One explores the painstaking process of crafting chainmail, and another examines the role of hawking and falconry in Norman culture. Relic Entertainment takes things a step further by superimposing animations of soldiers and siege engines on real-world locations, imbuing these annals with History-Channel-infused grandiosity that will fill fans with glee.Īlongside these videos are others that give insight into various middle-age building and crafting techniques, as well as lifestyle activities. Shot documentary-style and on location, these expertly filmed, produced, and narrated shorts are immersive and engaging in ways the old-style history pages could never be. The best parts are the brief but in-depth "Hands on History" educational videos. But the breadth of the mode blunts that blow, even if we’ve seen some of these engagements before. The Holy Roman Empire, Chinese, Delhi Sultanate, and Abbassid Dynasty are left out.
Each campaign has a series of missions (35 in total) that focus on key historical conflicts, such as the Battle of Hastings or the Battle of Kalka River.Įach campaign becomes increasingly complex the further you fight through the ages, and each can take a few hours to complete depending on your skill and chosen difficulty.Īs a long-time Age player, I can’t help but wish there were campaigns for each of the eight civilizations at launch. Four of the eight available civilizations are represented in the mode: the English, French, Mongols, and Rus. The campaign mode is the best and most engaging it’s ever been.
Age of Empires 4 Review: The Page of KingsĪge of Empires 4 has a solid foundation to build upon in the years to come. More so, it's to acknowledge Age 4 doesn’t fully seize its destiny - at least not so close to launch.
That isn’t to say Age of Empires 4 fails it certainly does not. After several remasters, new DLC releases, various developer updates, and wonderful support from the community, AoE 2 remains the standard-bearer of the franchise, with AoE 4 acting as its page. Similarly exploring the medieval period, and even some of the same battles, AoE 4 employs familiar mechanics found in that beloved 1999 entry and its expansions. Calling Age of Empires 4 an Age of Empires 2 reboot would be easy enough.