Instead of the вЂњstorybook about historical figuresвЂќ approach in AoE II or the вЂњadventure narrative that brushes up against historyвЂќ approach in AoE III, AoE IV leans into what itвЂ™s always been: a fun way to learn about world history. ItвЂ™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. ThereвЂ™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. IвЂ™ve only ever dabbled in the AoE competitive scene, so I couldnвЂ™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 вЂњperfectвЂќ 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 itвЂ™s worth at least going over the game modes available. Age of Empires IV review: Multiplayer and game modesДuring the Age of Empires IV review period, there werenвЂ™t a ton of players on hand for impromptu multiplayer matches. IвЂ™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 itвЂ™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.

Age of empires iii review