Is Age of Empires 4 Worth Playing in 2024? Yes – More Than Ever

As a hardcore RTS gamer and content creator focused exclusively within the genre, I get asked one question a lot when it comes to Age of Empires 4:

"I‘m an RTS fan who skipped Aoe4 at launch. Should I buy it now in 2024?"

After crossing 500 hours played across ranked, casual, campaigns, plus analyzing reams of data and community sentiment, my wholehearted recommendation is YES – go get Age of Empires 4.

Far from a fleeting launch success, Aoe4 has dug its foundations deep and set up shop for the long haul. Let‘s jump into the evidence.

Aoe4‘s Playerbase and Support Gives it Staying Power

Any great strategy game needs two things to thrive years after launch:

1. An active, growing playerbase
2. Ongoing content and balance support

And Aoe4 delivers both in spades.

Player Numbers Paint a Healthy Picture

For a breakdown of populations, SteamCharts shows Aoe4 averaging a very healthy 15k concurrent players in December 2022:

• 15k puts Aoe4 ahead of Aoe2 DE at 12k – incredible for a game that only launched 14 months ago
• That concurrency supports a strong matchmaking pool; ranked queue times average under 60 seconds in my experience

Assuming Xbox player numbers account for 30-50% of the PC figure based on the franchise‘s historical console to PC ratio, we could estimate Aoe4‘s total concurrent player count at 20-25k – stellar for the RTS genre.

What‘s powering this growth?

Major Events and Tournaments Drive Engagement

A huge contributor is the Red Bull Wololo series kicking off in 2022 – putting Age of Empires on live mainstream display with a $200k+ prize pool.

Events like this enchant viewers with the game‘s strategic depth, helping swell the playerbase.

Game Pass and Discounts Lower the Barrier to Entry

Xbox Game Pass and frequent discounts of up to 50% also make trying Aoe4 almost irresistible for hesitant strategy fans – leading to many conversions to avid players.

Cadence of Updates Keeps Things Fresh

Continuous updates are oxygen for multiplayer games nowadays – especially in the strategy genre where new civilizations, maps, and balances tweaks prevent stagnation.

And the Aoe4 team has impressed me with their consistency so far…

• 4 major seasonal updates since launch
• 4 new civilizations added
• 14+ new maps, modes, quality improvements

This shows Microsoft‘s long-term investment into Aoe4‘s prosperity.

New Season Means a Fresh Meta

I love when rankings get reset with a new balance patch – it‘s the perfect time to revisit civilizations you‘d written off last season as the dynamics shift.

The Landing update in Oct 2022 buffed French Knights and nerfed Rus, suddenly catapulting cavalry civs back into favor on the ladder.

This extensive February 2023 Enchanted Grove patch will undoubtedly spark more meta shakeups.

So fear not – you‘ll get your money‘s worth from Aoe4 for years thanks to ongoing support.

Breaking Down Aoe4‘s Value Proposition

Let‘s quantify the breadth of content in Aoe4 – an instant way to judge a game‘s longevity potential…

Total playable civilizations: 8
Singleplayer campaigns: 4 (~15 hours)
Maps: 14+ (and growing every season)
Biomes: 5
Multiplayer modes: Ranked, Unranked, Custom Games, Coop vs AI

…Plus I‘m expecting at least 4 more DLC civs based on the roadmap above.

Again, the depth here exceeds most AAA RTS offerings – especially just 1 year after launch.

Here‘s a neat way to visualize relative gameplay variety using civilizations x maps:

Even before the new content drops, Aoe4 provides practically infinite strategic permutations.

Verdict? This is incredible value at $60 – and that‘s before frequent discounts.

Price to Hours Played Cements Aoe4 as a Value Buy

I calculated cost per hour across popular RTS titles based on HowLongtoBeat data:

Aoe4 competed well here even at full launch price. And during seasonal sales, I‘ve seen it discounted by 35-50% – slashing the per hour entertainment cost to all-time lows for the series.

For strategy fans, this is absurd value.

Age of Empires 4 is a Well-Crafted Strategy Experience

Make no mistake – wowing graphics alone won‘t sustain an RTS long-term. The biggest question is:

Does Aoe4 deliver challenging, cerebral, highly replayable strategic gameplay?

In a word – absolutely. I‘ve got 500 hours under my belt so far, and almost every 1v1 matchup still makes my heart race as the pressure mounts.

Asymmetric Civ Design Opens Up Creativity

Unlike games that rely on simple starter units like Marines, every Aoe4 civilization has UNIQUE:

• Infrastructures – Council Hall vs Palace
• Economies – Golden Gate super farms?!
• Unit Rosters – Horse Archers vs Rifle Riders anyone?
• Playstyles – Turtling vs Rushing vs Booming

This asymmetric design unlocks almost endless strategic expression from players.

Do you:

• Execute naval raids with longboats?
• Retreat behind defenses playing Chinese?
• Go all-in Feudal as Mongols?

Matching wits against contrasting civilizations is a treat as you counter unique units and infrastructure with smart upgrades and transitions.

And this leads to…

Incredible Replayability and Variety

Between 8 asymmetric civilizations and over 14 maps – each offering contrasting terrain, resources, and chokepoints – I have played over 500 hours without any matchup feeling stale.

500 hours of strategic depth across:

• Hundreds of builds and openers
• Thousands of micro decisions
• Tens of thousands of unique games

This is Age of Empires signature gameplay formula honed to perfection.

Just as chess possibilities are infinite despite a fixed board and pieces, Aoe4 MITIGATES replay fatigue through near-endless strategic expression.

I can safely recommend buying Aoe4 purely on the strength of its gameplay systems alone.

Visuals, Audio, and History Brought to Life

I‘ve analyzed the mechanical merits of Aoe4 deeply as an RTS specialist. However, one area I must praise that often goes overlooked is the art, visuals and historical aesthetic.

Architecture is Jaw-Droppingly Authentic

As a history graduate, I‘m floored by the accuracy of Aoe4‘s architecture and structural details across cultures.

Panning across Chinese Imperial official buildings, you witness:

• Intricate roof detail with figurines
• Textured rice paper windows
• Stone bases and tiled floors

The same eye for accuracy applies across Sultanate palaces, Mongol yurts, English castles and more.

This visual feast enhances immersion substantially for history buffs.

Environments Drip in Atmosphere

Sloshing through muddy French forests in autumn. Treking across Mongolian steppes blanketed in snow. Admiring golden Hindu temples under Indian sunsets.

Few games capture the soul and atmosphere of environments like Aoe4‘s setpiece maps.

combine this audiovisual spectacle with tense gameplay, and hours fly by hypnotized.

Cutscenes Deepen Historical Connection

I must praise the history-inspired cutscenes bookending each campaign as well. Though brief, these vignettes immerse you in key historical moments – the sights, sounds, music and drama.

Getting a glimpse through Timur‘s eyes of smoke-filled Delhi still gives me chills.

This emotional flavor text between gameplay enhances how I self-insert into history.

Verdict: A Visual and Auditory Feast

While much praise is heaped on Aoe4‘s mechanical merits, I believe the visual and audio presentation go woefully overlooked.

Yet these elements SUBSTANTIALLY boost immersion for history fans like myself.

Recommendation: A Must-Buy for RTS Fans in 2024

I‘ll conclude by condensing my recommendation by gamer profile:

For RTS Veterans

• Prepared to be challenged – meta constantly evolving
• Infinite gameplay variety with 8+ civs
• Visual spectacle to match immense depth

For History Enthusiasts

• Jaw-dropping architecture accuracy
• Cutscenes, environments, music enriches eras
• Get lost for hours in beautiful worlds

For Multiplayer Fans

• Healthy playerbase ensures stable matchmaking
• Ongoing support prevents stagnation
• Events & streamers sustains scene

For Casual Gamers

• Easy to grasp, hard to master
• Coop vs AI to learn stress-free
• Discount sales for easy access

If ANY of the above profiles resonate – pick up Age of Empires 4 immediately for endless hours of strategic joy.

You‘ll receive excellent value for money – verified by 500 hours…and counting!

RTS Specialist Logan signing off after another great session with Aoe4 – see you on the battlefields!