Age of Empires 4, the Russians arrive
The arrival of Age of Empries 4 is less and less missing. The new chapter of the RTS series from Microsoft arrives several years later and the marketing machine has already been set in motion for some time with a series of gameplay videos that show the different factions players will be able to control. As you could have guessed from the title of the news, this time the development team has decided to reveal some characteristics of the Russian faction, offering a general overview of the abilities and strengths and offering some strategies on how to play it correctly.In the video, lasting just over two minutes that you find a little further down, the Russians of Age of Empires 4 are described as an excellent unit of the game's Dark Age. "By using the environment around them, especially by exploiting resources, players will be able to build a strong economy very quickly," reads the video description. However, there is not only the aspect of the growth of their own settlement and civilization: even in combat, in fact, the Russians have strengths, such as the Warrior Monk which is able to enhance the units that surround it.
Hunting is also enhanced, thanks to the Russians' natural inclination to exploit the wild environment of Age of Empires 4, and is a great way to fuel the economy of civilization. And the units at sea enjoy some benefits, especially considering their penchant for territorial expansion.
Of course, we just have to leave you to the presentation video of Russian civilization. Age of Empires 4 will debut, at least for now, only on PC on October 28, 2021. The title is developed by Relic Entertainment and World's Edge and is published by Xbox Game Studios. Like all the exclusives of the Redmond house, the new real-time strategy will also be available on Xbox Game Pass from day one, as well as on Steam. A great way to convince everyone to play it, especially considering that it arrives 16 years after the last original chapter.
Age of Empires 4 is also available in digital version on Amazon.
Upcoming PC games: The best new games to look forward to in 2021 and beyond
(Pocket-lint) - There are plenty of incredible games coming to PC this year and beyond. From upcoming triple-A games to highly hyped gems, there's plenty to look forward to, whatever your gaming passion.
Whatever your platform of choice - Steam, Epic, Uplay or Origin, there are loads of new PC games to add to your wishlist as well. These new games include bleeding-edge titles with ray tracing capabilities, as well as updates to your favourite RPGs, shooters and co-op masterpieces.
We've hand-picked some of the best, including trailers for you to enjoy - so prepare your wallet and your wishlist.
Marvel’s Guardians of the GalaxyTake on the role of Star-Lord and lead the Guardians on a wild action adventure. Sadly, the actors from the films aren't featured, but that doesn't mean this won't be a great game. It certainly looks glorious.
Age of Empires IVOne of the most beloved real-time strategy games is making a return. Age of Empires IV promises a rich historical setting with eight diverse civilisations to play with. It also has 35 missions spread over five centuries of history from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance period.
Nerf: LegendsNerf: Legends is an arena shooter where players will be armed with all manner of Nerf weaponry based on the real-world versions of the Nerf guns. It has a single-player campaign and multiplayer featuring four vs four team-based combat and fight player free for all.
Call of Duty VanguardCall of Duty: Vanguard sees the franchise returning to World War II again. The story follows a group of soldiers across different World War II fronts, charting the birth of special forces units. And of course, there's a frantic multiplayer too. What would COD be without one?
Forza Horizon 5The next outing of the Forza Horizon series is taking to the dirt tracks of Mexico. The promise of open-world adventure in a vibrant and ever-evolving landscape certainly sounds appealing. And if the last game was anything to go by, Forza Horizon 5 should be a great deal of fun. According to the latest updates, Forza Horizon 5 will have over 400 cars available to drive.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive EditionWhat do we need to say about GTA? The trilogy of games including GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas are getting worked over for modern consoles and PC. We're expecting increased high-res textures, improved lighting, all manner of environmental upgrades and increased draw distance too. Now you can relive some of the best games in the series with overhauled visuals perfect for 2021.
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Finally, Battlefield 2042 has been revealed and from the looks of it, it's set to be a massive rip-roaring rollercoaster ride of fun and utter chaos. The next Battlefield is set in the near future with a major conflict between the USA and Russia. Expect futuristic weaponry, servers with 128 players battling it out and utterly massive maps too.
ICARUSICARUS is a multiplayer survival game set on an alien planet. It's a PvE experience with up to eight players in co-op mode or solo play. You'll be exploring a savage alien world where terraforming has gone wrong and you have to deal with the results while trying to survive. This is from the same team that bought us Stationeers, so it should be a winner.
ChorusChorus is a stunning and intriguing looking sci-fi action-adventure where you play Nara - who's on a quest to destroy a cult that created her. This one promises all sorts of fun including 'devastating weapons' and 'mind-bending abilities' - should be a blast.
Halo InfiniteHalo The Master Chief Collection is making the move PC at some point in the near future. Now we've also got the news that the next instalment of the series is also going to be available for PC gamers.
Halo Infinite is the next chapter of the series which continues on from the Halo 5: Guardians storyline and promises an ambitious and unexpected direction for the game, powered by an all-new graphics engine. Halo has never looked so good.
Kingpin: ReloadedIf, like us, you're old enough to remember 1999's Kingpin: Life of Crime, then you might be pleased to hear that the controversial game is getting a remaster later this year. This reboot will add 4K and ultrawide support, as well as rebalanced gameplay, yet keeps the same classic aesthetic. We're looking forward to reliving the hazy days.
Project 007If you enjoy Bond, then this is bound to thrill. From the creators of the Hitman series is coming a James Bond game which is said to feature not only a '...wholly original Bond story' but an origin one at that. Count us in.
Rainbow Six ExtractionRainbow Six Extraction is the new name for the game previously known as Outbreak.
A mutated alien parasite is infecting people and threatening mankind. The Rainbow Six team is on a mission to save the world - battling it out against the environment and trying to survive unpredictable missions.
Dying Light 2Dying Light 2 was originally announced at E3 2018, now finally we have some info on when it's fully releasing and a taste of what's to come.
A while back we saw a 26-minute gameplay demo to whet our appetites, now there's a trailer showing off more of the story, the parkour and the zombies you'll be facing. Recent updates include some crazy footage of the various monsters you'll have to dodge and the joyful eye-pleasing visuals too.
We can't wait for this one.
Elden RingElden Ring is the result of a collaboration between George R. R. Martin (author of Game of Thrones) and FromSoftware (the team behind Dark Souls). Combine that knowledge with the trailer and you get an idea of a brutal and incredibly tough fantasy game coming at some point in the next few years.
We'd imagine this will be punishing, beautiful and story-rich. The new trailer certainly has a strong Dark Souls vibe to it, so we're expecting some tough but satisfying combat and a glorious story too.
Occupy Mars: The GameFrom the same people who bought us Thief Simulator, Farm Manager 2018 and the Car Mechanic simulators comes a new game where your mission is to survive on Mars.
This new game is apparently a highly technical, open-world, sandbox centring around Mars colonisation. It will allow you to build and upgrade a base including everything from growing plants to learning how to generate oxygen and survive the harsh climates of Mars.
Total War: Warhammer IIISega and Creative Assembly have said that Total War: Warhammer III will be the biggest yet with warfare on an unprecedented scale. The third game in the series is set in the Realm of Chaos and the Lands of the East with appearances of both daemonic factions and new human factions (Kislev and Cathay) as well.
Unfortunately, like a lot of games recently Total War: Warhammer III has been delayed until 2022.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of ChernobylS.T.A.L.K.E.R. is making a return with a promise of being 'one of the biggest seamless open-worlds to date.' - a blend of horror, FPS and atmospheric sim, it's also said to have an epic story with multiple endings. Awesome stuff.
The latest gameplay shows a staggeringly beautiful view of a horrific world. You'll have over thirty weapons at your disposal, to deal with all manner of horrifying mutated monsters and there's a multiplayer too.
StarfieldStarfield was teased by Bethesda in June 2018 as the first new franchise in 25 years. But that's not the exciting part, Starfield is set to be a space-based RPG with plenty of glorious fun in the depths of space. Beyond that, we don't know much other than we're excited.
The latest news is that Starfield is unlikely to be released in 2021 and will be delayed until a future point.
Hazel SkyHazel Sky was revealed at PAX East and shows off an action-adventure game where you run about as Shane, a young engineer who's trying to fix various flying machines. Certainly a quaint looking indie game.
The Outlast TrialsIf you played and enjoyed the horrific thrills of Outlast and Outlast 2, then buckle up for more. The Outlast Trials is a survival horror that you can play alone or with up to four other people. Set during the Cold War in a place of distrust, fear, and violence you're thrust into a world where people are being subjected to brainwashing and mind control. All sorts of terror ensue.
The Day BeforeThe Day Before is pitched as a third-person, open-world, zombie survival shooter. In a post-pandemic America, where you'll be facing off against both flesh-eating infected and other humans who are desperate to survive. Sound familiar?
Ready or NotReady or Not is set to put you in the shoes of SWAT officers with a tactical shooter that's designed to give you a realistic experience of what it's like to be on the front line of dangerous policing. There's a single-player campaign, PVP multiplayer and more. There's apparently plenty of different ways to play, including non-lethal ones involving bean bag shotguns and more. We're looking forward to getting stuck into this one.
The Outer Worlds 2The sequel to the superb space-based RPG The Outer Worlds has been teased. We have no details on when it'll be available but we're excited!
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker SagaLove Star Wars? Can't get enough of Lego? How about a new game that promises the ability to play through all nine Star Wars films in a Lego-based adventure game?
You'll even have the ability to travel to any planet, in any order, at any time. We'll be off to visit the Wookiees for sure.
Company of Heroes 3Company of Heroes is coming back. This time with a Mediterranean campaign where you'll be commanding ground, air and naval forces too. This new addition to the series promises authentic new gameplay features as well as everything you know and love from Company of Heroes including skirmishes, a campaign and multiplayer. New soldier animations, enhanced AI, realistic squad reactions and a destructible environment should make Company of Heroes 3 a joy for any fan of the series.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is the follow up to 2017's fantastic Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. A psychological action-adventure with a rich and dark story that was essentially a dive into insanity via Viking Hell. The first game was utterly sublime, so we're expecting more of the same from the sequel. This time it's an exclusive for PC and Xbox Series X.
Shadow Warrior 3More demon slashing goodness from the Shadow Warrior series. We've always been fans of these games. Glorious colourful graphics, tongue-in-cheek humour and plenty of pew. Shadow Warrior 3 seems to promise more of the same and we can't wait.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2The follow-up to 2004's awesome Vampire: The Masquerade - The Bloodlines is coming in 2021. The previous game was an utter RPG masterpiece packed full of vampires, dark alleyways and rich characters. The new game is written by the same creative genius behind that game, so we're expecting more of the same here.
Sadly it's not looking good for this game at the moment after Paradox Interactive pulled Hardsuit Labs from the development and has postponed pre-orders.
End StateEnd State is set a to be an interesting early access game coming later this year. It uses turn-based play allowing you to manage a mercenary company tracking down terrorists.
There's the promise of an open-world experience where you get to pick and choose the missions you play in a world with destructible environments that include bullet penetration and more. An interesting ballistics simulation system and enemy reaction system should make this an interesting game for sure.
ScornScorn is an atmospheric horror adventure game in development by Ebb Software. It was originally scheduled to release in 2018, but is still yet to appear. It is inspired by the works of H.R. Giger who was part of the special effects team for the film Alien. The trailer certainly shows some horrific visuals and a spine-tingling atmosphere that fans of the genre will love.
Phantom BrigadePhantom Brigade is a turn-based tactical RPG, that promises a cinematic spin on the genre. This game will also have a focus on in-depth customisation and player-driven stories. It will be your mission to lead The Brigade through a hard-fought campaign to retake their homeland.
Dead MatterDead Matter has been in development for a while now after appearing on Kickstarter. This is a new zombie survival game that the developers how will 'properly' balance survival mechanics with enjoyable gameplay.
'We aim to create the first true zombie survival game with a design emphasis placed on making the game feel good to play, promoting engaging emergent gameplay by giving our players the tools they need to survive.'
Development is drawing closer and the game is still looking promising.
System ShockNightdive Studios is set to remake and reboot the classic sci-fi adventure System Shock sometime in the near future. The developers are promising a new game that's true to the original while being given a refresh with modern visuals and gameplay.
Fans of the series will be pleased to hear the original voice actor is returning too. The original game released in 1994, so this reboot is a long time coming and should certainly be an interesting one. System Shock 3 is also being developed, so we've got that to look forward to as well.
Last Man SittingLast Man Sitting is probably the most ridiculous Battle Royale game you're ever likely to see. Smartly dressed sit in green office chairs armed to the teeth. Shotguns, ragdoll psychics and a slippery floor are bound to make for plenty of shenanigans and much hilarity.
The Elder Scrolls VIElder Scrolls fans have been waiting impatiently for a sequel to Skyrim for what might seem like forever. Now we finally have proof that The Elder Scrolls VI is coming at some point, we just don't know much beyond that. Exciting times lie ahead though.
Dead Island 2Dead Island 2 has been thought dead for a while, but Deep Silver has suggested it is still in the works. We certainly would be thrilled to see a brilliant second outing for Dead Island. The original was an awesome zombie-slaying adventure that we loved when we first played it on PC.
Weapon crafting, a bright and unusual island location and zombies in bathing costumes, this game had it all. The new trailer doesn't show much, but it certainly looks like there's going to be some of the same hilarity and good times. We've heard more rumblings about Dead Island 2 recently, with suggestions that it's going to be an Epic Store exclusive.
Ghostwire: TokyoGhostWire: Tokyo is a new action-adventure game by Tango Gameworks where players will be set on a mission to 'fight paranormal enemies and rid the city of a supernatural evil'.
'After strange disappearances hit Tokyo’s population, it’s up to you to uncover the source and purge the city of a strange, new evil. Armed with your own mysterious spectral abilities, you will face down the occult, unravel conspiracy theories and experience urban legends like never before.'
We don't know much else about this game yet, but it certainly looks intriguing.
Atomic HeartA quirky, gory and fairly awesome looking FPS set in an alternative universe in the heart of the Soviet Union. Players will take on the role of a special agent who has been sent a highly secret object and is desperately trying to investigate what's going on. Weird creatures, robots and a multitude of customisable weapons certainly make this one appear intriguing if nothing else.
Skull & BonesAssassin's Creed: Black Flag proved incredibly popular and spiked interest in pirating based-shenanigans on the high seas. Since then, we've seen Sea of Thieves and the hilarity of Blackwake but Ubisoft's Skull & Bones is making waves in the build-up to launch. Become the pirate captain you've always wanted to be and battle on the high seas on your own or with up to five other players. Grease the gangplank and ready the mainsail, this is surely going to be a glorious grog-swilling romp.
Sherlock Holmes Chapter OneFrom the developers of the excellent Sherlock Holmes game comes an open-world detective adventure where you'll play as the young Sherlock Holmes investigating the death of his mother.
The developers say there will be 'minimal handholding' and you'll be able to get everyone in the world to help with your investigation, even if that's just asking for directions. The new trailer shows off a bit of combat and more importantly some interesting disguise mechanics for Sherlock as well as plenty of investigation paths to keep things interesting too.
SmallandWhat would you if you found yourself shrunk down to a minute size where trees were suddenly the size of skyscrapers and even simple blades of grass tower overhead? That's the world of Smalland and wonderful adventures await including running from packs of rats, trying to survive in a strange new world and even riding wasps as mounts.
Smalland promises multiplayer survival like no other, with a wonderful sandbox, hidden quests and NPCs to meet and much more besides. Sounds amazing.
Body of EvidenceDaft and gruesome, Body of Evidence puts you into the shoes of a dead body disposal expert. Become Winston Wolfe - hide bodies and clean up the mess before anyone finds out. A time limit and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humour should make this a superb chortle.
Manor LordManor Lords is an indie medieval strategy game with 'realistic' city building, battles and the promise of a full building freedom which should be thoroughly enjoyable.
Everything is medieval too. Youll need oxen to plough the fields, you'll have to herd sheep and fight battles too. Looks like fun.
Gotham KnightsBatman is dead and now it's up to Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood and Robin to protect Gotham City from the fiends that causing chaos on the city streets.
Warhammer 40,000: DarktideWarhammer 40,000: Darktide is pitched as a 'visceral' four-player co-op action game with healthy amounts of FPS action too. Details are thin but it's being developed by the team behind the popular Vermintide so should be a blast.
Taxi SimulatorEver wondered what the life of a Taxi driver might be like? Well, wonder no more as you'll soon be able to take on that role and slog your way through the ranks.
Kerbal Space Program 2Kerbal Space Program is back, with a sequel to the highly thought of space-flight simulation game coming some time in 2020. If you enjoyed the sandbox fun of the first game, then you're bound to found the new game a blast. There's the promise of exciting new parts, colony building, interstellar travel and enhanced modding along with breath-taking visuals and a multiplayer system too.
Hogwarts LegacyHogwarts Legacy is an upcoming action role-playing video game. It is set in the late 1800s in and establishes itself in the Wizarding World set by the Harry Potter books. As you'd expect you'll be casting spells, discovering fantastic beasts and generally wizarding about the place.
Writing by Adrian Willings. Originally published on 13 July 2018.