The main goal of the battles will be to conquer and destroy your enemies, although there can be other objectives such as building and defending a Wonder or holding every Holy Site on the map. One particularly welcome feature is that upgrades apply to all units on the field, ensuring you don’t end up with out-of-date soldiers spoiling things. You can also build walls and towers, making Age of Empires 4 a simplistic castle simulator that works well with the fast-paced gameplay.Īs your civilisation moves forward, you’ll advance between the ages, building monuments that grant one of two faction-specific bonuses and unlocking better quality units along with a shiny new aesthetic for all your buildings. Despite this gold rush, you can’t neglect your army, and building a defensive force that will eventually be on the attack is paramount. Using these resources, you’ll find yourself expanding as quickly as possible - the more, the better, as rushing is the name of the game. This means getting your peasants to chop wood and gather food while your scout rushes around the map seeking gold, stone, and all the sheep he can find. You start with your town centre and a handful of villagers and immediately set up the basics of survival. The Age of Empires mechanics are simple and direct, letting anyone familiar with the franchise jump right in. Following a standard formula isn’t all bad, especially when it was perfected many years ago.