rarely mentions of other important aspects of history and civilization, such as the spread of government systems and development and sharing of culture. The most important aspects of gameplay are the historical battles, like the Battle of Hastings or the 100 Years' War. One of the major drawbacks of Age of Empires 4 is the history it tries to represent. It manages to maintain a lot of the charm and nostalgia of the original games while also delivering a smoother and more seamless appearance in line with modern game design standards. The UI resembles the one from Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, so it should be familiar to returning players. There are no options to control the flow of time in Age of Empires 4 and enemies will capitalize on a player's inaction, so knowledge of the UI is important and helpfully taught through early levels. The UI of Age of Empires 4 is fairly easy to understand, with helpful tooltips and pop-up hints that can help players quickly learn the controls so they are not fumbling during combat. For the casual player, however, or to hardcore strategy fans without a predilection towards history, there is a skip option should the cutscenes become more of a hindrance than an engaging feature of gameplay. This is a fairly unique, educational mechanic and one that will likely be engaging to most history buffs.
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These videos outline aspects of culture, events leading up to the battles, and how war technologies developed. The plot of each campaign is narrated like a historical documentary through "Hands-on History" videos, and players are treated to cutscene footage of real locations to give them a bit of context behind the battle they are about to fight. Most of the campaign of Age of Empires 4 leans into the series' educational side and embraces its role as the premier historical RTS.
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These features ensure that, whether a player is new to the Age of Empires series or a veteran, no matter how they choose to play, they can jump right in and enjoy the game. In particular, the addition of Story Mode allows players to bypass some of the major aspects of strategizing and the minutia of resource management to engage in battles without as much tactical know-how and simply interact with some of the major events in world history. The pacing of this progression is still engaging, a hallmark of Age of Empires and the RTS genre.Īge of Empires 4 is a game with impressive accessibility features, including options to filter colors, narrate the UI, control when and where subtitles appear, increase the contrast, and select an optimal difficulty. As armies and cities grow stronger, they gain access to better fighters and new technologies, including the beloved Age of Empires siege technology like trebuchets. To maintain supplies and soldiers, they will also spend time raiding and establishing (or re-establishing) cities to work the land, gather necessary resources, and develop a healthy economy. Players will need to strategically position these allies to do the most damage to various enemy forces. Related: What Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition Changes From The OriginalĪ significant part of gameplay in Age of Empires 4 is warfare, and every civilization and culture has its own units that can fight or lend support and healing.
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All of these features combine to make Age of Empires 4 a definitive experience that could pave the way for new games in the series, but some of the warfare mechanics feel clunky and out of place in modern gaming. They can also practice their skills in the Art of War mode, a returning feature from Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition that allows players to try out different war strategies. In addition to the solo campaign modes in Age of Empires 4, players can engage in multiplayer co-op or PvP and play against enemy AI or one another to advance through the ages and determine who emerges victorious and who will be lost to history. As leaders, players will need to gather resources, fortify their cities, expand, and command great forces to overpower their enemies. In Age of Empires IV, players will experience some of the greatest civilizations and battles in history, from the Normans and the Holy Roman Empire to Moscow and the Mongols. For nearly 20 years, Age of Empires has been a well-loved staple that helped to define the RTS genre, and the latest installment from Relic Entertainment and Xbox Game Studios, Age of Empires IV, feels both familiar and modern.