

For example, if you’re playing as the English, you probably won’t be able to understand your units at the beginning of the game, as they’ll be speaking a version of English that’s unrecognizable to modern-day players. The team is also hoping to bring history to life through the audio: starting out, civilizations will be speaking in the ancient versions of their tongues. (That is great to hear because, as an American, it’ll be even more of a learning experience because I know almost absolutely nothing about British history.) Part of the re-enactments. During an interview, Emma Bridle, the director of customer voice for Age of Empires, told The Verge that she had grown up in England but learned things about British history from the campaign documentaries. We got to see some of the documentary footage in the Fan Preview event, and it looked like the type of thing that would fit in on Netflix or The History Channel, complete with narration, props, and actors in costume.

The game wants to present plenty of historical context during every game mode It’s easy to see how this could add to gameplay: skirmishes are fun, but knowing why you want to win a battle can really add to the drama of it all. The team behind the game says this is in celebration of history but also works to give players context around what they’re doing. The campaigns in Age of Empires have always added some historical context to the battles and missions you’ll be doing, but in Age of Empires IV, each will be accompanied by documentary footage shot on location. So far, the only one announced has been the Norman conquest starting with the Battle of Hastings. While players can experience hundreds of years of history in a single match, the game will also feature campaigns that let players go through real-life stories that span generations. On release, Age IV will focus on the Middle Ages, having players start with small agrarian villages and build up to castles and kings. The game will feature narrated documentaries throughout the campaigns, time period-accurate language and music, as well as art and game design that looks to take inspiration from both world history and the history of the Age of Empires franchise. Age of Empires games have always taken place against a historical backdrop, but Microsoft and Relic Entertainment want to take things even further with Age of Empires IV.
