Alex1215 Age of Empires IV Review

Age of Empires IV has a lot of potential, but the single-player experience is extremely disappointing. The biggest problem is the complete lack of a proper pause or Active Pause in single-player. I play against the AI, not in competitive multiplayer. I want to relax, think about my strategy, and enjoy the game — not lose because I cannot react instantly to five things happening at once. A strategy game should reward planning and decision-making, not just fast clicking speed. The absence of pause makes the game unnecessarily stressful. Real life exists: someone calls, the doorbell rings, you need to take a short break. In any normal single-player game, you press pause and continue later. Here, you are punished for simply having something happen outside the game. The campaigns are another major disappointment. They are some of the most boring RTS campaigns I have ever played. Instead of feeling like an epic historical journey, they often feel like a series of generic skirmishes with AI. The missions lack creativity, memorable moments, and interesting objectives. The documentary videos are a nice idea, but they cannot replace engaging gameplay and a strong story. It is especially disappointing because older games in the series understood what made campaigns fun. Age of Empires II had memorable scenarios, characters, and variety. Age of Empires IV feels much more sterile and repetitive. This could easily be fixed: add Active Pause for single-player, improve mission design, and make campaigns feel like real historical adventures instead of simple AI battles. The game has great graphics and good mechanics, but the single-player experience feels unfinished. A strategy game should let players think and enjoy themselves, not force them into unnecessary stress. Rating: 1/10 for the single-player experience.