Age of Wonders is a long-running PC technique sequence that has been round since 1999. This newest entry takes the 4X style—assume Civilization—and transports it right into a fantasy world the place battles are resolved in tactical showdowns, there’s magic in all places and your leaders are additionally RPG characters.
That feels like a sport made particularly for me, so think about my very own shock when, trying over its Steam itemizing the opposite day and putting in it, I realised I had by no means performed one earlier than. Not the unique, not its 2002 sequel, not even the third sport, launched within the comparatively trendy period of 2014 (although I’ve now been advised they’re fairly totally different video games, so that may clarify a few of this!).
I had performed the sequence’ 2019 spin-off, although, so I had some familiarity with the sequence, if not in its purest kind. And what I discovered with Planetfall I discovered to be just about the case with Age of Wonders 4 as nicely: it is a slick 4X sport that hums alongside properly, seems to be nice and, for these prepared, has a stunning quantity of depth you possibly can burrow down into and fiddle with if fantasy and RPG stuff is what you’re into.
As a result of I’m new to this sequence, I truly—and I recognise the chronological backwards-ass nature of this, however it’s what it’s—discovered it extremely much like Amplitude’s Limitless Legend. The place that sport goes onerous on offering you wildly various factions to select from, although, and have your sport impacted accordingly, AoW4 goes in the wrong way, and allows you to create a faction right down to probably the most minute element, from its race to its perks to its look (you possibly can select from some pre-baked races if you happen to like, however that’s boring!).
A lot of AoW4’s overarching construction can be acquainted to anybody who has ever performed a 4X sport earlier than. From constructing cities to researching expertise to exploring the map to assembly pals and rivals, the general form of the sport is, maybe unsurprisingly given the sequence’ age, staunchly conventional.
The place AoW4 will get freaky, although, is the way in which it implements its fantasy setting. You get hero characters who might be levelled up and geared up with loot. There are spells you possibly can forged at a strategic stage that grant perks and even models. The tactical battles have swords and arrows, but in addition elemental magic, animals and useless dudes. There are even story missions you possibly can work by way of. It’s nice!
One other factor I actually like in regards to the sport is that, whereas there’s lots to dig into—metropolis administration, battles, exploration, diplomacy, RPG stuff—the sport, like Planetfall, strikes quick. I don’t know if that’s due to its scale or perhaps simply that I’m already so acquainted with 4X stuff that I’m blowing by way of elements of it, however the sport’s pacing simply felt actually strong; I all the time had one thing cool to do, and by no means felt like I used to be bored, or caught ready for a selected piece of analysis or building. The sport’s interface, directly instantly-familiar for 4X veterans and all the time prodding me when a call wanted to be made, helps right here.
So yeah, I actually like AoW4! It’s perhaps not the best instance of the sub-genre—I nonetheless assume, practically a decade on, that Limitless Legend stays a masterpiece—nevertheless it’s actually adequate at all the pieces it’s attempting to try this I remorse by no means having dabbled with the sequence sooner.