The wait is over! Age of Empires IV has officially been released.

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned veteran of the Age of Empires series, Age of Empires IV introduces a fresh experience for everyone. After gathering a wealth of information in recent weeks, we’ve put together a quick-start guide to help you jump right in!

Where is the best place to begin?

Activities to engage in during Age IV

The core gameplay of Age of Empires IV, similar to earlier versions, is simple: venture into your surroundings, collect resources, and utilize them to create military forces and construct buildings.

As you develop your civilization, your goal is to confront your rival with the complete might of your empire and achieve victory.

In Age of Empires IV, there are three distinct paths to secure a win:

  1. Decisive Triumph – Unleash the full power of your forces to obliterate your rival’s landmarks.
  2. Divine Triumph – Plan effectively to capture and hold key locations on the map.
  3. Wonder Victory – Construct the Wonder of your civilization and defend it against your rival within a specified time frame.

Mission Zero

For newcomers eager to discover the excitement surrounding the game but lacking experience in Real Time Strategy titles, Mission Zero offers an excellent opportunity to grasp the fundamentals effortlessly.

Mission Zero will initiate automatically the first time you start the game. Serving as a tutorial, it will guide you through the essential aspects of a match in Age of Empires IV.

  • Gathering materials: Food, Timber, Gold, and Stone.
  • Generating villagers from the Town Center, who serve as the essential units of your civilization responsible for gathering resources.
  • Building resource drop-off locations, residences, and various structures using your materials.
  • Organizing and leading armed forces for combat.
  • Progressing to the subsequent Era, which provides more powerful units, structures, and enhancements.

The Strategy of Warfare

Following that, apply the skills and insights you’ve acquired from Mission Zero to tackle the Art of War challenges! These challenges are an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with various mechanics and strategies that can be employed in an Age of Empires IV game.

The challenges consist of distinct scenarios designed to help you hone various strategies and techniques, with each scenario awarding you a bronze, silver, or gold medal depending on your performance.

In Age of Empires IV, players can tackle five distinct Art of War challenges.

  1. Early Economy – Discover the process of building a Landmark and progressing from Age 1 (Dark Age) to Age 2 (Feudal Age).

2. Late Economy – Discover strategies for establishing a thriving economy and progressing to the Imperial Age with a robust financial foundation.

3. Fundamental Combat – Discover how to utilize the unit counter mechanism and the landscape to achieve victory over your adversaries.

4. Introductory Siege – Discover fundamental siege machinery and techniques for employing them to overpower your adversaries.

5. Final Assault – Discover the mechanics of Trebuchets and Bombards and employ them to dismantle an opposing stronghold.

These challenges aim to enhance your skills while also stretching your capabilities. You might not earn a gold medal on your initial attempt, so use this opportunity to further develop your approach and enhance your abilities. With persistence, you’ll surpass simply achieving gold in these challenges!

Campaign

Once you’ve grasped the fundamentals, you’re ready to jump into your inaugural game! Whether you prefer Campaign or Multiplayer, there’s an option to suit every taste.

The campaigns in Age of Empires IV consist of narrative-driven, single-player missions that immerse you in significant historical events. While progressing through these campaigns, you will have the opportunity to unlock short documentaries known as Hands on History, which provide insights into the historical background of the missions you undertake.

There are four primary campaigns, each consisting of multiple missions:

  • The Norman Expedition
  • The Century-Long Conflict
  • The Mongolian Empire
  • The Ascendancy of Moscow

For more information on the campaigns, feel free to explore this link. We suggest beginning with the Norman Campaign, as it offers an excellent chance to enhance your skills while immersing yourself in the captivating history and gameplay of Age of Empires IV.

Multiplayer

Are you in search of a more personalized experience? The multiplayer mode allows you to compete against friends, AI, or other players online in fast-paced skirmishes. There are two primary categories within multiplayer:

  1. VS players – Compete in real-time against actual challengers.
  2. VS AI – Compete against four distinct AI difficulty levels, ranging from Easy to Hardest, with the option for cooperative play.

After you get accustomed to multiplayer games, consider tackling the Daily Quests to gain additional experience. Some examples of these Daily Quests are:

  • French Triumph – Achieve victory in a game while playing as the French.
  • Defense: Springald Installation – Enhance two structures with springald installations during gameplay.
  • Create: Naval Vessels – Construct 5 Naval Vessels during a game.

We trust that you will relish exploring everything that Age of Empires IV presents and turning history into your own narrative.

A new era is upon us!

Steps to Buy Age of Empires IV

Accessible through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on Windows 10/11, as well as on Steam and the Microsoft Store, starting October 28.

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