Age of Empires 4 Gameplay Shows Off 4K Combat In Action
Xbox Game Studios has showcased some stunning Age of Empires 4 gameplay shortly before the highly anticipated release date next week. It's been 18 years since Age of Empires 3 was released, but various mods have kept the community alive. Now the real-time strategy sim (RTS) is back and we have some new Age of Empires 4 gameplay to gush over.
The Age of Empires 4 gameplay released on the official YouTube channel and showcased 38 minutes of a battle between the French and Chinese. With Age of Empires 4’s full release arriving on October 28th, it’s not long before we can get into the action ourselves.
Age of Empires 4 Gameplay Showcases New Features
The Age of Empires 4 gameplay shows both the French and Chinese armies utilise their various unique skill traits. The Chinese, for example, have double production speeds, meaning they can build and repair their structures incredibly fast. This can be fantastic for those defensive plays. However, to counter that, the French have excellent artillery forces, which decimates buildings quickly.
Relic Entertainment has been working its way through the various forces that will feature in Age of Empires 4 in a video series. The French were the focus of the latest video, highlighting the army's relatively low training costs. Players that construct archery ranges and stables within French Keeps will be able to train units cheaper than other civilisations.
The advantages of the French don’t stop there, however. They can also develop economic technologies like windmills far cheaper, and town centres much quicker. However, the real focus of the French, highlighted by the Age of Empires 4 gameplay, is their cavalry, which makes them deadly on the frontline.
Civilisations facing off against the French have to focus on front line defences if they wish to succeed. This also highlights that the French may focus too heavily on that aspect, creating a potential weakness elsewhere.
The variants on show for the French showcases just how diverse gameplay situations will be in Age of Empires 4, requiring players to outthink and outmanoeuvre their enemies.
Age of Empires 4 Gameplay Will Have Plenty To Offer
Click to enlargeComing in at 38 minutes in length, the Age of Empire 4 gameplay showcasing the battle between the French and Chinese was just one of many. Age of Empires 4 will feature four different campaigns which span 35 missions and 500 years of history. The historical battles will range from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance, giving players plenty of variations of their favourite civilisation.
What’s even better is that Age of Empires 4 will not feature any microtransactions. It’s nice to see a franchise as old as Age of Empires refusing to conform to the controversial modern game release model. This means that the content of the highly anticipated RTS will all come with launch. Well... not quite all of it. Sadly, mod support won’t arrive on launch, but Relic Entertainment has promised that it is coming in 2022.
Considering how long previous Age of Empires games were supported with post-launch updates, we look forward to the same happening with Age of Empires 4.
Age of Empires 4 Gameplay Looks Incredible In 4K
Click to enlargeAs more Age of Empires 4 gameplay releases, we can’t get enough of its refreshing 4K visuals. Developed in the latest version of Essence Engine, Age of Empires 4 features some stunning details, especially for building and environment destruction. Keeping its signature top-down perspective, players get a birds-eye view of the carnage that unfolds across rolling green hills, and dense period architecture.
The visual improvements on show in the Age of Empires 4 gameplay will easily prove this to be the most immersive instalment of the series, and with mod support on its way, we can’t wait to see what takes will be possible in Age of Empires 4. Most recently, a new Doom was made within Age of Empire 2.
Keep your eyes peeled on GGRecon for more Age of Empires 4 guides and a review when the game launches later this month.