Age of Empires IV: Digital Deluxe Edition
Microsoft has decided to revive the legendary Age of Empires series. It has been sixteen years since the release of the third installment. The former developers, Ensemble Studios, reported that they went so far with the rethinking of gameplay mechanics at some point. They asked Microsoft to rename the project, as it was with the spin-off Age of Mythology. Unfortunately, they didn't get the permission, and as a result, the fans have been waiting for the full-fledged series continuation for almost two decades. Age of Empires is quite different from Warcraft or StarCraft. But the principle is the same, as in any other RTS game, players gather resources, build their bases, create units, and fight their opponents. However, unlike most similar projects, the Age of Empires game pays special attention to the internal economy and population development. For the prosperity of the power, it is essential to control the extraction of different resources, intelligently distribute the load among the workers and steadily move forward to progress to new time eras and unlock technologies. At the same time, players have to protect their domain from the encroachment of the neighbors because even the slightest mistake can lead to defeat. In Age of Empires IV, every action is countered, no matter which nations are involved in the match. The game constantly tests how well you understand your own nation's capabilities and opponents. Therefore, when playing for each nation, there are several nuances concerning micro-control and development strategy. In the Digital Deluxe Edition of Age of Empires IV, eight nations are available, and only four of them have a full-fledged story campaign that describes the pivotal moments in the country's history. The story missions themselves, as usual, boil down to either attacking the enemy or defending a vital location. Relic Entertainment has taken a reasonably responsible approach to preparing newcomers. In addition to the storyline and formal training, the Age of Empires IV also has an "Art of War" mode - a set of tests that teaches players important nuances like proper resource management, production chains, pumping technology, and other exciting tasks. You can also practice battles with bots; the tactical habits of artificial intelligence are similar to the live player's actions. Bots actively explore the map, send small units for reconnaissance, rebuild the army layout specifically for your troops. For example, if you easily repulsed a couple of cavalry raids with lances, the next time, prepare to fight with archers and infantry with swords. Age of Empires 4 offers time-tested gameplay without too many innovations, which will be in the spirit of both old fans of the series, and newcomers, who can quickly get involved in the game thanks to relatively straightforward rules.
System requirements
Minimum
OS:Windows 10 64bit | Windows 11 64bit
Processor:Intel Core i5-6300U or AMD Ryzen 5 2400G | CPU with AVX support required
Memory:8 GB RAM
Graphics:Intel HD 520 or AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
DirectX:Version 12
Storage:50 GB available space
Recommended
OS:Windows 10 64bit | Windows 11 64bit
Processor:3.6 GHz 6-core (Intel i5) or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 | CPU with AVX support required
Memory:16 GB RAM
Graphics:Nvidia GeForce 970 GPU or AMD Radeon RX 570 GPU with 4GB of VRAM
DirectX:Version 12
Storage:50 GB available space