It’s in its campaign where Age of Empires IV positively shines, though. In the Pinnacle of Civilization, you play as the Delhi Sultanate, and must defend a Wonder throughout the Ages. For example, in The Three Crowns, you and two AI opponents might have to wind your way through a gigantic mazelike map.
You can also team up with other players or an AI against larger teams of foes, or play through a handful of other creative modes. There’s the standard skirmish mode, where you can pick any civilization you want, and square off against any other civilization you want, on any map, with any resource distribution, and on any difficulty level.
If you prefer to play by yourself, AoE IV has you covered as well. I’ve only ever dabbled in the AoE competitive scene, so I couldn’t say whether longtime AoE II players will want to jump ship or stay where they are I can say, however, that AoE IV seems deep enough that a “perfect” metagame may take some time to emerge. With 17 maps, eight civilizations and a variety of other gameplay options (win conditions, starting Age, resource scarcity and so forth), multiplayer could conceivably keep you busy for quite some time. You can play in Quick Match or Ranked games, with up to eight players in a single match. However, this will change on launch day, so it’s worth at least going over the game modes available. Age of Empires IV review: Multiplayer and game modesĭuring the Age of Empires IV review period, there weren’t a ton of players on hand for impromptu multiplayer matches. I’m not convinced that AoE IV has the very best gameplay in the series, but I am convinced that it deftly balances challenge, accessibility, innovation and formula. The game can still be quite challenging, particularly on higher difficulties - but it’s worth noting that the lower difficulties are more inviting than ever for new (or younger) players. On the other hand, this also makes the game much more approachable, and makes the eight civilizations feel much more distinct from one another. AoE IV feels fairly straightforward and streamlined, with fewer types of units and technologies than AoE II. The big question, of course, is whether any of this plays significantly better than in the previous Age of Empires games.
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But even if you choose to build your empire through economic might, you’ll have to defend your borders, build up your resources and upgrade your technology as you advance from the Dark Age to the Imperial Age. In most game modes, you’ll need to build up an army to wage war against enemy soldiers and besiege their towns. In this medieval RTS, you’ll take control of a small group of villagers, eventually turning your small settlement into a thriving city. If you’ve played the first three games in the series, then you know exactly what you’re in for with Age of Empires IV.
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Read on for our full Age of Empires IV review.
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Still, series fans and newcomers alike should find a lot to enjoy in AoE IV’s meticulously crafted civilizations, varied game modes and inventive campaign -one of the best I’ve ever encountered in an RTS. At its worst, it can feel like a “greatest hits” album. At its best, AoE IV is polished, refined and a ton of fun to play. It has the same setting as Age of Empires II, as well as many of the same civilizations, units, strategies and campaign arcs. (Age of Empires Online was also an interesting and worthwhile experiment, but I digress.) Compared to its predecessors, there’s no denying that AoE IV plays it pretty safe. The first game was bold the third was innovative the second is still one of the greatest RTS games of all time. On the other hand, Age of Empires IV has a lot to live up to.