Age of Empires IV: Raiders of the North Review Summary

New civilizations and the co-op Crucible mode are fun additions, but Vikings are overpowered, the AI broke after the update, and balance issues and power creep undermine the experience.

New civilizations are fun: The two new civilizations are repeatedly described as fun, unique, and well-designed, adding fresh gameplay experiences. Vikings and Scots stand out for their distinct playstyles.

Excellent DLC overall: Reviewers consistently praise the DLC as fantastic, great, and among the best releases for Age of Empires 4. Many express strong satisfaction and consider it a top-tier addition.

Unique faction mechanics: The new factions feature unique mechanics that add complexity and a learning curve, with noticeable design effort. Reviewers appreciate the depth and freshness they bring.

Vikings are well-designed: The Vikings civilization is praised for being versatile, aggressive, and fun to play, even for those who usually prefer economic factions. Their design is considered excellent.

Vikings Overpowered: The Vikings civilization is widely considered overpowered, with free villagers, resource exploits, and strong units that dominate matches. Many reviewers call for significant nerfs, noting that the faction feels pay-to-win and unbalanced.

Broken AI After Update: Numerous players report that the AI is severely broken following the update, behaving stupidly and failing to gather resources, build military, or attack properly. This issue persists across all difficulty levels and makes matches against AI unchallenging and unenjoyable.

Balance Issues and Power Creep: Reviewers frequently mention that the new civilizations are unbalanced, with power creep making them significantly stronger than older factions. This leads to a perception of pay-to-win and imbalanced gameplay, especially in multiplayer.

Lack of Campaign Content: Many reviewers express disappointment that the DLC does not include a new campaign or single-player story content. They feel this omission makes the expansion less valuable, especially for players who primarily enjoy single-player experiences.

Overpriced for Content: A recurring complaint is that the DLC is too expensive relative to what it offers, with many stating it is not worth the full price. The price is seen as steep given the limited content, such as only two new civilizations and a few maps.

Co-op Crucible mode added: The Crucible mode now supports two-player co-op, with new talents, boon mechanics, and four new maps. This is a major addition that reshapes the mode into a cooperative experience.

Two new civilizations added: The DLC introduces the Vikings and Scots as fully new playable civilizations with unique mechanics and playstyles. These are base factions, not variants, and are central to the expansion's content.

Crucible mode expanded and reworked: The Crucible game mode received a large update, including new missions, maps, and a rework. It is now a vastly expanded and revamped mode with both PvE and PvP content.

Vikings civilization unique mechanics: The Vikings civilization features an aggressive playstyle with passive income, free villagers generated over time, and access to the Bondí unit. These mechanics give the faction a distinct economic and military identity.

Scots civilization defense focus: The Scots civilization is defense-oriented, utilizing infantry, Highland cattle, fishponds, and a Mustering Hall. Its skirmish-heavy gameplay is similar to the English faction.

Poor FPS performance reported: A reviewer reports bad FPS even on a new PC, achieving only around 100 FPS. This suggests performance optimization issues affecting modern hardware.

DLC praised as worth the price: Several reviewers consider the DLC worth every penny and explicitly defend it against price complaints. Some describe it as a must-buy or the best AoE4 DLC to date.

Crucible and multiplayer fans recommend: Multiple reviewers strongly recommend the DLC specifically for players who enjoy Crucible, skirmish, and multiplayer modes. It is described as a must-have for Crucible enthusiasts and worth it for competitive ranked players.

Recommended for AoE IV and franchise fans: Reviewers recommend the DLC to dedicated AoE IV fans and to anyone who purchased previous DLCs. It is positioned alongside Sultans Ascend as an essential expansion.

Positive general recommendation: Multiple reviewers simply recommend the DLC or rate it 10/10 without further qualification. A few advise reading the description before buying.

New civs with distinct playstyles appeal: Players who enjoy civs that feel very different from the usual experience consider the DLC a must-buy. The Scots and Vikings theme is specifically called out as appealing, and beginner-friendly civs make it accessible.

Community fair range: $24.99 - $39.99.

Session length: 2.0h.

Endgame: 100.0h.

Players generally describe the new civilizations and co-op Crucible as fun and worthwhile from first contact. Value is lower for campaign-only users, and some report friction from price, learning curves, map repetition, or launch bugs.

Friction: Steep price for the DLC; Hefty learning curve for the Scots civilization; Unique mechanics add complexity and a learning curve; Limited appeal for campaign-only players; Ranked multiplayer modes were unplayable at launch due to gamebreaking bugs; Crucible maps become boring after repeated play.

Unlock drivers: Co-op support added to Crucible; Expanded Crucible with new missions, boons, talent tracks, and mutators; Two new civilizations with distinct mechanics and progression.

Co-op Crucible PvE Enthusiast: Plays Crucible survival and roguelike missions co-op or solo, experiments with boons, talents, and mutators, and values replayable AI battles over campaigns or ranked play. Motivation: Getting more cooperative PvE content with progression, replayability, and new civilizations to use with friends against AI. Stance: buy.

Ranked Multiplayer Competitor: Plays ranked 1v1 and multiplayer, watches civilization balance and rush viability, and is sensitive to bugs, ladder imbalance, and competitive exploitability. Motivation: Climbing the ranked ladder and testing new civilizations in competitive 1v1 or multiplayer play. Stance: sale.

Campaign and Historical Single-Player Player: Plays campaigns and single-player content, avoids PvP, and measures DLC by whether it adds a new campaign or substantial solo narrative. Motivation: Experiencing historical campaigns and solo storytelling rather than competitive or co-op skirmish modes. Stance: no buy.

Monetization: The reviews are mainly about the price, content value, and balance of paid civilization DLC for Age of Empires IV. Some players call the new civilizations 'pay-to-win' because they feel overtuned, but the evidence points to expansion balance and DLC value complaints rather than an in-game cash shop, loot boxes, premium currency, battle pass, or recurring microtransactions. Under the DLC and base-price override, the monetization score is capped at 20.

No campaign included in DLC: Many reviewers complain that the DLC lacks a single-player campaign, despite it not being advertised as such. This is the most common criticism and a major source of negative reviews.

DLC adds Vikings and Scots factions: The expansion introduces two new civilizations: Vikings and Scots. These factions are the main selling point of the DLC.

Ranked among the best DLCs: Several reviewers compare this DLC favorably to previous ones, calling it one of the best for Age of Empires IV, sometimes second only to Sultans Ascend.

Good value for the price: Many reviewers consider the DLC's content worth the asking price, citing hours of entertainment and high-quality additions. Some call it great value or fair for what you get.

Comparison to other RTS titles: Reviewers frequently compare Age of Empires IV to other games like Age of Empires II, StarCraft 2, and Age of Mythology. These comparisons highlight both strengths and areas for improvement.