![]() ![]() Something almost intangible seems to be missing, a defect reflected in the fact that, according to SteamCharts, the game only boasts a 24-hour peak of around 9,000 players for the months of June and July. ![]() Reception to the 2021 release has been far from negative, earning strong reviews and decent sales numbers, but it has still left many a tad disappointed. AoE IV has not quite been so triumphantly acclaimed as Relic Entertainment and Xbox Game Studios might have hoped. The answer stems from two main factors: the enduring qualities of Age of Empires II and the collective shortcomings of Age of Empires IV. Why, then, has Age of Empires IV already seen a gradual drop-off in its active player base while its medieval predecessor, now approaching its 23rd birthday, continues to command an astonishingly solid roster of devotees? A third game dropped in 2005, and a fourth entry some 15 years later was not intended simply to reignite a love for the series but rather to take it in a new direction for a new generation of players. ![]() The first entry in Ensemble Studios' acclaimed RTS saga helped kickstart a gaming legacy, but it was Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings that ensured the creation of an icon. The Age of Empires series is a prime example of this frustrating capacity for games to not follow a straight trajectory toward perfection. While it remains the aspiration of most developers to better their established canon of work - and improvements in technology mean that this should be a simple and natural progression - studios are often faced with a far grimmer reality: progress is hardly ever a straight line. It's a self-evident truth that a franchise should continue to improve with each passing installment. ![]()
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