So after not touching the game for two years for various reasons I finally decided to take the plunge and try it out again and I have to say I now really appreciate some of the elements I overlooked before. I’m having fun. I kept up with the game through updates and such, but I became hesitant to give it another try.
My favorite aspect of the game is the landmarks which are much more interesting to me than TAD as someone who comes from AoE3. The landmarks offer a lot of dynamism in gameplay and strategy.
The civs have just enough depth to keep me engaged. Interestingly, I find myself enjoying the city-building aspect, which I never thought I’d say about an AoE game. I love the auras that provide bonus’. The bases end up being aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The maps are also nice to look at.
AoEIV got about 15hrs out of me when it first came out but I knew I owed it a revisit at some point because it is part of my most cherished and oldest franchise. I’m glad I stopped thinking about trying it out again and just did it. It’ll never be a favorite as I prefer the oddballs of the franchises being AoE3 and AoM but AoEIV has won me over and there is another AoE experience I can enjoy which is just awesome.
I’m looking forward to more content and DLC. The civ design will lend itself well to Mesoamerica I feel. I would still like to see improvements to Siege, an increase in fauna variety on the maps, and a general expansion of singleplayer content. I now appreciate the potential that the game possesses.
The landmarks are nice because it makes the aging up decision more interesting. In AoE2 for example you only decide WHEN to age up. In AoE4 you decide WHEN, WHERE, HOW, and HOW QUICKLY.
Same here. I really like the looks of the cities you can create. Mine end up looking chaotic most of the time, but the AI and some players I played with (I hardly ever play against other people) were really able to build gorgeous cities. The Byzantines AI can create some beautiful “collection of villages” - especially on some MegaRandom maps and in the mediterranean biome.
The fact that every civ ends up with minor or major differences because of their playstyle is something that this game displays better than the other AOE titles, imo.
fingers crossed
I also take some shorter breaks from the game from time to time, but it really has something going for it
One thing I forgot to praise in the initial post is performance. The performance is flawless with no FPS drops or stuttering; it’s as smooth as silk for me.
I haven’t touched the more difficult civs yet but they look quite interesting to play and discover. Giving AoEIV another shot is like meeting an old new friend in the AoE tree.
