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{"meta":{"keywords":"age, empires, critics, pre-built, gaming, computer","description":"After decades of remasters and re-releases, Relic has finally launched the fourth installment of their acclaimed, and still widely played, Age Of Empires series"},"active":true,"show_in_home":true,"show_as_recent":false,"show_as_popular":false,"_id":"619fe21d4636fa174a723698","aid":"age-of-empires-4","big_image_path":"age-of-empires-4-big.jpg","date":"11/24/2021","elements":[{"content":"<p>I know that some game critics will never stop complaining for the next 5 years about how much this title is just a reskin of Age Of Empires 2. However, there is a reason their second installment is still being massively played after more than 20 years and has a cult-like following. So, why fix something if it is not broken?</p><p><br data-mce-bogus='1'></p><p><br data-mce-bogus='1'></p><h2>Should I Buy Age Of Empires 4?</h2><p><br></p><p>One of the cool things about the franchise is that every installment serves as a perfect jumping off point for players who have never played RTS games. I feel like Age Of Empires 4 takes this to a new level with their extremely detailed tutorials filled with teachable moments both in terms of strategy and history bits. However, the game does not hold your hand too far into the game, and skirmish mode has the appropriate balance between challenge and fun allowing you to escalate the difficulty for added replayability.</p><p><br></p><p>You can safely say that hardcore AoE fans will feel completely at home playing this game. You can actually ignore most new civ features, apply the tried-and-true strategies you learned in earlier versions, and still win matches with ease. Nonetheless, Age Of Empires 4 centers a bit more on strategy and troop positioning than AoE2. Plus, you can now man your walls with archers to get that height-damage bonus, and THAT alone is enough reason to buy the title.</p><p>Taking advantage of high ground, or hiding your troops inside a forest to ambush the enemy is a lot of fun and satisfying. There are some instances where mastery of the rock-paper-scissors battle mechanics can yield incredible victories.</p><p><br></p><p>However, the game still rewards those who rush-build and can amass a bigger army faster. You can basically trample anything down if you have enough troops. That might be kind of a downer for those used to other RTS titles like StarCraft 2 where faction and unit type forced you to adopt wildly differing strategies. But it feels like Microsoft focused on their loyal legions of gamers who still enjoy old-fashioned skirmishes.</p><p><br></p><p>The basic mechanics remain the same. You grow your civilization by pumping out villagers like there is no tomorrow, securing resources, and getting a technological edge before you bullrush your enemy and win. No need to get to the bolts and nuts of the game if all you want is to play quick matches.</p><p><br></p><p>However, apart from the campaign, and tutorial for each civilization, the game also has an Art Of War mode. It presents new players with timed scenarios that require them to master specific civilization features or military strategies. Players can hone their skills at their own pace without feeling forced to go through a steep learning curve, and then apply everything they learned next time they face an enemy. I think this is genius.</p><p><br></p><p>The pace of the game can feel slightly faster, though. This time around, devs made advancing through ages a bit more interesting and impactful. You choose between “landmarks” that will grant you unique advantages. However, going from age to age happens at breakneck speeds when compared to their predecessors.</p><p><br></p><p>The game is also incredibly balanced. Every civilization has unique ways of managing its economy, and special units and buildings that can turn the tide of a battle or scenario if used wisely, but none of them will make you feel the game is broken in any way.</p><p><br></p><p>One big complaint many players have is the game's AI. Pathfinding is still very messy at times, with troops choosing weird routes or the enemy going straight to certain death in many instances.</p><p><br></p><p>The difficulty can also be very uneven. On one occasion, the enemy completely razed my village in less than 10 minutes. Then I replayed the same scenario, and it never attacked me for a full hour. We don´t know if it's a feature or a bug, so I guess time will tell.</p><p><br></p><p>The graphics, animations and even the music makes you feel you´re playing a current-gen real-time strategy game even if you're using a personal computer for gaming. The art department did a great job by adopting that “historic” painterly texture that perfectly matches the History Channel documentary-style approach you see during their introductory campaigns. Relic went to great lengths to get impressive drone shots and real-world footage, combined with cool and poised narration bits that help set the mood for the upcoming battles. I admit I intently watched all of them.</p><p><br></p><p>One cool addition is the game´s mod support. I can't wait to see what crazy things the community will come up with, and how their collective vision will steer the future of the franchise.</p><p><br></p><p>In conclusion, Age Of Empires 4 is a title that promises both franchise fans and new arrivals endless hours of educational fun.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus='1'></p><p><br data-mce-bogus='1'></p><h2>Can I Run Age Of Empires 4?</h2><p><br></p><p>For avid fans of the franchise who haven't upgraded their PCs in a while, the devs lowered AoE4´s system requirements and introduced a Min Spec Mode. You can run this baby on a Intel HD 520 graphics potato, so dads still using old laptops or personal computers for gaming will feel appreciated. This is an uncommon occurrence nowadays since RTS tend to be pretty demanding processor-wise, but I think it was a judicious marketing decision based on the game´s target audience.</p><p><br></p><p>However, you REALLY want to play this game the way devs intended. We recommend building a <a href='https://www.clxgaming.com/gaming-pc/gmset0000001mk/configure' data-mce-href='https://www.clxgaming.com/gaming-pc/gmset0000001mk/configure'>personal computer for gaming</a> powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G 3.9GHz, coupled with an RX 570 for good measure. RAM is important here for speed, so you better get 16GB to cover all your bases.</p><p><br></p><p>Getting the latest Age Of Empires release is a great excuse for you to get a new gaming PC. Or you can surprise your beloved parent with a new personal computer for gaming and a copy of AoE4.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus='1'></p><p><br data-mce-bogus='1'></p>","id":"p0","sort_index":0,"type":"paragraph"}],"mid_image_path":"age-of-empires-4-mid.jpg","sid":"pc-gaming-esports-news","small_image_path":"age-of-empires-4-small.jpg","sub_title":"After decades of remasters and re-releases, Relic has finally launched the fourth installment of their acclaimed, and still widely played, Age Of Empires series.","title":"Age Of Empires 4: Get ready to collect next-gen sheep!"}
