![]() Quality issues aside, it hasn't helped that AoE IV's far more demanding specifications have left some PC strategists playing at lower resolutions and diminished capacities, a problem, incidentally, that the more accommodating second game isn't in danger of running into. Maybe it stems from the fact that the fourth entry in the AoE saga, while looking sparkling and pristine enough to justify its identity as a modern title, doesn't differentiate itself enough from previous entries, even with its new civilizations, features and historical campaigns. Perhaps the issue is that AoE IV reminds players less of the glory days of Age of Kings and more of the mediocrity of AoE III. AoE II registered roughly 23,000 players at its peak for the same period. 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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