(Image credit: Microsoft)

Every game is a roguelike now. And if it isn’t a roguelike, then it’s a roguelite. Thebeat ’em up is a roguelike. The FPSis a roguelike. Pokeris a roguelike. Breakoutis a roguelike. Even the flippin’ city-builderis a roguelike. It’s overwhelming. They’re all around us, man. They’re coming out of the goddamn walls. Then they’re coming out of the goddamn walls again, with superior weapons and abilities.

Now, gaming’s most virulent progression system has arrived beneath the walls of Age of Empires 4, and the RTS’ quivering denizens have thrown open the gates rather than face the unchained wrath of the roguelike’s horde. The sequel’s latest DLC,Dynasties of the East, introduces The Crucible. This radically reworks the RTS’ loop in a fast-paced game of accruing power to fend off increasingly powerful forces.

Age of Empires IV: Dynasties of the East Launch Trailer - YouTube

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It sounds neat, and seems to have gone down well with those who have purchased the DLC. “It may be my new favourite way to play the game” writes usertrashlord, whileAntiochus says “Please develop the Crucible mode further. Best thing that has been added to the game thus far.” Indeed, the main criticism of the mode is that it could be more comprehensive, and also multiplayer. “Add co-op to the Crucible and my life is yours!” declares usercatz.

Naturally, The Crucible isn’t the only feature the DLC adds. It also introduces six new biomes to spice up terrain, eight new multiplayer maps, and of course, those four new civilizations. Rather than whole new armies, these are variants of existing Civs, providing different spins on the Mongols, Byzantines, Japanese, and Delhi Sultanate factions.

These have proved a bit more divisive than The Crucible. “Even though there was some skepticism at first about the 4 variant civilizations, they turned out to be unique and a lot of fun to play,” writesRkostis. UserPrince of Persia isn’t convinced, however. “We need new Civilizations, not only variants.” The lack of a bespoke campaign is also a bit of a sticking point, something that was added in the previous DLC,The Sultans Ascend.

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Dynasties of the East is available now. While the quality of support hasn’t been wholly consistent, Age of Empires fans have been eating well over the last few years. Alongside the relatively new sequel and its various expansions,Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition has received multiple additions this year, including anew DLC themed around Three Kingdoms-era China, and a free update so huge its patch notes were“legendarily long.”

Rick has been fascinated by PC gaming since he was seven years old, when he used to sneak into his dad’s home office for covert sessions of Doom. He grew up on a diet of similarly unsuitable games, with favourites including Quake, Thief, Half-Life and Deus Ex. Between 2013 and 2022, Rick was games editor of Custom PC magazine and associated website bit-tech.net. But he’s always kept one foot in freelance games journalism, writing for publications like Edge, Eurogamer, the Guardian and, naturally, PC Gamer. While he’ll play anything that can be controlled with a keyboard and mouse, he has a particular passion for first-person shooters and immersive sims.

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