Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition
Last updated: 2025-12-31
- Top-tier RTS gameplay with deep strategy
- Cinematic and educational campaigns enhance experience
- Enjoyable multiplayer and engaging DLCs
- Frequent crashes disrupt gameplay stability
- Broken matchmaking and no reconnect feature
- DLC paywalls limit core content access
Emotions
Players experience frustration primarily due to persistent technical issues, such as frequent crashes, server instability, and corrupted save files, which disrupt gameplay and waste time. Additionally, the game's high difficulty, unbalanced AI behavior, intrusive DLC monetization, and poor matchmaking exacerbate the negative experience, making progression feel unfair or unrewarding.
Disappointment stems from unmet expectations regarding the game's quality, innovation, and developer support. Players criticize the lackluster campaign design, outdated mechanics, and technical flaws like crashes and poor optimization. The game's focus on monetization through DLCs, perceived neglect of community feedback, and failure to address long-standing issues (e.g., cheating, balance problems) further contribute to this sentiment.
Players express satisfaction with the game's refined mechanics, engaging campaigns, and modernized gameplay that retains the franchise's classic charm. Improvements in multiplayer balance, pathfinding, and faction variety, along with post-launch updates and developer support, enhance the overall experience and replayability.
Excitement is driven by the game's immersive gameplay, strategic depth, and high-quality production values, including dynamic faction playstyles and epic battle moments. Players appreciate the fresh mechanics, competitive depth, and anticipation for future expansions, which revitalize the RTS genre for both newcomers and veterans.
Nostalgia is evoked by the game's ability to recapture the essence of classic Age of Empires titles, resonating with players who grew up with the series. The soundtrack, gameplay mechanics, and historical themes trigger fond memories, creating an emotional connection to the franchise's legacy.
Verdict
Mostly negative
Summary
Positive 51% · Negative 49%. Score: 49 / 100
Positives:
- The campaigns are lauded for their high-quality storytelling, documentary-style cutscenes, and educational value. They blend historical context with engaging gameplay, offering a unique and immersive experience.
- Multiplayer modes, including co-op and PvP, are smooth, well-balanced, and highly enjoyable. DLCs add significant value by introducing new civilizations, campaigns, and innovative gameplay modes, extending the game's longevity.
- The game is praised as one of the best real-time strategy (RTS) experiences available, blending classic Age of Empires mechanics with modern innovations. It appeals to both veterans and newcomers due to its accessibility and depth.
- The game features visually stunning graphics, detailed animations, and immersive sound design. The soundtrack, unit voices, and environmental sounds enhance the historical atmosphere and overall immersion.
- The game builds on the strengths of previous Age of Empires titles while introducing new mechanics and simplifying others. It refines the classic RTS formula, making it more accessible without sacrificing depth.
Negatives:
- Players report widespread crashes during gameplay, menus, and post-DLC updates, often leading to PC shutdowns or lost progress. The issue persists across hardware configurations and play sessions.
- Matchmaking pairs players of vastly different skill levels (e.g., bronze vs. diamond), lacks solo queue protections, and enables smurfing/cheating, creating unfair and frustrating experiences.
- Disconnections or crashes result in permanent match losses, with no option to rejoin ongoing games, compounding frustration from technical instability.
- Essential maps, factions, and civilizations are locked behind DLCs, making the base game feel incomplete. Players criticize short-lived DLC content and high prices for variants over new civilizations.
- New DLC civilizations are unbalanced, often stronger than default ones, creating pay-to-win perceptions and frustrating gameplay for non-purchasers.
Gameplay:
- Players consistently highlight the game's 22+ unique civilizations, each with distinct playstyles, units, upgrades, and cultural themes. This diversity enhances replayability and strategic depth, though some note balance issues.
- The game blends real-time strategy with turn-based mechanics (e.g., unit formations, resource management) and draws comparisons to *Age of Empires* and *Civilization*. This appeals to fans of both genres.
- Units have unique abilities (e.g., France’s armored knights, healing camps) and counter mechanics (e.g., mounted archers vs. ranged units). Pathfinding and micro-management are key to battles.
- DLC adds new civilizations, maps, and campaigns (e.g., *The Sultans Ascend*), but some players criticize paywalls for factions or nations. DLC updates also impact balance and tactical gameplay.
- Each civilization has unique economic buildings, landmarks, and bonuses (e.g., Mongols’ mobile bases). This asymmetry ties into broader strategies like turtling or fast age-ups.
Performance:
- Players report consistent crashes during gameplay, menus, and longer sessions, affecting both Windows and Linux systems. Crashes occur even on high-end hardware and may result in lost progress or sudden exits.
- Linux users report better performance via Proton compared to Windows, with fewer crashes and higher FPS. However, unofficial Linux support leads to occasional instability.
- Issues arise on dual-GPU laptops, with resolution downscaling, and input lag (0.3 sec). Some players report PC overheating or shutdowns linked to false connection errors.
- Units get stuck on buildings due to pathing issues, and a UI panel bug affects gameplay experience. These issues persist despite hardware or driver updates.
- The game requires a constant internet connection, which exacerbates disconnection and server-related issues. This limitation frustrates players with unstable networks.
Recommendations:
- The game is overwhelmingly praised by fans of real-time strategy (RTS) games, particularly those who enjoy titles like Age of Empires, StarCraft, and They Are Billions. It is described as essential for strategy lovers and a modern evolution of the genre.
- The game is noted for its approachability to new players while offering strategic depth for experienced or competitive players. This balance makes it appealing to a broad audience.
- Many players suggest the game is worth buying, but only at a discounted price. Full-price purchases are often discouraged unless the buyer is a hardcore RTS fan.
- Players express a desire for more distinct civilizations rather than variants. Balancing and fleshing out civilizations for multiplayer is a common request.
- The game is praised for its ability to draw players back regularly, offering high replayability through its campaign, PvE, and multiplayer modes.
Miscellaneous:
- Players criticize the cost of DLCs and the perceived lack of value in their content. Complaints also highlight dissatisfaction with variant DLCs, suggesting they feel nickel-and-dimed.
- Players suggest adding a fifth or sixth era for civilizations and a specialized gunpowder civilization for China. This reflects a demand for expanded historical depth and unique faction mechanics.
- Players express nostalgia for earlier titles in the series, particularly Age of Empires 2 and 3. This suggests a desire for features or mechanics that evoke the feel of those games.
- Players frequently request additional map variety and improved balance mechanics. This feedback indicates a desire for deeper strategic diversity and fairness in gameplay.
- Players report excessive updates every 15 minutes, which disrupts gameplay and creates frustration. This suggests a need for better patch management or scheduling.
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