Every game is a roguelike now. And if it isn’t a roguelike, then it’s a roguelite. The beat 'em up is a roguelike. The FPS is a roguelike. Poker is a roguelike. Breakout is a roguelike. Even the flippin’ city-builder is 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.
Described by developer Forgotten Empires as “a challenge of endurance, strategy and luck”, The Crucible sees players guarding a Wonder as their chosen faction against escalating waves of foes. A-la Vampire Survivors, the Crucible lets players periodically choose between a trio of in-game upgrades, while perks can be unlocked between matches to permanently boost your chances of success.
While defending your Wonder is the primary goal, the mode also assigns players two random optional objectives at the outset of a round, while each map also has hidden optional challenges you can discover by sending out scouting parties.
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 user trashlord, while Antiochus 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 user catz.
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,” writes Rkostis. User Prince 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.
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 a new DLC themed around Three Kingdoms-era China, and a free update so huge its patch notes were “legendarily long.”
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