Even if Age of Empires 4 was released as-is, it was never intended to be a fully polished product. Even if we’re willing to allow Age of Empires 2, 57 years to achieve its “Definitive” version, shouldn’t we give the most recent iteration at least a year or two of our patience?
The Winter 2021 Update, released by developer Relic yesterday, is the first stage in a six-month roadmap that builds on the game’s robust foundation. New features and bug fixes are included in this release. As a result of this alteration, the French Hulk, a Feudal Age ship that was nearly indefensible and so formidable that the French were practically a necessity for any water-based maps, has been reduced in power.
Meanwhile, Spearmen have been strengthened to resist cavalry more effectively as well as the Chinese Repeater crossbow is now more affordable, so you may take advantage of those newly accessible castle walls by placing your crossbowmen there and bringing death and destruction on your enemies from above.
The revised mini-map, which was formerly as congested as one from a Ubisoft open-world game, has been reduced to 1/8 of the screen’s original size, which is the most notable improvement. Maps are now easier to understand because the icons are enlarged based on their significance.
As fantastic as those adjustments are, I can’t help but mention the importance of fundamental diplomacy in the next Winter 2021 release. Allowing for alliances and singling out players as adversaries should return to the equator, in my opinion.
In the Spring of 2022, Relic plans to offer tools that will allow gamers to generate their original content, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Players may be the ones that bring back several of the best aspects of AoE’s history.
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