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 fashionable period of 2014 (although I’ve now been informed they’re fairly completely different video games, so which 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: this can be a slick 4X sport that hums alongside properly, seems to be nice and, for these keen, 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 really—and I recognise the chronological backwards-ass nature of this, however it’s what it’s—discovered it extremely just like Amplitude’s Limitless Legend. The place that sport goes laborious 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 essentially the most minute element, from its race to its perks to its look (you possibly can select from some pre-baked races in case you like, however that’s boring!).
A lot of AoW4’s overarching construction will probably be acquainted to anybody who has ever performed a 4X sport earlier than. From constructing cities to researching know-how 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 could be levelled up and outfitted with loot. There are spells you possibly can forged at a strategic degree 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 via. It’s nice!
One other factor I actually like concerning the sport is that, whereas there’s rather a lot 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 conversant in 4X stuff that I’m blowing via components of it, however the sport’s pacing simply felt actually strong; I at all times had one thing cool to do, and by no means felt like I used to be bored, or caught ready for a specific piece of analysis or development. The sport’s interface, directly instantly-familiar for 4X veterans and at all times prodding me when a choice 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 do this I remorse by no means having dabbled with the sequence sooner.