The success of Age of Empires 4 depends on its gameplay, not its graphics

We got our first good glimpse of Age of Empires 4 at an April 10, 2021, Fan Preview event, and ever since then there has been fairly consistent debate about whether or not the game looks, well, bad. I’ve been paying some attention to both sides of the argument — there seems to be just as many people who like the game’s look as who dislike the look — but I don’t think it’s ultimately going to play a role in whether or not the game is a success. Like the rest of the Age series, it’s going to be the gameplay that matters most.

The argument about Age of Empires 4 graphics

Age of Empires 4 is getting hit from both sides of the art argument. Some are saying that the gameplay that we’ve so far seen is more “cartoonish” than previous Age of Empires entries, with some vivid colors and unit scaling appearing out of whack. But others are focusing more on the fine attention to detail and the gorgeous procedural environments that make up the backdrop for epic battles.

In an Age of Empires Fan Preview interview, Relic Entertainment Art Director Zach Schläppi had this to say about the accessibility factor and some of the art decisions we’ve seen so far from Age 4:

We whip the camera from a battlefield back to a village, you want to be able to quickly recognize your structures. We try to make that as clear as possible by having unique identification for the rooftops, the banners, logo of the buildings is the same as the logo on the UI HUD. All the units are very identifiable. We exaggerated the weapons, the helmets. The read is stylized for maximum readability from far camera and near camera for the players.

It’s true that the game is going for wide accessibility (no doubt with competition in mind), and it’s true that the game is meant to run on as many systems as possible. You can check out our collection of the best laptops for Age of Empires 4 to see the variety. Is that an excuse to not have a beautiful game? No. Is Age of Empires 4 ugly? Certainly not.

There’s obviously a fine line between accessible and impractical. I’m mostly neutral when it comes to the graphics argument, but that’s likely because I’ve been focusing my attention on the bits of information we’ve received surrounding gameplay. And especially since the team has already made changes to animations — the arrows no longer look like halberds being tossed around — and will continue to tweak the look following fan feedback.

Age of Empires 4’s gameplay is what truly matters

The debate ultimately rages on. Just a few hours ago (at the time of writing) the top post on the Age of Empires 4 subreddit is someone saying how great they think the graphics look, with 50+ mixed responses. The debate is getting kind of old at this point, and many people are looking forward to the closed Beta which begins Aug. 5. It should give people a far better idea of what the game looks like, and though content is under an NDA, I’m sure there will be lively revival of arguments.

In the end, it doesn’t matter what you think about Age of Empires 4’s graphics. Not because no one cares; because it’s the gameplay that really matters. Many of you already know this and are waiting patiently to get your hands on one of the eight playable civilizations to see what the game is really all about.

The original Age of Empires 2 looks like a grainy mess in 2021. Would I still play it if the remakes didn’t exist? Absolutely.

My Age game of choice is Age of Empires 2, released in 1999. It was about 14 years before we got the HD remake, and another six before we got the gorgeous Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition. Did I stick with the game for the last 20+ years because it looked amazing? No. Would I still be playing it if the remakes didn’t happen? Absolutely. It’s one of the most structurally sound RTS games around. It’s the same when playing the original Diablo 2 in 2021. It’s not the graphics that make the game great; it’s the gameplay loop. But I do certainly welcome the Diablo 2: Resurrected remaster.

Of course, a new argument will spring up once people actually start playing Age of Empires 4. This time it will center around unit and map balancing, civilization bonuses, and playstyles. And that’s a good thing. An RTS looking pretty is just a bonus; if it doesn’t have the right formula underneath its skin, it’s bound to be a failure. Focus your constructive criticism on valid gameplay tweaks, and we’ll hopefully see another classic RTS set up to last for decades. Just think of what this game is going to look like in 2041.