History is everything. Literally, it is the stuff that has happened, is happening, or will happen. It is difficult to grasp the enormity of our history, even though it is compelling. Most media can’t capture the saga and scale of hundreds of years in a single movie or television season (time jumps, anyone?) Video games, however, can. This is what a legendary franchise has done for over 25 years.
Age of Empires Ensemble Studios was established in 1997. Its premise was conquest. Players could use real-time strategy to build real-world empires and lead them from the Stone Age up to the Iron Age using research, economics and most importantly, military might.
A lot has changed in 25 years, but the fundamentals of good gameplay haven’t. Age of Empires IV It was released in 2021, and kept the same formula that has been used for the franchise for decades. This campaign is a historical tour-de force that includes real footage from actual locations. You’ll experience the stories of the Normans, the Hundred Years War, the Mongols, and the Russian Empire in four separate campaigns. There is an incredibly gracious learning curve for new players, making it a great place to begin (especially if you’re a rusty veteran).
It’s a reliable formula. Begin small with a few villager and a scout. You need to gather resources and go exploring quickly. You will be notified when your adversaries advance to new eras. This unlocks better tech. They will use this advantage to send troops right away to destroy your utopia. This is not a friendly game. You feel the real-time in this real-time strategy, and it doesn’t take long for the hook to set and the hours to fly by.
Military tactics are what makes this a unique place. Age of Empires The other major player in this space is: Sid Meier’s Civilization. There are no cultural victories, no arts or philosophers. You must have enough men with pointed things to combat the other men with similar things. This is not an easy task. There are many layers to the fight in AoE These are based on a rock-paper-scissors approach. Infantry is countered by ranged units and cavalry counters ranged units. Infantry is countered by cavalry.
The magic is in the details between empires, and their historical versions. While the English longbowmen can be a formidable force, their cavalry is not as good as that of the Mongols. Your armored knights will win until your rival discovers how to make gunpowder. You will see constant one-upmanship from the beginning of every game mode.
This is not the end of the campaign. AoE IV There are a few more game modes available that can be used by players with different skill levels. Art of War challenges are short, timed situations that reinforce basic skills like resource gathering. The multiplayer is where the big dogs run, and if you’re looking for a serious challenge there’s none greater than a human opponent who likely has decades of experience.
There’s also the wide open playground of custom scenarios, where you can design just about any kind of experience you want. There are many maps available, as well as community content. There are hundreds of years worth of history and hundreds of hours of content waiting for you. You should play it as soon as possible.
Age of Empires IV Game Pass is now available. It’s also on PC and will come to Xbox consoles in 2023. There are 30+ other games and expansions available in the Age of Empires Franchise are also available for purchase on PC.
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