

Rating
Age of Empires IV
One of the most beloved real-time strategy games returns to glory with Age of Empires IV, putting you at the center of epic historical battles that shaped the world. Featuring both familiar and innovative new ways to expand your empire in vast landscapes with stunning 4K visual fidelity, Age of Empires IV brings an evolved real-time strategy game t...
Details
- Released
- October 28, 2021
- Developer
- Relic Entertainment
- Genres
- Real Time Strategy (RTS) · Strategy
- Publisher
- Xbox Game Studios
- Platforms
- PC
How it plays
Up to 4 players
Similar Games
Age of Empires IV Reviews
Professional reviews from gaming critics
I can't remember the last time I played an Age Of Empires game but it may have been a copy that came with a box of cereal (we could be talking a couple of
Exciting civilizations, incredible attention to detail, and engrossing story campaigns makes for a game where it's impossible to not have a good time.
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.
I didn't expect to live to see Age of Empires, the epitome of PC strategy that taught most of us planning, patience, and... irritation at a misplaced catapult, finally hit the Playground.
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.
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.
Age of Empires 4 has the potential for greatness, but for now, it still walks in the shadow of the rightful king.
Age of Empires is often considered one of the golden franchises in the RTS genre. Originally released all the way back in 1997, Age of Empires was a dominant force in the PC gaming space. The series has lost its prominence for many years, and many fans, myself included, found...
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.