Just to be clear what we are talking about:
AOE1 DE
AOE2 DE
AOE3 DE
AOE4
Note that all of these screenshots were taken from a google images search, and the AOE4 shots are from the results of a google images search for technical stress test images only search. You will find ‘better’ looking AOE4 shots, but they aren’t from the stress test and they have a zoom level which you cannot even get in the technical stress test version of the game, which is the only version I think we are even allowed to comment on or give screenshots from. I wasn’t invited to the previous betas so I couldn’t have screenshots anyhow.
Please look at these pictures as objectively as possible and tell me with a straight face that AOE4 has better, 2021 next gen graphics that make you be like ‘wow this is the best AOE game ever, I’m going to pay 4x the price!’. It is certainly debatable whether AOE 4 graphics are even ‘equal’ to the others or not.