What do you do when your biggest threat is your past self? Recently we were treated to our first proper overview of Age of Empires 4, the long-awaited new entry in one of strategy gaming's most enduring series. We got a taste of the campaign, new civilisations, and insights into the design. It was a lot to take in.
One thing that became apparent quite quickly is how similar Age of Empires 4 seems to its most influential predecessor. Age of Empires 2 is easily the most popular RTS game on the market right now, let alone the most popular in the series. It was the first Age of Empires Microsoft decided to uplift into HD back in 2013, and the only game in the series that has seen consistent support since then, which has only continued through its definitive edition. We also know it's set to get even more support across 2021.
In other words, it's a behemoth, and Microsoft's decision to set Age of Empires 4 in the same time period and act as a spiritual successor (of sorts) to Age of Empires 2 is bold. And risky.
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Age of Empires 4: release date, civilisations, and everything else we know
Age of Empires 4 - everything we learned from the recent RTS fan preview
Age of Empires 4 "gameplay, civilizations, campaigns, and more" to be shown next month