Age of Empires IV is a real-time strategy game developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is the fourth main title in the Age of Empires series and runs on a new iteration of Relic's Essence Engine.[1] Mikolai Stroinski composed the soundtrack.
Developments[]
Announced on August 21, 2017, it released on October 28, 2021. At the X019 event, in-engine gameplay footage along with the English and Mongol civilizations were revealed on November 14, 2019.[2]
On August 23, 2022, the Ottomans and Malians were announced as a free expansion, the Anniversary Edition, which was released on October 25, 2022. Content released with this expansion is marked with +.
It was initially available only on PC (through Steam and Windows Store), and was later launched on Xbox on August 22, 2023. On March 12, 2024, with update 10.0.576, it received cross-play between PC and Xbox versions of the game.
On August 23, 2023, a new expansion was announced, The Sultans Ascend, which was released on November 14, 2023. Content released with this expansion is marked with x.
Features[]
Like Age of Empires II, the game is set in the post-classical period. The start and end of the covered time frame is in general shifted slightly forward compared to Age of Empires II, from post-Migration Era to well into the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance.[3] Migration Era civilizations like the Goths and Huns are missing, and equivalent civilizations appear in their post-Migration Era forms (i.e. French instead of Franks, English instead of Britons), and in the Imperial Age, units typically feature more advanced gunpowder technologies and armor designs.
The list of notable features in Age of Empires IV includes, but is not limited to:
- Activated unit abilities
- Asymmetric civilization design
- Automatically generated paths and roads
- Grid-based building placement
- Fire mechanic for building destruction
- Landmark buildings for Age advancement
- Stealth Forest ambushes
- Stone walls immune to non-siege attacks
- Unit combat and movement on walls
- Unit Line of Sight (LOS) and movement limited by obstructions (e.g. forests)
- Unlimited unit selection cap
Campaigns[]
The game includes five (six for Xbox - the extra is marked with *) single-player campaigns themselves broken down into grouped scenarios. Each campaign covers the events of a historical period from the perspective of the particular civilization and accompanied by documentary-style narration and cinematics:
The Art of War[]
The Art of War is a special type of campaign across the series to help players learn the basics of the game.
Civilizations[]
Age of Empires IV launched with eight civilizations. Two were added with the first free expansion and The Sultans Ascend each, with the latter also adding four variant civilizations.
Ages[]
Win conditions[]
One can achieve victory in the following ways:
Resources[]
- Food sources
- Sheep
- Boar
- Deer
- Berry Bush
- Farm/Olive Grove (building)
- Fish
- Cattle
Units[]
- Main article: Unit (Age of Empires IV)
The game features kinds of units as described as follows. The units shown are for a generic civilization. All civilizations have at least one unique unit replacing a generic unit. However, some civilizations do not get an equivalent at all.
- Non-combat
- Villager - gathers resources, constructs and repairs buildings
- Trader - trades with Trade Posts and allied Markets to generate gold
- Fishing Boat - collects Fish
- Transport Ship - transports land units across water bodies
- Trade Ship - trades with Trade Posts and allied Docks to generate gold
- Religious unit - collects Relics, captures Sacred Sites, heals allied units, and converts enemy units (actual unit depends on religion of the civilization)
- Melee infantry
- Spearman - anti-cavalry light infantry
- Man-at-Arms - general purpose heavy infantry
- Ranged infantry
- Archer - low attack anti-light-infantry unit
- Crossbowman - anti-heavy unit
- Handcannoneer - general purpose unit
- Melee cavalry
- Scout - scout unit which cannot be upgraded
- Horseman - anti-archer light cavalry
- Knight/Lancer - general purpose heavy cavalry
- Siege
- Military ship
Buildings[]
- Main article: Building (Age of Empires IV)
Technologies[]
- Main article: Technology (Age of Empires IV)
Masteries[]
Masteries are a series of tasks that can be completed which can unlock certain cosmetic items that can be displayed to other players in online games. Such items include portraits and coat of arms which are displayed in matchmaking lobbies, and monuments which are displayed in the player's Town Centers during the game.
Trivia[]
- The announcement trailers were voiced by Charles Dance.
Age of Empires IV communities[]
- Discord: Age of Empires IV: https://discord.gg/t3Wh5kSnaa
- Twitter: Age of Empires: https://twitter.com/AgeOfEmpires?s=20
- Facebook: Age of Empires IV: https://www.facebook.com/AgeofEmpiresIV/
- Reddit: Age of Empires IV: https://www.reddit.com/r/aoe4/
- AoE4 World: https://aoe4world.com/ - an unofficial platform for checking the dataset, statistics of multiplayer games, and much more