Age of Empires IV: Knights of Cross and Rose  Review Summary

Positive reception of new civilizations: The new civilizations introduced in the DLC are well-received for their uniqueness, innovation, and fun gameplay. Players enjoy the variety and fresh mechanics these civilizations bring.

Templars praised for uniqueness: Players consistently highlight the Knights Templar as a highly unique and enjoyable civilization to play. They appreciate the rich historical background, varied gameplay options, and unique units and mechanics, such as the Pilgrims.

DLC offers good value: Many players feel that the DLC is worth the price, offering good value for the content provided. They appreciate the reasonable pricing and the quality of the new civilizations and features.

Developers responsive and quick: Players commend the developers for their responsiveness and quick action in addressing balance issues. The developers are seen as active and engaged with the community.

House of Lancaster praised: The House of Lancaster is noted for being beginner-friendly, enjoyable, and having strong archers. Players appreciate its unique features and gameplay potential.

High price for limited content: Many players feel that the DLC is overpriced given the limited amount of content it offers. Comparisons are frequently made to previous DLCs, which provided more content at a similar or lower price point.

Balance issues with new civilizations: The new civilizations introduced in the DLC are seen as overpowered and unbalanced. This includes specific mentions of the House of Lancaster and other new civs being too strong and needing adjustments.

Lack of new and unique civilizations: Players are disappointed with the lack of fundamentally new civilizations. The DLC is criticized for offering variant civilizations rather than entirely new ones, leading to a sense of stagnation.

No new campaign: Players are disappointed with the lack of a new campaign in the DLC. The absence of a campaign or the poor quality of the single-player campaign is a common critique.

Lack of innovation and originality: The DLC is criticized for lacking innovation and originality. Players feel that the content is not fresh or exciting enough, leading to a boring and stale experience.

Two variant civilizations introduced: The DLC introduces two variant civilizations, specifically the English and French, each with unique characteristics and gameplay styles.

Knights Templar as unique faction: The Knights Templar are highlighted for their unique features, including sending out pilgrims to sacred sites and having a distinct gameplay style with unique units and strong defense.

New civilizations with unique mechanics: New civilizations have been added, each with unique mechanics, languages, skins, buildings, and units, offering diverse gameplay experiences.

Historical Battles and Challenges: Historical Battles are designed to be replayed with various challenges, adding a layer of depth and replayability to the game.

Unique units and gameplay mechanics: New unique units and gameplay mechanics have been introduced, enhancing the overall gaming experience with fresh content.

Game crashes and stability issues: Players report that the game frequently crashes, randomly closes itself, and has installation issues. These problems significantly impact the gameplay experience.

Deteriorated visual quality: Players have noticed a significant decline in the visual quality of the game, including graphics and map visuals.

Performance issues and lag: There are notable performance issues, including lag, which affect the smoothness and enjoyment of the game.

General bug reports: Players have reported encountering several bugs, though specific details about these bugs are not provided.

Steam Deck compatibility: There are mentions of the game in the context of Steam Deck, but the specific issues or praises are not detailed.

Buy on sale or discount: Many players recommend purchasing the game or DLC only when it is on sale or available at a discounted price. This suggests that while the content is valued, the full price may not be seen as worth it by a significant portion of the community.

Positive overall recommendation: There is an overall positive recommendation for the game and its DLC, indicating that despite some criticisms, the general sentiment is favorable.

Recommended for RTS and multiplayer fans: The game and its DLC are highly recommended for fans of real-time strategy (RTS) games and those who enjoy multiplayer gameplay. This indicates that the content is well-received by players who are enthusiastic about these specific genres.

Worth buying for additional content: Players find the DLC worth purchasing for the additional content it provides, including new civilizations and gameplay options. This suggests that the DLC offers significant value in terms of expanding the game's content.

Specific recommendations for certain player groups: The DLC is recommended for specific player groups, such as those who love the game and want more options, or those who enjoy medieval-style games. This suggests that the content is particularly well-suited for these audiences.

Community fair range: $7.00 - $10.00.

Game completion: 10.0h.

Story completion: 2.0h.

Session length: 1.0h.

The game is fun immediately for multiplayer-focused players, with new civilizations and maps enhancing the experience. Solo players or those interested in campaigns may find it less enjoyable.

Friction: Learning curve with new terms and unique units; Lack of campaign content; Initial disappointment with DLC content.

Unlock drivers: New civilizations; Diverse multiplayer maps.

Competitive Strategist: Focuses on mastering new competitive lines and strategies, particularly in multiplayer modes. Motivation: Enjoys the strategic depth and competitive multiplayer aspects of the game. Stance: buy.

Story-Driven Campaigner: Prefers single-player modes, focusing on campaign missions and historical battles. Motivation: Enjoys rich, story-driven single-player campaigns and historical battles. Stance: sale.

Value-Conscious Gamer: Enjoys the game but is cautious about spending money on DLCs that do not offer sufficient content. Motivation: Seeks good value for money and compares content and pricing to previous expansions. Stance: deep sale.

Steam Deck: The analysis of user feedback reveals significant stability issues, with multiple reports of crashes and instability. These issues severely impact the user experience and are categorized as high severity. Additionally, there are feature requests that, while important, are of lower severity compared to the stability problems.

Monetization: The user reviews indicate significant concerns about the monetization and value of the DLC. Key issues include the perception of the DLC being 'pay-to-win,' offering less content compared to previous DLCs at the same price, and a general sense of greed in the pricing strategy. These factors contribute to a negative user experience and dissatisfaction with the DLC.

Correct weapon names in text: Players request fixing the weapon names in the text for the Shinra upgrade dual hammer warrior panel to reflect accurate names such as '破甲锤', '页锤', and '双手锤' instead of the incorrect '木棍'.