Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition
" Engaging strategy game with rich historical campaigns and balanced multiplayer but technical issues "
Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition Review
Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition is a well-received real-time strategy game that successfully blends classic RTS elements with modern gameplay mechanics. Players appreciate the game's engaging historical campaigns, detailed civilizations, and balanced multiplayer experience. The graphics are notably improved from previous titles, offering a visually satisfying experience that brings medieval warfare to life. The inclusion of documentary-style videos enriches the single-player mode, adding an educational layer that appeals to history enthusiasts.
However, some players report frustration with inconsistent AI difficulty, occasional bugs, and technical issues such as game freezes and connectivity problems in multiplayer. The DLC content and monetization model have also drawn criticism, with some feeling it detracts from the overall experience. Despite these setbacks, the game has a dedicated community and continues to receive updates, making it a strong entry in the Age of Empires series for both newcomers and longtime fans.
Highlights
Players praise the game's deep strategic gameplay and diverse civilizations, which offer multiple viable strategies and rewarding tactical decisions. The historically inspired campaigns with high-quality documentary videos provide an immersive and educational experience. The graphics and animations are well-executed, enhancing the overall atmosphere. Multiplayer is highlighted for its balance and competitive depth, creating an addictive and satisfying experience for players of all skill levels. The UI improvements and quality-of-life features also contribute to a modernized RTS feel while respecting the series' roots.
Criticisms
Common criticisms include technical issues like crashes, freezes, and desync errors that disrupt gameplay, especially in multiplayer. The AI difficulty curve is seen as inconsistent, with some players finding it either too easy or abruptly too hard. The DLC strategy and microtransactions frustrate some users, who feel the game is overly monetized and unbalanced due to paywalled content. Additionally, the lack of certain features like interactive pause and speed controls detracts from the single-player experience. Some players also desire more historical depth and variety in campaigns.
Pros
- • Engaging historical campaigns with documentary-style videos enhance immersion and education.
- • Well-balanced multiplayer offering rewarding and addictive competitive gameplay.
- • Distinct civilizations with unique strategies and tactical depth.
- • Improved graphics and animations bring medieval battles vividly to life.
- • Modern UI and quality-of-life features streamline gameplay without losing classic feel.
- • Campaign missions are varied and allow exploration of different playstyles.
- • Strong community and ongoing developer support with regular updates.
Cons
- • Technical issues such as crashes, freezes, and desync errors affect multiplayer reliability.
- • AI difficulty is inconsistent, sometimes too easy or unrealistically hard.
- • DLC content feels paywalled and unbalanced, frustrating some players.
- • Lack of interactive pause and speed controls limits single-player convenience.
- • Occasional bugs and loss of saved games after updates reported.
- • Some campaigns lack deeper historical storytelling and narrative engagement.
- • Matchmaking cooldown penalties can feel unfair and disrupt gameplay flow.
Rating Criteria
Celebrating its first year of delighting millions of global players, the award-winning and best-selling strategy franchise continues with Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition, putting you at the center of even more epic historical battles that shaped the world.
