Age of Empires IV brings the series back to the Middle Ages, and it does so with a confidence the franchise has not shown in years. Developed by Relic Entertainment in partnership with World’s Edge and published by Xbox Game Studios, this is the fourth installment in the Age of Empires line. It is the second game set during the Middle Ages, following Age of Empires II, and the first in the series not made by Ensemble Studios. It launched on October 28, 2021 for Windows.
The game arrived with a Metacritic score of 8.4 out of 10. That number is worth keeping in view, because Age of Empires IV earns it — not by reinventing real-time strategy, but by remembering what made the genre work in the first place.
Trailer, via XBOX.
The Early Middle Ages to the Early Renaissance
Relic and World’s Edge set the game across a wide stretch of history. The developer team states that Age of Empires IV runs from the Early Middle Ages to the early Renaissance. The earliest appearance of any civilization in the game is the year 750.
That span gives the game its shape. You are not fighting one war. You are moving through centuries, and the civilizations you command carry the weight of that timeline with them. The historical theme is not decoration here. It is the spine of the whole thing.
Bird View, Isometric, and a Familiar Foundation
Gameplay is mostly similar to Age of Empires II. That is the key fact, and it is not a complaint. The perspective is bird view, or isometric. You build, you expand, you fight. The modes cover single player, multiplayer, and co-operative play.
The genres are real-time strategy and strategy, with historical and warfare themes. If you have played Age of Empires II, you will recognize the rhythm within minutes. The question is whether recognition is enough.
What the 4K Visual Fidelity Actually Changes
The game promises stunning 4K visual fidelity, and it delivers a cleaner read of the battlefield than the older entries. Vast landscapes, familiar and innovative new ways to expand your empire. That combination is the pitch.
Here is the tension. The visuals are modern. The structure is not. Age of Empires IV wants to bring an evolved real-time strategy game to a new generation, but its evolution is careful rather than bold. It refines. It does not gamble.
A Series Without Ensemble Studios
This is the first installment not developed by Ensemble Studios, and that matters. Relic Entertainment took over, working with World’s Edge. The result is a game that respects the blueprint while carrying a different studio’s fingerprints.
| Feature | Age of Empires IV | Age of Empires II |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Relic Entertainment, with World’s Edge | Ensemble Studios |
| Setting | Early Middle Ages to early Renaissance | Middle Ages |
| Earliest civilization | Year 750 | Not stated |
| Gameplay | Mostly similar to Age of Empires II | Baseline for the series |
| Release | October 28, 2021 (Windows) | Earlier entry |
The table tells the story plainly. Age of Empires IV is a sequel that measures itself against Age of Empires II at every turn, and it knows it.
Platforms and the Long Tail
Age of Empires IV did not stay on one platform. It released on October 28, 2021 for Windows, then on August 22, 2023 for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. A PlayStation 5 version followed on November 4, 2025.
That rollout is unusually long. It suggests a game that kept finding players rather than one that burned bright and faded. For a real-time strategy title, that is not nothing. The genre has never been a natural fit for consoles, and the Xbox versions had to solve that problem.
Where the Game Stands
Age of Empires IV is the second game in the series set during the Middle Ages, and the comparison to Age of Empires II is unavoidable. The older game is beloved. This one is good.
The modes are complete. Single player, multiplayer, and co-operative all work. The historical theme holds from the Early Middle Ages to the early Renaissance. The 4K fidelity gives the battles a clarity the series needed.
What it does not do is surprise you. The “familiar and innovative new ways” the game advertises lean heavily toward familiar. The innovation is real but modest. If you wanted a reinvention, this is not it. If you wanted Age of Empires II with sharper edges and a longer historical reach, this is exactly it.
The Verdict on Age of Empires IV
The 8.4 out of 10 is fair. Age of Empires IV returns the series to glory on its own terms, and those terms are conservative. Relic Entertainment built a game that understands its audience and refuses to alienate it.
That is a legitimate choice, and it produces a legitimate game. The co-operative mode extends the life of the thing. The multiplayer gives it a competitive floor. The single-player campaign carries the historical theme from the year 750 forward.
But the series’ best days were defined by risk as much as polish. Age of Empires IV polishes. It rarely risks. The result is a strong entry that sits comfortably beside Age of Empires II rather than above it.
For a franchise that spent years away, comfortable is a real achievement. It is also a ceiling. Age of Empires IV proves the formula still works. It does not prove the formula can grow.
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