Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition

AOE4, a game where you spend 30 minutes building an empire... and lose it in 30 seconds.

I can not Recommend this game, You save a game and the game updates the next day, It invalidates ALL your saved game's. For simple, I had good game saved and it says can't load due to Update. So when the game updates, it Invalidates your saved games, This is unacceptable. Other update today and all the Saved Games are once again Invalid yet again. Microsoft has lost their ways, The Developers do not care about the game or the players

I've been playing the AoE series since elementary school. Ensemble created an awesome series, and Relic continues to iterate upon it. Because Relic is different, they try new things, making each Civilization feel unique with different strategies. In previous games, the opening moves were almost the same. In AoE IV, you could do that as well, but you'll be at a disadvantage not playing to your Civ's strengths. Likewise, the community (Reddit/Discord) is very supportive and helpful. I have no significant complains. Campaigns are shorter than in previous games. The muitiplayer community could be toxic. The AI needs some TLC on 1v1 maps. If you love the Age series, I cannot recommend this enough.

This game has a lot of maphackers. Who in the hell makes a competitive RTS game with Fog of War information stored on the client side...

The playerbase so small, that you play same people on the same maps. In ranked you have the option to play 10 maps and ban 4 of them. From the remaining 6 maps you will play 1 or 2 maps over and over again bcs there are not enough players chosing to play something other then the standard. And you will be stuck on the same maps with the same players over and over again. If you like monotony gameplayes this one is for you. E.g form 40 games i got only 2 games on one map 10+ on the most played ones.

Age of Empires IV is a return to a more classic AoE formula from AoE 3, a game that took the series in a different direction to somewhat polarizing results (at least, that's what I remember at the time, I could just be misremembering). In theory, that could be a good thing- I think Age of Empires 2 is the most "classic" Age of Empires experience, and I have fond memories growing up of playing all kinds of community maps and running through the campaigns of Age of Empires 2. What Age of Empires IV, in theory, aims to achieve is a grand return to form, and I think to some extent it does... but in other ways it doesn't. The graphical updates are actually very strong, and while it's not a graphical powerhouse it has an aesthetic and direction that is both inoffensive to people who enjoy the franchise and newcomers alike, while being generally appealing. The gameplay loop returns to a more classic formula, with a few innovations that make sense and work well. The community features are now much more readily integrated into the game through an in game community mod and map browser. However, these feel somewhat mediocre in light of how the game has aged, or failed to do so. What do I mean by that? Well, if you look at my playtime, I obviously have some very strong opinions for someone who has played relatively little on Steam, and that's because I played AoE4 at launch on GamePass. I enjoyed it, but found the amount of content somewhat lacking and at the time I felt there was a need for polish. And while some of the roughest edges did get addressed, AoE IV still has the problem of being the weakest entry in the series in terms of width. With only ten civilizations in the Anniversary Edition (eight at launch) and the removal of team synergies (something that added depth to team compositions in AoE 2 and was part of the deck building in AoE 3) there just isn't a lot of content compared to previous entries, and while the civilizations are well done and somewhat more diverse than in AoE 2 what it does feel like is that some of the more interesting factions are locked behind DLC. Which is ultimately one of the reasons why this is a not recommended. In a trend that's increasingly common in modern games, it does feel like a good portion of the game's content, including some pretty basic map types, civilizations (though some of these are just variants, so not even entirely new civilizations), and campaigns (which at least make sense) are locked behind DLC in a way that feels like the game was designed to be trickled. While I'm not necessarily defending the other games in the franchise (AoE 3 also launched with eight civilizations, for example, though the DLC added some really transformative and unique civilizations instead of just variants) it's just hard to recommend Age of Empires IV on Steam in the context of that detail. For $40 on Steam, vs. AoE 3 DE that has more content for $20, AoE 2 DE has much more content for $35, and while they both have issues with DLC of varying value I don't think AoE 4 AE brings competitive value. Part of the problem is that AoE 4 AE just has some issues that don't land. For all the attention to detail and coolness of the updates, villagers will clip through your town center- for a game designed to sell the immersion of your development through things like adding environmental feelies as you add more houses in an area, not setting a bounding box a little further out is an oversight. The rock-paper-scissors gameplay is still here, but after the various mercenaries and map villages you can enlist in AoE3 the roster feels small for some civilizations. It feels like a game that has been intentionally narrowed in scope, and that's not an entirely bad thing, but it does mean that the gameplay loop is not as wide or meaningful. I don't think AoE 4 is a bad game, but rather I just don't think it's worth the price tag in 2025- for what is essentially $70 to get the "full" game, which unfortunately is not an unusual price tag in 2025, you could pick up multiple other games including other AoE games that have stood the test of time better (if you don't care about graphics). I wasn't impressed with how the game evolved over time, and while the Definitive Editions of the other AoE games have their own problems with DLC I think it's fair to say that if you're here for nostalgia, it would be better to go to those instead. That said, the RTS genre is so dead as of late that if you are just looking for an RTS game you could do worse than AoE 4, just know that it will be holding out a hand for more money if you don't buy all the DLC as you scratch your head about why a slightly different variant of a map is locked behind a paywall.

I really wanted to love this game, but I can’t. I have really enjoyed playing AOE III Definitive Edition and Age of Mythology Retold. These are great games with solid graphics, enemy AI, and tons of customization to allow you to make the game what you want it to be. Sadly, this has none of that. The graphics are good if you accept the extremely limited camera angles they give you. I like the freedom to view the game from any angle so I did add in the free camera mod, which gives you the ability to zoom in or out as far as you want, rotate 360 degrees, etc. However, after using this mod I found that the graphics are very poor compared to AOE III DE and Age of Mythology Retold. If you zoom out (not even that far) everything disappears into a white cloud. The distance rendering is straight up awful. I really like to play Skirmish battles, but somehow, they even got this wrong. The number of maps is very limited, and the computer AI is awful compared to other AOE games. The computer-built towns are ugly, inefficient, and prevent their own units from moving around the map. The AI’s armies move illogically (yes, I have tried all the different difficulties and I don’t think the computer gets that much better on the higher difficulties), and the computer's only tactic is to swarm you. For some reason, they also left out many of the diplomacy and ally command abilities from the other games, again limiting your approach to play/win. This could be a great game. I love the time period and civilization options. If they would just upgrade it with the same features as AOE III DE or AOM-R this game would be stellar. Sadly, as is I would pass. I tried to fix the games shortcomings with Mods, but even they were not enough. I also think it's sad that a game that has been out for years has so many. shortcomings still present. It feels like they made half a game and said, “well, the modders will finish it”.

Such an amazing game, brings the nostalgic aspect while innovating on gameplay mechanics, look and feel. The ranked ladder system its addictive!

yes i like it i like the mechanism everything in this game is cool asf babe and thanks for the discounts G

Is it good? It does not try to reinvent AOE into something that its not. The graphics are good and UI is actually pretty decent. The biggest issue I have with the game is that it is empty. The base game is hollow because of the limited civilizations you can play. Yes there are DLC's, yes lots of games use DLC's and its all planned before launch. However with AOE IV it just feels very disjointed and hollow. The DLC's don't improve or add to the base game, they complete it. Don't buy at full price wait for at least a half off sale and just get everything. Or pass, kind of wish I had, its just annoying...good enough, but annoying.

There is no rejoin feature and recently me and a bunch of mates are getting kicked out of games from a syncing error with the servers. Without a rejoin feature and with people getting kicked out, I can't recommend this game. Fun otherwise

An All Time Classic. The more you learn, the more you appreciate the simplicity brought to a complex RTS system. A must play for sure.

The game is very fun. However, the AI opponents very often break. I've played two games now where I attack a few of the AI's villagers, and in return they send a small army which I fend off. After that, they just sit in their base and don't advance at all for the rest of the game.

Really good game, the graphics have gotten much better and even the AI play style has improved.

They changed the AI to just be impossibly difficult. The game lacks AI that plays like an actual player instead of just a buffed enemy. And then when you put AI on your team, they get steam rolled.

Not as good as AOE 3. The game runs too fast and is much harder.

The game now forces you to go through a tutorial even if you've joined a multiplayer session. That's the dumbest thing imaginable. No WASD camera movement anymore. When in the forced tutorial (during a multiplayer match, btw) you are not allowed to even open the game menu to quit or turn off the forced tutorial. You must force-close the game with Alt+F4. Whoever thought this was a good idea is an idiot.

Just great to play! Was a little less so at the beginning of its history, but with the option for mods that was added a few years ago, almost everything about your game can be customized! You can create historical battle scenes or new gamemodes!

帝国时代系列作为一个单机游戏经久不衰 但是如果单机游戏禁止使用修改器的话 那么我会停止继续游玩帝国时代系列 希望厂商不要将它应用在帝国时代二中 帝国时代对我来说只是一个单机游戏 从97年到25年 帝国时代的在线游戏部分我顶多使用过20次以内 从帝国时代一到四 每个游戏都是出了就买 但是帝国4出了 反作弊功能后 就已经很少碰了 你多人游戏禁止反作弊天经地义 但你单人游戏为啥要禁止？ 完全可以出个无网络无成就版本 成就系统对我来说也是毫无意义的 今天重新将游戏下载下来发现还是不可以用修改器 感到十分伤心

Same old AOE, but better graphics, nice new features. I Love it as much as I'd hoped to

For a game that's not my type, I sure did spend a lot of hours playing it. Seems like a great game for those who like games of its genre, but I just played it because my friends did. I had a good time anyways. Just don't get too competitive. Could cause issues.

A fantastic mix of captivating game play, alongside historical documentary information. Really fun and varied game to play.

Great game. Reminds me of the Empire Earth series, which I loved as a young guy.

Very fun multiplayer. I played it for 400 hours on game pass before I switched to steam. Always a good competitive game to come back to.

I keep getting dawged by easy A.I I am trash at this game complete doo doo, liquid ahh doo doo atp. But the game good fs on foenam twin icl.

There are a lot of play options, weapons, and building options which make the game fun.

A Solid Revival of a Classic RTS Age of Empires IV brings back the nostalgic RTS feel of AoE II, but with a modern engine and fresh historical campaigns. It sticks to what made the series great—strong economy management, tech trees, base building, and epic large-scale battles—while adding new layers of civilization-specific mechanics and polished visuals. Pros: ⚔️ Classic AoE gameplay with smoother mechanics 🏰 Civilizations feel distinct and well-balanced 📚 Campaigns are rich, educational, and immersive (with real history videos!) 🎨 Updated graphics and crisp sound design 🌐 Multiplayer is active and constantly evolving Cons: 👥 Limited civs at launch (expansions help this) 🧭 Some UI elements and hotkeys could be better 🤖 AI and pathfinding still need work in tight battle areas Verdict: If you're an AoE II veteran or an RTS fan looking for something that respects the classics while stepping into the modern age, AoE IV is absolutely worth playing. It’s not perfect, but it’s grown a lot since launch and is now a strong contender in the RTS space. 🟢 Would recommend, especially with friends or if you're into historical campaigns.

i have nothing profound to say just that i like AoE since i played it the very first time on my PlayStation as a kid and having this game now on my PC is just nice nostalgia plus i like the level of details and effort the guys put in to create it. thanks a lot!

good, but should include more Indian civs such as Marathas, ahoms, Cholas, rajputs, etc

Game is perfect. Been playing AOE/ RTS / every single AOE game since 2000 and this game is a fine addition to the catalog. If you enjoy history, the language development as you age up in this game + the campaign history lessons are a ton of fun. The sky is the limit regarding choices, strategies and creativity for military and economy plays. Could not recommend more!

Excellent addition to the franchise. Very large pool of civs considering how unique each of them feel. Simply fantastic. They didn't recreate Aoe2, and thank God. We already have that game and it slaps. Aoe4 will appeal to different things in you, and just like any game, may not be for everyone.

One of the best current RTS out right now. 10/10 for sure. DLC being 15 bucks might be a little steep but if you like the game enough its not bad.

One of the best RTS games. I hope they could add additional campaigns for their DLCs, like for the Japanese faction and such.

Great game, but for some reason, you cannot report someone who has left the game. This means matchmaking is constantly ruined when someone just leaves 10 mins into the game, wasting everyone's time, and there's nothing you can do about it. if you quit out after, and it happens enough times, you get banned yourself.

for an old hack like me just mouse control only it is fun, a little bit of plans and stratergy but just fun

Love the game. Love how its not easy at first and how much learning you need to do.

this iteration of Age of Empires is the best so far and has the most detail and variability. Every game is different and presents new challenges. Highly recommend

The game is realistic with a ton of features like farming and much more!

One of the best games of all time, coming from a dude with over 20k hours in FPS games, counter strike dating back from the og games to 2, very competitive and high octane pvp

Thoroughly enjoy this game, a fantastic iteration in a brilliant series

Wow, how have I not reviewed this game yet... I have over 1000 hours in it, how do you think I'll review it XD?! Seriously though, the game is incredible. The unique visuals and audio for each civilization are really well done, the game has the best sound design of any RTS, and I personally liked the documentary style campaigns, even if some of the scenarios got a little bit repetitive in some of the campaigns. The uniqueness of each civilization means there truly is a playstyle for everyone. The fact that my least favorite civ to play is many people's favorite is evidence of this. This game is THE complete modern RTS right now.

great i played AOE 2 for years and just got this its the same but so much better but it did buy this on sale for 17 dollars aud.

third class game, NO SAVE OPTION FOR MULTIPLAYER MODE? are u kidding me?even AOE 3 had it, makes no sense

Campaign is as fun as it is informative. Solid gameplay and graphics.

Honestly this is a pale and disappointing imitation of a better game. Graphically this will age like milk, lacking the ascetic and charm of the original AOE2. The factions feel bland and the campaigns are lacklustre, lacking the immersion of the original. I am talking really simple things like the lack of voiced lines in game, its all a single narrator, no french priest reminiscing over Attila brutal war through Europe or a captured crusader coming to terms with his captors treating him with respect and dignity. A lot of content is also paired off as DLC there is very few factions in the base game and only four campaigns to play through, nothing in Asia, India, south america or central Africa. Just buy AOE2

Good strategy game. Good historical info. However, version 3 had more various treasures, not sure why version 4 doesn't.

That nostalgia hit you hard when you play AOE. Its been over a decade this game brought up only emotions and never disappoints.

its a very cool game if you like things like this(battles, logical thinking, strategy,) and have a bit of time

Ending the match with an incoming massive Mongol horde to make you feel hopeless for a split second before declaring victory, is the sort of in-game moment, gaming needs more of, 10/10.

Very fun combat and base building. Really fun to play with friends!