Age of Empires Mobile Goes Live, But Reception Falls Short Of Expectations

Age of Empires Mobile, co-developed by TiMi Studios and World’s Edge, has launched on iOS and Android worldwide, introducing a new mobile take on the popular Age of Empire franchise. The series began back in 1997 with the original Age of Empires, and it now boasts four main series titles, along with various expansions and spinoffs, including Age of Empires Mobile.

In Age of Empires Mobile, players train armies and level up with rapid resource development. They have eight different civilizations to choose from, changing which era the game takes place in, and access to multiplayer online player alliances. “You’ll get to clash with the mightiest heroes all over the world in real-time alliance-based combat,” writes Pocket Gamer. In an article by Gosu Gamers, the game is described as combining “familiar elements from the iconic Age of Empires games with brand-new and mobile-specific gameplay for mobile players.”

According to its developers, the game aims to preserve the same strategic experience of the original Age of Empire games, while expanding into the mobile gaming world. In an interview with Games Radar, Robin Xin, producer of Age of Empires Mobile, explains that their vision has always been to “bring the strategy experience of a top-class franchise to a broader audience on a mobile platform.” He went on to say that the new mobile game is “delivering a lot of strategic depth to players, with a resonant, intricate art style that respects history and mythology.”

Recent reviews of Age of Empires Mobile appear to conflict with this perception, however, painting the game in a largely negative light.

Players expressed disappointment with the game’s content, claiming that it hardly qualifies as a strategy game. “Building up my citadel was where most of my playtime was spent,” Tomas Franzese stated in an article by Digital Trends. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing in his mind, but he took issue with its lack of customization and repetitive nature. “This part of the game felt like a huge time and resource sink to me rather than engaging.”

The game’s combat system received similar critiques. Players are directed to the Island Tactics Mode, where they travel from island to island to engage in auto battles. Nick Fernandez, from Android Authority, expressed frustration with the lack of player input during these battles, describing this section as “a ripoff of auto battlers like Auto Chess or Teamfight Tactics.” Tomas Franzese has a nearly identical take, agreeing that the Island Tactic Mode was a “direct clone of Auto Chess.” He went on to clarify his stance on auto battlers in relation to Age of Empires Mobile.

Autobattlers can be fun, but that’s not the type of strategy gameplay I come to Age of Empires for. It lacks much in the way of strategic interaction, which seems to be a recurring problem with Age of Empires Mobile.

Additional complaints were directed toward the game’s absence of accurate historical content. Chris Thomas, a writer for Android Police, states that the game lacks “even a shade of real historical reference.” Thomas shares that instead of playing as iconic figures like Genghis Kahn or leading Attilia the Hun, “you’ll embody the Princess, retrieve the Sword, and answer to the Patriarch, while navigating hilariously anachronistic ripoffs of pseudohistorical settings and cultures.” There are no concrete narratives or characters of import within the game, making the storyline and voice acting appear bland to many players.

The game has only just released, however, and it is likely that player reactions will vary as they continue to surface. Age of Empires Mobile is free to play and is currently available on the App Store and Google Play to anyone with interest.

Margo Keller: My name is Margo Keller, and I love video games! I am a student at the University of Iowa, double majoring in Creative Writing and Screenwriting, with a minor in Communications. I am captivated by video games and how they function as a story telling medium. Mobile games, specifically, are increasingly complex forms of entertainment that can be played on the go. While many video games are available only to those who can afford expensive consoles and computers, mobile games are designed for the average person.
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