Microsoft released two new videos over the weekend that previewed what gamers can expect to see in Age of Empires IV: One was a naval warfare video, while the other showed the Abbasid Dynasty civilization. You can’t discern much about the game just from these trailers, though they are fun glimpses for fans who are awaiting the release later this year. Some gamers, however, are a little concerned about the state of the game’s graphics.
Both videos are rather short, but you can still make out some details about the game from them. In the Abbasid Dynasty trailer, you can see the civilization’s camel riders besieging enemy fortresses and taking on another cavalry. It’s not much, but considering we haven’t seen very much gameplay from the game since it was announced, it’s still intriguing. As far as I can remember, this is a new civilization for the series.
The naval warfare trailer shows how the player can “build your fleet with specialized units.” You can see the ships sailing across the water, but not much more than that. It’s not the most electrifying preview, but it’s still good to see more from the game before it finally launches on October 28.
Some gamers have responded negatively to the graphics in the preview video, suggesting that the water and ship physics look better in older games in the series, and especially in the remastered Definitive Editions, than they do in the new release. It’s not an unfair complaint — the ships in the video do seem to be sitting on top of the water rather than sailing through it. You can read this Reddit thread for a sample of fan feelings on the matter. Other gamers are defending the developers and expressing excitement to see the game, saying that the graphics are designed to work with a variety of PCs.
