My review with a particolar mention to graphic

[jimmy19846071]

Here we are. I’m pretty sure some of you were waiting for my review due i’m the “guy of the merged graphic thread”. (lol).

So, i’m going to say what i’ve already explained during the closed beta.

1. gameplay: is AOE and it’s enough. If you have read my threads and posts i always said that gameply was pretty good and i’m going to confirm this.
   the general feeling during the campaigns and skirkmish it’s really good as you can see from this little videos:
   - YouTube
   - YouTube
   What i would like to see:
   a) adding strategic options: for example building traps for enemies, stole the enemy siege weapons, formations wich have a realistic use. And it would be really cool to have heavy infantry which stand up their shield against the arrows;
   b) more realistic buildings destruction. It’s not good for me
   - YouTube;

c) fix the arrows animation and the fire effects

2. Documentaries: these are very good adds to this game and their production value are remarkable.
   - YouTube
   However i really hope to see more cinematics intro or in-engine scenes for next campaigns;

3. sounds and music: nothing to say here. These are simply amazing. Really glad to see how music and civilizations own languag can help with immersion. Great. 10/10 for me;

4. Ambient and terrains: these are very good and i seen developers improved them: rivers water and terrain itself now look very good and different from the closed beta and stress test. And i’m pretty sure they will be ever better with the next updates and Dlc;

5. Buildings size: Developers should give the possibility to change it on graphic settings, maybe with a graphic DLC. I can understand the readability purpose but man, those are going to totally destroy the immersion for me. Stable are very small in comparison to soldiers and the historical buildings are too small too. They should give a epic feelings for me but they seem to coming from the Hobbit’s world. And please, could we have some animations for horses in the stable and for chickens?

6. GAIA (animals, fauna and more): please, try do add more diversity for each regions and biomes. We have wolves, wild boars and deers for every maps. Also these elements are very important for the immersion. Aoe3de have implemented this feature;

7)Crew for siege weapons: i agree with all of people who actually would like to have crews for weapons. I mean, sounds and effects for them are very good but it’s only to strange to see all of these weapons moving alone. I don’t think that one or two people for each weapons would impact so hard on gameplay. You should try to implement them;

- YouTube

8) Graphics (models quality and textures): this is the most controversial element for this game and it appears also in many professional reviews. I don’t think the main models are ugly but they need of some improvements. I tried to make different screenshots for every units of Dheli, English and China civilizations. In this version of the game, developers chosed to block the zoom in so i have to play with the same map “mongolian Hills” and put the units on the hills theirself. Only in this way i can show you how they appear closely. All images are taken with all maximu settings and 4k resolution (RTX 3080). Click on them to see at native resolution.

[jimmy19846071]

English

[jimmy19846071]

Delhi Sultanate

gif foto

[jimmy19846071]

China

as you clearly see most of models are not detailed and the most critical elements are:

1. weapons: they seem plastic. For example, the spears seem pencils. Developers should absolutely improve them. They don’t help with readability but are very very ugly and unrealistic;
2. chainmails and armourw: smost of models seem don’t have chainmail but clothes and it’s just funny. In this case we don’t ask impossible changes because some models already have good textures for chainmail
   English cavalrymen
   

3)faces and hands: yes i know, some of you will say: why should you want to see the faces of soldiers? Immersion, simply immersion. Most of units have too low textures about that.

However i have to admit that developers are starting to improving some models as you can see about heavy cavalry of delhi sultanate.

And there are other two units which seem pretty detailed in my opinion: the elephants drivers.

This means that developers already have some good models and it would be cool if they could improve all models and make them more detailed and realistic.

So, this game is pretty good but unfortunately the textures quality is broking the immersion for me. Developers already created the “Min Spec Mode" for all of people who don’t have good PC to play Aoe4. So please, give to players who would like to have more graphic details the possibility to play with more realism and immersion.
I know you have different priorities for the next updates and Dlc but i’ll ask you this:
Is there any chance to see a Graphic DLC or “a 4k textures DLC”?

Dear Relic and World’s Edge, I really appreciated your efforts on this legendary franchise. You are doing your best. With more improvementes this game could become one of the best RTS ever made. But please, hear what community ask.

Cheers, Jimmy.

[OperaticShip743]

I agree with everything! It seems you read my mind.

The interface should also be artistically improved, and also give the player the option to increase the size of the trees. The trees have a good design, but the color looks very plastic and they don’t look natural.

I also expected cinematics like in AOE-3 for the campaigns.

[Tapiseiro]

I really hate golden armor.

[jimmy19846071]

Yes, developers used too much Gold but i think they could go with iron and steel as well.

[AssertiveWall20]

Graphics looked like a smudgey mess for me at first, but then I remembered aoe3de had this issue also so I turned off the anti aliasing. So much better! I can even see all the logs and bricks on the Rus buildings now!