![]() Instead, most of your time will be spent either in scenario mode - where one to eight players can battle it out on predefined maps in a combination of free for all and team-based play - or in the custom map generator, both of which are available for online and local hot-seat play. Once you've sampled both sides of the corny but resolutely po-faced campaign story there's little reason to venture back. "Age of Wonders 3 delivers a more tightly focused experience than Firaxis' behemoth Civilization series, to which it initially appears to owe so much." Pacing is kept taut throughout with most research options and building projects taking just a handful of turns to complete. The game is complex enough that a certain amount of reading is necessary but the tome is at least well laid out and features links to related entries that make navigating it as painless as possible. That said, it's not a particularly exhaustive tutorial and doesn't go far enough to explain some of the game's core concepts.Īs such, you'll need to frequently delve into the Tome of Wonders early on, which is an optimistically titled in-game encyclopaedia that helps you to understand why terrain considerations make it a bad idea to establish an elven colony underground and how best to tailor your research to maximise the benefits of unique race and class powers. Basic guidance is also offered when establishing watchtowers, forts and cities in order to claim territory and begin production of units and buildings. Age of Wonders 3's campaign levels offer a logical starting point for new players, with some varied maps and objectives acting as an introduction to the notions of exploration and city building. The differences are subtle but welcome as they lend a more distinct feel to playing as a different race. While most base unit types are broadly consistent across all races they'll often have small variations, so an orc razor-bow archer has a chance to inflict bleed status but its human counterpart has higher base attack stats, for example. In this way, it's not unusual to gain access to new heroes and units from other races, adding further variety to your armies as you recruit goblin warg riders, draconian elders and baby kraken. Occasionally, you'll also meet NPCs that issue quests or ask favours of you before willingly joining your side, bringing with them additional territory and armies of their own. As such, the early to mid stages of any game are enhanced by the discovery of a host of hidden terrain features, as new independent territories are encountered and brought to heel by way of coaxing or conquering. Triumph has a clear understanding of the frisson of excitement players feel as they push back the fog of war and march ever onwards into unexplored territory. Elves the most dickish of all the fantasy races. Hero units can also be customised with loot drops that randomly occur when defeating certain enemy units or exploring some of the many structures and raider sites spread above and below ground across the world map. Each of the six races and classes boasts a range of unique attributes, predispositions and intolerances that determine how well they thrive on varying terrains and what spells, empire upgrades and passive bonuses they can research. These range from the typical snooty high-elf sorcerer to the more exotic theocrat draconian. Nowhere is its personality more apparent than in its varied hero units. Triumph has done a fine job of honing a handful of unique features to a fine point with which to carve out a niche beside its contemporaries, and it's one that belies the series' long absence. However, thanks to a host of cleverly interconnected elements, a refreshing combat system and a goofy-looking golden wyvern or two, Age of Wonders 3 reveals itself as a strategy title brimming with personality. The second is that, despite its aesthetic differences, Age of Wonders 3 looks to owe a lot to Civilization 5.Ĭertainly, its uncluttered UI, hexagonal base tiles and colour-coded delineation of territory suggest that Triumph Studios has paid close attention to advancements in the 4X space since 2003's Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic. The first is that its fantasy-themed world is really very pretty - tall spires tower over lush forests that gradually give way to craggy peaks and glistening clear glacial waters, while quarries, mines and mana nodes pulsate with an industrial glow. ![]() Cast a glance at screens of Age of Wonders 3 and you'll notice two things.
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