As expected, the Age of Empires IV Fan Preview event took place this weekend, where, after a long period of silence, we learned new details about the next installment of the legendary real-time strategy saga, Age of Empires IV, previewing a new trailer with real images of the game, a window for its release date, and even the arrival of an early access beta.
Age of Empires IV previews trailer
From what we’ve seen in the trailer, many elements of the series’ most popular entry, Age of Empires II, appear to be present in Age of Empires IV. Including up to eight civilizations at launch, we got a glimpse of some of the unique aspects of each civilization, revealing the arrival of the Delhi Sultanate and the Chinese Empire as new additions to the previously previewed Mongolian people or the English colonists, and some new aspects of the combat mechanics.
Historical battles that look epic in scale, with even more credibility thanks to their historical setting that should make the battles even more fascinating. Also, the game will include some new additions such as the implemented physics of environment destruction, with which we will see walls and buildings collapse.
However, there have already been numerous fans who have pointed out the notorious graphic change of the game, comparing the models of the first installments with those shown in this trailer. And it indeed seems that many of the basic units have been simplified to less realistic designs and colors, although it does not mean a step backward graphically.
A controversy that reminds us of the aesthetic change of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, initially criticized for opting for simpler “toon” graphics instead of greater realism, to later become one of the favorite deliveries of the fans.
Age of Empires IV will not only arrive under these visual changes, but adding also a new user interface, but as a completely new installment within this saga, with a lot of new mechanics in addition to the new campaign gameplay.
So far, up to four historical campaigns have been confirmed, asymmetric designs for the different civilizations, as well as some strategic details that will make new use of the fog of war, being able for the first time to hide troops among the trees to carry out ambushes.
Last but not least, the end of this short five-minute video leaves us without a doubt one of the best news: its release date. Age of Empires IV has already confirmed its official release for this fall, available through Steam and Microsoft Store, in addition to its presence as part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription for PC from its first day of availability.
Even more interesting, though, is the fact that Relic Entertainment is already preparing an early closed beta, with the developer itself urging interested players to register as an “Age Insider” on its official website for a chance to gain access.
