Gamescom 2023 is well underway, with reveals, trailers and announcements going off rapid fire. In the spirit of making a splash at this year's event, Microsoft has surprised Xbox fans with a stealthy release of Age of Empires IV on Xbox consoles.
The real-time strategy game developed by Relic Entertainment in partnership with World's Edge has only been available to PC players since its debut in 2021, but now, in an unexpected announcement, Age of Empires 4: Anniversary Edition is available to play on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles.
A cheerful note for Games Pass subscribers: Age of Empires 4 is also available to play through the subscription service, giving you quick and easy access to the historical RTS.
Set in a time between the Medieval period and the Renaissance, players get the opportunity to command legendary civilizations such as the English, Mongols, Chinese, and Delhi Sultanate. Each civilization comes with its own unique units, structures, and technologies, allowing players to tailor their strategies to suit their preferred playstyle.
The game's attention to historical accuracy shines through in its authentic representation of each civilization's strengths and weaknesses, immersing players in the challenges and triumphs of the past. With improved graphics and advanced gameplay mechanics, Age of Empires 4 breathes new life into the beloved franchise.
The game's visually stunning landscapes and detailed units enhance the overall experience, while its intuitive controls make it accessible to both newcomers and long-time fans of the series. As players embark on campaigns or engage in competitive multiplayer battles, they must learn how to balance resource management, military tactics, and diplomacy to outwit their opponents.
Since RTS games heavily rely on keyboard input, porting such games to consoles is a challenging undertaking for any developer. Fortunately, World's Edge, Climax Studios, and Relic Entertainment developers have successfully accomplished this through the use of sticks, bumpers, and buttons as the main control method.
However, for those players who would rather stick with the keyboard and mouse input system, the console ports include support for these functionalities. Unfortunately, Age of Empires 4 does not support cross-platform for multiplayer between the console versions and PC.