The Age of Empires franchise is experiencing a bit of a resurgence. The first two games received definitive editions last year and have enjoyed critical and commercial success. Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition's recent Steam launch indicates the legendary series is far from finished, and rumors are spreading that Age of Empires IV is gearing up for a 2021 release. While nothing has been confirmed, it hasn't stopped fans from showing their enthusiasm for the highly anticipated entry.

Age of Empires IV will be the franchise's first new entry in 15 years. The last entry, Age of Empires III, came out in 2005 to a lukewarm reception from long-time fans.

It wasn't that Age of Empires III was bad, it just didn't feel like a true Age of Empires game. It is one of the few games that suffers from too much innovation. The developers even admit they strayed too far from the original Age of Empires format, causing it to feel like a completely different RTS experience. Many long-time fans hope that the developers return Age of Empires IV to its roots, while still pushing the franchise forward.

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Age of Empires IV

Developer Relic Entertainment announced the fourth Age of Empires installment will return to the Middle Ages, instead of moving on to a more modern era. This is a bit surprising, since the series always focused on progressing through historical time periods. It might be disappointing for some, but many longtime fans embrace the decision since it will share the same era as Age of Empires II, the most popular and well-received entry in the entire franchise.

Earlier time periods tend to mesh with Age of Empires gameplay better than modern eras. Most people associate the franchise with swords and spears, rather than guns and grenades. If Age of Empires continues progressing through time, Age of Empires IV would capture the 19th or 20th century. Tons of other real-time strategy games already focus on modern time periods, so progressing to these eras would cause Age of Empires to lose a bit of its identity.

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Another thing long-time fans would like to see in Age of Empires IV is the return of complex managing systems. Age of Empires III simplified the franchises' iconic building and management structure. Resources were easier to come by, the city building mechanics were simplified and maps were reduced down to minimal sizes. Players also didn't form the same bond with their civilizations as they did in previous games. It seemed like all the management aspects were pushed to the side, to make room for more military battles and sieges.

Most Age of Empires fans enjoyed the somewhat meticulous management systems and didn't like the oversimplified style of AoE III. If Age of Empires IV can capture the complexity of the first two games without making it too overbearing for new players, it might overtake Age of Empires II as the best in the series.

It's been nearly 25 years since Age of Empires established itself as one of the best RTS franchises of all time. The series laid the groundwork for countless strategy games and paved the way for many of the popular RTS titles people enjoy today. Hopefully, AoE IV will return to its roots and give players the epic RTS experience they have been craving for 15 years.

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