It was almost a year ago that Microsoft announced that its hugely popular Age of Empires series is being ported to Xbox consoles. Age of Empires II was the first to hit the new platforms earlier this year, and now, its time for the latest entry in the franchise to hop over.
Announced today during the Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase, Age of Empires IV is coming to Xbox One and Series X|S consoles today. It should also be available via Xbox Cloud Gaming to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers too.
For this console release, the title will fully support controllers, with new ways to coordinate units, collect resources, and go to war being implemented. "Enjoy innovative ways to play one of the most beloved strategy games ever with optimizations for Xbox controller, console-specific user interface, and new tutorials designed for first time players to help achieve easy setup and success," said Microsoft.
Console players will also be able to plug in a mouse and keyboard to jump in if they prefer that as well.
Developed by Relic Entertainment, Age of Empires IV originally launched on October 28, 2021, for PC. The real-time strategy entry features four single-player campaigns set in the early middle ages, all featuring documentary-style footage explaining various historical events and technologies. For multiplayer fans, the title also features a competitive scene featuring 10 civilizations that have unique units, technologies, and special abilities.
In our review of the PC version of Age of Empires IV, we gave the game a 9/10 verdict for its deep strategic gameplay, campaign variety, and various other positive factors. Being a continously updating game, the title"s fifth season landed in June, bringing a slew of new maps, team voice chat, a new terrain rendering system, and other features.
Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition is out today on Xbox consoles. Those who already own the PC version via the Microsoft Store will also be able to jump into the Xbox version for no extra cost thanks to it being an Xbox Play Anywhere title too. Moreover, being an Xbox first-party title, Game Pass subscribers can also jump in when the game is available.