Relic Entertainment’s Age of Empires franchise is a real-time strategy series that allows players to build and protect their own civilization. It’s explored a number of historical periods and empires, including the Stone Age, Iron Age, and the development of the infamous Roman Empire.
The original game debuted in 1997 and two more mainline sequels have released since then. However, it’s been over a decade since Age of Empires III released in 2005, and though it was confirmed all the way back in 2017 that Age of Empires 4 is in the works, it still remains unclear when the highly anticipated game will finally be available to the public. With a strong cult following attached to the Age of Empires franchise, there remains high interest in when the fourth installment will finally come out.
Even though some reports put Age of Empires 4’s release as late as 2022, there’s still a lot to look forward to when the new installment finally releases. A gameplay trailer revealed Age of Empires 4 will be set in Medieval times, with combat between English and Mongol forces. Even more, it revealed specific details about how the gameplay experience will be improved and what players can expect when it finally releases.
What Players Can Look Forward To In Age of Empires 4
Age of Empires 4 will include a variety of new nations, though it will likely remain unclear what those will be until the game actually releases. There will also be new gameplay features. Siege warfare wasn’t available in earlier installments in the Age of Empires games, but based on the gameplay trailer for Age of Empires 4, siege warfare is going to play an important part. Age of Empires 4's trailer showed various devices, including trebuchets, lining up against the city’s wall in an effort to break down the barriers. In previous installments, forces would simply run up to the city’s walls and attack them with their swords until they broke down. But it appears the new Age of Empires game will provide players with more varied, sophisticated ways to get past barriers. It’s also been confirmed that Age of Empires 4 will have various game modes, so players can choose whether to have a short or lengthy game experience.
Given that the last new Age of Empires game was released in 2005, players can expect improved AI, meaning the behavior and movements of characters, both friends and foes, will be more realistic now that the technology has improved over a decade later. The environment itself is more realistic as well, and the game's buildings will also be able to incorporate more variety; there will be different types of building styles so Age of Empires 4 players can create with more detail than ever. The terrain will also be more varied and diverse than its predecessors.
If one thing is for sure, it’s that Age of Empires 4 is going to be different – even the developer admits so. "This is a fresh start for us. We want to modernize the series and that means we are going to do things differently,” Age of Empires creative director Adam Isgreen explained to Games Radar in 2019. He did assure fans, however, that the combat in Age of Empires will largely be staying the same. “Everyone was like, 'Don't touch the combat. Don't. Please don't change it!' So, we were like, 'Okay, message received," he added. So, while Age of Empires 4 will be incorporating many new elements to give the series a much-need facelift, fans can also expect the same elements that made the games so beloved in the first place, proving gamers have a lot to look forward to.
Source: Games Radar