Age of Empires Is Part of Microsoft’s Bid to Conquer the PC Game World
The aging strategy game franchise is back after a 16-year hiatus.
Age of Empires IV debuts Thursday to a warm reception from critics.
Source: Microsoft Corp.
Microsoft Corp. is a pioneer of the personal computer and one of the largest video game console makers. Yet, it’s largely irrelevant at the intersection of those two worlds: developing PC games. The company hopes to finally change that.
A result of this effort is Age of Empires IV, the first installment in 16 years. It’s a strategy game set in medieval times, where players take control of the Holy Roman Empire or the Islamic Abbasids caliphate in a bid to conquer the world. The game, which comes out Thursday, is receiving favorable reviews. It has an average of 83% on Metacritic, placing it in the top 10 new PC games.