Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition Review Summary

Cinematic and educational campaigns: 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.

Enjoyable multiplayer and DLCs: 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.

Top-tier RTS gameplay: 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.

High-quality visuals and sound: 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.

Evolution of the series: 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.

Frequent game crashes and instability: 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.

Broken matchmaking system: 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.

No reconnect feature for online games: Disconnections or crashes result in permanent match losses, with no option to rejoin ongoing games, compounding frustration from technical instability.

DLC paywalls for core content: 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.

DLC civilizations are overpowered: New DLC civilizations are unbalanced, often stronger than default ones, creating pay-to-win perceptions and frustrating gameplay for non-purchasers.

Diverse civilizations with unique mechanics: 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.

Hybrid RTS with turn-based elements: 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.

Unit abilities and tactical combat: 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 expands content but risks paywalls: 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.

Civilization-specific economies: 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.

Frequent game crashes: 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 and Proton advantages: Linux users report better performance via Proton compared to Windows, with fewer crashes and higher FPS. However, unofficial Linux support leads to occasional instability.

Hardware-specific bugs: 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.

UI and pathing bugs: 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.

Internet dependency: The game requires a constant internet connection, which exacerbates disconnection and server-related issues. This limitation frustrates players with unstable networks.

Highly recommended for RTS fans: 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.

Accessible for newcomers and veterans: 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.

Best value on sale: 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.

Civilization diversity requested: Players express a desire for more distinct civilizations rather than variants. Balancing and fleshing out civilizations for multiplayer is a common request.

High replayability and engagement: The game is praised for its ability to draw players back regularly, offering high replayability through its campaign, PvE, and multiplayer modes.

High DLC pricing concerns: 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.

Desire for new eras and civilizations: 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.

Nostalgia for earlier games: 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.

Requests for more maps and balance: Players frequently request additional map variety and improved balance mechanics. This feedback indicates a desire for deeper strategic diversity and fairness in gameplay.

Frequent disruptive updates: Players report excessive updates every 15 minutes, which disrupts gameplay and creates frustration. This suggests a need for better patch management or scheduling.