Accordingly, Age of Empires 4 (AOE 4) will officially be released on October 28, 2021. This information was provided by Microsoft during the live coverage of the Xbox game showcase at E3 2021, which took place early this morning. The launch of AOE 4 also ends the nearly 16-year wait for fans of this legendary strategy game series since the release of AOE 3 (not counting graphic upgrade versions).
A trailer introducing AOE 4 was also released by Microsoft, providing a close look at the graphics of this strategy game.
Unlike the previous version of AOE, AOE 4 is no longer being developed by Ensemble Studios. Instead, Microsoft has entrusted the development of this RTS game to Relic Entertainment – a well-known studio in the strategy game genre with products like the Homeworld Series, Warhammer 40K Dawn of War, and the Company of Heroes series.
It is known that Relic Entertainment began the development process of AOE 4 in 2017. According to Relic’s producers, the conflicts between civilizations in the Medieval period will be the main theme of this strategy game.
Accordingly, AOE 4 will have a total of 4 campaign segments based on the game’s storyline, including the Norman conquest of England. Players will take on the role of Harold Godwinson – the last Anglo-Saxon king of England – leading an army to participate in fierce battles against the Normans, led by King William the Conqueror.
According to Relic, there will be 8 civilizations in Europe and Asia for players to choose from. Among these, 5 civilizations have been revealed, including England, France, Mongolia, China, and the Delhi Sultanate (India). Each civilization will have distinct differences, with unique strengths and weaknesses in military stats, unit types, and special skills.
For example, the Mongolian civilization will have the ability to “relocate” at any time, as long as they pack up and move like true nomads. Or you can establish a forward base right outside the enemy’s main base to continuously harass, or you can retreat as soon as you see enemy troops gathering to launch an attack.
Players will be able to execute ambushes with the ‘stealth’ feature, allowing you to hide your units from enemies unless scouts discover them first. Soldiers can also defend against attackers using defensive weapons from the walls, while attackers can use siege weapons to eliminate enemies quickly.
Players can currently pre-order AOE 4 on Steam, with prices starting from $59.99 for the standard version and $79.99 for the Deluxe Edition.
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