Age of Empires IV

Age of Empires IV is a real-time strategy video game developed by Relic Entertainment in partnership with World's Edge and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is the fourth installment of the Age of Empires series, and the first installment not developed by Ensemble Studios. The game was released on October 28, 2021 for Windows, and on August 22, 2023 for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

Setting
The developer team states that the game is set during the Early Middle Ages to the early Renaissance, with the earliest appearance of any civilization being in the year 750.

Civilizations
There are 16 civilizations available in the game, with ten being available with the purchase of the base game known as Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition and six with The Sultans Ascend expansion, with four of the expansion civilizations being "variant civilizations" that are changed versions of other previously released civilizations.

There were eight civilizations available at the original release of the game. Two civilizations, the Ottomans and Malians, were added on 25 October 2022, a year after release for free.

Campaigns
The game has six single-player campaigns:
 * The Rise of a King (exclusive to console versions): a tutorial campaign, focusing on the basics of the game (1047–1066)
 * The Rise of Moscow: about the rise of Grand Duchy of Moscow amongst other Rus' principalities (1238-1375)
 * The Normans: about the Norman conquest of England and conflicts of subsequent English kings (1066–1217)
 * The Hundred Years War: a conflict between England and France (1351–1450)
 * The Mongol Empire: expansion of one of the largest empires of all time (1223–1273)
 * The Sultans Ascend: Crusades from the perspective of the Muslims (1111–1426)

Ages
The game features four Ages, the same as those in Age of Empires II Dark Age, Feudal Age, Castle Age, and Imperial Age. Advancing through Ages does not happen at the Town Center but by constructing Landmarks.

Units
Unlike Age of Empires and Age of Empires II, all civilizations have at least one unique unit replacing a generic unit, which fills in the same role as a common unit but has some statistics changed. The game features the following types of common units:
 * Land units
 * Non-combat
 * Villager (gathers resources, constructs and repairs buildings)
 * Trader (trades with trade post and market buildings to generate gold)
 * Monk/Shaman/Imam (religious unit collects relics, captures sacred sites, heals allied units, and converts enemy units)
 * Melee infantry
 * Spearman (light melee infantry, anti-cavalry unit)
 * Man-at-Arms (heavy melee infantry, general purpose unit)
 * Ranged infantry
 * Archer (light ranged infantry, anti-light melee infantry unit)
 * Crossbowman (light ranged infantry, anti-heavy unit)
 * Handcannoneer (light ranged gunpowder infantry, general purpose unit)
 * Melee cavalry
 * Scout (light melee cavalry effective in exploring the world and herding sheep)
 * Horseman (light melee cavalry, anti-ranged unit)
 * Knight/Lancer (heavy melee cavalry, general purpose unit)
 * Siege units (Battering Ram, Siege Tower, Mangonel, Counterweight Trebuchet, Springald, Bombard)

Combat naval units come in flavours. Basically civilizations have different cosmetics (name and graphics) for their ships, which are all equal in statistics, unless changed by bonuses or technologies.
 * Naval units
 * Non-combat (Fishing Boat, Trade Ship, Transport Ship)
 * Military ships
 * Archer Ship (anti-incendiary Ship)
 * Incendiary Ship (anti-broadside ship)
 * Springald Ship (broadside ship, anti-archer Ship)
 * Warship (higher range broadside ship with cannons)

Sometimes, to add flavour to a civilization, some units are replaced by other units which fill the same role differently and are available only to that civilization. In addition, some civilizations have some unique units, like the Mangudai for the Mongols, which is a Light Ranged Cavalry (which are only available to some civilizations), or the Galleass for the French, which is a special type of ship.

The Malians are the most asymmetric civilization according to their units. They do not feature Crossbowmen and Men-at-Arms at all, and have both of their Light Melee Cavalry lines merged into one.

Buildings
Most civilizations have the same roster of buildings:
 * Economic - Farm, House, Lumber Camp, Mill, Mining Camp, Market, Town Center
 * Military - Archery Range, Barracks, Dock, Siege Workshop, Stable
 * Technology - Blacksmith, University/Madrasa
 * Defensive - Keep, Outpost, Palisade Wall, Palisade Gate, Stone Wall, Stone Wall Gate, Stone Wall Tower
 * Religious - Monastery, Mosque, Prayer Tent
 * Wonder

Sometimes, a civilization has replacement building which fill the same role differently and are available to only that civilization. They may also have unique buildings.

Landmarks
In addition, every civilization except the Abbasid Dynasty has six Landmarks (two each in Dark, Feudal, and Castle Ages). Building any one advances them to the next Age. Each Landmark is special in its own way. The Chinese are unique in that they can build both of their Landmarks to enable a Dynasty. The Abbasid Dynasty has a single Landmark with the option of four Wings, with all choices open. Researching any Wing will advance them, except the fourth Wing which can be researched but does not advance them to a fifth Age.

Development
On August 21, 2017, Microsoft announced Age of Empires IV, developed by Relic Entertainment. Microsoft's Executive Vice-president of Gaming, Phil Spencer, confirmed on June 11, 2019, that Age of Empires IV was still in development, with more information coming later in 2019. On November 14, 2019, gameplay footage of Age of Empires IV was shown at the X019 event. It showed medieval warfare between English and Mongol forces. On March 16, 2021, the fan preview was released, showing more detailed gameplay and also including the two other known civilizations, the Chinese and the Delhi Sultanate. Microsoft announced at E3 2021 that the game will be released on Game Pass for PC on October 28, 2021. The game released on October 28, 2021, having been developed using the Essence Engine.

Soundtrack
The game's voiceovers were recorded using historical pronunciation of each language. In-game music was written by Dynamedion composers Tilman Sillescu (main theme, menu music, trailers, Mongols, Holy Roman Empire), Alexander Röder (Chinese, English, Ottomans), Henning Nugel (Rus', Abbasid, Malians, Byzantines), Armin Haas (Delhi Sultanate, Malians), Christian Wirtz (Ottomans, Byzantines), Nicolai Patricio (Japanese), Dominik Morgenroth (Japanese) and also Mikolai Stroinski (French). The soundtrack is also available as part of the additional content of the Digital Deluxe Edition on Steam.

Expansions
The game received a free expansion with its one-year anniversary update on 25 October 2022, which added two new civilizations, the Ottomans and Malians.

The game's second expansion, titled The Sultans Ascend, was released on 14 November 2023, including two new civilizations, the Byzantines and Japanese, in addition to four variant civilizations which feature Jeanne d'Arc, the Order of the Dragon, Zhu Xi, and the Ayyubids, and a new 8-mission campaign.

Reception
The game received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic.

IGN summed up their review by saying "Age of Empires 4 is an enjoyable RTS throwback that often plays it too safe, but excels when it doesn't." Rachel Weber of GamesRadar+ praised the variety of the civilizations, writing, "each has been meticulously designed to offer different gameplay experiences". Game Informer liked the history videos between missions, but criticized how the game didn't seem to innovate on the formula of its predecessor, feeling that Age of Empires IV "lacks any ambition to even gently jostle the standards set by Age of Empires II decades earlier". Hayes Madsen of CGMagazine summed up his 10/10 review by saying "Age of Empires IV is a bold and ambitious evolution of the series, and quite likely one of the best RTS games ever made."

The Washington Post enjoyed the campaign balancing describing it as how "Every battle feels like it could tip any way at any moment" and that there was a "magic to this design". VG247 felt that the game's commitment to historical accuracy set it apart from its strategy game peers "making Age of Empires 4 more than just another medieval combat simulator". PCGamesN's Ian Boudreau praised the Art of War tutorials, saying they were "hugely helpful for new players who want to understand the nuts and bolts of successful economy management".

Robert Zak of PC Gamer felt the distinct civilizations were the fourth entry's greatest triumph, calling "the visual and strategic" variety "one of the most significant evolutions in the series". He criticized how he felt the game whitewashed history, saying its "squeaky-clean presentation skirts around the ickier parts of history". Polygon felt the simplifications from Age of Empire 2's mechanics benefited the game, saying that the changes led "its complications [to] come more from decision-making and strategy than from the minute details of mechanical plays". Darryn Bonthuys of GameSpot called the game "satisfying", praising the historically educational campaign as well as the uniqueness of the factions. He criticized the dated visuals and the lack of innovation regarding the standard Age of Empires formula, saying that the game "rarely ventures out of its comfort zone".

Awards and accolades
Age of Empires IV won the award for "Best Sim/Strategy Game" at The Game Awards 2021. It also won the award for "Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year" at the 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.