When Age of Empires 3 hit the systems, it took the strategy genre of the gaming world by storm. Not only the game was super smooth, but it also had great gameplay, good campaigns, and interesting graphics to dwell in for hours. Then, after 16 years, Microsoft decided to roll in the next addition with Age of Empires 4. Right when we thought that the series won’t be revived again. But the game has not yet made it to the top charts. Or does it have something that we underestimate? Let’s explore it all in our review of the world-class strategy game.
Positive: Diversity of Civilizations
The different and distinctive civilizations in Age of Empires 4 game let players select the one that best suits their style of play. For instance, early raiders may choose to use English. The Mongols are a highly mobile nomadic tribe, therefore gamers who can’t stand to be in one spot can play with them.
Because of this diversity, online gaming may be approached strategically, allowing a team to combine several abilities to become a formidable force. Gamers shouldn’t worry too much if they’re unhappy with the civilizations that are in place right now. Future civilizations are promised in the game.
Negative: Small Population
This one should go without saying. The 200-unit cap for an RTS game in 2021 is absurd. The opposing armies will only have 50–100 units apiece when a conflict breaks out. It doesn’t feel like a great battle between civilizations, even when disputes arise between several factions. Because of this restriction, Age of Empires 4 feels more like a mini-battle than a war game.
The restriction limits players’ combat ability in addition to preventing epic battles. It prevents them from expanding their territory or fighting on more than one battlefield.
Positive: Campaign for a Single Player
A well-executed campaign in Age of Empires 4 demonstrates that RTS games may really have an amazing single-player feature. Each culture takes a unique approach to the game, which centers on historical events and conflicts. With its excellent cutscenes and narrations, it creates the ideal atmosphere for players to age in missions.
As it describes how the historical event occurred, the narration is given in a calm and calming manner. Players are able to engage with the mission and become fully immersed thanks to this amazing performance.
The Ugly : Ungainly Units
The awkward units are the most boring aspect of Age of Empires 4. In combat, soldiers frequently lose sight of their mission. For instance, players would lose a battle because their archers would be too busy shooting at an opposing building. Melee would try to breach the enemy’s line by locking on a victim behind it, only to be slaughtered in the process.
In addition to being awkward, the game features a terrible auto-chase. If players aren’t paying enough attention, opponents might simply entice the army into an ambush. Giving them the order to stand their ground is the only way to halt the auto-chase. Although this approach is effective, it is not at all useful.
Positive: Having Fun Throughout Life
Progressing through the game’s ages is a lot of fun. It’s fun to raise any civilization that players want. Players should concentrate on obtaining the necessary resources during the Dark Age when the game begins. Soon after, the Age of Feudalism begins. Through resource wars and village raids, civilizations will begin to prod one another throughout that time.
But the Castle Age is where the real conflict begins. Most civilizations’ might is greatly increased by Keeps and Siege Workshops, and adversaries will start to actively pursue power and victory. The era of Wonder is the Imperial Age. Gamers should be prepared to construct the Wonder and defend it right away if they aim to attain that age.
Negative: Inequitable Fighting
With the majority of the new features, Relic did a fantastic job of maintaining the game’s personality. Some of them still require balancing, though. For example, in combat, archers and siege units are given preference by the new sure-hit feature for ranged soldiers. The Mangudai and Horse Archer are two troops that rely on their hit-and-run strategy to deal the greatest amount of damage to their adversaries. They receive no penalties at all, and their shots are definite hits.
Other than that, online games feel more like racing than playing because the first person to build the Wonder is likely to win. Given the strength of the stone walls, this strategy of victory ought to last longer.
Good: Nostalgic memories
Any fan of Age of Empires will love this game. Everyone can experience the memories, regardless of whether they played a single version as kids or diligently grinded every new game. Building an empire, battling innumerable armies, or protecting a Wonder all feel the same as in previous iterations.
Age of Empires 4 combines both familiarity and new features with its addition of more mechanics and civilizations. Additionally, the game’s graphics are adjusted to operate on some PCs from the previous generation, which enables higher player engagement.
Negative: Antiquated strategies
RTS games are nothing new to Relic Entertainment. Unfortunately, they decided to play a 24-year-old, last-generation game to be safe when it came to fighting and strategy. Indeed, the strategies used in the Age of Empires are excellent already, but the series urgently needs to be transformed. There are a lot more strategies and solutions available in contemporary RTS games.
The army’s formations, for instance, might be more varied by allowing players to select the positions of each unit within their formation. Or order archers to stay away from opposing forces anytime they get near. Spearmen are capable of adopting a guard position in which they would discipline any reckless cavaliers who attempted to breach their defenses.
Conclusion
So that sums it all up. Yes, the Age of Empires 4 has certain distinctive bads, but has positive aspects too. For the love of the game, it makes sense to at least try out the game for once. Though the graphics did not meet the expectations of today’s world-class strategy games like Frostpunk, the campaigns make up for engaging gameplay. Comment your videos below about this review.
